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Buyer Beware: What is Lawn Love, Angie's List, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, & LawnStarter?

When it comes to finding a lawn care company in Memphis, TN or Northern MS, you might not know where to look or how to weigh one company against another. That’s understandable.

There are a lot of lawn care companies out there and the process can feel daunting. Of course, we also don’t want you to get taken advantage of in any way as you learn to navigate your options.

That’s why we wanted to help make you aware of names you may encounter like Lawn Love, Angie’s List, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, or LawnStarter.

Understanding what these companies are all about can help you be a wise consumer as you consider all of your options.

Lead-Generating Platforms

Companies like Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, and Thumbtack are lead-generating platforms that help homeowners find professional services in their area.

These websites have capitalized on your uncertainty by being positioned as a resource where you can find various home services in your area.

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While Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor are focused on home services, Thumbtack goes beyond just home services and helps you to seek out all local pros including piano teachers, dance instructors, personal trainers, and more.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with using websites like these, we also think it’s important for homeowners to understand what they could be getting.

It’s important to recognize that these types of platforms are marketing machines.

How Do They Work?

As lead-generating sites, these platforms are going to produce lists for you. For example, if you search for “lawn care in Memphis, TN,” Angie’s List Memphis, TN is going to produce a list for you called the “10 Best Memphis TN Lawn Care Services.” Meanwhile, HomeAdvisor Memphis, TN is going to produce a list for you called the “25 Best Lawn Care Services in Memphis, TN.”

That’s fine as a list generator and it’s not a bad place to start if you literally have no idea what companies are in your area. But you have to keep in mind that companies are paying a fee in order to advertise and receive more leads from these types of sites.

best lawn care companies memphis

That means a company that pops up first in your search isn’t necessarily the most qualified but may have just paid more money to rank higher on the search list. While some of these sites allow for reviews, they’re more focused on who pays to show up than anything else. That means there could be a lot of really great companies that don’t even show up.

For these reasons, it’s necessary that you still perform your own research.

Don’t just pick the first lawn care company that shows up on a list. If you truly want to ensure you’re getting great lawn care, you need to use other methods (such as comparing online reviews and thoroughly researching each company’s website) to ultimately make your choice of the best lawn care provider.

Platforms Masquerading as Lawn Care Providers

The other type of lead-generating platform out there are the sites that present themselves as though they are lawn care companies when in reality, they are just marketing machines like the others we’ve discussed.

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Let’s take a closer look at two of the well-known websites that might have come up in your search for local lawn care. Like many others, you might have even assumed these two platforms were actual lawn care companies.

Lawn Love Memphis, TN and Olive Branch, MS

When it comes to transparency, Lawn Love is one of those platforms that is not so clear about what it does. In looking at their website, Lawn Love Memphis, TN and Olive Branch, MS appears as though it’s a lawn care company.

However, in reality, Lawn Love is a third-party service provider. That means that if you call them for lawn services (of which, a variety are listed on their website), all they’re going to do is find a local company to do the work (who is also paying to advertise with them).

A fair comparison is like paying a big box store to install flooring for you. They’re likely just subcontracting that work out and that leaves you to wonder what you’re going to end up with. You can’t compare what their service is like with another past user because they’ve likely sent out different contractors to different jobs.

LawnStarter Memphis, TN and Olive Branch, MS

LawnStarter operates a similar way as Lawn Love but we feel it’s a little bit more transparent in the way that its website is set up.

In other words, it’s more clear that it’s not an actual lawn care company but that it’s a third-party service provider of lawn care. On the very first page, there’s a mention that LawnStarter is “proud to support small businesses” and there are testimonials from local lawn care companies that have gotten business through LawnStarter.

How to Be a Wise Consumer

Now that you understand what these platforms are and how they work, you can be a wise consumer.

Instead of just choosing the first lawn care company that comes your way, you can put some time and effort into knowing that you’re making the best choice. This can be achieved by taking the time to visit companies’ websites and also read through third-party reviews to get a better sense of what they have to offer.

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While there’s nothing wrong with using the marketing platforms discussed in this article for information, the ball is still in your court to do your homework in order to be able to feel confident that you’re investing wisely. Fortunately, that effort will pay off with great results that will make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood.

Ready to work with a reputable lawn care company that values honesty and transparency? Master Lawn could be your best choice for lawn care in Memphis, TN or Olive Branch, MS. Talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn.

Get A Free Quote

Michael Hatcher

Michael Hatcher is president of Michael Hatcher & Associates.

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