The lead arrives: "Bathroom remodel, budget $15,000-$20,000, zip code 85281." You pay $65 for the lead. You call within 30 seconds. Wrong number. You call the second number listed. The homeowner says they already hired someone from yesterday's batch of leads — HomeAdvisor sent the same lead to you 24 hours late. You paid $65 for a dead lead. This scenario plays out across thousands of home service businesses daily on HomeAdvisor. Since the Angi merger, provider complaints about lead quality have intensified: fake leads, leads from outside service areas, auto-charges for leads never requested, and support that takes days to resolve credit disputes.
TL;DR
HomeAdvisor lead quality is declining post-merger. Paying increasing prices for decreasing quality is the opposite of growth. The Webevo platform builds owned lead channels that improve over time — no marketplace middleman skimming your margins.
The Quality Decline Problem
HomeAdvisor's merger with Angi created the largest home services marketplace — and the same problems at larger scale. Platform incentives favor volume over quality: more leads generated = more revenue per provider, regardless of lead legitimacy. Better Business Bureau complaints about HomeAdvisor/Angi consistently cite fake leads, unauthorized charges, and difficulty canceling. Compare: Angi, Thumbtack, Porch.
Marketplace vs Owned Growth
| Metric | HomeAdvisor | Webevo Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Lead quality trend | Declining ↓ | Improving ↑ |
| Cost trend | Increasing ↑ | Decreasing ↓ |
| Lead exclusivity | Shared | Exclusive |
| Fake lead risk | High | Zero |
| Data ownership | Platform owns | You own |
| SEO | ❌ | ✅ Local optimization |
| Voice AI | ❌ | ✅ 24/7 |
| CRM | ❌ | ✅ AI-powered |
Lead Marketplaces Sell Your Leads to Competitors: Lead marketplace platforms sell the same lead to 3-5 competing businesses simultaneously. Your conversion rate on shared leads averages 8-15%. With exclusive leads generated through your own SEO and reputation — conversion rates reach 35-45%. The Webevo platform generates exclusive leads that only your business receives.
The trend lines tell the story: marketplace economics deteriorate while ownership economics improve.
When HomeAdvisor Makes Sense
HomeAdvisor/Angi provides lead volume for businesses needing immediate cash flow in competitive home service markets. New contractors without Google presence or review history can use marketplace leads as a bridge — but only as a bridge.
The bridge to where? To owned growth through the Webevo platform: Google Maps visibility, 200+ reviews, voice AI answering every call, and CRM nurturing every lead to completion. Build the destination, then stop paying tolls.
