Short answer: hipages and the other lead platforms can work, especially when you are starting out and need jobs this week. But a lot of tradies end up paying a lot for leads that go to five other blokes at the same time. Here is the honest version.
Where lead platforms help
- You are new, or quiet, and need work fast.
- You do not have a website or any way to be found yet.
- You are happy to compete on price and speed of reply.
Where they hurt
- You pay per lead whether you win the job or not.
- The same lead is sold to several tradies, so you are in a race to the bottom.
- Stop paying, and the work stops the same day. You never built anything that is yours.
That last point is the big one. Money on a lead platform rents you customers. It does not build a pipeline you own.
The fix is not "quit hipages"
It is "do not depend on one lead source." Keep using what works while you build your own way of getting found: your own website, your Google profile and reviews sorted, and ranking when someone searches your trade in your suburb. Over time, more of the work comes to you directly, and the per-lead bill shrinks.
That is exactly what BizEdge does, and it is cheaper than a few months of lead fees. Get Found starts at $89 a month, you own your site and your domain, and you can cancel any time. It will not replace hipages on day one, but it gives you somewhere to stand that is yours.
Worth reading next: get your Google reviews onto your site and the 10-minute win-back text.