How to Build a Successful Website like Thumbtack in 4 Steps- An In-Depth Guide

Thumbtack is one of the leading players in the handyman service industry, a proliferating business sector growing at a CAGR of 17.7% in the projected years of 2025 to 2030. The industry is anticipated to reach a revenue of 14.39 billion by 2030. The increasing digital footprint and expanding demand for the comfort offered by home services have contributed to this growing industry. 

Henceforth, the present generation has migrated to online platforms for acquiring handyman services such as home renovation, repairs, electric work, carpentry, and more. There has been a drastic surge in these shifts, leading to an increased demand for such platforms. Capitalizing on this rising demand is a roadmap to a successful business plan.

In this blog, get detailed insights into the business model, revenue model, and pointers for new business owners to build a successful website competing with industry giants like Thumbtack. Further, the blog enlightens aspiring entrepreneurs with a step-by-step guide to build a website like Thumbtack. 

Thumbtack- An Overview

Thumbtack was founded in 2008 in California and has served in the industry for the last 15 years. The website raised funding of USD 273.2 million from 21 investors over the time. It is a two-sided marketplace, bringing buyers and sellers to exchange services on the platform. The website connects service seekers with service providers mainly using the bidding module. Certain insights into its business growth are given below. 

• Has registered more than 10 million users
• A growing number of 250,000 active professionals 
• Offers 1100+ Services
• Operates in more than 50 States in the United States
• Caters to more than 16000 customer requests per week 

Evidently, the website is continuously growing in this expanding industry, now let’s look at the platform’s workflow for a deeper understanding of the business model of the website. 

How Does Thumbtack Function?

Thumbtack complies with the reverse marketplace business model, a demand-based marketplace where the homeowners or the clients post their job demands and the handyman professionals bid on these projects. To elaborate further on the model, the platform has interconnected stakeholders- the service seekers, and the service providers on the platform. 

• Service Seekers: The service seekers or homeowners post a job listing on the platform with detailed specifications such as the location, budget, and timing requirements followed by selecting the handyman professionals by filtering, comparing, based on reviews, pricing, and a fitting profile. 
• Service Providers: Thumbtack registers vetted professionals on the platform. These professionals can quote their prices under the bidding module. The service providers can bid on the relevant posted jobs for the service seekers to browse. 
• Admin: The platform owner or the admin is responsible for managing the entire website. With access to the robust dashboard and rigorous data analytics, the admin configures the website to deliver a smooth user experience. The admin has full control of the platform- they can monitor reviews and ratings, accept or reject user registration, make payments, and more.

After a look into the business model, listed below are the revenue streams of the platform that can be integrated into your website like Thumbtack. 

How does Thumbtack earn revenue? 

Thumbtack is known for being one of the best places to find home service work, the website is valued at USD 3.2 billion, generating an annual revenue of USD 750 million in 2024. The revenue model of Thumbtack is distinct from most players in the industry. The main source of revenue for the platform is the lead fees, unlike the conventional- commission model. Listed below are the platform’s major revenue streams.

• Subscription Model: Thumbtack charges a subscription fee ensuring a steady income for the platform. It offers Thumbtack Plus- perks like project planning support, access to exclusive leads, and more.
• Lead Fees: This is purchased by the service providers as credits, to send bids and quotes on the listed jobs. Lead fees are charged whenever the professionals are connected with new customers. 
• Advertising: The service providers can utilize the benefits of advertising by promoting their services and enhancing their visibility.       
• Listing fees:  In some cases, the platform charges a fee for new listings by the service providers that helps increase their visibility on the platform by creating and publishing more new listings. 

These were some of the website revenue streams. An aspiring entrepreneur can initiate a profitable business by following in the footsteps of this home service giant. We will also examine ways to compete with home service platforms like Thumbtack in the industry. 

How to Successfully Compete With a Website Like Thumbtack? 

The industry is filled with multiple handyman service websites. A few direct competitors of Thumbtask are Airtasker, TaskRabbit, Angi, and more. A detailed analysis of these websites presents certain factors to consider before launching a website like Thumbtack and competing with similar platforms. We have done that research for you, and below are some of these researched factors for initiating a successful on-demand handyman website business. 

• Address Gaps of the Industry

The handyman service platforms make buying services as easy as buying commodities in the industry. Identifying the gaps and key problems in the industry and formulating a business plan on the same shall lead to a better success rate. For example, Thumbtack addressed the safety and security issues faced in the industry by registering vetted professionals on the website. 

• Developing a Niche- Specific Website

The handyman industry is brimming with home service platform giants that cater to all home service categories. To stand in contrast, creating a tailored and niche-specific marketplace is key. This will provide an edge to a new business as it can significantly establish itself in that industry. This narrowed focus increases the chances of success of a new business.  

• Move Geographically 

While establishing your budding business, scaling smartly is of key importance. Firstly initiating your business geographically gives you a competitive edge. Scaling your business slowly starting with a single geography and then expanding it in new markets according to the demand is a more feasible plan.  Therefore, an aspiring entrepreneur should wisely choose scalable software for launching your platform. 

• Continuous Innovation

The industry entertains a continuously evolving home service platform. A website that constantly improves and iterates its marketplace by introducing new features and refining the former functionalities will undoubtedly observe astounding business growth. Therefore, continuous innovation according to the market trends and user feedback becomes mandatory to compete with the industry giants. 

Entering the on-demand handyman business is a profitable pursuit, with the help of the pointers covered above, a new businessman can thoughtfully enter the industry and create a successful platform. The next part of the blog has unveiled the guide to building a website like Thumbtack in four steps. 

Four-Step Guide to Build a Website Like Thumbtack

An aspiring entrepreneur can launch a successful handyman service website by preparing a well-informed business plan. This section expands onto the guide to building a website like Thumbtack in four major steps. 

1) Conduct Thorough Market Research 

The first step toward creating a website like Thumbtack is to conduct thorough market research. New businessmen should have a detailed knowledge of their market competition, emerging trends, and target audience. Research the needs of your target audience by conducting surveys, analyzing detailed user feedback, and acknowledging their pain points. By developing a unique value proposition the business can initiate successful business development. 

2) Install Essential Features

After analyzing the key takeaways from the market research the next step is to incorporate industry-specific features into your on-demand handyman platform. This step can replicate as well as accentuate the functionality of TaskRabbit. Integrating advanced, easy-to-use functionalities in the platform ensures the launch of a high-performing platform. Here is the list of key Handyman platform features.

• User-Friendly Interface
• Robust Dashboard
• Advanced Job Posting
• Service Packages
• Rating and Reviews
• Direct Hiring
• Discounts and Offers
• Bidding Module
• Push Notifications
• Secure Payment Methods
• Commission Management 
• Analytics and Reports, and more.   

3) Select the Necessary Developmental Approach

The next step in the guide is to select the right developmental approach to launch your on-demand handyman service business. This flourishing industry requires a robust infrastructure with advanced features and choosing an aligned developmental approach is vital for building a website. There are mainly two developmental approaches for a choice, both are given below in detail. 

• Custom Development: This development method requires high financial investment, is time-consuming, and demands a dedicated team of developers and designers. Business owner employing a custom development approach has to have prior technical knowledge to avoid total dependency on this team of developers. 
• Readymade Software Solution: On the other hand, an alternative to the above-mentioned developmental approach is a 100% scalable and customizable readymade software solution that does not need any prior technical knowledge. This method assists in quickly and cost-effectively launching your feature-packed platform with in-built industry-specific features. 

4) Launch and Market

After the launch, the last step is to promote your handyman website. An aspiring entrepreneur can organize social media campaigns, direct outreach, and encourage networking, collaboration, and partnership with educational institutes to ensure global impact. Initially, while onboarding new users on the platform, the business owner can introduce certain offers such as free featured listing, lower or zero commission charges, and more to promote the growth of the platform.

These steps cover the gist of creating a website like Thumbtack. These pointers are laid down to establish a roadmap towards building a successful handyman service website which also structures a remunerative business.
If you are looking for a cost-effective and feature-rich software solution that can assist an aspiring entrepreneur in the quick launch of their business, Yo!Gigs is a perfect fit for your requirements. Covered below is a brief description of this comprehensive software solution. 

Purpose-Built Handyman Software Solution- Yo!Gigs

Yo!Gigs is a one-of-a-kind, self-hosted software solution that caters to the handyman and freelance industry. It is purpose-built with advanced and industry-specific features. The software supports multilingual and multicurrency functionalities promoting a global outreach. Additionally, Yo!Gigs is a highly scalable and customizable software that encourages significant business growth. This white-label software solution is available at a one-time cost with no recurring or hidden expenses. Along with a long feature list, Yo!Gigs also offer 1-year free technical support to new entrepreneurs for seamlessly launching their on-demand handyman platform and making their business initiation as smooth as possible.

Now, let us look at the reasons for choosing Yo!Gigs as your perfect solution, catering to your website requirements. The software is a state-of-the-art solution and its feature list is mentioned in the next section. 

Reasons Why Yo!Gigs is the Best Software For Your Business Idea

To create a marketplace like Thumbtack, Yo!Gigs is a product-market fit software solution. The solution is up-to-date with the latest functionalities assisting numerous new businessmen in establishing successful handyman businesses. Here is the list of tailored features that help businessmen leverage the benefits of the industry and provide their users with smooth business operational functionalities. 

Key Features

• User Management
• Custom Registration Fields
• Commission Management
• DiverseRevenue Channels
• Calendar Booking
• Multiple Job Types 
• Advanced Job Posting
• Job- Cancellation Window
• Reviews and Ratings
• Multiple Payment Gateways
• GDPR Compliant
• Comprehensive Data Analytics and Reports
• Personalized Demo

The software has assisted many entrepreneurs in launching their businesses. It is an SMB and large business-friendly software solution developed by a team of relentless experts to cater to the demands of the industry. 

Parting Thoughts

Building a website like Thumbtack in this flourishing on-demand handyman industry has become an inviting business venture. Hence, the industry has lured numerous business enthusiasts to pursue this opportunity. The success of platforms like Thumbtack is a testament to the capitalizing capability of the marketplace. This blog presents a detailed guide to building your handyman service platform and making an informed strategy to succeed. 

Yo!Gigs is a testified software solution for your business. To know more about this best handyman business software get in touch with the experts.