Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People, and similar platforms are marketplaces. They sell customer attention, in the form of leads, to multiple competing trades simultaneously. A customer submits a job request; the platform charges you (and several of your competitors) to receive the customer's details and compete for the work.
The economics of this model work well for the platform. They work less well for you over time. You are paying for access to customers that you do not retain, building an asset you do not own, and competing on price with four other trades every time you receive a lead.
Building an Enquiry Pipeline You Own
Understand the cost difference
A platform lead typically costs £15 to £40 per enquiry, depending on job type and platform. If you convert one in four leads (a reasonable average for competitive lead platforms), your effective cost per customer is £60 to £160. A customer acquired through your own Google Business Profile or website costs nothing per enquiry once the profile or site is established. The setup cost is front-loaded and the ongoing cost is maintenance. At scale, owned enquiries cost a fraction of platform leads.
Start with your Google Business Profile
A fully optimised Google Business Profile in a competitive local market generates 10 to 30 enquiries per month for active trade businesses. Setup takes approximately four hours. The ongoing investment is review collection, regular posts, and photo updates — roughly 30 minutes per week. This is the highest-return single action for most trades looking to reduce platform dependency.
Build a website that captures intent
A website that ranks for your specific services in your specific area generates exclusive leads. The customer who finds you by searching 'emergency boiler repair Sheffield' and calls you directly has not been sent to three other heating engineers. The conversion rate from these direct enquiries is significantly higher than from platform leads because the customer chose you, not a shortlist. Ranking for local service terms typically takes 3 to 6 months from a standing start.
Make existing customers a source of future work
Customers who have hired you before are your most valuable marketing asset. They already trust you. A simple process — noting their details, sending a service reminder at 12 months, asking for a referral after a completed job — generates work without any advertising cost. Trades that actively maintain customer relationships report that 30% to 50% of their work comes from repeat customers and referrals within two years of starting a systematic approach.
Reduce platform spend gradually, not immediately
The mistake is switching off platform subscriptions before owned channels are generating sufficient volume. The correct approach is to invest in owned channels — website and GBP — while maintaining platform presence, then gradually reduce platform spend as organic volume increases. Most trades can be fully independent of lead platforms within 12 to 18 months of starting a systematic owned-channel approach.
What platform leads actually cost you
The visible cost of a lead platform is the subscription fee and per-lead charge. The hidden cost is the compounding. Every year you spend on a platform, you are not building an asset. Your Google Business Profile and website rankings compound over time — more reviews, more content, more authority. A platform account has no compounding value. Stop paying and the leads stop immediately.
The choice is not between platforms and no leads. It is between renting access to customers indefinitely and building infrastructure that generates customers independently.