Your Thumbtack profile shouldn’t be something you set and forget. It’s the number one way customers decide if you’re the right pro for the job. Consider updating it regularly as your business grows.
Not sure where to start? Here are our favorite Top Pro tips for giving your profile a boost in less than five minutes.
1. Make your profile photo a headshot.
Show customers who you are by featuring yourself front and center on your Thumbtack profile. Using a headshot as your profile image does more than just instill confidence in interested customers — it helps you stand out from the pack.
Bay Area fitness duo Baron Lambert and Jessica Garcia have been hired 148+ times on Thumbtack. Here’s why their (double!) headshot works.
Baron and Jessica’s picture is:
- Friendly. Customers like to see smiling faces. Baron and Jessica look like they’re ready to help.
- Professional. The photo is high quality. Considering how many customers will see it, their professional photo is well worth the investment.
- Branded. With their Top Tier Fitness shirts, there is no doubt who the trainers are or what they do.
Bonus tip: When uploading your profile image on Thumbtack, aim for 500 x 500 pixels to ensure the best quality.
2. Add new photos and videos regularly.
Thumbtack helps you showcase your previous work by providing a section for photos, videos and audio recordings. So whether you’re an event musician or an exterminator, your profile can be a window into your work.
Fun fact: on average, pros provide between 15 and 16 media items on their profile — and keeping that library updated as your Thumbtack grows is what will truly set your business apart.
“Every month there are more vendors on Thumbtack competing for business. So every time you have new proof to show (your work, a new headshot, a positive client interaction) make sure that goes up on your profile,” says Top Pro Patricia Nguyen, whose photo booth company has been hired more than 120 times on Thumbtack.
Bonus tip: Make the most out of each photo or video by including a caption that describes what’s going on. And check your spelling — twice! Photos captions are one of the first things a customer will read.
3. Respond to your reviews.
“I cannot tell you how many of the people who contact me through Thumbtack say to me: Wow you have 200 reviews and they’re all five stars, so you must be great!” says Rona Distenfeld, whose Austin, Texas dog-walking business relies on Thumbtack for 90 percent its business.
“Also I think the fact that people don’t just give me five stars, but take the time to write something makes a difference,” she continues. Top Pro dance instructor Stephen Banks agrees. When asking for reviews, he tells his students, “Good, bad, or indifferent — I don’t care what the review says, but you writing it will help me learn and help other people looking for something I can offer.”
If you do get a less-than-enthusiastic review, make sure to respond. Thumbtack makes it possible for you to address any poor reviews head-on. Rather than getting discouraged, use it as a chance to show off your customer service skills by following up with a thoughtful, solutions-oriented response.
Here’s how Top Pro Garrett Hurlbut does it:
Bonus tip: Once you submit a response, you can’t go back. So make sure you’re confident in what you’ve written before hitting ‘post.’
4. Link to your business website.
Proof matters. Having a website to back up your Thumbtack profile helps prove your legitimacy — and when you’re looking for customers online, looking like (and being!) a legitimate business really matters.
Jen Winters, who runs an award-winning pest control business with her husband Mark knows what a difference a professional website makes.
“We talk to people all of the time who are thinking about starting their own business and we tell them, ‘Step one: Make a website. Step two: Sign up on Thumbtack.’ End of story,” Jen says.
Bonus tip: Make sure your website stays updated and your domain is in order. Search error messages and spelling mistakes erode customers’ trust.
5. Add a background check to your profile.
Even if it isn’t required, choosing to take a background check is one of the most concrete steps you can take to build trust with customers on Thumbtack. Background checks are free and take only a few minutes minutes to complete. If your information checks out, Thumbtack responds within two weeks by including a background check badge on your profile.
Bonus tip: Keep your background checks updated by having a new check every year. The sooner you have the badge, the sooner you can put interested customers’ minds at ease, so set aside a few minutes minutes and do it today.
For more tips and tricks on building your business on Thumbtack, read our latest Get Hired Guide.
