After clicking on the site's new button, "Find a Contractor," a homeowner or building owner will type in a zip code and instantly see the contractor subscribers within a radius of the zip that the consumer selects. The contractor will be able to show captioned full-color before-and-after photos of a job along with his or her name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, Web site, insurance, and specialty (steam, radiant heating, etc.).
There will also be an area where the contractor can fully explain the challenge he or she faced on this job, the options that were explored and how the challenge was met. Holohan has offered to help each contractor subscriber with the editing of his or her personal word portrait. "I want every contractor who subscribes to this service to look and sound at good as possible," Holohan says.
The "Find a Contractor" feature at HeatingHelp.com differs from association sites that list members, Holohan explains. "What we're doing here is giving contractors the opportunity to speak directly to potential clients, one on one.
"We had about three-quarters of a million people visit HeatingHelp.com last year. Many of those people were homeowners and building owners. They were looking for competent professionals who could tackle anything from old steam systems to modern floor-heating systems."
Holohan says visitors would e-mail him and ask for recommendations, and he would send them to HeatingHelp.com's bulletin board, The Wall, where contractors could discuss the job with them, and, in the case of local contractors, actually get the work.
With this new system in place, homeowners and building owners will be able to see a sample of the contractor's best work and read the contractor's description of that job.
Holohan will be charging contractors $25/month to subscribe to the service. There are two payment options. Contractors can sign up for three months for a total of $75, or for a full year for just $275 (one month is free).
Visit www.HeatingHelp.com for further details.
