GOLDEN, COLO. — Online marketplace provider ServiceMagic Inc. (www.servicemagic.com), has announced the launch of its one-to-one matching service in partnership with Citysearch. Exact Match delivers a one-to-one match for consumers searching online for plumbing and heating contractors and other local home service professionals. The partnership with Citysearch marks the beginning of ServiceMagic’s integration into IAC Local & Media Services following the acquisition of ServiceMagic by IAC/InterActiveCorp in September 2004.
With Exact Match, ServiceMagic creates and hosts a member business’s web page (containing profile information on the service professional, including Customer Ratings). ServiceMagic optimizes the placement of the individual member web pages to appear within the search results of local search engines and online directories. These web pages are now available within Citysearch, enabling Citysearch to provide its consumers with a direct connection to prescreened and customer-rated home service professionals. Exact Match is viewable on all 141 city guides in the Home & Garden category to which Citysearch provides content.
Exact Match creates a searchable web page and delivers targeted leads only to an individual matching service professional - ensuring they only pay for the leads they want.
“Despite consumer trends toward Internet usage, small and medium-sized businesses have yet to widely adopt online marketing,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with The Kelsey Group, a research and consulting firm. “We project local commercial searches will grow from approximately 10% of all search activity today to 25% by 2009.”
When a consumer conducts an online search for local home service professionals and clicks to review the ServiceMagic member’s Exact Match web page, they can directly connect with the service professional by either submitting an online service request or calling a local phone number provided by ServiceMagic. Both options route the consumer through a short interview to confirm the request matches the contractor’s work type and geographic area. Following confirmation, ServiceMagic connects the consumer directly to the contractor; contractors are then charged for the lead.