If you’re comparing Hipages with your own advertising, start with your actual invoices, enquiry records and completed jobs. Use the same date range and record which services and locations each channel reached.
Record the whole cost
- Platform or advertising charges for the period.
- Management, creative and landing-page costs where applicable.
- Time spent responding, quoting and following up.
- Booked and completed jobs linked to those enquiries.
Keep estimates labelled. If you don’t know which channel produced a job, record it as unknown rather than assigning it to the channel you prefer.
A worked example
The figures below are invented to demonstrate the calculation. They are not client results, current platform prices or forecasts for your business.
| Measure | Channel A | Channel B |
|---|---|---|
| Total acquisition cost | $1,000 | $1,200 |
| Enquiries | 20 | 30 |
| Booked jobs | 5 | 4 |
| Cost per enquiry | $50 | $40 |
| Cost per booked job | $200 | $300 |
Channel B produces a cheaper enquiry in this example, but Channel A produces a cheaper booked job. Neither figure tells you the profit from those jobs.
Look at the work you actually want
Compare job type, service area, value, delivery costs and available capacity. A channel that fills the diary with unsuitable work can look busy without helping the business.
Give both channels a fair follow-up process
Record how quickly you responded, whether you reached the customer and what happened after the quote. Keep those steps consistent where possible. A short comparison can also be affected by seasonality, small samples and campaign changes.
Use the findings to plan the next test
Choose a budget you’re comfortable testing, define what you’ll measure and review the actual results. Check current platform terms and prices directly before committing.
If you want the website, enquiry handling and advertising managed together, explore the Tradieboost System.