Home services marketplace Redbeacon has come a long way since it’s inception at TC50. They’ve raised a total of $7.4 million, were acquired by Home Depot, and have made the difficult transition to mobile in the past five years. And today, the company is solidifying its place in the mobile realm with the launch of an Android app.
Redbeacon already has an iPhone app, and of course the web service is doing well, too. But founder Yaron Binur has made it abundantly clear that mobile is the main priority.
“We launched Redbeacon at the end of 2008; it was a different world back then,” said Binur. “If I was to start Redbeacon again today we’d be a mobile company first. It’s clear that that is the direction both consumers and professionals are moving to.”
The iPhone app added Home Depot integration back in July, in four key test markets. Since then, Redbeacon has seen 350 percent growth in job requests, and 450 percent growth in the number of pros on the network. And when users put in requests for a price quote, they’re now seeing the first quote response within ten minutes, and most inquiries receive three or more quotes.
The iPhone app has even topped 100,000 downloads since launching in November of 2011, and repeat usage out of iPhone owners is about three times higher than the average.
“When you add all those things together, it’s clear that the next thing we need to push is getting ourselves out to Android users,” said Binur. “It’s a big and growing user base.”
Binur also mentioned that the Redbeacon demographic, specifically homeowners, tends to have deep penetration in Android.
With the Android app, Redbeacon plans on streamlining the process for mobile. They revamped the request flow entirely, using SmartForms (a feature from Redbeacon’s website). Essentially, Redbeacon’s Android app will get you started with your home improvement request, and each question you’re asked thereafter will be dependent upon each answer you give.
This ensures that the information is completely tailored to the users’ needs, and that no time is wasted getting a request out there. It also keeps users away from typing, which is a plus. In fact, even the notifications on Android will link to that specific quote or request, rather than the app’s home page.
This is Redbeacon’s time to shine, as Binur claims that the relationship with Home Depot couldn’t be better, as the home improvement retailer has offered only support and resources. This is clear in Redbeacon’s new commercial:
Redbeacon allows consumers who need a service performed to find and interact with local businesses and professionals. Redbeacon goes beyond returning business listings with ratings and reviews by helping consumers determine the right service provider for their specific needs and allowing them to compare price quotes and book appointments online. Consumers describe what they need done and specify when and where their job should take place. Using patent-pending machine learning and semantic technology, Redbeacon determines the best...
Yaron Binur is a co-founder at Redbeacon, where he works on product management and product strategy. Previously, he was a Product Manager at Google, where he led the product development of Google News. Yaron was also a Product Manager on international Google Search quality and user experience. Yaron is a co-founder and executive board member of Middle East Education through Technology, a non-profit that brings together Palestinian and Israeli youth around business and technology. Yaron graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
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