Are Bark Leads Real? What You Need to Know [2024 Review]
As a self-employed professional in the digital marketing space, finding new clients is one of the biggest challenges I face in growing my business. Like many others, I often rely on various lead generation services that promise to connect me with potential new customers. But not all leads are created equal.
I’d heard mixed reviews about Bark, an online services marketplace that provides customer leads to small businesses like mine. Some professionals said the leads resulted in solid jobs and ROI. Others claimed the leads were fake, spam, or tire-kickers not worth pursuing.
So I decided to dig into the factors that determine whether Bark’s leads are “real” high-quality prospects or not. As a paying customer, I wanted to validate if the leads would provide a worthwhile return on investment compared to other sources.
Here’s what I uncovered in my investigation.
How Does Bark Generate Leads?
First, it’s helpful to understand where Bark’s leads come from. Essentially, Bark sources leads through aggressive paid advertising campaigns, search engine optimization, and partnerships that drive new customers to their website. There, customers answer some questions about their specific service need and provide contact details.
Bark then screens leads with automated systems and human review before matching and sending the leads to up to 5 different service professionals in that category based on profile preferences. Leads can be purchased individually, and providers only pay if they want to contact the lead.
So Bark’s model is fueled by selling leads to service providers like me, not charging customers. This gives them incentive to cast a wide net and capture leads through marketing without worrying about lead quality as much. More volume means more revenue.
Key Factors in Evaluating Bark Lead Quality
To determine if paying for Bark leads would really pay off, I evaluated them across these 8 key dimensions:
1. Lead Accuracy
The #1 factor is whether the contact information for each lead is valid and accurate. If 20% or more have wrong numbers, missing info, etc., that’s a red flag. Inaccurate contact details waste time and money. Overall, Bark seems to do a decent job validating emails and phone numbers during the screening process.
2. Lead Relevance
Are the leads targeted and matched to my specific service area and specialties? If not, they won’t convert. I tested Bark leads over 6 months and found at least 90% matched my service geography, and 80% matched my service categories. Good relevance.
3. Lead Details
Do the leads contain rich details about the customer’s project, needs, timeline, and budget? The more info, the better I can assess fit and tailor my proposal. Bark’s leads tend to provide limited project details compared to other sources. Many lack budget info which is problematic.
4. Lead Exclusivity
How many other service pros get sent the same lead? Bark allows up to 5, which hurts response rates. I tested responding quickly to leads where I was “1st” to get contact info, but at least 3 in 10 of those told me they’d heard from many providers already. Exclusivity could improve.
5. Lead Response Rate
What percentage of leads actually reply when contacted? I tracked this closely. Of my first 50 Bark leads contacted, only 22 responded — a 44% response rate. Pretty poor compared to the 70%+ rate I see from other sources. Indicates lead quality issues.
6. Quote to Close Rate
Of the leads that responded, how many converted to contracts? I closed 3 of 22 responses, a 14% close rate. Also quite low vs. my normal 45% close rate. Again, suggests the leads are lower quality.
7. Customer Satisfaction
Were the new customers happy? The few Bark leads that converted did result in satisfied customers and positive reviews. But the low response and close rates limited my overall new customer acquisition.
8. Return on Investment
The acid test — did the cost of the leads justify the revenue generated? Factoring in lead costs, time spent, and jobs landed, my ROI for Bark leads was decent over 6 months. For me, they ultimately didn’t provide value relative to their cost.
Digging into these key factors gave me data-driven insights into the overall validity and quality of Bark’s home service leads.
Professional Reviews Seeing Similar Results
My experience aligns with feedback from many other small business owners who have tested leads from Bark. Reading through reviews, a few themes emerge:
Positive Reviews
- “Some leads convert and bring in business.”
- “Connecting with customers looking for specific services.”
- “Good for very small jobs and projects.”
Critical Reviews
- “Contact info is accurate but most leads don’t respond.”
- “Not enough details to properly qualify leads.”
- “Prone to lots of tire kickers and low close rates.”
- “Lead costs too high relative to value and ROI.”
While some professionals certainly see success using Bark, many express the same frustrations I did around lead response rates, conversion, exclusivity, and overall ROI. Most report getting better results and higher quality leads through other sources.
Below Is a Negative Review:
Below Is a Positive (customer) Review:
Below Is a Positive (provider) Review:
Best Practices for Making the Most of Bark Leads
If you do decide to test leads from Bark, here are some tips that can help maximize your results:
- Respond ASAP — follow up within 5–10 mins for best response.
- Personalize your outreach with details from the lead info.
- Provide fast turnaround on quotes — within 24 hrs if possible.
- Follow up persistently via email, calls, and texts. Don’t give up after 1 try.
- Track lead response data to calculate your ROI and close rates.
- Identify low quality leads quickly and avoid wasting extra time on them.
- Limit your spend to assess performance before investing more.
While practices like this can help convert more of the leads you purchase, they likely won’t turn all your leads into gold. You may still face lack of engagement on many leads purchased.
Key Takeaways — Are Bark Leads Worth Buying?
So, in evaluating the 8 factors above, along with feedback from other service pros, here are my key conclusions on whether Bark leads measure up:
- Contact information itself is generally accurate and validated.
- Lead relevance is decent but project details are often sparse.
- Exclusivity of leads impacts response rates.
- Low response rates even when contacting leads quickly.
- Subpar conversion rates compared to other lead sources.
- Can deliver some business, but likely not enough to justify costs.
- ROI is marginal at best compared to alternate lead generation options.
For me, the sheer volume of leads wasn’t enough to overcome the deficits in quality, exclusivity, and conversion potential. The costs outweighed the reward. But individual business needs may vary.
While I can’t recommend Bark as a primary lead source based on my experience, it may still offer some value filling gaps in your pipeline. Just go in with eyes wide open, manage your spend carefully, and track results religiously. As with any lead source, you must continually evaluate the return you’re getting on your investment, then double down on what works.
If You Still Want to Give Bark A Shot, You Can Sign Up Through My Referral Link For 2 Free Responses.
(limited time only)
OR
If you’re interested in exclusive leads for your business feel free to contact me about my lead generation services here: https://www.kcdigitalinc.com/contact
Bonus Tip — Start A Free Referral Program
While services like Bark can be tempting.
Starting your own customer referral program can be a much cheaper and more innovative alternative.
Leverage Word-of-Mouth
Instead of paying for each lead, incentivize your existing customers to refer their friends and family to your business.
People trust recommendations from those they know and respect.
Tailor Your Incentives
With your own referral program, you control the incentives and rewards you offer.
Tailor them to your specific business and customer base for maximum impact.
Build Customer Relationships
By encouraging customer referrals, you’re not just acquiring new business – you’re strengthening relationships with existing customers.
They’ll feel valued and appreciated.
Super Easy to Implement
Starting a referral program is easier than you might think.
Software solutions can help automate the process, track referrals, and distribute rewards.
Grow Your Business “For Free”
Instead of relying on third-party services, take control and start your own referral program.
It’s an effective way to grow your business and build a loyal customer base.
So why not give it a try?
You'll save money in the long run and cultivate a community of customers who keep coming back – and bring their friends with them.
Try Referral Rock out for free, plus get $200 off your first month.
P.S. I may receive a small commission if you decide to sign up via my referral link.🫡 🔗
