Is Google the Answer to Finding the Perfect Paint Contractor?

An online friend in Florida asked me where she could find a good painter. Of course, I asked if her budget allowed for a great Vancouver painting company to come down and do the job for her. Sadly it didn’t, so I suggested she go down to her local paint store and ask them for a couple referrals.

I believe the two absolute best places to get a recommendation for a painter is either from a like-minded friend (one that shares the same views on quality vs. price) or your local paint store. Paint store owners and managers know exactly who in their neighbourhood is running a quality operation. They also know that who they refer can reflect directly on their store.

But let’s be perfectly honest, the number one place people go to find a painter is the internet.

And there is no question that Google is the most popular search engine people use to do research on just about every purchase they are considering from TVs to cars to lipstick.

But is Google the right place to go if you are hiring a paint contractor?

Well, its a good place to start, but…

If you do a search for “Vancouver House Painters” or anything similar, you will generate more than 150,000 results. Google does its best to provide users with the best, most relevant search results but it doesn’t list those results from best to worst in terms of service and quality.

The good news is things are always changing with Google and if you are a member of Google+, your search results are now reflecting recommendations and likes from other members in your circles. Plus, if you are logged in to your Google account when you search, you now also will benefit from results that reflect your previous searches.

So while Google doesn’t come right out and tell you who to hire, it can help you find the answer to that question. Here’s how:

The Google+ Button

This means someone you know or someone in your social circle likes this company. It might be a friend’s company or the result of a good experience dealing with the contractor, but the Google+ recommendations from members of your circle can give you a hint at which companies to put at the top of your list.

Google Reviews

They are now front and center on search results.

This is a great starting ground for giving some indication of customer satisfaction and feedback. The downside is that Google does almost nothing to screen these reviews so there is nothing stopping a company from posting fake reviews on Google Places. I highly recommend checking out a website like Homestars where they have internal controls to ensure all reviews and postings are legitimate.

Use Google to get you to a company’s website

I know you can often get the telephone number and contact information on a company right from the summary description on a Google search but you should also click on the link and go to the company website. Does it reflect the quality of work you want done in your home? Do the pictures of the projects they have completed resemble the type of home you have?

There is no point in calling a company that showcases multi-million dollar mansions on their website if you need to have your rental unit painted. Likewise, I wouldn’t suggest you call the company that specializes in painting three rooms for $300 to have your country estate painted either.

Use Google as the starting point of your search not the ending point!

Once you have found a couple of paint contractors that you think might be a good fit, Google their company name. This is going to pull up all sorts of information on a company you might not find through their website. Reviews, BBB listings, actions and community involvement are just some of the things that might show up on a Google search for a company.

Google might be the YellowPages of today but it is a far more valuable tool for finding any type of contractor than that dusty old book sitting under your desk is. Put it to good use, do your research and you can find the perfect painter for your job.