Tradies across Australia often evaluate whether to rely on hipages or invest in a dedicated website. While hipages provides access to enquiries, the cost structure, lock-in terms, and low conversion rates make it unsustainable. A website supported by search engine optimisation (SEO) consistently delivers greater value, even with a higher initial build cost of $2,000–$5,000.
Hipages operates on a subscription and credit-based structure. Businesses are charged $471.90 per month (including GST) for membership. This includes a $580 lead credit, which equates to roughly 116 leads per year when calculated at the platform’s standard rate of $60 per lead. Once this allocation is exhausted, every additional enquiry is charged at $60, regardless of whether it results in a secured job.
Annual cost scenarios:
| Leads (p/m) | Leads (p/y) | Costs | Costs per lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 360 | $20,303 | ~$56 |
| 140 | 1,680 | $99,503 | ~$59 |
| 280 | 3,360 | $200,303 | ~$60 |
While the per-lead cost appears consistent, the underlying challenge is that the price is detached from performance. Each enquiry is charged at the same rate whether or not it converts, and most are distributed to several tradies simultaneously. This reduces the likelihood of winning the work and inflates the true cost per successful job, which can easily triple when conversion rates fall to one in three or four.
"A race to the bottom."
Because multiple tradies pay for the same lead, winning often depends on offering the lowest price. Over time, this dynamic compresses margins and undermines profitability, even when gross revenue per job appears strong.
Adding to this risk is the mandatory 12-month contract. Once committed, businesses cannot scale back or withdraw if lead quality is poor, leaving them locked into thousands of dollars in ongoing costs with limited control over outcomes.
A dedicated website supported by SEO represents a controlled and scalable investment. The initial requirement is a one-off build, followed by an ongoing SEO program.
| Investment | Cost |
|---|---|
| Website (Once Off) | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Ongoing SEO | $500–$1,000 per month |
This places the total Year One investment between $8,000 and $17,000, with costs reducing in subsequent years as the build is not repeated.
Annual cost scenarios:
| Leads | Cost Per Lead |
|---|---|
| 30 leads per month (360 per year) | $22–$47 per lead |
| 140 leads per month (1,680 per year) | $5–$10 per lead |
| 280 leads per month (3,360 per year) | $2–$5 per lead |
Because website enquiries are exclusive, conversion rates are substantially higher than with shared leads. This exclusivity improves cost efficiency and avoids the margin pressure that comes with competing for the same customer on platforms such as hipages.
Unlike hipages, where costs escalate toward six-figure commitments as lead volumes grow, website expenditure remains capped within the SEO budget. As demand increases, efficiency improves without runaway costs.
Websites become more cost-effective than hipages at modest volumes. When the one-off build and monthly SEO costs are distributed across enquiries, the efficiency of a website quickly surpasses the fixed lead model offered by hipages.
| SEO Spend | Build Cost | Break-even Leads per Month | Break-even Leads per Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $2,000 | ~13 | ~155 |
| $1,000 | $5,000 | ~25 | ~305 |
These thresholds are significant because most trade businesses cannot sustain operations at minimal volumes. At 30 leads per month, often used as a baseline for comparison, a website already delivers stronger returns than hipages. As volumes increase, the cost advantage widens, with websites generating exclusive leads and compounding efficiency each year.
Different business structures require significantly higher volumes.
In practice, some businesses operate at much higher volumes. Several of our clients consistently require 20 to 50 leads per day for a single team. At this scale, hipages costs climb into the hundreds of thousands annually, while websites supported by SEO continue to deliver a falling cost per lead as enquiries grow.
This analysis demonstrates that 30 leads per month, often cited as a benchmark, understates the reality for most established trade businesses. At realistic operating levels, hipages expenses move into six figures, whereas websites supported by SEO reduce cost per lead and strengthen profitability.
Hipages does not sell confirmed work; it sells access to contact details. This structure presents a series of commercial challenges for businesses.
A website avoids these inefficiencies. Direct contact enables suppliers to speak with customers before quoting and, in many cases, to inspect the job in person. This results in quotations that are more accurate and competitive than those generated through hipages.
Each enquiry is directed to a single business, conversion likelihood is higher, and customers approach a chosen provider directly rather than being distributed across multiple competitors.
This graph illustrates how cost per lead changes as annual lead volume increases.
At very low volumes, a website appears more expensive. However, once enquiries exceed roughly 15 to 25 leads per month, websites consistently outperform hipages, delivering exclusive leads at a fraction of the cost.
The graph illustrates the difference in total annual spend between hipages and a website with SEO.
Unlike hipages, website expenditure does not increase as lead volumes grow. Whether the business generates 500 leads or 3,000 leads in a year, costs remain capped within the SEO budget.
Hipages spending rises uncontrollably with volume, while a website holds steady, becoming significantly more cost-effective as enquiries increase.
This bar chart compares cost per lead across small, medium, and high-volume scenarios.
Even at modest volumes, websites outperform hipages on cost efficiency. At realistic operating levels of 140 to 280 leads per month, the savings become substantial, with websites delivering exclusive leads at a fraction of the price.
This bar chart compares the total annual spend at different lead volumes.
Hipages expenditure rises sharply with lead volume, while website costs remain capped. At higher scales, the difference becomes extreme. For example, at 280 leads per month, websites are more than $180,000 cheaper annually while still delivering exclusive enquiries.
Hipages provides access to leads, but its fixed pricing, shared contacts, and lock-in contracts undermine long-term profitability. A website supported by SEO requires a higher upfront investment, yet it generates exclusive enquiries, improves conversion rates, and scales without escalating costs. For tradies, it is the clear path to sustainable growth and stronger returns.
