Earth Day is coming up in April and the entire Angie’s List Magazine this month is dedicated to all things green. 

When I was out in San Jose visiting with members (see my last blog entry), some of them mentioned that they were looking for a “Green” remodeling company.  It wasn’t too long ago that such a request was fairly uncommon, but today there are companies dedicated to building homes that are eco-friendly and energy efficient throughout.

To do your part in saving the earth, you don’t need to run out and buy a hybrid car or completely remodel your home with specialized products.  There are lots of things that cost very little and can actually save you money in the long run.  Double bonus – save the earth and your wallet!  For example, set your sprinklers or water your lawn and plants in the morning.  This will help prevent the water from evaporating in the heat of the day which in turn will reduce the amount of water needed to accomplish the task.

Related: Green flooring options

About 20 Bay Area members joined me for coffee this week at The Bean Scene Café in Sunnyvale, California while I was in town meeting with the press. I travel at least twice a month, and these “coffee breaks” are a great way for me to connect with our members, and some contractors too! I really enjoy hearing about how people are using the list and their insight into how we can make our service even better.

Sunnyvale isn’t the first place I’ve met up with the members. I’ve also hosted coffee hours in San Diego, Chicago, Detroit, Ft. Wayne, Washington D.C. and

New York City. I’ve heard suggestions ranging from including ratings on dating services to allowing members to search for services across the country to adding a keyword search feature on the website. I’m not sure we’ll ever enter the dating service realm, but I can tell you we’re already working on making the other two a reality. In fact, starting tomorrow you can search by keyword on our website, www.angieslist.com.

In the next month I’ll be in Los Angeles and Miami, but throughout the year I’ll be making lots of trips and having lots of coffee. Watch your inbox for an invitation to meet me at a local coffee shop while I’m in your city!

Since the very beginning here at Angie’s List, we’ve recognized the importance of grassroots marketing. We find that home shows are a great way to meet potential members, interact with contractors, and spread the message that Angie’s List is a great resource for both consumers and companies. In the “old days” (which really wasn’t that long ago), I used to travel to all the shows. Today, Angie’s List is in so many cities, with shows just about every weekend, that I’m not able to attend them all. But, recently we had a booth at the Home and Garden Show in my hometown, Ft. Wayne, Indiana. I made the two-hour trip with my family to attend.

We made the Ft.Wayne home show a real family affair. I recruited my mom, Connie, to help out. What a great way for her to catch up with old friends and be a part of the business. My 3-year-old daughter, Abby, my husband, Joe, and I joined her at the booth on Saturday afternoon. The turnout was wonderful and, as you can see, we had a great time! We signed up about 150 members for a free one-year trial membership in Ft. Wayne, one of the newest cities we service.

Be on the lookout for our booth at your local home show! Stop by, share your stories, and bring your friends!

A few weeks ago I participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Consumer Federation of America about consumer to consumer communication.  From the questions I received on this panel, I was reminded of the importance of continually pushing our integrity message out.

Because Angie’s List relies on its members’ experiences, we do a lot to ensure the information you receive on a company is accurate.  For example, reviews can’t be submitted anonymously. This holds the consumers accountable for the reports and makes the list trustworthy. Members can only report on a specific company once every six months, ensuring no one can “stack the deck” in favor of or against a company. Since there are always two sides to every story, companies can respond to reviews, helping make sure that members get all the information they need to make a hiring decision. Finally, all reviews submitted by members go through a team of Angie’s List staff who look for any irregularities or red flags. And, after 12 years, they’re pretty good at what they do!

An important aspect of our success is that we want the information to be easy to understand and reliable.  Today, homeowners are busier than ever, often managing multiple careers, children, a home, and more.  Consumers should be able to go to one place, find the information they need, and have the peace of mind to know that the information is reliable.  That’s why we’re here – to keep the consumers and companies honest! 

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