#marketplacedesign

Let’s be honest: launching a local services platform like TaskRabbit or Urban Company feels like a win… until it’s time to actually make money from it.

You’ve built the app, got a few service providers on board, maybe even started getting bookings.

But that revenue? Flat. Quiet. Not growing like you expected.

That’s because most gig economy platforms stick to the same old model — take a commission, hope for volume, repeat.

If you’re tired of barely breaking even, here’s a breakdown of 6 practical ways to boost revenue without ruining your user experience or scaring away your service pros.

1. Commission Isn’t Everything — Be Smarter About It

Flat commissions (like 10% across the board) are the default. But they’re lazy.

Here’s what you can do instead:

Charge more for complex services (appliance repair, deep cleaning)

Offer lower commissions to top-rated service providers as a reward

Let newbies book a few jobs commission-free, then switch them to a performance fee

Not every service should be treated equally. When you price smarter, you earn smarter.

2. Visibility Is Valuable — Monetize It

Traffic = power. If your app or site gets even a decent number of users, you can start charging providers to be seen.

Offer “featured” or “top-rated” spots in:

Search results

Category pages

Home page banners

It’s the same way Etsy or Amazon works — want better placement? Pay a little extra.

This way, you’re earning even if bookings are slow that week.

3. Sell Peace of Mind (Literally)

Trust is everything in the service world.

Your users are letting strangers into their homes — they’re more than willing to pay a little extra for security.

Offer things like:

Verified professionals (with background checks)

Small insurance add-ons

Priority customer support

Service guarantees

You can charge users or providers for these. Either way, you’re adding value and making bank.

4. Subscriptions Make It Sustainable

Want recurring income? Go beyond one-off bookings and launch subscription plans.

Here’s how:

For users: Monthly/quarterly memberships that offer priority booking, exclusive discounts, free rebooking, etc.

For service providers: Pay monthly to get better visibility, exclusive leads, and zero commission deals

Even just 100 users paying ₹299/month = ₹29,900 monthly revenue. Now imagine scaling that.

5. Bundle Services = Bigger Orders

Instead of waiting for users to book one service at a time, offer ready-made packages.

Examples:

“Diwali Deep Clean” → House Cleaning + Sofa Shampoo + Pest Control

“New Apartment Setup” → Electrician + Carpenter + WiFi Setup

“Wedding Ready” → Hair + Makeup + Draping

These increase your average order value and make life easier for customers (no need to search service-by-service).

Throw in limited-time bundles during holidays or seasons — they work.

6. Partnerships = Real Scale

Here’s a secret: individual users aren’t your only source of money.

Team up with:

Local real estate brokers

Interior designers

Wedding planners

Moving companies

Offer them bulk services, custom dashboards, or white-label fulfillment.

This turns your platform into a B2B revenue engine — larger transactions, long-term clients, and bigger opportunities.

Bonus: Keep People Coming Back

Retention > Acquisition.

New users are cool, but repeat users are where real revenue lives. So:

Offer wallet cashbacks or credits

Allow users to “favorite” taskers

Send helpful booking reminders (“Time for another AC service?”)

Launch a friend referral system that actually rewards both sides

Loyalty = stability = long-term revenue.

6 Ways to Earn More from Your Local Services Platform

Here’s the quick recap:

Smarter commissions = better margins

Sell visibility = passive income

Monetize trust = peace of mind that pays

Subscriptions = recurring cash

Bundles = bigger bookings

B2B partners = real growth

Let’s turn your local services platform into a revenue machine — the smart way.