Advertising your business.

[Vintage06]

Hey as you might know i run a pressure washer repairs/service & sales business. and since i've started i've been really busy.

I went around handing cards out to potential customers and have had alot of work. Now this work is drying up.. (i have 6 month service contracts from alot of them) but at the minute i don't have much work on. So need to spend some money on advertising.

What is the best ways you advertise.. Whats most value for money etc.

Also i'm just localized (in the North-East) so don't want any national work.. unless its lucrative

 

[Mike W]

Hi

Have you considered email marketing? You can acquire data and it can be geographic specific, so you're targetting only the areas you want to hit.

If I can be of any help with this, PM me or email me via my website (just Google the name).

Regards

Mike

 

[estwig]

Hey as you might know i run a pressure washer repairs/service & sales business. and since i've started i've been really busy.

I went around handing cards out to potential customers and have had alot of work. Now this work is drying up.. (i have 6 month service contracts from alot of them) but at the minute i don't have much work on. So need to spend some money on advertising.

What is the best ways you advertise.. Whats most value for money etc.

Also i'm just localized (in the North-East) so don't want any national work.. unless its lucrative

If handing out cards worked before, there's a good chance it will work again. You gotta stay fresh in the customers mind.

 

[Joyce Asante]

Hello,

Since you're willing to spend some money on advertising and are targeting a specific zone area, I would suggest you mobile marketing.
With mobile marketing, you can target people right down to zip address, as for them to visit your website, call your phone or come to your company...

God willing, I'll tell you more upon request.

Hope this helps,

Joyce A.

 

[emailblaster]

Email marketing is a quick and easy way to keep in contact with existing customers and find new ones.

The beauty of email marketing is you can view the results with online stats: find out who opened your email, who wasn't interested and who clicked on links to your website.

It is worth getting a good collection of 'opt in' email addresses of local businesses, this way you can email once a month quickly and easily. It isn't as time consuming as handing out flyers etc. This means that as you get busier you can still fit in your monthly marketing activities - this would help iron out any peaks and troughs in your business.

If you'd like to try our product (it's free for 30 days) - please click on the link in my sig or drop me a msg.

Kind regards

Jamie

 

[Vintage06]

I'm not a big enough business to consider any of these with no guaranteed chance of success.

All's i want is places for people to drive by/search on the web. and for them to see my name website and contact details.

 

[ThePublisher]

I'm not a big enough business to consider any of these with no guaranteed chance of success.

All's i want is places for people to drive by/search on the web. and for them to see my name website and contact details.

The only guarantees in this life are death and taxes.

 

[Vintage06]

The only guarantees in this life are death and taxes.

Indeed

 

[Mike W]

I'm not a big enough business to consider any of these with no guaranteed chance of success.

The only guarantees in this life are death and taxes.

There's another one that can definitely be guaranteed ....that you'll get nowhere and not seen by doing nothing

Joking aside, I do seriously think that targetted email marketing would do very well for you. If you PM me, I can get you some costs together, then at least you make an informed decision.

Regards

Mike

 

[Pocket Money Designs]

How about a simple poster and flyer campaign in your local area? You need to make sure these look attractive.

Also havw you considered finding a place to display a giant pvc banner? Even if its only displayed for a week.

You could offer a percentage discount on labour with a voucher in your local paper?

 

[trixyben]

Try an advertisment board on a trailer, leave your van with the trailer parked up on a busy street in your local town...

A mate done this recently and got good results

 

[sn2476]

Hi firstly you want to go onto google places and add your business. This is free and wont cost you a penny and if someone is looking for your business in your geographical area on Google you will come up on first page.
Second avoid email marketing. Allot of mail will just go into the spam bin and be deleted and it can be quite costly.
Third invest in a 2 or 3 page web site. You can build your own and have it hosted for as little as £3 a month. To submit your website to the search engines just type in submit search engine and its that simple.#
forth. Now you have a website you can try adwords but don't go for these companies saying there adwords resellers. There just con men doing you out of your hard earned money.
Adwords is free to set up and its designed so that each time some one clicks on your ad it will cost you a certain amount.

 

[totalbridging]

Hi firstly you want to go onto google places and add your business. This is free and wont cost you a penny and if someone is looking for your business in your geographical area on Google you will come up on first page.
Second avoid email marketing. Allot of mail will just go into the spam bin and be deleted and it can be quite costly.
Third invest in a 2 or 3 page web site. You can build your own and have it hosted for as little as £3 a month. To submit your website to the search engines just type in submit search engine and its that simple.#
forth. Now you have a website you can try adwords but don't go for these companies saying there adwords resellers. There just con men doing you out of your hard earned money.
Adwords is free to set up and its designed so that each time some one clicks on your ad it will cost you a certain amount.

Cheers for that.

 

[Allione]

We have done many adverts from flyers, newpaper adds and so on. I have always found the best to be email marketing, like everyone says here you can even do the odd special offer ect and keep your name out there.
Contact me if you need any help

cheers and good luck

 

[davek17]

I would second what SN2476 said.

Google is a must but by keeping things local you will reduce your ad costs significantly. Google places is free though and is a must!

You need a home a website is a start but why not set-up a blog instead. Its easier, you can position yourself as "Mr pressure washer of [Place]" and start to blog short articles about your business. You don;t really need a website. Use Wordpress as that is best for Google SEO. Tumblr is best if you want to socialise and get known more.

May I ask something though. You said handing out cards was successful and you got a lot of 6 month contracts but these however seem to not be being renewed?

The quickest way to p**s money up the wall is by shooting in the dark and my first question is why did you not renew your contracts? Keeping business is far less work than getting new business.

DaveK17

 

[Vintage06]

May I ask something though. You said handing out cards was successful and you got a lot of 6 month contracts but these however seem to not be being renewed?

The quickest way to p**s money up the wall is by shooting in the dark and my first question is why did you not renew your contracts? Keeping business is far less work than getting new business.

DaveK17

Hey. Thanks for your help. I have plenty of 6 month or 1 year contracts, But obviously i started my business in May so even the service contracts i did then won't be up for re-doing until October.

And i'm always on the hunt for even more work

 

[Tin]

Bearing in mind that this thread is in the Trades and Trade Services forum, I'd hazard a guess that the op was looking for advice from other trades people about what they do in the way of advertising.

If they had been looking for various companies to pimp their services wouldn't you think that they would have posted in the more appropriate Sales and Marketing forums.

Guys, please let's keep the discussion on topic rather than a "Pick me" fest!

Ray

Hey as you might know i run a pressure washer repairs/service & sales business. and since i've started i've been really busy.

I went around handing cards out to potential customers and have had alot of work. Now this work is drying up.. (i have 6 month service contracts from alot of them) but at the minute i don't have much work on. So need to spend some money on advertising.

What is the best ways you advertise.. Whats most value for money etc.

Also i'm just localized (in the North-East) so don't want any national work.. unless its lucrative

 

[Vintage06]

Bearing in mind that this thread is in the Trades and Trade Services forum, I'd hazard a guess that the op was looking for advice from other trades people about what they do in the way of advertising.

If they had been looking for various companies to pimp their services wouldn't you think that they would have posted in the more appropriate Sales and Marketing forums.

Guys, please let's keep the discussion on topic rather than a "Pick me" fest!

Ray

Yeah thanks Ray. I don't mind people offering good advertising things but just PM me if that's the case.

I was looking for advice in ways other trades advertise. To be honest i posted this topic when we were quiet at the start of a week. The next day the phone never stopped ringing. I'm having to work today because i've got so much work on. Word of mouth seems to be working quite well so far.

 

[CDAPartnership]

Do you have a locally home delivered, guide or booklet of advertisers, they usually prove worth while for small direct to consumer based business.

Or my old favourite, recommend a friend for a discount routine usually works a treat.

Backed up by email campaigns (a word of warning only send to those who are expecting an email from you).

Online try GoMy.co.uk or GoMyEmails.com for email ask for Dylan and tell him you saw my post on here.

 

[arcon5]

Am I the only one reading this and thinking email advertising is probably the worst recommendation?
( emailing your existing database is fine )

A few page website with your details & what you do would be ideal but local offline marketing is probably the cheapest and most idea method for you ?
Online stuff probably local directories or yell.com (although I have read some bad reviews about that) would be an idea.

 

[S-Marketing]

Am I the only one reading this and thinking email advertising is probably the worst recommendation?
( emailing your existing database is fine )

A few page website with your details & what you do would be ideal but local offline marketing is probably the cheapest and most idea method for you ?
Online stuff probably local directories or yell.com (although I have read some bad reviews about that) would be an idea.

I read almost every thread like this and think e-mail lists aren't going to work. Doesn't stop the e-mail list boys having a go though does it.

 

[maxine]

I think email is fine if you build up your own opted in list. Having a day on the phone to your local target businesses simply asking if you can send an email with info and who is best person to send to can work really well not only do you drum up instant work this way but you will then have email addresses to send out further promotions when it's quiet again or newsletters.

I'd also go with the blog idea and list in lots of directories too

 

[Millway Communications]

I would say google pay per click with very defined target area would be the way forward, you can switch it on and off as required, if you look like bookings are slowing simple start the campaign again until your busy.

 

[Vintage06]

Having a day on the phone to your local target businesses simply asking if you can send an email with info and who is best person to send to can work really well not only do you drum up instant work this way but you will then have email addresses to send out further promotions when it's quiet again or newsletters.

We've been doing this, But instead of Emailing, i've just been sending a letter and business card out to them in the post instead. Its worked out quite well.

I'm also composing a leaflet to get printed, Then i'm going to send it out to all my current customer + new ones. Double sided. One side offering our services for repairs etc. Then the other side offering offers on the latest machines we have for sale.

I'm hoping to start selling more new machines, Our repairs and services have been doing well and bring in the money. But selling machines is easier money,

 

[Deleted member 9840]

What is the best ways you advertise.. Whats most value for money etc.

Also i'm just localized (in the North-East) so don't want any national work.. unless its lucrative

In the past I have cheaply sign written a van and parked it outside Comet on hot sunny days when I knew they had run out of fans and mobile a/c units.

"Portable A/C systems £199.99 delivered today, call Steve on 07943 &%$£?! "

Would this kind of thing now work outside B&Q?

"Don't replace it, repair it. Your pressure washer repaired today cheaper than a new one. Guaranteed"

Get you van all nice and shiney, and maybe hang around the pressure washer sales isle and swiftly hand out fliers.

Steve

 

[Matt1959]

In the past I have cheaply sign written a van and parked it outside Comet on hot sunny days when I knew they had run out of fans and mobile a/c units.

"Portable A/C systems £199.99 delivered today, call Steve on 07943 &%$£?! "

ok million dollar question - how many enquiries did you get that you know came from the van or failing that, did enquiry rate go up noticabley when you did this:|

 

[Deleted member 9840]

I only did it the once because the timing was perfect. It was that hot summer we had about 4 years ago

I had bought a job lot of 24 portable A/C units to give away as "sweeteners" for the buyers of my services. They were just sat unloved in the corner of my unit.

Me and the wife had called up to the local retail park and I saw the sign on the doors of Comet, Currys, etc... "Sorry, no A/C units or fans"

Alarm bells rung, I quickly had the van sign written and parked up outside the retailers front door first thing Saturday and Sunday morning.
Within two weekends I had sold out, they still hadn't re-stocked and the weather had turned cr@p.

Steve

 

[Matt1959]

brilliant Steve, the simple ways are always the best... I always think how much of a wasted oppourtunity sign written vans are for most people. Mind you I can talk with a LWB high top Transit thats completely blank at the moment

 

[Deleted member 9840]

Mind you I can talk with a LWB high top Transit thats completely blank at the moment

My LWB Vivaro is also blank at the moment. I can't stand the thought of advertising to Pikey's that my van is full of copper and really expensive tools. I won't even have a roof rack and pipe carrier on it now.

Steve

 

[Matt1959]

lol my thoughts exactly. btw insurance companys now ask if your van is signed up when you ask for a quote, well 2 that quoted me did..

sorry way off topic from original subject now:redface:

 

[Archil]

Is there any website one can freely advertise?

Thanx in advance.

 

[Matt1959]

Is there any website one can freely advertise?

Thanx in advance.

www.gumtree.co.uk:)

 

[Archil]

Hi

Have you considered email marketing? You can acquire data and it can be geographic specific, so you're targetting only the areas you want to hit.

If I can be of any help with this, PM me or email me via my website (just Google the name).

Regards

Mike

Hi Mike,

What are the prices of your email marketing?

Regards,

Archil

 

[stone21]

Hi Mike,

What are the prices of your email marketing?

Regards,

Archil

Hi ,Mike , I would like to know prices of email marketing ,too. And ,how does it work ?

Thanks,
Helen