Growing A Business

[P-B-D]

Hi everyone. I have been self employed for a few years now but the work has dried up a bit. I don't advertise - i have in the past and it didn't seem to be profitable. I have a website but don't do anything with it as i don't know what to do with it!

I am an architectural technician who designs home extensions for home owners and i do not know how to reach my client base....that is the main point of me coming on here - to try and find advice on how to get into the heads of the homeowner and also how to get them to contact me

Thanks in advance..

 

[MOIC]

Leaflets (Include local testimonials). Although a small return rate, it gets your name out there

Local advertising

A board outside your home (if it's inviting and shows your capability).

Building forums

Local architects and interior designers for networking.

Your local council (who may require work or can recommend your services).

It really depends on how much time and money you have to market your services.

It might be best to focus on one area they you feel needs your services and to get jobs by word of mouth.

A good, recommended builder is always in demand.

Good luck.

 

[P-B-D]

thanks very much for your reply 'My Office In China'. Do you think it is worth spending money on local press/leaflets even though in the past they haven't directly resulted in enquiries/business? To get my name around?

 

[john1989]

If people haven't heard of you, they can't contact you.

 

[MOIC]

It depends on the cost.

leaflets are relatively cheap and can be used for other purposes other than dropping through letterboxes.

You can (maybe) build up a relationship with local retailers and ask them to include your leaflet/advert in their window.

You have to start somewhere.

Sponsoring a local football team (you have to buy their kit) with your company logo on the shirts can also get your name out there.

Do what your finances allow and if that's starting with the cheapest option, then that's what you need to do.

Anything is better than nothing.

 

[estwig]

Guess what I do for a living, design lofts and extensions for homeowners and I'm flat out with 4 part time cad monkeys doing the bulk of the work.

The bulk of my work comes from the website with a well targeted adwords campaign, I have tie ins with a couple of local builders as well. There are recommendations but for various reasons no matter how good you are, these can be difficult to come by, mainly because it's not a repeat business line of work, it's all one offs.

Adwords is the way forward, directly target those in your local area who are looking for what you have to offer.

 

[estwig]

Where are you?

If your interested drop me a PM with some details and your web addy, maybe I can put some work your way.

 

[P-B-D]

i am thinking of trying some kind of online advertising. Social media type thing but i am not sure how to go about it! I was thinking of adding a news section to my website but i don't have many things to add to it and i think it will look a b it poor if it is not regularly updated. Same goes with facebook - i don't have many updates to do!

 

[estwig]

All social media will bring you is tyre kickers. Everyone wants a bigger, better house and they will waste your time trying to find ways to do that on the cheap.

You need people who have done their research and are well down the sales funnel, before even considering allowing them to take up your time.

 

[P-B-D]

Silly question Estwig - how do i PM you???

 

[john1989]

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/conversations/add?to=estwig

Above link should work.

 

[P-B-D]

thanks John1989

 

[estwig]

The PM system on here is buggy, let me know if you don't receive my reply.

 

[fisicx]

Social media type thing but i am not sure how to go about it!

Pointless. Do as estwig said, bring your website up to date and start advertising: PPC is always lucrative and carefully targeted FaceBook ads can work as well. If you are not keen to go it alone, pay someone to sort out your website and the advertising. A good mate of mine spends about £500/month on PPC to generate about £5000 in new business.

<edit>Just had a look at your site. It needs shredding and starting again. Sorry to be so negative but it really is that bad.</edit>

 

[BustersDogs]

If I were looking to extend, I'd want to see a decent website. That wouldn't be the only thing I'd use to decide who to use, but I wouldn't choose anyone without one.

Can't see what you'd do on social media really... unless you used it to 'blog' the process from start to finish, but you could do that on a website. I'd be interested in following a facebook page that did grand design type builds to watch progress but your urban semi, er, no... And I'd only be watching for interest, not for buying.

 

[Gecko001]

I work with a lot of self-employed architectural technicians. Some are very busy and some are not. The website does not appear to be much of a factor as many of the very busy ones do not have a website.

When I read the OP's first post, one thing that sticks out as a possible problem is the fact the Op seems to do only home extensions. Setting your field of work that narrow might be limiting. Even though you might have past experience working on some quite big jobs, it possibly suggests lack of confidence to clients. I know that sometimes extensions can be more complex to design and detail than say a large detached house but that is not the way clients see it.

There is an argument which says that you should perhaps concentrate on a niche market such as home extensions and that might work but as far as I can see you need to wholly commit to that by say changing your name to some like "Home Extension Abcde" and be very enthusiastic about the whole concept of extending a home.

 

[estwig]

I work with a lot of self-employed architectural technicians. Some are very busy and some are not. The website does not appear to be much of a factor as many of the very busy ones do not have a website.

When I read the OP's first post, one thing that sticks out as a possible problem is the fact the Op seems to do only home extensions. Setting your field of work that narrow might be limiting. Even though you might have past experience working on some quite big jobs, it possibly suggests lack of confidence to clients. I know that sometimes extensions can be more complex to design and detail than say a large detached house but that is not the way clients see it.

There is an argument which says that you should perhaps concentrate on a niche market such as home extensions and that might work but as far as I can see you need to wholly commit to that by say changing your name to some like "Home Extension Abcde" and be very enthusiastic about the whole concept of extending a home.

I have spent five years specialising in house extensions and loft conversions. My clients like the fact I am a specialist and not a jack of all trades architectural technician.

I got a feeling this is a 'glass half full' kinda thing!

 

[AllUpHere]

Agree with everything Estwig has posted on this thread.

Decide exactly which types of client are most lucrative for you and formulate a plan to target their needs specifically. You need a new website, which should give your target market exactly the information they need to see in order for them to give you their money. A website need not be expensive, but the one you have at present is doing you no favours.

 

[Gecko001]

I have spent five years specialising in house extensions and loft conversions. My clients like the fact I am a specialist and not a jack of all trades architectural technician.

I got a feeling this is a 'glass half full' kinda thing!

What do you mean by glass half full here?

 

[estwig]

What do you mean by glass half full here?

Your post seemed very negative towards just doing lofts and extensions, I was trying to point that like many things, it depends on your perspective and frame of mind.

 

[Gecko001]

Your post seemed very negative towards just doing lofts and extensions, I was trying to point that like many things, it depends on your perspective and frame of mind.

Did you read my second paragraph? Hardly negative towards just doing extensions.

My first paragraph did infer that the problem with not getting enough work maybe the fact that you only do extensions. I did not mean any offense by that. I assume that you are a very capable architectural technician, but you perhaps handicap yourself by insisting on doing extensions. Clients talk among themselves. They expect, I would say, erroneously, very little with regards to architectural services for an extension. They will employ people who work in architect's office's to do them for pocket money as "homers". They will even expect some builders to include architectural design fees in their price for building the extension. Also, some large firms of architects will do extensions at a loss for clients who they at they know will give them bigger jobs in the future. However, perhaps you know that all and I am just rubbing it in and being a bit annoying. I hope I might have been a little bit of help anyway.

 

[P-B-D]

Thanks for all the replies, I have 2 questions....

1. I did the website myself and i do not profess to be a web designer! You all (mostly) think it is terrible ( i can take that, i am a big boy!) , but may i ask what is wrong with it in particular?

2. I know finding the right customer is the key - that is what i am struggling with! I don't know how to get directly into the homes/contacts book of the right customer - homeowner wealthy enough to have disposable income but not so wealthy as looking to move house!

P-B-D.

 

[fisicx]

You all (mostly) think it is terrible ( i can take that, i am a big boy!) , but may i ask what is wrong with it in particular?.

You need to be a full member to get a website review but the prime problem with the site is everything: the content, the navigation, the styling and the lack of any calls to action.

 

[P-B-D]

i thought the navigation was fairly simple and easy to follow....

 

[fisicx]

But it doesn't do anything - it just leads to a bunch of random pages. Join as a full member and get your site reviewed.

 

[serendipitybusiness]

Hi PBD

Okay this is gonna hurt but it is for your own good. The website does not entice your target market. I would not trust someone with a website that looks like it was designed in the 90's. You need a better more professional layout and more importantly images of the finished job along with testimonials. Although your plans do reflect your work, they do not display the finished product. Your customer is dreaming of creating a better house and therefore needs visuals to fulfil that dream and testimonials that reassure the customer that you are the one to provide it.

Do a search on google for what your customers are going to be searching for, tacking your area on at the end and try and get your business on any of the websites that come up in the first 3 pages so that customers keep seeing your name pop up. Register with google business for a listing and then contact all your local builders offering them a commission for referrals.

Then and only then would I recommend you spend money on adwords if the above doesn't bring you in enough business.If you are going to spend money on marketing you need to make sure you give yourself the best chance possible in converting the visitors into sales.

Leaflet drops may be worth doing for your business as others have mentioned but again you need to put time and effort into creating an effective leaflet that has a higher chance of conversion, however expect your conversion rates to be low with this method as most people looking for your services will be looking online or will come from referrals. Also many areas have local traders magazines that they distribute so you may want to consider an advert in one of these.

When it comes to marketing even with experience it is still a suck it and see process to some degree so I would try multiple ways of getting your name out there and then refining your strategy based on conversion. Therefore make sure you ask and record where your business has come from and how much your ROI is with each method until your fine tune your process.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

 

[dynamicbearing]

To reach professional and good client use social media. Social media gives you a big platform to your business. Facebook, Twitter, G+ and Linkedin gives you a new way of your business. Just create a business group in social media site and add more and more peoples in it and regular update you past work and current work.

 

[Cyberhorse]

Get a camera with time-lapse, and make a video of a job being done. Make it inspiring and light hearted, and about 30 seconds long, get it on facebook.

 

[ShantiFoods]

Social media is a best way to promote your business and website and using social media you can easy to reach your business goal. facebook, twitter and linkedin and G+ are the best social media site for business and website promotion.

 

[Cyberhorse]

Your website has no pictures on it. I would like to see a great bit of design on the first page at least, so I had to pop straight to the gallery to see your work ..... but again , no pictures. Drawings, yes, which shows your ablilties to make blueprints or whatever you call them, but as a customer , I want to see a super bit of house, like wot mine's going to be.................

 

[fisicx]

That advice is wrong in just about every way. None of your suggestions will help the OP. If you read the whole thread you will understand why.

 

[estwig]

That advice is wrong in just about every way. None of your suggestions will help the OP. If you read the whole thread you will understand why.

No it's not, the use of adwords, google business (or whatever it is called) and SEO are great suggestions, been doing them for years.

Admittedly Facebook and twitter are for this line of work a waste of time.

 

[fisicx]

They don't want more visitors, they want more business. And that means building a new website. There is no point in building traffic if it doesn't convert.

SMM is not the right approach for the OP. People looking for his services wont be hanging around Facebook.

They do not need a budget for SEO. If they get help developing a new site SEO will be built in.

No it's not, the use of adwords, google business (or whatever it is called) and SEO are great suggestions, been doing them for years.

I agree, but they need a new site first.

 

[estwig]

Ok fair enough, yes a new site is desperately needed first.

 

[fisicx]

Nothing at all. Their business will stagnate.

 

[estwig]

if they don,t have a budget to build a new website then what will they do?

If you haven't got a budget, then you need time to do it yourself.

 

[estwig]

But you can,t do it yourself, because developer need to build a professional website.

Oh dear, well in that case the OP is well and truly buggered!

 

[fisicx]

But you can,t do it yourself, because developer need to build a professional website.

Oh no! We had better tell the millions of people who have built their own websites they need a developer.

 

[Barnes Thomas]

Local advertising is the best option you can do to reach your client base. You can create a Facebook page to display your services, invite your friends and ask them to invite their friends. This will help to grow your social circle and you can easily reach your customer base. Creating a Facebook page will not cost you a single penny. Isn't it amazing?

 

[estwig]

This thread now has nothing to do with growing a business, it has more in common with a school playground.

Should we be passing round the crayons, let's draw a tree?