Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

[rbazan]

I've tried google adwords express and $50.00 later still no calls. I have YP pay per click (pay as you go) and still no calls.
The phone book listing-isn't helping. Now what! Any ideas appreciated.

[Robertgst]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

Just curious what you are advertising if you don't mind me asking?

[rbazan]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

Just curious what you are advertising if you don't mind me asking?

Copier, fax, printer repair. I also sell parts if your interested - check site clearcopyservice.com

[cccjjn]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

Start with your website which looks terrible. These days buyers have made their decision based off of what they see on the web and long before they pick up the phone. By the time the potential client picks up the phone you can bet they've already narrowed their search down to two vendors.

[rthonpm]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

The best advertising is always going to be word of mouth. I've tried newspapers, YP, Google, all of it and it never brings in half the business of strong word of mouth. Do some legwork as well: find small businesses close by that are just opening, offer your services or give them a reason to call you when the POS printer they bought at Staples goes down. Even if you need to cut them a break early on, if you get them as a customer you'll make your money back in the long run. Join the Chamber of Commerce or even neighbourhood business groups: get yourself in front of as many people as possible: build a relationship beyond just coming in and out the door.

Advertising itself is always a long game: you pay out on the hope of getting one or two big customers that make all the time and effort worth it.

Like cccjn said: you need to do something about that website. It's rough and you're also asking people to enter account information on an open HTML page? Not good, even if it doesn't access any payment information. Also, make sure that your inventory pages are up to date: I would hope that Laserjet 4 was dumped off the 59th Street Bridge by now. Appearances online are hugely important: find a kid going to school for web design and cut a deal with them to rebuild your site on the cheap in exchange for letting them use it on their CV, or have their name attached to it.

[mongo]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I have to agree with the word of mouth. The only thing I spend money on is business cards and the chamber of commerce. Offer some discount to churches in the form of flyer you can drop off in person or door slot ( never touch a mailbox ). Most of church deacon are business owner and like people that help the church. I look at your website, the machines you have listed that you service are long gone, list the brand names only (Ricoh, Xerox, Lanier ) I,ve not seem a Monroe or Minolta machine in years. That's only my opinion. I had a website but never got it to where I wanted it so I took it down to fix it later. I think its time I get my site backup. I like the idea of letting a student do it for a project. Mongo

[theengel]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I never spent a dime on actually advertising.

It looks like you have a lot of competition on adwords, but not much in the actual search engine. If I were you, I'd focus on making your site look better.

Local copier & printer repair website domination is VERY easy. If you tweaked your site some, you could get to the top of your industry searches within a few short months. But it would take some work. First, to make your site look cleaner. Then to change a few things in the wording to make it more search engine friendly. Finally, to do some work on other sites to get some incoming links.

I started my own website and ALL of my business (directly or indirectly) came from this site. It took a long time to build up a good customer base, but it's doable... especially for our industry.

I'm thinking of writing a book to tell indy's how to do this.

[NeoMatrix]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I never spent a dime on actually advertising.

It looks like you have a lot of competition on adwords, but not much in the actual search engine. If I were you, I'd focus on making your site look better.

Local copier & printer repair website domination is VERY easy. If you tweaked your site some, you could get to the top of your industry searches within a few short months. But it would take some work. First, to make your site look cleaner. Then to change a few things in the wording to make it more search engine friendly. Finally, to do some work on other sites to get some incoming links.

I started my own website and ALL of my business (directly or indirectly) came from this site. It took a long time to build up a good customer base, but it's doable... especially for our industry.

I'm thinking of writing a book to tell indy's how to do this.

Sounds good. I wouldn't mind having a look at your web site for some ideas.
Would you mind if I take a look. PM me if you prefer .

I like the idea of having a student doing a website for a project, I may look into that. I live close to a University.

[walterman]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I agree with most of your feedback, I too, have had to push my business and had to come up with some ideas as far as marketing goes. I have used post card mail outs and have offered to give discounts to churches and non profits, I advertise I'm locally owned and operated with over twenty years experience and have had a nice response from some of the recipients who are now customers. I have even gone out on a limb and offered the first service call for free minus parts that may need replaced to resolve the issues, it has worked, I now have several customers because I was willing to risk the first initial service charge. Please, do not mistake me for a push- over, because I am certainly not, however, I have worked in the corporate environment for years and have been a product of that crap environment and knew there was a better way. I even promote my company at 5k's and the like, why, because every local doctor's office, and most likely attorney's offices will be participating. I set up a tent with free stuff ( fruit, drinks, etc.) for after the race, with my company info in it, or on it, or around it. I have met many of Doctor's this way and they are now clients. My push, with all my client's, is to save them money and provide them with service they have never had and believe me, it's possible. As a matter of fact, just last week I had an encounter with a Xerox sales rep at one of my accounts ( the poor bastered never worked on a machine in his life,) he told me he was going to replace all the machines at that account. I actually lost sleep over that encounter, I didn't have to worry because the account manager called me personally and ordered new machines from me... I wasn't even pushing new machines, I just kept their old ones going and now have several new machines on a contract.

I must digress, otherwise I could babble on about the opportunities we face everyday and don't realize it. First, be honest, if your an Independent, you don't need to push product, unless it's totally fubar'd. Secondly, take a risk, no other company is willing to take, I. E., free service call, however, if you smell a rat ( a machine that is over 10 years old and needs every maintenance item replaced, bow out gracefully and leave a card; they, ( the potential customer) now know who you are. Second, I agree on your web page, update it and use imagery, people respond to pictures, also, use the Chamber of Commerce, it has worked for me. I am actually, going to try a newspaper ad for a month... just out of curiosity, within the next week to see if it gets my company any results. Last, but not least, if your anything like me and truly have a passion for this industry, you will succeed, I find most of the time I have to re-educate the customer and show them why their small printers from the super stores are not saving them money, they are actually spending more money. I make a chart and compare two brands and show them what they are currently spending... that goes a long way. I hate to say it, but, " penny- wise, dollar stupid."

[JRCS]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

Clearcopy take that site down! It's worthless, if you want customers, get a profesional to do your site, what are you trying to do, confuse the potential custumer? You charge by machine weight? Charge for cleaning covers, and $1 per day for storage? You need to see other sites that are actually are working, successful dealers, or spend the money, try using Wordpress, then try optimizing the site, if you don't want to spend the money, then read about it, buy a book on SEO, it not hard, but the internet does work!
You have to invest in your business to succeed! I don't mean to sound harsh, but if you are a one men show you have to use the internet to grow, going to chamber meetings and handing out cards is like fishing with one rod, internet is fishing with a net, you may not get all of the fish, but you will get more.
good luck to you!

[allan]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I have stopped using gumtree. Got swamped with calls. Thats not my job so i dropped it, just tested it and got overwhelmed.

Lots of bulshiters to sort thru.

[theengel]

Re: Where can I advertise-most ideas not working.

I have stopped using gumtree. Got swamped with calls. Thats not my job so i dropped it, just tested it and got overwhelmed.

Lots of bulshiters to sort thru.

Not sure what you're saying here. You advertised on gumtree but you got so many calls you were overbooked and stopped advertising?