There is no doubt people are doing more and more research online before they buy. But if you have ever wondered if online ads converted into offline sales, Google has produced a video showing some of the research they did to confirm that yes, marketing your business online has a positive effect on people contacting you offline. Now, the data provided in the video is primarily for retail locations, (which works well if you are a home services retailer) but I am sure it translates to in-home sales as well.
Contractor Marketing Online
Review of Manta.com
It’s funny this thing called the Internet, when trying to figure out the best leads for contractors, you can find yourself lost in a sea of options. It was supposed to tear down borders and make the world closer by being able to reach out across the planet and talk to anyone at any time. Little did we know that it would take less than 20 years for the Web to come full circle and have us all concentrating on what we already had…local relationships.
Sites like Groupon, Yelp, Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, Google Places and LivingSocial have us all checking in and commenting on our experiences with local merchants in almost real-time, not to mention the number of local directories seems to grow every day. Merchant Circle, Thumbtack.com, local.com, citysearch.com, and kudzu.com all promise to bring traffic to your site. But a new site popped up on my radar screen the other day – Manta.com. [Read more…] about Review of Manta.com
Spring’s Here, Time to Stop Marketing
Before you push the button on the email taking me to task for the headline, let me clarify. You have been advertising all winter (I hope you have anyway), and if you have learned anything here at Darren’s, you should have a stack of leads in various stages of closing.
Well, it’s time to circle the wagons
I want you to spend the next two weeks worrying about closing new business. Not new ads, not your website, not even this blog (you should be getting my weekly recaps on Sundays anyway) and call, email or stop by those leads that are collecting dust on your desk. [Read more…] about Spring’s Here, Time to Stop Marketing
Easier Online Advertising is Just a Phone Call Away
While many of you have punched the ticket to online advertising for your contracting businesses, there are a lot of tricks from old media that translate just as well online. And one of the best is tracking numbers.
Use tracking numbers in your online ads
If you run any type of ads online (Google, MSN, Yahoo, or Facebook) then you should insert a call tracking number in each campaign to easily track your results. That way, you can move budgeted dollars from a campaign that isn’t working into one that is doing better. [Read more…] about Easier Online Advertising is Just a Phone Call Away
How is Your Google Places Page Treating You?
So it has been about 6 months now since the Google Places splash. And while many of you have gotten out in front of the curve and been rewarded with some of that great free traffic Google Places brings, I want to ask how many of you have any user reviews yet…real user reviews?
Do you have one? Do you have five, ten or one hundred? Or do you still have none?
If you still have none, you better get to work. Google Places is there to help bring you free leads but you have to work to get them, and soliciting reviews from your clients or customers is part of that effort. [Read more…] about How is Your Google Places Page Treating You?
Would You Put Half Your Phone Number in an Ad?
Signs or ads stating “Follow me on Facebook” usually have to include a key piece of data to be effective. The key bit of data I speak of is your friggin’ Facebook handle! You can’t expect people to try and figure out what your page is on Facebook, yet I see about 3 ads a day from companies that expect you to be Inspector Clouseau. If you are one of these companies…please stop this practice immediately!
Quick Tips for Contractors #1 – Do Something to Grow Your Business Everyday
You have to put gas in the truck, go to the supply house or pay a vendor. These are all things you have to do to make your business hum along.
There is an old saying, you are either growing or you are shrinking, you ARE NOT staying the same. So make sure you spend time each day marketing your construction business. Incremental growth is still growth, and it all rolls up to more business. So make it a point to DO SOMETHING everyday to help promote your business.
Your Clients Are Talking to You – Are You Listening?
I shot a video about keyword research the other day, and I think the point that I am trying to make in the video is that you need to look at keyword research as listening. Listening to exactly what your best clients or customers are asking for. Keyword research IS NOT hocus pocus, it is not Internet crap, and it is not something to be ignored. I mean, you can, but you will get buried under the weight of the stampede of clients or customers rushing past you to get to your competition.