Post yard signs or mail out

[onsite]

I wholeheartedly disagree with the bolded. Why do you think so many companies still go door to door? Just because you are not searching for a specific service does not mean you would not want to use it. People are innately impulse buyers. I was wanting to get weed control for my yard for months and never did anything about it. I came home one day and Scotts had an estimate on my door. I called right then and made an appointment. Now they will be making about $500 a year off me to treat and seed my lawn throughout the year.

Cable/satellite companies, Alarm, and countless others still do door to door, let alone the 1000's of companies that still do direct marketing. I realize those are big companies with marketing budgets 100xs more than any or our revenue, but like all things in life and business, it is about diversification.

more meaning body shops, auto repair, tire shops etc.

For example: build a relationship with a shop. work out a deal where they staple your card to their invoice on their better customers that might have cars to target.

I know a high end wheel shop here staples a local detailers card to their invoice for their higher end buyers. He has received some very good clients from the shop. He just started offering coating services to the shop to help customers protect their wheels. He coats the wheels before they are mounted on the car. Customers seem to be loving it.

Meh, the size of the market for those types of services compared to detailing is almost outrageously different.

Maybe 1 in 100 people would pay anyone any amount to have their car detailed.

I guarantee you at least 97 out of 100 households have cable TV service ect.

There is nothing impulse about detailing, unless you are a mobile detailer and telling them you could do it right then and there, which in case you come across as desperate.

We are talking a niche, high end service here, not a mass consumption deal. I've never seen anyone selling designer koi ponds that run $1200 - $5000 advertising door to door, and that is because it is a waste of money with so few people are your market.

This is also what makes starting a detailing business so hard at the begining. Very few traditional services really work well, and building that small niche market takes a lot of time.

Bittergreg and mark i both see your points. I do know that we serve a small demographic which takes time to get into. Now would it hurt to say get a few signs post them in busy areas just to maybe catch the few? Or could that hinder my image?

I am on fb i ad content have a site and ad words (started them yesterday). Which one day 10 potential views and no clicks. Not sure how to feel about that

Ebg18t
I understand now. I think i may have to get creative in my area. Or at least take some time to do some digging and who would utilize my service. I do ask what did the tire shop get out of doing that for him? Or was it say a "discounted" service with buying from them, to ad a no cost incentive?

 

[onsite]

Most of the automatic car wash companies mail out coupons and advertisements for their monthly plans along with the Shammeriffic detailers (that is actually their company name.....). I prefer to separate from that group.

And thats my concern. Would i or could i get labled in that manner and would it look "tacky"

 

[BitterGreg]

Meh, the size of the market for those types of services compared to detailing is almost outrageously different.

Maybe 1 in 100 people would pay anyone any amount to have their car detailed.

I guarantee you at least 97 out of 100 households have cable TV service ect.

There is nothing impulse about detailing, unless you are a mobile detailer and telling them you could do it right then and there, which in case you come across as desperate.

We are talking a niche, high end service here, not a mass consumption deal. I've never seen anyone selling designer koi ponds that run $1200 - $5000 advertising door to door, and that is because it is a waste of money with so few people are your market.

This is also what makes starting a detailing business so hard at the begining. Very few traditional services really work well, and building that small niche market takes a lot of time.

That depends on the area you market. There are quite a few areas here where I would say well over 1/2 the people get their cars detailed. He is also not talking about going door to door, I used that as an example. He is talking about direct marketing target areas. I get stuff in the mail all the time for flooring, deck, roofing, interior decorating, and countless others in the mail.

Detailing might not be an impulse buy to you, but that doesn't mean it is not for others.

We can agree to disagree.

 

[jarred767]

Interesting conversation, and very insightful too.

From my personal experiences over the last ten years of being self-employed as a detailer, I would have to agree more with what Mark is saying. I have found that it is much better money and time spent trying to reach people who are already interested in detailing services rather than trying to reach people and convince them first that they need to get the their car detailed and then second that they should have you detail it. If someone is already actively looking for a detailing service, then there's simply less work (and less money) that you have to do/spend to get them to become a customer of yours. In my experience, it only makes sense that this would be the more logical way to go (why do more work and spend more money unnecessarily?)

For me, best things (other than word of mouth which just happens over time based on the work you do) that I have done to attract new customers is working on creating a great website with great SEO so that when people look for a detailer online, they find you. If you're site isn't coming up in the top half of the first page of Google, then it should be improved because the majority of people will pick one of those top companies on Google (in any industry).

The other way I get new customers is through Yelp, and I'm shocked that no one has mentioned this. Yes, it takes time to build a presence on Yelp and it's something that's tough right from the start, but it should be at the core of your marketing plan. People who search Yelp are very actively looking to hire someone and hire someone now and want someone with a good reputation - why else would they be there? The higher up on Yelp you can get, the better. I probably get almost half of my new customers straight from Yelp searches.

In regards to the OP's original question, I would personally probably stay away from both. Just my opinion.

 

[onsite]

Interesting conversation, and very insightful too.

From my personal experiences over the last ten years of being self-employed as a detailer, I would have to agree more with what Mark is saying. I have found that it is much better money and time spent trying to reach people who are already interested in detailing services rather than trying to reach people and convince them first that they need to get the their car detailed and then second that they should have you detail it. If someone is already actively looking for a detailing service, then there's simply less work (and less money) that you have to do/spend to get them to become a customer of yours. In my experience, it only makes sense that this would be the more logical way to go (why do more work and spend more money unnecessarily?)

For me, best things (other than word of mouth which just happens over time based on the work you do) that I have done to attract new customers is working on creating a great website with great SEO so that when people look for a detailer online, they find you. If you're site isn't coming up in the top half of the first page of Google, then it should be improved because the majority of people will pick one of those top companies on Google (in any industry).

The other way I get new customers is through Yelp, and I'm shocked that no one has mentioned this. Yes, it takes time to build a presence on Yelp and it's something that's tough right from the start, but it should be at the core of your marketing plan. People who search Yelp are very actively looking to hire someone and hire someone now and want someone with a good reputation - why else would they be there? The higher up on Yelp you can get, the better. I probably get almost half of my new customers straight from Yelp searches.

In regards to the OP's original question, I would personally probably stay away from both. Just my opinion.

How soon after having a site up should it be coming up that high? I know one thing i need to fix on my site is photo names as far as keywords go.

I see the point on mail outs cause i honestly throw everything away. Which is why i was concerned.

 

[onsite]

Oh and yelp what advice you give on that? Im unfamiliar with it. Im on there but know nothing about it. I do feel i have to gain a better online presence. My site has only been up for a few weeks.

 

[BitterGreg]

SEO is huge! the more you can update your site the better. Post blogs, change photos. While I do not know how to do it, you are able to put loads of key words in the back ground of the site. I think you can type them in the background the same color as the background so you dont actually see it.

 

[onsite]

How many updates and we talking additional content or swapping content?

 

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

If you haven't seen this check it out: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...71609-so-you-want-found-locally-internet.html

Make sure you are listed on directory sites (yahoo, bing, google, yelp, yellow pages, etc).

Post your website for people to review and make suggestions. IMO, your website is everything, if it's not good then you shouldn't be focusing on anything else web related that would bring them to your site. It's most likely going to be people's first impression of your business so make it good.

I would skip on mailers, signs, etc, because like others have said it's a niche market.

I have had a lot of success with boosting Facebook posts but it's all content related, if it's not interesting, different, etc. then people won't care or dig deeper.

Also, what's your budget for advertising? Monthly number would be a good figure it work with. I spent a few hundred every month on various types of online advertising (google adwords, Facebook mostly) and it definitely pays off with the correct execution.

 

[Ebg18t]

Ebg18t
I understand now. I think i may have to get creative in my area. Or at least take some time to do some digging and who would utilize my service. I do ask what did the tire shop get out of doing that for him? Or was it say a "discounted" service with buying from them, to ad a no cost incentive?

I believe he is only giving them 5% of what ever they generate as business for him. I'll ask him next time I see him. Nice thing is he is working in their air conditioned shop on all new wheels that require little to no correction. Just prep & coat. He was saying it is some of the easiest money he makes and he is there a few days a week.

 

[TFTADetail]

Attend car shows, ask about setting up a booth, maybe join up with some of the local auto clubs in the area.

Do the initial meet & greet with car club members and offer discounted services. Mention you're looking to get your name out there and want to show off your talent of detailing. Customer word of mouth is the best advertising you will ever find. One more good thing about this route is that you're getting in with the local market which is where you want to start anyway. And it's free!!

Google Adwords can be very expensive depending on your market. In this area, a daily budget for that advertising averages $40+ per day. And that price doesn't guarantee your site is going to show up in the ads.

Get your website up and work on the SEO. This is another great route to go and the SEO aspect is also free!!

Mailers can be expensive deciding on the demographics and number of zip codes you target.

I was invited to set up a booth at the San Antonio, TX Cars & Coffee car shows. I'm also set up nest to an Xpel installer which works out great because our services mingle. We're the only two services who have been given permission to do this. There are a couple of other detailing companies at these shows, but they are more irritants than anything else. They like to place their business cards on people's cars ....... not smart when at a car show.

If you have the budget for the costly advertising then it's your choice. There are better and more effective routes to go.

 

[onsite]

Well thats something i have thought about with shows. Ill have to find the next one and see what i can get into.

Adwords i threw in a $2 a day budget small but its somewhat affective and have yet to run out of that daily budget. If i do ill raise accordingly. Only thing i have got from it was today a lady somehow called me thinking i was a different detailer. Which i tried to utilize and take advantage of but no luck!

My budget right now is a little shy of what i would like obviously as all my finances are directed towards my wedding this july. So soon ill have some to play with but im barely getting by the misses without a stink eye lol

 

[jarred767]

How soon after having a site up should it be coming up that high? I know one thing i need to fix on my site is photo names as far as keywords go.

I see the point on mail outs cause i honestly throw everything away. Which is why i was concerned.

Depends on your market and how much competition you've got. I only have a handful of other detailers in town (maybe 8-10) so I was able to get to #2 for most keywords in about two months from going live. But #6 or #7 might be alright if you're in a bigger market, you just want to keep doing stuff to try to improve it. My goal is #1 by the time I head into winter months.

Oh and yelp what advice you give on that? Im unfamiliar with it. Im on there but know nothing about it. I do feel i have to gain a better online presence. My site has only been up for a few weeks.

Fill out EVERYTHING in your profile with lots of keywords, but don't "keyword stuff." Have lots of pictures of your work, a business logo and look legit. Ask good customers to write a review, but do only once or twice a month or they'll get filtered out. Whenever you have a customer mention that they found you on yelp, ask them to write a review. Their algorithms seem to benefit places that have reviews from people who use yelp often. Once you get some reviews put a link to your profile on your website. Eventually it starts to snowball.

Feel free to check my yelp page out if you need further ideas. http://m.yelp.com/biz/dynamic-mobile-detailing-bend-4

 

[Rod73]

How about neither? A lot more cost effective methods out there for a startup. Actually, I've been in business for 4 years and the most effective means of marketing for me are...

Google adwords. Send people specifically looking for your services directly to your website.

Facebook ads. You can be very specific on who sees your ads, and even set regional and demographical likits. You can spend $5 and reach 600 - 1500 people. Most cost effective mass advertisement method available right now.

I like this

 

[onsite]

Depends on your market and how much competition you've got. I only have a handful of other detailers in town (maybe 8-10) so I was able to get to #2 for most keywords in about two months from going live. But #6 or #7 might be alright if you're in a bigger market, you just want to keep doing stuff to try to improve it. My goal is #1 by the time I head into winter months.


Fill out EVERYTHING in your profile with lots of keywords, but don't "keyword stuff." Have lots of pictures of your work, a business logo and look legit. Ask good customers to write a review, but do only once or twice a month or they'll get filtered out. Whenever you have a customer mention that they found you on yelp, ask them to write a review. Their algorithms seem to benefit places that have reviews from people who use yelp often. Once you get some reviews put a link to your profile on your website. Eventually it starts to snowball.

Feel free to check my yelp page out if you need further ideas. http://m.yelp.com/biz/dynamic-mobile-detailing-bend-4

Ok, I see what you mean. I don't have much content on there as i started it prior to having my web site so that is something I need to do for sure. Do you use the yelp ads or just utilize the listing and leave it at that?

I Don't have to many detailers in my general area. Also most don't have websites so that's a bonus. And mobile detailers (2 that I know of) Dont have a site or ads. Did you add keywords in the background or base it all on pure content?

I appreciate all the advice everyone is offering. The help means more than you know!

 

[jarred767]

Ok, I see what you mean. I don't have much content on there as i started it prior to having my web site so that is something I need to do for sure. Do you use the yelp ads or just utilize the listing and leave it at that?

I just use the regular listing, their ads are crazy expensive and way overpriced IMO.

I Don't have to many detailers in my general area. Also most don't have websites so that's a bonus. And mobile detailers (2 that I know of) Dont have a site or ads. Did you add keywords in the background or base it all on pure content?

I made sure that each page is keyword rich while trying to make it still sound normal and not like your just trying to stuff a bunch of keywords on a page. I also use keyword tags for all images on the site and make sure that headings and descriptions (what shows up on Google) are very descriptive, concise, and contain your most important info.

I appreciate all the advice everyone is offering. The help means more than you know!

Of course, this site is awesome for stuff like this :xyxthumbs:

 

[jarred767]

Another great thing you can do that I did when starting is have a well-thought-out follow-up plan. I follow up with customers with a short and concise letter in the mail thanking them for using my services and gently encouraging them to share my business with friends and relatives. With the letter I include two $20 off gift certificates - one for them to use sometime in the next 6 months (creates repeat business) and second for them to give to someone else to help spread the word.

Just an idea.

 

[onsite]

Another great thing you can do that I did when starting is have a well-thought-out follow-up plan. I follow up with customers with a short and concise letter in the mail thanking them for using my services and gently encouraging them to share my business with friends and relatives. With the letter I include two $20 off gift certificates - one for them to use sometime in the next 6 months (creates repeat business) and second for them to give to someone else to help spread the word.

Just an idea.

I like that idea how was the extra one for a friend worded so that it was given away and not used... or were you not concerned about it.....

Have to say adwords put in work today. Got a interior job today and tomorrow an exterior/exterior.... this keeps up a rupes or boss will be on order sooner than later