Advertising on the internet

[NigeD]

New to the forum. Got made redundant a couple of months ago so starting up on my own again. Just wondered if anybody had any experience of these "rate a tradesman" type of sites. If you have advertised on one how successful was it? Was it expensive? Which one to go with? Also trying to decide which domestic installer scheme to go with. Was with Elecsa before but not sure about the insurance backed garantee they need now. Cheers lads. Remember, the more you practice the luckier you get.

 

[Amp David]

Wouldn't bother wasting your time with these so called trade sites. Tried a few in the past, but have never got any of the jobs, as they are usually based on a price war between tradesmen, so its whoever wants to do it for sod all will get the work.

The Elecsa insurance backed warranty is simply something you inform your customer off and they decide to take it up or not. Elecsa even have a leaflet you can print out to pass on to customers that explains it all.

 

[accordfire]

Spend the money on getting a decent website, and ranking in Google for your area.

Will give you a far higher return than any "takeatrademansearnings" site will.

Do a search in the forum for check-a-trade, internet marketing, and so on - there's a ton of info on the forum already.

 

[Amp David]

Last week I put an ad in the local free paper which everyone in the area get through their doors on a wednesday/thursday. I've already been out to 2 jobs off the back of it and have 1 more to look at. So its already paid for itself in its first week

 

[ian]

A couple of years ago I tried these types of site and thought it was a waste of time, a good website is defiantly the way forward, then spend some money obtaining a good listing position. But stay away from pay for click.

Ian

 

[accordfire]

A couple of years ago I tried these types of site and thought it was a waste of time, a good website is defiantly the way forward, then spend some money obtaining a good listing position. But stay away from pay for click.

Ian

I'd have to take the point that a good PPC campaign will far outstrip leaflets, local press, and any other form of "instant" advertising.

It is also exceptionally good at background marketing, or brand awareness marketing as it is more popularly known.

I recently wrote an article on my blog site about this subject, as it happens. It's here, if anyone is interested, with part two of it here.

There are other articles on the site too, and I will be adding to it, fairly soon, on a range of subjects - related to running a "trade" business.

 

[ian]

Although I will certainly agree with Bill that PPC is a great way in the short term to get web page on goggle. The main problems I have with PPC are
Every Visitor Costs Money – Some visitors may remember your site and come back again, but overall when you stop paying, the visitors stop coming.
A High Converting Website is Critical – A good PPC campaign can drive lots of targeted traffic to your site, but if your site doesn’t convince those visitors to convert, it’s all wasted money
Competition is Growing – The amount of competition for top ad spots is growing. This can only drive the cost per click up over time.
Missing bulk of the traffic – apparently around 70% of people said they tend to ignore sponsored listings. (this is a simple bit of research you can do yourself, ask people when you are in there homes if they would look at the sponsored links, I took a screen shot round with me and asked where they would search on the top 2 or 3 links which often have a pink back ground or on the right hand site)
I can personally attest to this one. PPC advertising can get very expensive very fast. In fact, you can blow a considerable amount of money if you are not very careful, especially when you embark on your first campaign and you are taking advice from marketers.
Before anyone embarks on a PPC campaign I would advise that they weigh up the pros and cons with PPC marketers and SEO marketers.
So I believe that that Pay-Per-Click advertising is useful for getting traffic immediately. It’s important to have a website that effectively turns visitors into customers in order to make more money than you spend. Once you establish that however, PPC can be a powerful and profitable advertising method.
This fairly good link to a site, which I think, has an unbiased view.

http://www.articlesbase.com/seo-articles/what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ppc-pay-per-click-advertising-2784151.html

 

[accordfire]

Although I will certainly agree with Bill that PPC is a great way in the short term to get web page on goggle. The main problems I have with PPC are ....

Some good points, and for clarification, like any form of marketing, it needs planning, and consideration in tandem with other methods of marketing.

A good website is an essential ground base for any marketing in this day and age, and by that, I also mean that the work needs to go into Google ranking and recognition.

PPC is similarly planning intensive if you want results from it, and you want to avoid pitfalls as Ian describes.

With good strongly worded ads, proper keyword research, and use of Google's PPC demographic targeting, it still remains more cost effective than other forms of advertising.

It is worth mentioning too, that the whole point of a PPC campaign is to drive traffic to your website, and not to make sales.

For a PPC campaign to be truly effective, it must drive potential customers to your website. For the process overall to be effective, your potential customer needs a call to action (a reason to do something you want them to) once they arrive at your site.

People clicking your PPC ads will do so for one of very few reasons. The trick is to make your ad appear to relevant people only, and to attract traffic that WILL act.

The google campaign deals with the first part of that - the attracting relevant people. Your website needs to deal with the second part.

Key tips are, keyword, keyword, and keyword. Your whole ad acts as a set of keywords, in addition to the ones you enter for the campaign. Get all this right, and your real PPC can remain as low as 20 pence a click. Remember you're not just after volume, but relevant volume.

I should have made it clearer that a PPC campaign will not stand on its own, but must also be benefited from your website doing its part - making it EASY for people to contact you, and EASY to get a response FROM you.

Overall, PPC is best suited to building traffic in the short term while you work on the website organic traffic, and for getting word out about specific offers you may be running. Offers that may build longer term customers.

 

[wattsup]

ppc can be very good, it can also be very expensive. A bit like poker, you will pay to learn.
Basic tips, keyword/phrases need to be geographic specific, they need careful thought.
Avoid 'allow all google related search partners' I'm talking mainly adsense (mad), made for adsense sites.
Restrict clicks to a 20 mile radius of your location....good luck!

 

[NigeD]

Thanks for all your replies lads, that has been really helpful.

 

[lloyd1980]

Wouldn't bother wasting your time with these so called trade sites. Tried a few in the past, but have never got any of the jobs, as they are usually based on a price war between tradesmen, so its whoever wants to do it for sod all will get the work.

The Elecsa insurance backed warranty is simply something you inform your customer off and they decide to take it up or not. Elecsa even have a leaflet you can print out to pass on to customers that explains it all.

I agree completely with this - stay AWAY from these sites, I got sucked in and paid for the seveice where they are supposed to text you leads, sold it to me saying youll be getting at least 20 quality leads per month etc - pays for itself etc. well even throw in a free area for you.

bottom line it cost me 120 quid for 3 months. I got 1 text from it and didnt get the small job anyway
I rang them to complain and was told 'well sir we cant guarantee how many customers will choose to use our service etc etc

they even had the cheek to ring me back after 3 month and ask me if I wanted to renew!!!!!!!!!!!!


GOOD TIP from me to you is to use gumtree
Its free to advertise on there and within 2 days of offering subby services on there on the olnline manchester and liverpool ones I was getting calls
I turned the work down as it was to far to go and had work at time, just shows it works though
they have editions all over uk, london one is massive - just google gumtree and you cant go wrong!!

Good luck mate

 

[BLBelfast]

Some great advice here. Much appreciated.

 

[BLBelfast]

any more easy to understand tips on search engine optimization?

 

[accordfire]

any more easy to understand tips on search engine optimization?

Wow. SEO is work, work, and more work. Not difficult work, just consistent work - you can't fit and forget.

Google is your friend.

The important things are:

Content firstly - well written, relevant, and good use of Headers. Content should account for at least 15% of the total page (including all the behind the scenes junk).

Keywords - less important now than before, but still help - your content needs to reflect the keywords of what you do, and choose a few very good keywords for each page - what you offer, where you offer it, and who you offer it to.

Link building - advertise your website all the time. By this I mean get it linked from other sites - twitter, Facebook, quality directories, blog sites, and so on. Reference your site any time you can.

Monitor what your site is doing with Google Analytics. It's free, and it will help.

Good Design - your site needs to be easy to read, and it needs to make people WANT to contact you. It also needs to be search engine friendly - no dead URLs, no cryptic URLS, keep the "depth" of the site to less than three clicks to any page.

Just a few items to help.

 

[BLBelfast]

Thanks accord. I have a free basic site set up but will be looking to try and improve and utilise the web more in the next year. All your tips are much appreciated.