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+--- Thread: How do you advertise? (/showthread.php?tid=4701)
How do you advertise? - Purplecomputer - 07-02-2013
this is for those of you who do either work on the side or have your own business.
I haven't had any calls in about three weeks and i am going crazy!
ive invested in yard signs, put posters up with my business cards offering discounted services, promote my business and leave my cards at local stores but I never get calls.
am I doing something wrong?
I have my usual customers that call me and they refer me to people but I need to step this up.
any advice from some more seasoned business owners would be helpful.
RE: How do you advertise? - Simpler=Better - 07-02-2013
I always had trouble with this. My prices were around half of the local computer shop, and I ALWAYS made house calls...but I didn't get enough business to keep myself afloat.
Keep the paper stuff going, make sure you have a design or name that people will kinda remember. The posters/signs/cards are there to remind people about you, they won't actually net you new business. How about:
BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR
I MAKE HOUSE CALLS
###-####
Get a radio ad, your target demographic is the working folks who don't know too much about tech. I would suggest NPR if they're affordable-that way you will be dealing with professional people and avoid trash who won't pay. Make your ad stupid simple: "If your computer acting up? Need a printer fixed? Want to recover data?etc. Call ________ at ###-###-#### to get it fixed cheap, or go to blahblahblah.com($20 domain will do). We make house calls, and won't break the bank." Short, to the point, easy. Grab a g00gle voice number for a business line, forward that shizzle to your smartphone.
Might also be worth mentioning that you can recover data, an external adapter + recuva will make you a HERO to people with a smashed laptop.
When you get there, by gawd son wear a tucked in buttoned shirt with a cheapo pair of loafers. You want to look like the preconceived nerd they're expecting. Diagnose for free, discuss prices right up front, then fix that shizzle. Leave 5 business cards with them , maybe offer a $5 rereferral reward if they tell a friend? Give them a short warranty-it's worth the risk. I always gave a 6 month, anything-but-a-hammer-goes warranty and never had to make a return trip (except to reset a router :p).
When you're parked in front of their house, put a bigass paperboard sign on top of the car that says something like "BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR. I'M ON A HOUSE CALL RIGHT NOW! CALL ME AT ###-####"
Hit up clkman on PP, he runs a small sign shop. Might have some pointers.
RE: How do you advertise? - willbhere4u - 07-02-2013
Craigslist I had three accounts and would re post my services every day Evan a couple time a day to keep it current also I had three differently worded adds with similar but different titles so people can choose one they think sounds better to them.
RE: How do you advertise? - Purplecomputer - 07-02-2013
(07-02-2013, 09:01 AM)Simpler=Better I always had trouble with this. My prices were around half of the local computer shop, and I ALWAYS made house calls...but I didn't get enough business to keep myself afloat.
Keep the paper stuff going, make sure you have a design or name that people will kinda remember. The posters/signs/cards are there to remind people about you, they won't actually net you new business. How about:
BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR
I MAKE HOUSE CALLS
###-####
Get a radio ad, your target demographic is the working folks who don't know too much about tech. I would suggest NPR if they're affordable-that way you will be dealing with professional people and avoid trash who won't pay. Make your ad stupid simple: "If your computer acting up? Need a printer fixed? Want to recover data?etc. Call ________ at ###-###-#### to get it fixed cheap, or go to blahblahblah.com($20 domain will do). We make house calls, and won't break the bank." Short, to the point, easy. Grab a g00gle voice number for a business line, forward that shizzle to your smartphone.
Might also be worth mentioning that you can recover data, an external adapter + recuva will make you a HERO to people with a smashed laptop.
When you get there, by gawd son wear a tucked in buttoned shirt with a cheapo pair of loafers. You want to look like the preconceived nerd they're expecting. Diagnose for free, discuss prices right up front, then fix that shizzle. Leave 5 business cards with them , maybe offer a $5 rereferral reward if they tell a friend? Give them a short warranty-it's worth the risk. I always gave a 6 month, anything-but-a-hammer-goes warranty and never had to make a return trip (except to reset a router :p).
When you're parked in front of their house, put a bigass paperboard sign on top of the car that says something like "BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR. I'M ON A HOUSE CALL RIGHT NOW! CALL ME AT ###-####"
Hit up clkman on PP, he runs a small sign shop. Might have some pointers.
Good Idea, I like that computer doctor thing. just picked up three laptops today.
truest me, I shower and wear my Sundays best before going out on calls.
I have all the tools I need to get the job done right like an external dock and recovery software
I also do have a website that I use to set up remote service calls.
apbrepairs.com (the website lacks since I cant think of anything clever to write)
never thought about using Google voice for a business line. Thats a damn good idea. That way I dont have to give out my personal number anymore
I tried CL but I kept getting spam messages.
thanks for the ideas
RE: How do you advertise? - Simpler=Better - 07-02-2013
(07-02-2013, 01:49 PM)Purplecomputer(07-02-2013, 09:01 AM)Simpler=Better I always had trouble with this. My prices were around half of the local computer shop, and I ALWAYS made house calls...but I didn't get enough business to keep myself afloat.
Keep the paper stuff going, make sure you have a design or name that people will kinda remember. The posters/signs/cards are there to remind people about you, they won't actually net you new business. How about:
BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR
I MAKE HOUSE CALLS
###-####
Get a radio ad, your target demographic is the working folks who don't know too much about tech. I would suggest NPR if they're affordable-that way you will be dealing with professional people and avoid trash who won't pay. Make your ad stupid simple: "If your computer acting up? Need a printer fixed? Want to recover data?etc. Call ________ at ###-###-#### to get it fixed cheap, or go to blahblahblah.com($20 domain will do). We make house calls, and won't break the bank." Short, to the point, easy. Grab a g00gle voice number for a business line, forward that shizzle to your smartphone.
Might also be worth mentioning that you can recover data, an external adapter + recuva will make you a HERO to people with a smashed laptop.
When you get there, by gawd son wear a tucked in buttoned shirt with a cheapo pair of loafers. You want to look like the preconceived nerd they're expecting. Diagnose for free, discuss prices right up front, then fix that shizzle. Leave 5 business cards with them , maybe offer a $5 rereferral reward if they tell a friend? Give them a short warranty-it's worth the risk. I always gave a 6 month, anything-but-a-hammer-goes warranty and never had to make a return trip (except to reset a router :p).
When you're parked in front of their house, put a bigass paperboard sign on top of the car that says something like "BRENTWOOD COMPUTER DOCTOR. I'M ON A HOUSE CALL RIGHT NOW! CALL ME AT ###-####"
Hit up clkman on PP, he runs a small sign shop. Might have some pointers.
Good Idea, I like that computer doctor thing. just picked up three laptops today.
truest me, I shower and wear my Sundays best before going out on calls.
I have all the tools I need to get the job done right like an external dock and recovery software
I also do have a website that I use to set up remote service calls.
apbrepairs.com (the website lacks since I cant think of anything clever to write)
never thought about using Google voice for a business line. Thats a damn good idea. That way I dont have to give out my personal number anymore
I tried CL but I kept getting spam messages.
thanks for the ideas
Go to your local town thingy, file a "DBA" "Doing Business As" form, so that legally you're associated with your business name (Brentwood Computer Doctor) (or whatever town you're really in). It was like $40 last I checked. This makes your taxes easier too. if this is your main income, and grosses over whatever NYs limit it you don't want them chasing you down. Plus, you can start putting down your fuel, maintenance, domains, tools, consumables, etc. as business expenses.
Another side thing that people LOVE is to get some cheapo 16gb & 32gb flash drives, and when you do the recovery dump their backup right on the flash drive. Then they have a nice preloaded backup for the next time they bathe with their laptop. If they don't want to pay the extra $15-$20 for the flash drive it, wipe it and someone else will.
http://www.namecheap.com/domains/domain-name-search/results.aspx?domain=brentwoodcomputerdoctor&tlds=com&type=single&
Website tips:
-Make your phone number big and put it right under your company name. It's too small now.
-Make the rest of your font bigger, at least 14pt for us old foagies
-Rearrange your tabs to be "What we do(*previously home, contact, and services" "Prices" "Remote support" and "Testimonials". On the home page, also have a duplicate button down at the bottom for remote support.
-Put general price ranges on the page. Everyone hates a website that says "call me lol!" Also include a note about w123 parts:p
-On your new front page, that talks about services add "speeding up computers" or something like that.
-Add network security to the list(no one sets that shit up on their own)
-Testimonials page shows before/after shots of smashed screens, BSODs, car hair in heatsinks, etc. Obv, testimonials too.
-Banner photo should be of you in a lab coat, listening to a laptop with a stethoscope. No lie. Work a clipboard in there somewhere too.