Marketing Advise

[globallockytoo]

I performed a quick google search and found out HomeAdvisor (formerly ServiceMagic) has a very bad reputation it seems.

bad how? bad why? I have been with them over 5 years and it has been the single best catalyst for my business.

Way better than Angies List. No subscriptions (paid membership) for customers. contractors pay by the lead. probably 3-5% of customers leave a review. My average over the last 5 years is 4.78/5 stars. It is the reviews alone that get me a large chunk of business.

Home Advisor have been a very good source for me. They are located very high in search engines and have a good reputation across the country. I am very surprised to hear other wise and would like you to quote your sources for the negative reviews online.

BTW....there is a lawsuit pending about Angies List executives taking funds for preferred advertisers and I believe that Yelp has fallen in to the trap of selling preferred placement too.

For every good review of something there are always negative reviews. You cant please all of the people all of the time. And whom do you really believe anyway?
With Home Advisor, only the project contact can leave a review of any job performed. Fake reviews are not possible there. That cannot be said for the other sites of similar ilk.

[globallockytoo]

one more thing about Home Advisor....

I get very few locksmith requests there.....but a great many more door repair requests and list for those tasks deliberately. I probably adjust 3-5 sliding doors a week, adjusting rollers, lubricating tracks, tightening locks. many people online do not realize that most locksmiths will repair anything that opens and closes, not just work on locks and make keys.

I get many jobs to adjust hinges and file out strike plates and most of the customers look for door repairers rather than locksmiths, as I said before.

I got another one late last week from a customer wanting to replace or modify their Peachtree door where the lock has failed. Instead of contacting a locksmith, they sought a "door repair service" on HA and got me.
I'll change the operation of the door and make $500 in the process for a cost to me of less than $50 in parts. It will take about 4 hours.

I did a Peachtree door conversion a few months back for a customer (who was return business from Home Advisor) See this post for what I did.

[billdeserthills]

globallockytoo, You are definately correct about Yelp selling ad placement, I had a rep from Yelp call me a couple of weeks ago, They wanted $300 per Month to put my business on their first page, in my area. That actually made me the 3rd locky down on the page and the other two locksmiths above me are actually scammers who lied about having a business address in my little town. I would have never paid $300 a month, but having two companies that are lying about their address, just to trick unsuspecting clients into thinking they are nearby was more than I can bear. Second time now that I have explained to Yelp reps that I will not tolerate having a company that lies placed above me. Yelp says those other guys reserved their space before I did, so it's perfectly OK for them to lie about it & Yelp won't take them off. I honestly think that both places are now out of business, but I still don't like it.

[dmcintyre86]

dang bill...im jealous! i cant even get yelp yo call me back!!! hahaha

-Dave

[dmcintyre86]

one more thing about Home Advisor....

I get very few locksmith requests there.....but a great many more door repair requests and list for those tasks deliberately. I probably adjust 3-5 sliding doors a week, adjusting rollers, lubricating tracks, tightening locks. many people online do not realize that most locksmiths will repair anything that opens and closes, not just work on locks and make keys.

I have heard decent things about Home Adviser. Everything does look good with what they do. I'm just nervous that they wont drive enough leads or business to make it worth while...maybe i should start looking into listing door adjustments as a service i offer too...

I will probably give them a shot an see what happens with it within the next few months

THANKS FOR THE INFO YOU PROVIDED globallockytoo!

-Dave

[globallockytoo]

one more thing about Home Advisor....

I get very few locksmith requests there.....but a great many more door repair requests and list for those tasks deliberately. I probably adjust 3-5 sliding doors a week, adjusting rollers, lubricating tracks, tightening locks. many people online do not realize that most locksmiths will repair anything that opens and closes, not just work on locks and make keys.

I have heard decent things about Home Adviser. Everything does look good with what they do. I'm just nervous that they wont drive enough leads or business to make it worth while...maybe i should start looking into listing door adjustments as a service i offer too...

I will probably give them a shot an see what happens with it within the next few months

THANKS FOR THE INFO YOU PROVIDED globallockytoo!

-Dave

Look, when i started with them there were about 15 locksmith companies listed. I got bugger all in the first two months. But I stuck with them and started picking up some business. In about month 3 many of the other companies listed, dropped off and I was one of two left, so naturally I picked up significantly more work. By month six, I was the only one there and work was quite regular. The key to Home Advisor is being sure to call job leads promptly and offering a free estimate. Most customers will accept the free estimate and that makes it an easy sell, 'cos when you get there, generally they will want the quick fixes done immediately and that brings in the bucks quick for little to no cost to you.

Dont forget to tell every customer, "you may receive an email from Home Advisor to grade me on the quality of my work, whether I arrived on time, was I friendly, did I clean up....if you'd care to leave a review, that'd be appreciated".

3-5% will leave a review, but it is those reviews that will get you significantly more "exact match" leads....that will build your credibility immensely and naturally more and consistent leads. Plus the beauty of legitimate reviews is that online searches will reveal reviews to similarly in need customers, propelling you to the top of the list.

It's not a perfect system, but it works well and gets your foot out there to further publicise your business in person. Give every customer great service and back it up with a 90 day warranty on your labor. I actually give every customer a free flashlight keyring (as my business card) that says locksmith, my website and my phone number. Customers love the flashlight and generally stick it on their ring straight away. I cant tell you the number of calls I get for additional business just because they have my number on their keyring.

And another thing....never be the cheapest in your town. Charge fair value for fair labor and above all else, BE FRIENDLY. Always write on your receipt "thank you for using home advisor", so they remember.

Your business will naturally build from there and it will keep you in jobs...and consequently making money. get yourself a Square credit card reader and always prefer credit cards or cash. take checks at your peril (but I have found 95% of customers who use checks are honest and their checks are good). Rarely (never) offer 30 days credit terms. If they say they want to pay by invoice, judge everyone on their merits, but tell them as a small business you cant carry them for credit...if they want to use credit terms, that's what credit cards are designed for.

It has been a boon for me in a non-regulated state where the fraudsters operate without much issue and every bugger and their cousin calls themselves a locksmith.

When estimating to people, always suggest 3 prices....the cheap way, the middle priced way and the expensive way.....tell them the expensive way is always the right way...but they dont have to do that. Always offer a suggestion as to what you would do if it were your home/business....tell them what you use at home/work and why. Display your honesty and they will "feel you" and you will reap the long term rewards.

It doesnt work for everyone, but it does work. Good luck!

[BrianSimons]

If you want to perform a good marketing strategy you should consider that each business has it's own plan, or virtual approach. No business is the same. Either you are contacted by X company which tells you that the X plan or Y company that tells you Y plan you need to understand that there is not overnight result on Google no matter what. All good results come with hard work and a good marketing plan not stolen addresses and other fake listings.

If you really want some professional ideas I could teach.
All starts with keywords analysis - and after On page optimization of your website. "Mui Importante"

For more details just PM or reply here.
Matt:)

[billdeserthills]

Not entirely true, If You want to see almost overnight busy, like turning on a lightswitch, You need an Internet Optimization Company to help you out.
My business went from 1-2 jobs a week to 1-2 jobs a Day inside of a week & I credit the optimiztion company's (two of them) that I hired for that extra business.
It cost me $400 the first month for both companies, but that was a pittance compared to the money I raked in. That started about 4 months ago and it hasn't shown any signs of dying out
since then. Don't believe that things can't change for you & your company Overnight--With the internet it is possible to double or triple+ your business Right Now.

BTW When that first company called, I just figured they were full of it & talking BS like everyone else who tries to sell me stuff on the phone. I actually let them know that if they
didn't make me money & right now I would call my credit card agency & deny the charges at the end of the month--They believed in their product & now so do I!

[dmcintyre86]

hey bill are you referring to Local SP?

[dmcintyre86]

PM me the info on the other second service you use!

[billdeserthills]

Another service folks seem to like is Yext. I was on the phone with their salesman this morning for about 20 minutes. They have a new service that scares the hell out of me, where anytime a client clicks on your info You get to pay a fee. I know if I look up my area on Yext there are two scammers above me. I know they are scammers because the addresses they posted, well one doesn't exist and the other address is a local vet. Anyhow so I tell the Yext guy that I don't like advertising with a company that provides leads to scammers and this guy just wouldn't give up. He kept telling me that he likes to let the Yext clients decide for themselves just who the dishonest service providers are and that those two guys I keep complaining about aren't even in business any longer. I keep telling him that I just can't pay to get 3rd row placement under two known scammers. He likes to call every couple of months, I like to keep nicely refusing him.

Anyhow before You pay any of these advertisers it is important to be at your computer, or a place where you can look up how they are already showing your business. I don't know about you, but I won't pay to advertise anywhere I find scammers getting leads, I don't care what the excuse.

[d_Random]

Yelp is a ripoff
Yext is a ripoff
Home Advisor is a ripoff

I get all the business I need from the Google 7-pack.
If you have a hard time getting into the 7 pack hire a SEO with a good reputation
and sign a contract to get into the top 2 of the Google 7-pack. It may take
6 months, but it is worth it. Then you can cut the SEO lose after you get
1-2 spot in the 7-pack.

[globallockytoo]

Another service folks seem to like is Yext. I was on the phone with their salesman this morning for about 20 minutes. They have a new service that scares the hell out of me, where anytime a client clicks on your info You get to pay a fee. I know if I look up my area on Yext there are two scammers above me. I know they are scammers because the addresses they posted, well one doesn't exist and the other address is a local vet. Anyhow so I tell the Yext guy that I don't like advertising with a company that provides leads to scammers and this guy just wouldn't give up. He kept telling me that he likes to let the Yext clients decide for themselves just who the dishonest service providers are and that those two guys I keep complaining about aren't even in business any longer. I keep telling him that I just can't pay to get 3rd row placement under two known scammers. He likes to call every couple of months, I like to keep nicely refusing him.

Anyhow before You pay any of these advertisers it is important to be at your computer, or a place where you can look up how they are already showing your business. I don't know about you, but I won't pay to advertise anywhere I find scammers getting leads, I don't care what the excuse.

Not to burst your bubble here, but a little known detail about Yext is that it was originally started by some failed scammers that "had" occupied the first listings on search engines (paid). they still have significantly more traffic than others and naturally get a great many hits, but they do charge for every lead and send the same lead to all those listed within 20 miles of the service location.

Yext is a con, in my opinion. Be careful with them I suggest.

[globallockytoo]

Yelp is a ripoff
Yext is a ripoff
Home Advisor is a ripoff

I get all the business I need from the Google 7-pack.
If you have a hard time getting into the 7 pack hire a SEO with a good reputation
and sign a contract to get into the top 2 of the Google 7-pack. It may take
6 months, but it is worth it. Then you can cut the SEO lose after you get
1-2 spot in the 7-pack.

Home Advisor - rip off?

How come? I have been with them 6 years and get plenty, if not most of my jobs through them. Then I continue to get repeat work from some of those customers. The leads are relatively cheap (IMHO) and the reviews are priceless especially if youre trying to build credibility.

[Lakes]

I haven't even hung my shingle in Washington State yet and I can't get Google Clicks to stop calling me. I won't be availing myself of their services anyway.

Yelp can be paid to remove poor reviews. I'm a Private Detective in my other life and that kind of detail makes me very suspicious of the whole site.

The Better Business Bureau has always been a scam in the places I've lived and worked - depending on the human working the desk you can influence 'investigations' to go your way if you're a communicative business owner. (The weakest link in any organization or operation is the human.)

All my previous business successes have come from effective face-to-face networking, and happy clients' word-of-mouth evangelizing on my behalf.

Contractors/Realtors/Schools/Hotels/Banks/Airports/Hospitals/even Barbers and Beauty Shops are good prospects. But personal visits whenever possible are better in my opinion than mailing out cards or other material. Human connections are more memorable and profitable.