I'm Stuck and I don't know where to turn

[Rodney Mushero]

I am having issues bringing on new clients.

I have one client that is managed services but not on all of his computers.
I have another that just calls me when something breaks
I have a final one who also only calls me when he needs another camera installed.

I know there is a good market for a managed IT service business in my area but for some reason I just can't seem to grab on to clients.

I've advertised in the local paper(once it cost me $400 and I didn't get any clients)
I've advertised on Facebook, Google, Word of Mouth.

I'm just not sure where else to turn.

I will be glad to elaborate. I am looking for directions and tips maybe literature or something that might help.

 

[Mick]

I know there is a good market for a managed IT service business in my area

Do you? Or do you just think there is? May just be that the competition's already scooped everyone up. Having said which, have you thought about leaflet-dropping local business parks etc? Tedious and time-consuming, but it needn't cost a fortune and is very precisely targeted.

PS - I'd forget Facebook. Last place anyone with any sense would look.

 

[Rodney Mushero]

I have a few friends who work in the industry and they said it's not saturated to the point that I wouldn't be getting customers due to that. I think it's because word isn't getting out properly. I never thought too much about leaflets. I once thought about mailing a flier at some point but was told that it was just going to get thrown away.

 

[cam w]

Most communities have a local access TV channel available on cable that might be worth looking into!

 

[GTP]

Spent $400 a month on newspaper/letter box advertising for absolutely no results! Save your money.
The best advertising is word of mouth, so talk to your friends, neighbours, family, etc. Get them to spread the word.
Go for a walk around town and introduce yourself to business people, ASK if you can you leave a business card, (NOT a flyer!) be polite, don't push, leave if your asked to and SMILE!
There has been/is heaps of great advice on here so do a search of the forums.
Good luck!

 

[Porthos]

I am having issues bringing on new clients.

What do you see when you google computer repair? Does your website show up?

 

[Bryce W]

I have one client that is managed services but not on all of his computers.

Why not?

I have another that just calls me when something breaks

This is actually the best/easiest time to sell managed services. We actually just published an article on this topic.

I have a final one who also only calls me when he needs another camera installed.

Have you tried to sell your managed services to him in the past? or does he just see you as someone technical to get their hands dirty?

I've advertised in the local paper(once it cost me $400 and I didn't get any clients)
I've advertised on Facebook, Google, Word of Mouth.

Local paper is generally not the right angle with managed services. The easiest sell is selling to your break/fix clients, since they already know you and "this problem could have been prevented had they been on your managed services plan". The second next thing is hitting up businesses either in person, or something like an email sequence of soft selling.

I wouldnt mind seeing your advertising copy either. Whether on your site, Facebook etc.. Messaging is extremely important.

 

[myPCTechs]

I am having issues bringing on new clients. I'm just not sure where else to turn.

Have you thought about turning to a local advertising company? Ask them for examples of what they can do for your business to generate clients. This is what they do professionally so, at the very least, you're bound to walk away with some great advice if not a gameplan.

 

[Bryce W]

Found your site based on your avatar name and location. Your site has major problems.
The absolute biggest one is, there is no phone number at all on your website at all. How are people supposed to contact you?
If you were pointing your ads to your site, this might have been the problem with your advertising.

While you do have a contact form, it doesnt ask for THEIR phone number. It asks for their email but what if its their email thats the problem? You have no way to get back to them.

Your SEO has major problems since your Facebook page and your Technibble intro thread outrank your own site for your own name:
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Your site LOOKS flashy, but it just isnt working from a conversion standpoint. I would suggest using something like @Y.F.N.C.G. 's TechSiteBuilder which has these basics ready to go out of the box.

 

[fencepost]

I'll also suggest that referrals are hard to beat - and lack of referrals may beat you.

There are conflicting views on going vertical-market or broad-based, but what may work best is to focus on a couple of complementary verticals that interact with each other. If you can get in with someone who's serving a particular business vertical in another capacity you may be able to piggy-back into their clients with them (as an example: we got a lot of medical clients through an accounting firm that was serving them, a relationship that we unfortunately lost a few years ago).

 

[fastremotehelp.com]

Wow...I agree with the criticisms on your site, although it is fairly clean-looking. I've seen plenty worse, that's for sure. For god's sake, finish the site before you start showing it to potential clients.

But don't expect a website to deliver a stream of clients.

I suggest a very low-tech approach: knock on the doors of small, non-chain businesses and start conversations with the owners. Don't come with the expectation of delivering your propaganda. Go with the goal of meeting people and finding out their issues. Build bridges, have conversations, make connections. Tell them upfront you want to learn what their problems are. Now Go Forth!

 

[Rodney Mushero]

Alright. Website torn down. Making a new one. Not using tech site builder because it's a glorified expensive wordpress. Thanks all for your input. I will see about some of your remarks and appreciate your time.

 

[Markverhyden]

Might want to put up an under construction page. Right now it looks like an abandoned domain name.

 

[timeshifter]

I suggest a very low-tech approach: knock on the doors of small, non-chain businesses and start conversations with the owners. Don't come with the expectation of delivering your propaganda. Go with the goal of meeting people and finding out their issues. Build bridges, have conversations, make connections. Tell them upfront you want to learn what their problems are. Now Go Forth!

This, 100%. You need to do some good old fashioned cold calling. 90% of the doors you knock on are going to be dead-ends and will blow you off and maybe not even talk to you at all. Another 8% might show promise, you might talk to a decision maker, but nothing will ever happen. But 2% might turn into new customers over the next 60 days after your first contact.

So, knock on 100 doors a week for the next two months and you'll have 16 new clients.

 

[Diggs]

Unfortunately it's more word of mouth than advertising in this state. I keep a weekly ad in the local newspaper and in the little freebie ad sponsored sales paper that goes out weekly to every mailbox. In my small market the cost is reasonable. Still - Probably the majority of my customers come from word-of-mouth. Someone knew someone who recommended me. My first years were slow. I made it a point to go into most small businesses in my area, introduce myself, give them my card and explain if they ever needed advice, help or even just a second opinion on something tech to give me a call. (No commitment needed.) It took awhile but it's amazing how many people are not happy with their current support. As problems came up I started getting calls.

Website? I had two web sites tested by the U of Wis marketing department. One was my early hand whittled clunky website featuring local pictures of the lake, me and my daughter. The other was a highly polished professionally done site with the (generic guy/girl) shown on the headset at the keyboard..... It was beautifully done. When tested live to an audience it sucked. The hand clunker won 4:1 over the professional site in my local market. Hmmm...... Know your market I guess.

 

[callthatgirl]

If you decide to use WordPress, I highly recommend doing SEO right out of the gate. Sounds like you could use a hand up, so if you PM me, I'll send you a copy of my SEO for WordPress eBook. I also recommend following my new marketing and seo blog series. I just published #3 last night, I will publish until end of year, like an eBook but free. https://callthatgirl.biz/seo-blog-tips-for-it-business-owners

Tip 1 and 2 are under tip 3. the series will just add one from the last blog.
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[Tech bud]

I'm trolling this thread too, as I get sporadic business and I get a lot of hits on my website, but not many contacts. Pretty sure its me failing at getting them to call. Just realized this thread is pretty old

 

[Bryce W]

I'm trolling this thread too, as I get sporadic business and I get a lot of hits on my website, but not many contacts. Pretty sure its me failing at getting them to call. Just realized this thread is pretty old

Its because your site isnt setup to convert. Have a read/watch/listen to these:

https://www.technibble.com/creating-a-computer-business-website-that-converts/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-1/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-2-flashy-elements-killing-conversions/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-3-fine-tuning-sales-copy-user-experience/

 

[Tech bud]

Its because your site isnt setup to convert. Have a read/watch/listen to these:

https://www.technibble.com/creating-a-computer-business-website-that-converts/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-1/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-2-flashy-elements-killing-conversions/

https://www.technibble.com/technician-website-review-3-fine-tuning-sales-copy-user-experience/

Sweet, thanks man, going to give them a listen