Recently ,I was talking to a client of ours, and he mentioned that business seemed to be slowing down. Fewer jobs were being booked, and inventory was building up on the shelves. In fact, quite a few businesses I’ve spoken to in the last year have been experiencing the same thing. Sure, there’s no denying that the economy has slowed down a bit. But that just means we need to be smarter about how we find new customers. Notice I did not say “work harder”.
I told my client that there are people out there that are looking for him right now. I even argued that there are more potential customers in his city than he could ever handle. Almost every home and business relies on his industry in some form or another. He just needed to figure out how to introduce himself to them when they needed him most.
I wanted to help him get in front of those customers right when they needed him. I’m not talking about buying out ad space in the local penny saver or newspaper. I’m talking about getting his business in front of a buyer at the exact moment when they’re ready to buy.
The tips I gave him are either free or relatively inexpensive, and I’d like to share them with you.
TIP #1 - Get your business listed with Google Maps. When customers google for terms like "Computer Repair Services", a list of local businesses offering that service appears on the first page results next to a map. You want to make sure that your business is included on that list. A simple listing is free, and the only requirement is that your business address be local along with your phone number.
Why is this important? Most people use Google to find local services before they reach for the Yellow Pages, newspaper or penny saver. It is a growing trend simply because it is more convenient. This is an effective way to drive more local buyers to your business, and it doesn’t cost you a penny. To get started, visit the link below and select the option to add your business to Google Maps:
http://www.google.com/places
TIP #2 - Try out Google Adwords. Unlike the above tip, this requires that you pay to show your ad on Google. Let me rephrase that. You don’t get charged to show your ad. Instead, you get charged when someone clicks on your ad. When someone searches “Computer Repair Services”, an ad that you created will be displayed at the top or right-side of the search results page.
Before going live with Adwords, make sure you TURN ON GEO-TARGETING! This is a setting in Adwords that will tell Google to only display your ads locally.
Why is this important? Geo-targeting will reduce your monthly costs since your ad won't be displayed across the entire US. Since you can only drive within a reasonable distance to meet a customer, it only makes sense that you are paying for ads within that distance. Don’t overlook this setting! Again, this is an effective way to get your business in front of a customer that is ready to buy.
Before starting, I highly recommend reading a book on Google Adwords. Get something simple to read. The very basics can be covered in a weeks worth of reading, and it will be well worth your time. I’ll warn you now that jumping into Adwords without knowing how to properly setup an Ad Campaign (just a fancy name for your ads), will waste your money. Setting up an Ad Campaign properly will reduce your costs and get you better results. So take the time to learn how to set it up right.
The best way to get started is to read the book while you setup your account. Most books start with Chapter 1 going over how to register a new account, with each subsequent chapter guiding you through setting up the Ad Campaign. You'll also find that most of these books will give you a free $100 credit towards Adwords.
TIP #3 - Read the book Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson. In a nutshell, this is a survival guide for any small business looking for creative and inexpensive ways to reach more customers. Get the original in it’s latest edition, and pay special attention to the chapters on Consistency and Commitment.
Read this book twice if you have to. The ideas here are timeless, and with some creativity you’ll be able to make the concepts the author teaches work for you. If you find yourself idle, this book is loaded with great ideas to grow your customer base. Amazon.com has it for $10.17 right now.
In conclusion, I hope you can put the above tips into good use in your own business. If you have any questions, feel free to post here and I’ll do my best to follow-up.
I told my client that there are people out there that are looking for him right now. I even argued that there are more potential customers in his city than he could ever handle. Almost every home and business relies on his industry in some form or another. He just needed to figure out how to introduce himself to them when they needed him most.
I wanted to help him get in front of those customers right when they needed him. I’m not talking about buying out ad space in the local penny saver or newspaper. I’m talking about getting his business in front of a buyer at the exact moment when they’re ready to buy.
The tips I gave him are either free or relatively inexpensive, and I’d like to share them with you.
TIP #1 - Get your business listed with Google Maps. When customers google for terms like "Computer Repair Services", a list of local businesses offering that service appears on the first page results next to a map. You want to make sure that your business is included on that list. A simple listing is free, and the only requirement is that your business address be local along with your phone number.
Why is this important? Most people use Google to find local services before they reach for the Yellow Pages, newspaper or penny saver. It is a growing trend simply because it is more convenient. This is an effective way to drive more local buyers to your business, and it doesn’t cost you a penny. To get started, visit the link below and select the option to add your business to Google Maps:
http://www.google.com/places
TIP #2 - Try out Google Adwords. Unlike the above tip, this requires that you pay to show your ad on Google. Let me rephrase that. You don’t get charged to show your ad. Instead, you get charged when someone clicks on your ad. When someone searches “Computer Repair Services”, an ad that you created will be displayed at the top or right-side of the search results page.
Before going live with Adwords, make sure you TURN ON GEO-TARGETING! This is a setting in Adwords that will tell Google to only display your ads locally.
Why is this important? Geo-targeting will reduce your monthly costs since your ad won't be displayed across the entire US. Since you can only drive within a reasonable distance to meet a customer, it only makes sense that you are paying for ads within that distance. Don’t overlook this setting! Again, this is an effective way to get your business in front of a customer that is ready to buy.
Before starting, I highly recommend reading a book on Google Adwords. Get something simple to read. The very basics can be covered in a weeks worth of reading, and it will be well worth your time. I’ll warn you now that jumping into Adwords without knowing how to properly setup an Ad Campaign (just a fancy name for your ads), will waste your money. Setting up an Ad Campaign properly will reduce your costs and get you better results. So take the time to learn how to set it up right.
The best way to get started is to read the book while you setup your account. Most books start with Chapter 1 going over how to register a new account, with each subsequent chapter guiding you through setting up the Ad Campaign. You'll also find that most of these books will give you a free $100 credit towards Adwords.
TIP #3 - Read the book Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson. In a nutshell, this is a survival guide for any small business looking for creative and inexpensive ways to reach more customers. Get the original in it’s latest edition, and pay special attention to the chapters on Consistency and Commitment.
Read this book twice if you have to. The ideas here are timeless, and with some creativity you’ll be able to make the concepts the author teaches work for you. If you find yourself idle, this book is loaded with great ideas to grow your customer base. Amazon.com has it for $10.17 right now.
In conclusion, I hope you can put the above tips into good use in your own business. If you have any questions, feel free to post here and I’ll do my best to follow-up.
