Reaching Potential Customers

[Polstar]

Hi everyone, I am new here and have scanned the rules etc. I will try and stick to them. Without advertising... i offer architectural services for homeowners. I work from home in Newcastle upon Tyne/Gateshead. I know there are soo many homes around these areas and surrounding suburbs and towns but i am not sure how to reach them? I have previously advertised in the local paper but this proved VERY expensive and not too fruitful. I now only advertise on the yellow pages website and am finding it hard to get any kind of work coming in. I really need some specific advice as to how to get into the homes of all these people waiting to have house extensions designed!!! Any ideas would be gratefully received.

Eddy

[HuggyBear]

Hi everyone, I am new here and have scanned the rules etc. I will try and stick to them. Without advertising... i offer architectural services for homeowners. I work from home in Newcastle upon Tyne/Gateshead. I know there are soo many homes around these areas and surrounding suburbs and towns but i am not sure how to reach them? I have previously advertised in the local paper but this proved VERY expensive and not too fruitful. I now only advertise on the yellow pages website and am finding it hard to get any kind of work coming in. I really need some specific advice as to how to get into the homes of all these people waiting to have house extensions designed!!! Any ideas would be gratefully received.

Eddy

Hi Polstar,

We too find it hard to advertise in the north east and are experiencing the same problems as yourself - expensive advertising with low returns.

We are currently working on a website to use that as a point of advertising so maybe you could do the same - making use of SEO etc - there are some great SEO experts on here who will be willing to help you out!

Other methods that you colud use include networking, word-of-mouth inpiration through "reccomend a friend" incentives, advertising in the "on your doorstep" publications or get in contact with a data organisation who can provide you with newly registered company details which you can then use to contact said company and offer them your services...

HTH

Shaun

[Polstar]

Thanks Huggy, I have a website, not sure how well it performs at the moment. I have wracked my brains and asked just about everyone i know "How would you try and find who will draw plans for an extension?" so I can then try and capitalise on those areas. It is very tricky to know what a homeowner would do as everyone i know already knows certain things about the profession!!! I get a biased opinion such as "i would search for an architectural technician in my area" - not many people would know what an architectural technician is and whether they would draw plans for their extension!

[HuggyBear]

Thanks Huggy, I have a website, not sure how well it performs at the moment. I have wracked my brains and asked just about everyone i know "How would you try and find who will draw plans for an extension?" so I can then try and capitalise on those areas. It is very tricky to know what a homeowner would do as everyone i know already knows certain things about the profession!!! I get a biased opinion such as "i would search for an architectural technician in my area" - not many people would know what an architectural technician is and whether they would draw plans for their extension!

What is your USP?

Maybe you could team up with another company from where you could gain business and do a joint-advertising campaign meaning they advertise you in the same space as them and vice versa.

Also ask the coucil for permission to leave some leaflets in your town hall that provides planning permission etc.

What about radio advertising? Tried that avenue?

Have you implementing statistics tracking on your website? So you can find out where visitors are based and where they are coming from etc? I would recommend Google Analytics or Clicky

[Polstar]

Is this Google Analytics/Clicky easy to do by myself? I designed my website myself (to keep costs down) using frontpage and would need to be able to add this myself?

[HuggyBear]

Is this Google Analytics/Clicky easy to do by myself? I designed my website myself (to keep costs down) using frontpage and would need to be able to add this myself?

If you have basic knowledge of HTML then yes; Google, for example, provide you with instructions on how to incorporate their module into your web page.

[RedEvo]

Have you considered vehicle advertising? The costs per 1000 eyeballs are impressive.

d

[Polstar]

Huggy,

I think my USP is.....me! A personal but professional service

[bridges]

I have the same problem, but as a virtual assistant, I am only targetting other businesses really. So mine needs to be more specific. Good luck with your new campaign, if you have any ideas for me that'd be great!

B x

[LOS Design UK]

Huggy,

I think my USP is.....me! A personal but professional service

Sorry dude, but that does not rank as a USP I am afraid.

Look at what you do and think, what can I do that others cannot...

Regards
Daren