-
Ask a question and get free supportUnlock new privileges and see hidden discussionsWin prizes and earn reputation
-
Question of the day ~ How often do you braai?
-
Afristay giveaway.Win a 2-night stay for two people at an establishment of your choice with R1,000 in spending money. Enter here.
Sign up with GoogleMarketing Advise Please
- Thread starter zaney
- Start date
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2006
- Messages
- 113,505
Yeah, Plumbing is somewhat old school in the method people use to "find" a plumber..
They will ask their friends, check the local builders merchant, or rely on things like cards dropped off or the white/yellow pages...
I don't think I've ever searched for a plumber online...
They will ask their friends, check the local builders merchant, or rely on things like cards dropped off or the white/yellow pages...
I don't think I've ever searched for a plumber online...
Chevron
Serial breaker of phones
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2007
- Messages
- 25,900
You can just buy a word press or joomla template or even grab a free one.
Will look more than good enough for what you wanna do.
FuLL_MeT4L
Expert Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2004
- Messages
- 1,230
Haha, don't stress! As Chevron says, just buy a decent Wordpress theme and you should be set. Make sure it's responsive (mobile-friendly).
as a screen printer I would say put your name on a few t-shirts and give them away to clients, if you make them fashionable people wear them out and it has your business details on them ... build a army of mobile billboards.
Website, social media and word of mouth is how I get business, but I also cold call and attend markets etc. and I have never ever placed a advert in a newspaper.
I would have a drive around and see where there is new buildings going up and cold call them, also look for smaller builders, tile laying businesses and ask about referring each other, maybe even get a few together and offer a one stop service where everybody contributes towards advertising etc.
I have done some unusual marketing campaigns and if you pm me I can give you a few ideas, since I do not want to spam my business in your thread, but it is tough out there so think differently imo
Keep on keeping on ...
Website, social media and word of mouth is how I get business, but I also cold call and attend markets etc. and I have never ever placed a advert in a newspaper.
I would have a drive around and see where there is new buildings going up and cold call them, also look for smaller builders, tile laying businesses and ask about referring each other, maybe even get a few together and offer a one stop service where everybody contributes towards advertising etc.
I have done some unusual marketing campaigns and if you pm me I can give you a few ideas, since I do not want to spam my business in your thread, but it is tough out there so think differently imo
Keep on keeping on ...
Last edited:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/454161-Plumbing-help-geyser-pressure-valve-leaking
Here give some plumbing advice and become the go to guy
Here give some plumbing advice and become the go to guy
jacodebeer
Expert Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 2,863
Try to brand your vehicle(s). It super effective and does not cost that much
yip branding is permanent while newspaper adverts are weekly and expensive.
A quick mock-up for a t-shirt as a example now this is something that people would wear out and become a walking advertisement and it is branded with your details, there is no need to be a boring plumber.
This is just to give you ideas, vehicle branding all the permanent avenues
Greig Whitton
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
- Messages
- 99
1. To reiterate what others have said, the website is poorly designed and looks unprofessional. Google Adwords, Facebook, etc. can be very powerful marketing tactics, but they only drive traffic. It's your website's job to convert that traffic into sales. If you are serious about online marketing then stop penny pinching and pay a reputable designer who specialises in creating websites that convert (not just websites that look pretty).
2. Again, as others have suggested, register with Google My Business. It's free and will increase your local search presence. This is particularly important for you because I would assume that people searching for a plumber online will be looking for someone local.
3. Partner with complementary local businesses that share your market (e.g. electricians, painters, building contractors, etc.) Obviously you need to pick guys who are reputable and who share your values. Unsurprisingly, this can take time, but the rewards can more than make up for it. Each partner will have their own customer base, so through creative co-promotion you can enjoy mass exposure to qualified prospects.
4. The vehicle branding that some have mentioned can also help raise local brand awareness. Approach your nearest Small Enterprise Development Agency branch and see whether they can help with this by subsidising the cost.
2. Again, as others have suggested, register with Google My Business. It's free and will increase your local search presence. This is particularly important for you because I would assume that people searching for a plumber online will be looking for someone local.
3. Partner with complementary local businesses that share your market (e.g. electricians, painters, building contractors, etc.) Obviously you need to pick guys who are reputable and who share your values. Unsurprisingly, this can take time, but the rewards can more than make up for it. Each partner will have their own customer base, so through creative co-promotion you can enjoy mass exposure to qualified prospects.
4. The vehicle branding that some have mentioned can also help raise local brand awareness. Approach your nearest Small Enterprise Development Agency branch and see whether they can help with this by subsidising the cost.
Last edited:
Sealing leaks & saving princesses. Haha brilliant! Reminds me of that yellow pages advert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u69fdNxVW3g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u69fdNxVW3g
Yeah the website is on my priority list now!
Regarding point 3. Ive noticed that instead of referring work to a specific tradesman to that specific job the guys will do it themselves to max on profit. So you will have a guy that markets himself as a tiler/electrician/painter but if a plumbing job comes along they will take it.
Noted on the rest thanks!
Maybe print stickers on vinyl with your business name, your name, and contact number(Cell number that you will use as long as you live), and your email address. They should be good quality so dont get spoiled when wet and dont come off with time, and stick them to plumbing connections you do. So when a guy for instance notices a tap is leaking and he goes underneath the sink to shut off the gate valve, he will see your sticker and you are first to mind when he thinks he needs a plumber. Or when a ball valve or flexi connector leaks at the toilet he will think of you. Dont know about you but valves and leaking flexis happen often, and the profit on these jobs is good for the time you spend on these jobs. You will at least keep your existing clients like this.
Go to the smaller plumbing and hardware stores. These are usually owner-run so these guys will have time for you. In my opinion the bigger stores dont really have time to get to know smaller plumbers. Be the go to guy for the store owner. When he has a plumbing issue, he should call you. Dont get over-excited when you charge him and dont be as formal with him as you would be with other customers. Because people and customers ask him if he knows a good plumber and he will be more likely to recommend you if he likes you personally.
Maybe print a few licence disk stickers and give them to clients after you have finished doing a job for them. People dont buy these, and are always looking for free stickers when new disk time comes around. Good exposure
Get a bundled sms system, and set it to automatically send out birthday messages when clients birthdays come around. I have a friend who is in the bulk sms business, let me know if you want his business. Putting it into perspective, 1000 smses costs about R300. If you know the clients language, send the sms in his language. People whos mother tongue isnt english, in my experience appreciate an sms in their language. Dont make it so formal.
Perhaps you already do this, but keep a kit of common replaceable items with you. Things like pan seal rings, washers, flush valve parts, plugs, caps, common fittings, things like that. Also have enough consumables at hand, like solder wire, flux, gas, ptfe tape, etc. Keep atleast two of each at hand always. So when you do a simple job, and you need these things, you dont have to drive to a plumbing shop to get them. Saving you time (so you can get to your next job quicker). And saving you on fuel and vehicle costs. Because like the real cost of a journey isnt just fuel, but tyres, maintenance etc. So if you dont have to drive everytime to a store, you saving like R30(10km journey). So if you doing this for 4 jobs a day, you have saved enough to atleast pay your handlangers wage (Or part of it). This isnt perhaps a marketing issue, but its just increasing your bottom line, which is actually the issue you actually want to improve on (the root of your marketing concern).
Make appointments to see owners of guest houses, restaurants, businesses who need plumbers often. Introduce yourself to them, and let them know about you. These guys usually want speedy service because it affects their business. Be prepared to come out at odd hours to solve their problems.
Get whatsapp. And let your clients know you have it. Get a blackberry for business use. The R60 bis is still convenient in that you get emails all the time, whatapp all the time, facebook all the time, so when clients contact you, you can respond immediately. Learn how to make a mobile business card, so you can just sms a guy your details and he has to just click save to save it on his phone contacts. Make the card with the prefix "plumber" and then your name. So when he is looking for a plumber 3 months down the line, he just searches plumber on his phone to find you. Because by then hes forgotten your name to search for it. So your name would be "plumber john" or "plumber peter" or whatever your name is.
Send out year-end promo gifts to clients and acquaintances. Dont go for gimicky items. Rather spend a bit more and give gifts like pens, or keyrings, quality items that people will want to use and keep. On these, dont print too much info on them. Maybe just your business name and number, dont make it too bold. In my opinion, people dont like the whole world to know they like free things. Keyrings I like are the metal bottle opener keyrings. Pens I like are the metal expensive looking ones (for like 30 bucks). Budget for it.
About your website, i think it looks okay. If im looking for a plumber, i wouldnt really care how the guys website looks. Yes, It could do with a bit of neatening up. But its the be all and end all. I know the struggles of small business, and money just isnt there for these type of things. Get a wordpress website and learn by googling about it. Templates are modern looking, and its easy to use. Most are free to use. Take out the thing about your price, R350 an hour seems a lot to the average guy. for some people its just a put off immediately. If you looking to get corporate work, then do a lot more work on your website. Corporate guys want to know that you know what youre doing, and that you not just another fly by night. Vision, mission, proper business email address, all that.
The problem with deciding how smart to make your website, is that if you make it too smart, smaller clients will assume you are too expensive. And if you make it too amateur, then people dont take you seriously. Find that middle ground.
About adwords. Narrow your keywords. If you in Krugersdorp, then even just set "plumber krugersdorp" as your only keyword. Because thats what people will search for when they need a plumber in Krugersdorp. If you broadly setting keywords like "plumber" then a guy in cape town searching for say a job like you say will come to your site and thats wasting your money. Your results may be less, but the queries you will be getting will most likely be genuine queries.
About posting articles of common plumbing problems, it doesnt have to be that advanced. To you what may be simple, to an average guy is a complicated problem. Something like a leaking tap or toilet. Give enough info, to be helpful, but not enough so the guy DIY's it. So like a problem would be water in the cistern isnt stopping filling, so give the advice that he should just shut the ball valve and call you to sort it out. You dont have to tell him which washer he has to change and how to change it. And SEO these posts. Search engines like when you contribute to the internet, and they will rate you higher. Soon you wont even be paying for adwords if you writing quality articles. Read up about SEO if you dont know what it is. Wordpress posts are easy to SEO, I dont know about other platforms.
Get google analytics, and analyse the results and adjust your website content as need be.
My accounting website is a bit outdated and needs a refurbishment too, but I still get plenty leads from it everyday. I write articles now and then, and dont pay for adwords anymore. I think I'm like third or fourth in google search results when people search for relevant search terms.
Ive written a lot now. My fingers are sore from the typing. Please excuse my grammar, and spelling and sentence structure. Hope this helps, Goodluck.
*PEACE*
Go to the smaller plumbing and hardware stores. These are usually owner-run so these guys will have time for you. In my opinion the bigger stores dont really have time to get to know smaller plumbers. Be the go to guy for the store owner. When he has a plumbing issue, he should call you. Dont get over-excited when you charge him and dont be as formal with him as you would be with other customers. Because people and customers ask him if he knows a good plumber and he will be more likely to recommend you if he likes you personally.
Maybe print a few licence disk stickers and give them to clients after you have finished doing a job for them. People dont buy these, and are always looking for free stickers when new disk time comes around. Good exposure
Get a bundled sms system, and set it to automatically send out birthday messages when clients birthdays come around. I have a friend who is in the bulk sms business, let me know if you want his business. Putting it into perspective, 1000 smses costs about R300. If you know the clients language, send the sms in his language. People whos mother tongue isnt english, in my experience appreciate an sms in their language. Dont make it so formal.
Perhaps you already do this, but keep a kit of common replaceable items with you. Things like pan seal rings, washers, flush valve parts, plugs, caps, common fittings, things like that. Also have enough consumables at hand, like solder wire, flux, gas, ptfe tape, etc. Keep atleast two of each at hand always. So when you do a simple job, and you need these things, you dont have to drive to a plumbing shop to get them. Saving you time (so you can get to your next job quicker). And saving you on fuel and vehicle costs. Because like the real cost of a journey isnt just fuel, but tyres, maintenance etc. So if you dont have to drive everytime to a store, you saving like R30(10km journey). So if you doing this for 4 jobs a day, you have saved enough to atleast pay your handlangers wage (Or part of it). This isnt perhaps a marketing issue, but its just increasing your bottom line, which is actually the issue you actually want to improve on (the root of your marketing concern).
Make appointments to see owners of guest houses, restaurants, businesses who need plumbers often. Introduce yourself to them, and let them know about you. These guys usually want speedy service because it affects their business. Be prepared to come out at odd hours to solve their problems.
Get whatsapp. And let your clients know you have it. Get a blackberry for business use. The R60 bis is still convenient in that you get emails all the time, whatapp all the time, facebook all the time, so when clients contact you, you can respond immediately. Learn how to make a mobile business card, so you can just sms a guy your details and he has to just click save to save it on his phone contacts. Make the card with the prefix "plumber" and then your name. So when he is looking for a plumber 3 months down the line, he just searches plumber on his phone to find you. Because by then hes forgotten your name to search for it. So your name would be "plumber john" or "plumber peter" or whatever your name is.
Send out year-end promo gifts to clients and acquaintances. Dont go for gimicky items. Rather spend a bit more and give gifts like pens, or keyrings, quality items that people will want to use and keep. On these, dont print too much info on them. Maybe just your business name and number, dont make it too bold. In my opinion, people dont like the whole world to know they like free things. Keyrings I like are the metal bottle opener keyrings. Pens I like are the metal expensive looking ones (for like 30 bucks). Budget for it.
About your website, i think it looks okay. If im looking for a plumber, i wouldnt really care how the guys website looks. Yes, It could do with a bit of neatening up. But its the be all and end all. I know the struggles of small business, and money just isnt there for these type of things. Get a wordpress website and learn by googling about it. Templates are modern looking, and its easy to use. Most are free to use. Take out the thing about your price, R350 an hour seems a lot to the average guy. for some people its just a put off immediately. If you looking to get corporate work, then do a lot more work on your website. Corporate guys want to know that you know what youre doing, and that you not just another fly by night. Vision, mission, proper business email address, all that.
The problem with deciding how smart to make your website, is that if you make it too smart, smaller clients will assume you are too expensive. And if you make it too amateur, then people dont take you seriously. Find that middle ground.
About adwords. Narrow your keywords. If you in Krugersdorp, then even just set "plumber krugersdorp" as your only keyword. Because thats what people will search for when they need a plumber in Krugersdorp. If you broadly setting keywords like "plumber" then a guy in cape town searching for say a job like you say will come to your site and thats wasting your money. Your results may be less, but the queries you will be getting will most likely be genuine queries.
About posting articles of common plumbing problems, it doesnt have to be that advanced. To you what may be simple, to an average guy is a complicated problem. Something like a leaking tap or toilet. Give enough info, to be helpful, but not enough so the guy DIY's it. So like a problem would be water in the cistern isnt stopping filling, so give the advice that he should just shut the ball valve and call you to sort it out. You dont have to tell him which washer he has to change and how to change it. And SEO these posts. Search engines like when you contribute to the internet, and they will rate you higher. Soon you wont even be paying for adwords if you writing quality articles. Read up about SEO if you dont know what it is. Wordpress posts are easy to SEO, I dont know about other platforms.
Get google analytics, and analyse the results and adjust your website content as need be.
My accounting website is a bit outdated and needs a refurbishment too, but I still get plenty leads from it everyday. I write articles now and then, and dont pay for adwords anymore. I think I'm like third or fourth in google search results when people search for relevant search terms.
Ive written a lot now. My fingers are sore from the typing. Please excuse my grammar, and spelling and sentence structure. Hope this helps, Goodluck.
*PEACE*
Just a big thank you to Metalink (www.metalink.co.za) for sorting me out with a new website. I think they did a fantastic job!