If Your Website Just Isn't Getting The Response

Going with the freeway theme- you may want to suggest he post helpful information (car guides, local guides, where to find the lowest petrol rate) for blue car owners on the bulletin boards of rest stops and gas stations along the freeway. By the time they reach his market area, they are already aware of his shop and know, like and trust him. Or at least know him.

On each posting, you could add a free recorded message with even more local or auto-related valuable info for blue car owners. Add in a time-bound, irresistible offer. Profit.

....all excellent suggestions Joe.

But the client wants an easy life, one Ad in the paper, once a week, with an immediate response.

Cars in the shop, and money in the bank.


Steve


P.S. I do know it makes perfect sense to develop the clients website - even it's just slowly but surely. Because it becomes a great investment. Snag is, here in the UK, there are very, very few people who really know how to do it. Knowing that the inter web was going to become all the rage, I've been trying for years to find a true and reasonably priced expert. but sadly with no success. I have noticed the higher the costs the less they seem to know or do.

Depending on this particular client's business strengths (location, services, why customers visit, where its customers come from, how they typically find out about the business, available resources), the paper ad might be a good approach. A postcard campaign might also be worthwhile, and maybe even a billboard. However, these require constant renewal.

Addressing the online market, which includes smartphones, location-based services (such as gps or navigational apps), and of course, the internet's search engines, is a longer-term strategy. For that, the site at a minimum should have basic search engine optimization (SEO) in place, and if it is a large site, a full-blown SEO audit can be very eye-opening as it also shows what the competition is doing.

In addition to search engine positioning, there are many other long-term internet-based marketing strategies that can be used to develop a following of customers that have expressed an interest in the business. It is much easier and cheaper to directly market to that warm group via newsletters and promotional e-mails.

Google AdWords can be useful, but it can also be an expensive failure. I know of one business that a previous consultant had sold on a poorly-executed AdWords campaign, and they ended up with a bill for over $20,000 and little to show for it. However, proper SEO research will uncover relevant terms and positioning that can increase AdWords success.

In summary, what kind of advertising is most effective depends on the details of that particular business. At a minimum, having basic SEO optimization in place can be building organic search engine positioning in the meantime until the client is ready to implement an online marketing strategy.

Having been in the Ad game for 28 years. Most of my clients are referred to me.

They contacted me knowing that I don’t (can’t) do web tech stuff.

They’ve been seriously stung with huge inter web costs that brought them nothing but heartache – so they’ve virtually given up even trying to make their websites work.

They normally insist they don’t want to get involved with anything other than paper and ink.

Luckily, the clients don’t realise that I am truly dense when it comes to anything technical.

Remember when getting a PC was the “next big thing” and all the Ads in the press reeled off the technical features without ever explaining what they meant?

Who do you think it was that bought an IBM spending $7,000 more than was ever necessary?

With 1000 times more space and 100 times more memory than I ever needed? With graphic extras that I thought were important but never got used? I’m one of the few people in the western world who never has and probably never will will play a computer game.

Anyway, good to know there is an Agency in the UK that does “get” the techie stuff, although I bet after 15 minutes speaking with me they’ll give up in despair.

I did once threaten clients that I would buy a few DIY books and build them an inter web empire, fortunately they paid me NOT to.

So, it looks like my destiny will be to continue writing ads, sales letters, posters, flyers, postcards and the “words” for websites and squeeze pages.

Here’s hoping.


Steve

Offline stuff still works. My client turned her business completely around with a brochure I crafted that she simply handed out to folks in her niche on the street. And, yes, it basically and very simplistically told why her "shop" was better than others.

Stacey

Well in short that is bad