mak25

That's what I would love to know.

After spending the better part of one month calling on restaurants
and pizza shops, and any eatery that isn't a hole-in-the-wall, I've come
to the conclusion that Mobile sites w/QR codes just doesn't cut it.

I've done it 2 ways: setting appointments via the phone, and walk-ins
pounding the pavement.

Either way, it's grating on the nerves. Why? Simply because there is a
very SMALL window to work with.

You've got about an hour or so in the morning, then you're SOL until
after 2, when things slow down and they'll give you some time.

Then the clock strikes 4 and you're basically done for the day.
Call or walk in then, and you're told to come back tomorrow, or whenever,
but around 2.

All in all I did about 65 in person, eyeball to eyeball demos.
Some already had websites, others did not.

Either way, most responses were 'Hey, pretty nice. You do nice work'.
And I do. Attached is a sample.

But when push came to shove: No deal. No sale. Not something they
want to part with their money for.

Don't call us, we'll call you. I did though, sell 2. That's T-W-O.
In a month. Geez. I just don't know where to spend all of that big time
cash I just made.

So now my brain is thisclose to giving up. But there's one small problem:
I'm not a quitter. But I am also not one to continue to have my self worth
and pride to be shown the door.

Then I started thinking that maybe this niche is just full of idiots and morons.
They're either too old to get it, or in most cases, too stupid to see the value.

In the beginning it seemed reasonable to think that this niche would be ideal
for mobile sites. Menus. Coupons. Tap-to-call. All right there for their customers
to easily use and order from.

But maybe I'm too naive. It does make sense. To me. But not them.

So now I'm thinking about others niches and getting the hell away from these
backward thinking, stuck in the past nitwits.

But who? And why?

Dentists? What's the benefit for them?
Contractors? Same question.
Retail shops? Again, same question.
Locksmiths? Ditto.
Hair Salons? Ditto. Ditto.

For eateries and the like, I get it. Menus, coupons, specials.
For anyone else, I don't really know what the selling point is.

If I owned a hardware store, why would I want one?

So what's your story? Or is it just me? Or my area? Or the niche?

Any and all responses would be greatly appreciated.


Mike

Aaron Doud

Can you share what your pricing is?

It could be you are offering them a price that does not fit their budgets. So you need to go after customers with better budgets or adjust your pricing.

Without knowing more I can't be sure why they are saying no. They don't see the value in it that is clear but the why behind that I don't know.

mak25

My pricing? Sure.

$350/year, which works out to a paltry $29/month.

That is NOT unreasonable in my book.

Damn, one pizza order of 2 pizzas w/toppings is OVER $30.
Not including delivery fee and tip.

So no, my pricing is not out of line.

Thanks for asking and trying to figure out the 'why'.

I guess it's like the old saying: 'you just can't fix stupid'.

Mike

PS - Forgot to mention that it includes custom QR Code,
mobile web app with custom splash screen and custom hompage
icon for iphone, android, blackberry. I like to think I'm offering a lot
for the money.

ricardot

Instead of trying to sell mobile websites, your presentation should focus on getting customers for their businesses.

Ricardo Timmermann

Aaron Doud

No if anything your price might be too low though I am a fan of upfront fee plus hosting.

Hosting = $29/mo? IDK I think I'd go lower but charge $299 up front.

It seems like you are offering a lot but what are you offering the customers? Aka how does it relate to their businesses? I think that may be the disconnect here.

How will paying you this amount bring them business? Why will it bring them business? Also have them do the math. It will bring how many customers per month? How much is a customer worth? etc.

mak25

Ricardo, I don't want to sound snide or crass BUT:

I'm going on 60 years old. I've been in sales my whole adult life, and that's
the BEST you have to offer?

Or is your mundane, rather worthless reply just an attempt to build your post count?

JLP

Mike,

I feel your pain. Restaurant owners were the 1st group I started marketing web sites to, back in 1998. They are one tough crowd to convert.

Was especially hard back then, cause it was an "educational sale". I had to answer a lot of the same questions: What is the Internet?...and why should I be on it?

The small window of time is definitely an issue as well.

mak25

Hey Aaron. No, I'm not asking for any monthly cost. Just one annual cost of $350.
Which divided by 12 is around $29 a month.

Your question about why will it bring them business? And how many customers a month it
will bring them? How can anyone REALLY answer that?

I can only give them the venue to bring in more customers. If they don't promote
their site, or make sure their customers and potential customers know about their mobile site,
that's on them, not me.

The questions you ask are sound, I have no idea how many customers it could bring in.
That's so abstract. There's so many factors that THEY have control of to make it
worthwhile and profitable for them.

Again, that's on them to do the right thing.

But I appreciate your input.

Mike

ricardot

You are going to be 60, I am already 60! If you were offended by my honest answer, let it be.

Ricardo Timmermann

mak25

I wasn't offended at all Ricardo. I like to think that I'm savvy
enough to already know what you suggested, that's all.

Sorry if I offended you. That wasn't and isn't my style.

Peace brother.

mak25

Very informative post DEaFeYe. You probably hit the nail on the head.

Your last comment about coming up with a model where I assume all of the risk
seems like something that would make most of the people I saw react favorably.

But what could that model be?

The only thing I can think of is to build them a site with all the amenities that
I mentioned I do, and just ask them to pay $29 a month from the get-go.

But then I have to chase them monthly for billing. I was trying to stay away from that idea.
Plus, that's a LOT of upfront work to do for an initial $29 payment.

Then who's to say that they'll stay on after one month?

Any other ideas, or comments about that idea are welcome.

Thanks to all so far for all replies.


Mike

NASA

What are you doing as far as following up after your inital meeting? Are you leaving the door open for a return visits? as you develop additional ideas to drive traffic to the M site do you the oppprunity to repitch? B2B is all about relationship building and I was just curious to see how you are working on building the relationship.

midasman09

Hey Mike....when I first started seeing all the "Stats" on "Mobile" and bought some of the WSOs on "Making Money with Moble"....my first thought was;
"Hey! If I'm the owner of a restaurant, I could give a rip about how many Mobile Phones were sold or how many people are using them or....whatever! My ONLY thought is, "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME!"

"HOW can "Mobile" help ME...as a restaurant Owner (or a Dentist, or Chiropractor or whatever)

So....since I've been selling Ad Programs to Restaurant Owners for years (Menu Books in Hotel Lobbies, Info Boards on Hotel/Motel Lobby Walls and "TV Channel Guides" in Hotel/Motel Rooms.....my first thought was to INCLUDE a way for "Travelers/Tourists" to FIND my "Mobile Sites" on their Mobile Phones.

AND....instead of offering my new "Mobile" program to everyone and their brother....make it EXCLUSIVE!

So....I put together a "Mobile Directory" of Mobile Sites that Tourists/Travelers who check into Hotels/Motel WILL be interested in (Travlers/Tourists do NOT carry food with them so....they're interested in "Places To Eat or Have Food Delivered to Them!)

And....I provided a way for these "Tourists/Travelers" to FIND "Access" to my Mobile Directories!

Then....when "LITTLE OL' ME" goes in and tells a Restaurant Owner that "Little Ol' ME" can give him an EXCLUSIVE for his "Mexican" (Chinese, Italian, Greek etc) Restaurant....with my "Mobile Directory" that can EASILY be FOUND by Travelers/Tourists checking into local ... Hotels/Motels....and HOW...ONLY HIS.....restaurant can appear on their Mobile Phones!.....the question they ask is NOT, "How Much?'.....the question they ask is...."WHO DO I MAKE THE CHECK TO?"

Also....Mike....what if you were to Show a (Dentist, Medical Clinic, Chiro, House Painter, Pest Control, Plumber, Roofer...etc) how THEY could be the ONLY biz in THEIR CATEGORY.....in a "Mobile Directory" that was "Put In Front of "Home Buyers"? (Yeah, homes are STILL being sold! 83 last mo in my town...down from 123 a year ago BUT....83 is 83 families NOT zero families!)

Again....because you are offering an "exclusive" to their PRIME PROSPECTS....the question also is NOT, "How Much?" but...."To Whom Do I make My Check!"

Ever since the "Mobile" thing appeared on the scene....my thought has been, "HOW" are prospects going to FIND these Mobile Sites?"

When you show them HOW and they can be the ONLY ONE IN THEIR CATEGORY....makes ALL the difference in the world!

So....put on yer "Thinking Cap" and put together a program that will;
1) Show how prospects can FIND their Mobile Site
2) How they can "beat their competition"

Don Alm...."marketing guy"

xichabodx

It appears you only tried to sell them only the aesthetic benefits of having a mobile website. I see you made no mention of how, by using your $29/month mobile website, it would bring in more customers, thus bringing in more income. Like it was stated earlier, business owners don't want or need a mobile website just to have a mobile website. If you can translate to them how your product/service will bring in more customers, then I'm sure you would have had better conversion rates. Show them a (good) ROI and there should be no qualms of using what you have to offer.

Did you make any mention of the approximate number of people searching for their services from their mobile phones? How about the search engine penalizations they'll incur for not having a mobile website (myth?). Those that do own websites, how did their site display on a mobile browser? Did you happen to show the comparisons between the two?

As far as niches, I'd target those that deal in emergency situations. You listed locksmiths, and I would venture to say towing companies would be another niche to target. Unless you're carrying your laptop around and you find yourself locked out of your house or stranded on the side of the road, your mobile phone (if it's equipped with a web browser) is your only source of research and possible solution. How about service companies, such as HVAC, plumbers, etc.? Granted, folks could do a search on their laptop/desktop at home, but they're something to consider for mobile as well.

We as mobile marketers know that everything is trending towards mobile, so it can be frustrating when potential clients fail to realize what seems simple and normal to us. I'm sure it will be a matter of time, but til then, keep pressing on!

Chris1212

A friend and I have been kicking around the idea of doing what you are doing for a while now. It's an entirely new field to us both so we are proceeding with caution, however, I wanted to share some things with you that we have discussed.

I'm assuming you are working in New Jersey and I know nothing about that area so I could be wrong about restaurants there, but everything I've learned about restaurants over the years is that most of them don't make the profit we think they do. So they are perhaps not the best "first target" for this type of product.

Instead, consider this...

People are going to mobile devices.. no question. We've all read/heard the stats on where mobile will be in the coming years. Okay, so, in a way it's still in it's infancy. So you have to figure out who in your market stands to get the most bang for their buck right now... "pre-mobile-boom" period. (Personally, I think restaurants will come on board soon, but perhaps not as the first on the bandwagon.)

Think of services you might find yourself desperately needing, without warning, and would pay dearly to have at your fingertips.

How about...

Wreckers?
Plumbers?
Auto Mechanics?
HVAC?

If I break down on the side of the Interstate I am in a world of hurt. Wrecker companies who are smart enough to have a mobile site can clean up because everyone has a mobile phone linked to the net (or soon will) and they can find him in an instant from (almost) anywhere.

Just a thought.

You might also consider charging more. People believe they have to pay to get good products/services. If something seems too good to be true they think it is and they'll pass. If you want to test this out, try two different packages at different price points and see which gets the most takers.

We sent out 15 test emails to businesses and got 4 immediate responses (all literally within 5 minutes, and all along the lines of... YES.. definitely or YES I've been looking for this) at $500 to set it up and $50/mo to maintain, with a one-year contract (all explained in the initial email). So I believe the market exists, you just have to find the right approach for your area and choose the right targets.

You may also get some ideas over at the copywriting forum about tweaking your pitch or sales copy, or getting new ideas to test out different methods/approaches.

Hope that helps

Chris

bizwebman

Hi Mike

I think you have just found the bulls**t threshold that many of us discover after all the rhetoric that is spun on both this forum and anyone promoting their latest wizz bang pop idea. The mere notion that ' Create or make it and they shall come' is complete boloney.

The sad fact is we are all living in pretty hard times and business owners much like many of us REALLY HAVE TO GET IT before even considering putting their hand in their pockets and handing you the cash. They know if it is any good for them and to be honest they really are not that bothered by mobile sites at the moment.

To give you some kind of an idea of the complacency out there, I have offered all my current clients a free mobile site to compliment their main site that I look after for a monthly fee. All of them have their own businesses and despite my explanatory emails describing the virtues of mobile sites they are just not excited by it. I am giving them good quality mobile sites FOR FREE.

Now I am sure someone can come on here and sing loud about all the mobile sites they are selling and how easy it is. They will need to go some way to convince me otherwise BUT I love to be proved wrong.

The world out there is a damned tough cookie and people are only buying what they need and what they really really want, not a lot in between.

By the way Mike I really like the mobile sites you are doing (from your example) Is it your own setup or a third party script?

Grahame

javarog

I used to own 2 pizza places and a steak, seafood and pasta house I had these for around 12 years. I was pretty well set as far as food suppliers go, so this one food rep came in one day, introduced his self and asked if he could price out what I was currently buying, I told him politely that as much food as I purchase that I was getting super good deals, he said fair enough and walked out the door.

The very next week on the same day he walked in again, he said he was just stopping by with a flier on the weekly specials his company was running, I didn't give him a order or really the time of day. Well he kept doing this every week on the same day and always got the same answer. After about 4 or 5 weeks of this I thought that if this guy comes in week after week and week after week he gets turned down then maybe I should give him a crack at it.

On one week when he came in I was ready for him with all of my invoices for the last 4 months,, he sat down and for a couple of hours he went through line by line and priced me out, well to my amazement he saved me $2500 per week on my purchases so he walked out that day with a 12k order...

You might ask what does this have to do with mobile sites and qr codes,, well this guy was not dumb by stopping by every week he was building a trust with me, he was letting me know that he was there every week and I could count on him to be there for me.

So the moral of the story is,, stop by and say hi from time to time,, don't be pushy and eventually you will see the benefits.

4webmaster

It work for any niches.
Build a mobile directory for each niche you want to target: Dentists, restaurants...

Then go out face to face and suggest them their mobile website like you did before but add the following: If you order a mobile site we include free your site in it as it's a mobile directory. A $$$ value!

Now if they don't see any of their competitors they might say not interested, what you should do is get businesses a free test like 1 year subscription and 3 months free limited to 10 people, now you have these 10 people you can go out and chase other businesses for full price.

It's always because they see competitors in it that make them a decision

https://stevesuard.com

mak25

That is exactly why I'm thinking I chose the wrong road to offer my services to.

Not only are they a 'tough crowd', but they are so out of touch.

Which is amazing because all they have to do is LOOK at their
customers: the majority of them are using their smartphones while eating or
waiting for their order.

But they can't put one plus one together.

Boggles my mind.

Quentin

Hi Mike

As you have been in sales I understand that you know that it is all about testing and measuring.

Finding the right approach can sometimes take a lot of work but once you find the right approach then you find the gold.

I tried 30 different ways at the beginning of the year and here are some that worked for me.

1. I established a QR Code site for Australia at Marketing For Australian Businesses with a generator that sends me the people who generate QR Codes for their business and this gives me 20 to 30 leads a month.

I also get a lot of phone calls for clients who just want to get a QR Code and Mobile Site.

2. There is an old saying in Internet Marketing which states the money is in the list. When I started I did not have a list so I contacted businesses that did and did some deals which got me established and also got me referrals. Printers, promotions companies, advertisers etc.

3. I hired a lady to do moc ups for businesses and walked in with a QR Code to their moc up and this converts quite well for cold calling.

4. I set up a business listing site at Australian Business Listings which has also given me a number of warm leads.

5. I do a number of free charity mobile sites which has provided a number of leads which have converted to new customers.

6. I do a small add in local papers

So this is just a few of the strategies that I have done which have allowed me do do a lot of mobile websites.

Mix it up till you find the seems of gold. You will find when you find one client then you can get others in the same niche. Some of the clients niches that I have got are:

Wineries, Mechanics, plumbers, Event managers, Retailers especially clothes and salons, manufactures who want to provide extra information such as bedding, spare parts, instruments.

Coupon mobile sites are also a good way to get more business. So retailers can add a QR Code to link to a coupon which people can redeem.

Another area is to look at current QR Codes on offer and see if they direct to a main site or mobile site and then contact them to show how their marketing is falling down.

Finally always have some upsells like looking at their current desktop site and offer your services to help get more leads etc.

Quentin

mak25

With all due respect to your post, I said I put in a good months work so far,
so how often am I supposed to follow up? Daily? Weekly?

Why would I want to keep banging on their 'not interested' door when there
are others that haven't heard from me yet?

As far as building a 'relationship' with them, that premise is so over 'sold'.
It's a bunch of BS.

If someone walked in with something they really, really wanted, they could give
a rats a$$ about building a relationship with that person. They would buy immediately.

So please spare me with the 'relationship' riff. Maybe that could be true with a
very high ticket item that needs cultivating and personal interaction.

But with a lousy $29 a month mobile site? You must be joking.

WillR

Restaurant owners can be converted and it's one of the hottest niches I am cracking at the moment. If you can't crack restaurant owners then I don't think you'll find it any easier with other industries... just being honest.

1. Face to face sales is definitely going to help so you have that going for you.

2. As someone else mentioned (and for all I know you probably are) focus on getting them more customers and more money rather than the mobile site itself. The mobile site is just a tool used to get them that extra money and business.

3. Go after those restaurants that desperately need your services. I suggest a quick read of this thread as it will help you uncover those websites that turn up blank on all Apple mobile devices: http://www.warriorforum.com/mobile-m...-tutorial.html

4. When it comes to pricing make sure you use different packages to help the customer see the value. If they have never heard of mobile websites before then there is no way for them to know whether or not the price you have quoted is good value or not. I suggest using a simple strategy as outlined in this thread: http://www.warriorforum.com/offline-...ould-help.html

5. I would simplify your offer. Get rid of the mobile web app, custom splash screen, maybe even the QR code. Just keep the offer nice and simple. Sometimes less is more. You can turn away prospects by giving them too much to think about.

6. If a customer has Google Analytics installed on their website then you can actually show them the exact percentage of people arriving on their site via mobile devices. This should be enough to scare most restaurant owners into action. If they don't have it installed then offer to install it for free and show them after a few weeks how much mobile traffic they are potentially throwing away.

.

➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online
This Week Using the Piggyback Method...

.

mak25

Hi Quentin, I'm honored to get a post from you. It is your stretch-to-fit script that
is the backbone of my sites. I've learned a great deal from you and WillR.

So my hand is extended to you for a hearty handshake a big 'thank you'.

I have no idea what things are like down under, but here in South Jersey, which is
what we call the southern part of New Jersey, things are far from cosmopolitan.

It's very rural, or there are a plethora of very small towns backtobacktoback.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that most have no idea what a QR code is.

Of course I demo one and show how it leads to their mobile site. The reaction I usually
get is like I'm showing them something that is of no use to them.

Or they think it's 'cool', but don't see the need for a mobile site. I can tell them it
can help bring in more customers, new customers, but it's up to them to promote
it properly for that to happen. The site and code won't do it automatically for them.

I thought about using print ads, but haven't gone that route.

As far as you mentioning that you have wineries, mechanics, plumbers, event managers, retailers especially clothes and salons, I haven't gotten it in my head how a mobile site can benefit them. Maybe I'm just thick as a brick. If someone in those niches asked me
how a mobile site could help them, I'd have no real concrete answer. I wish I did though.

Thanks again for your post.

mak25

Hi Will, as I mentioned to Quentin, it was from both of you and your respective wso's that I learned quite a lot. I tip my hat to you both. You are filled with wisdom and experience, and I appreciate that.

I thought the same as you mention: restaurants should be prime for this. It fits them
like a glove. Unfortunately for me, such has not been the case. Maybe it's my area?
I know that sounds lame, but I get more negative reactions from my face to face demos
then I do positive reactions.

I agree. I believe this is something that really needs to be seen and experienced.

I agree. But again, the 'more customers' come from THEM promoting their mobile site properly. My problem, I think, is that they just can't see or understand how what I am offering them will bring in more business or customers. I can talk to them until I'm blue in the face, but then I start sounding like a 'fish oil salesman', and that's not my style.

If I had a simple 'do this and you'll get that' example, maybe I would have more success.


I read all of that Will. Thanks. In my area, I have not come across ONE site (assuming they even HAVE a site) that was flash oriented. If I did, I would've jumped on it immediately if not sooner.

Once again Will, I read that too. I pretty much read as much as I could here to educate myself to the fullest.

Who am I to argue that point? I thought those things might be what would or could close a deal. Some people like 'shiny rims' on their car.

But to me, the QR code IS the thing that could potentially get more people to their site. By making sure their QR is out there, whether in print or as stuffers in their orders, it's what would get people to their site in my mind. Am I wrong in thinking that?


Pardon me for chuckling to myself. Yeah, right. Google analytics. Most of the restaurants I talk to have no idea about that. When I mention to them that the sites I build DO have that installed, they don't seem to care, or think that's an important thing to have.

I hate to say that most of the restaurant owners I meet are 'rubes', but they're damn near close.

Thanks again for taking time to contribute to this thread.

I hope you'll offer more.

Mike

rlhurst

Mike, I think it would be worth a try. Find one of those restaurant's print ads. Photoshop a qr code that leads to a mock up site, coupon page, heck put a video of yourself on there saying, "this could be you talking to your customers"! Then visit the place with their ad in hand and show them how they can provide so much more info by just placing that qr code in the ad. Scan it and show them on the phone. I don't know if it will work, in your area or not, but it might be worth the test. Ron

mak25

Judging from my limited experience, that seems to be true. But on the other hand, this is something that would benefit restaurants a great deal.

Some have said to show how this will bring in more customers.
I ask, how does one do that?

Some have said, show how many searches are done looking for their type of business.
I ask, how does one do that?

If I use Google search results, it would show 'no results given'.

Some have said, show them how this is a good ROI for them.
I ask, How can I prove that?

All nice suggestions, but nothing given to back them up.

Thanks Grahame, they are built by me from scratch.

javarog

Seems that you may have exhausted every avenue so far, so maybe going about the business of building a optin list would be the best thing to do, after you build it to a lucrative size then revisit the establishments but this time go in at $80.00 per month and $250.00 for the site.

4webmaster

Thanks Quentin for sharing your tips, I've visit your site too and I think this is one of the best idea to find customers.

https://stevesuard.com

xlfutur1

I agree, that the ease of which to wrap up local clients in WSO after WSO is mostly hype. What I really think is funny is the WF member who puts out WSO after WSO touting their successes. If they were making so much money from offline, why would they spend time putting together a 7 dollar WSO.

From my experience, getting through to offline biz owners is not a walk in the park at all. One would think that business owners would be the open minded ones and constantly looking for new ways to increase business, but many are just so stuck in their ways that its impossible to get through to them at all. Sometimes I wonder how most of them stay in business in the first place.

What kills me is the same business owner that spends hundreds (or thousands) per month in Yellow Pages ads, will say NO to a free mobile site and a small hosting fee. I think if you concentrate on what you can do to help increase their business, without any initial "selling" or pitches, it will pay off in the long run. And if they don't want any help increasing sales, then just say "next". They will be out of business before too long anyway.

xlfutur1

On another note, I recently did a main website for a client and threw in a mobile site for good measure, and am running Google analytics on both. After a few weeks, stats show that about 30% are accessing the site from mobile device. That's 3 out of 10 visitors and that will only increase over time I'm sure.

So there is definitely a reason to have a mobile site. But its like being in 1994 and trying to tell a biz owner he needs a website. Tough nut to crack, but eventually it will be commonplace.

abruzzi

I'm glad I came upon this post...I have been contemplating getting into offline marketing and providing this type of service. However, I have been very skeptical simply from the point of view that I know how difficult sales can be. I do not want to replace one job, with relative security, for another job with various stakeholders as my boss.

Getting a client is great, but the flip side of that is you also now have a "boss"...and business owners, in my experience, tend to be demanding sorts.

So, I've really hesitated getting into this entire arena....I dread having to make an appointment, fight through traffic, try to find the place...only to get..uhm..he isn't here right now, can you come back...

IMHO, sales, is not exactly glamorous...and if it is relationship selling, as seems to be the new buzzword, well, that is even worse because now you have a relationship to manage rather than a done and gone transaction.

I think I'll still try to build my knowledge base, but I'm going to stick my toe in gently...

Thanks for your honest assessment...

D Sam Smith

Thanks, OP. One of the most interesting threads I've read in months.

Could it be that we're that far out in front of the mobile curve that what appears to be a complete no-brainier to us just doesn't make sense to restaurateurs and others?

WillR

Note: This post is NOT directed at the OP or the Warrior quoted above. Just a general observation.

I agree with you completely BUT I might also add, this is NOT suppose to be a walk in the park, otherwise everyone else would be doing it. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think they can go and approach 10 business owners and expect half of them to give them their money.

Sales is sales.

You go and door knock random houses and you will get the same response rate. You go and cold call a ton of random people and you will get the same response rate. You go and direct mail a bunch of houses and you will get the same response rate. You launch a product online and you will get the same sort of response rate. Out of every x amount of people you contact only a small number are going to buy from you. It's just life. But people continue to make big money from products online, cold calling, direct mail, etc because they are smart and realize that it's just a numbers game. The more people you ask the more rejections you will get... yes... but the more people you will get who say "YES!".

You can definitely increase your response rate by targeting the right people and presenting your offer in the right way but it's something you learn.

Sales is NOT made for everyone. There's seems to be this attitude that because not every business owner jumps at your offer that 'sales' does not work or the method is a load of crap.

It's not the case.

The fact is there are far too many people thinking they have some god given right to make money at the drop of a hat without doing any hard work. I will only speak for myself but the only people I know who make big money are those that work hard. The harder you work the more money you make. It's no secret and online or offline marketing is no different. It takes action and persistence. If you don't have both of them you will never succeed.

As for the guys who launch WSO's every 3 or 4 weeks touting their latest success story, I do have to agree with you there. I can see through most of these guys from a mile away. I won't mention any names but there is one product that keeps launching an offline course every month and they keep saying "this is by far the best one yet..." and they say it every time. Seriously guys, we know you are not making a dime from the methods you are teaching, they wouldn't have the time. But so long as people continue to buy they will continue to sell.

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➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online
This Week Using the Piggyback Method...

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bryson

Here is also something too consider, I am on my mobile surfing 90% of the time. In fact, I am on it right now. Whenever I look for a local services, I am on my mobile. Whenever, I am on the road, I am on my mobile. All you have to do is tell these guys to look around in their store, on the sidewalk, in the mall, on transit, hell in BC Can they made it against the law to be on a haldheld device in your car... Bottom line, mobile use is out of control.

WillR

A mobile site is not necessarily going to bring them in more customers since that customer was likely going to search for their site regardless of whether or not they had a mobile site. But the point of difference comes when that potential customer lands on their website.

Studies in human psychology have actually shown that 'fear of loss' is a stronger emotion than our 'desire to gain'. We, as human beings, care more about losing things we already have than gaining things we don't have... and it makes sense. If you don't have something then it's hard to imagine what life would be like with it. But if you have something then it's very easy to imagine how bad life would be without it.

Use this to your advantage. Losing customers is just as bad, if not worse, than not gaining new customers. If a customer comes to your website, it takes forever to load, they can't find what they are looking for quickly and easily, they are just as likely to hit the back button and go in search of a different restaurant... ie: their competitor.

In essence, by ignoring the need for a mobile optimized website, based on recent Google figures that say 1 in 5 local searches are now done on a smartphone, a business is potentially throwing away 20% or 1 in 5 of their customers. To me that is a BIG deal. Worse than just throwing away customers is the fact you are likely throwing them away to your competition. If someone is looking for a pizza restaurant and your website is hard to use, they are NOT just going to give up on getting pizza - they will just find a different restaurant and go there instead.

You can go to the Google keyword tool and show them rough numbers but the point here is that it is pretty irrelevant. If they are only relying on Google to bring people to their website then they have a serious problem. They should be using other forms of promotion to drive people to their website - letter box drops, print ads, etc. It's very likely that someone who is reading the paper or looking at your menu and wants to visit your website will be on a mobile device. Once again if your website is not mobile optimized then it's only going to deter those people from using your service.

I can start doing some figures for them and show them how NOT having a mobile optimized website is a bad ROI however I don't think it's needed.

Anything that serves to improve the customers experience is always going to be a good ROI. They can't argue with the figures. Roughly 1 in 5 people are on mobile devices these days, there are now 4 times as many mobile devices as PC's, by 2014 it is expected there will be more people visiting websites from mobile devices than from PC's, and roughly 25% of mobile web users are mobile only - meaning they only ever surf the Internet using their mobile device. All of these figures are only going to increase over the next few years. It's no longer a choice. Businesses need to go mobile or they will quickly get left behind.

Remember, when all is said and done don't be too afraid to politely move on. It's often the case that these who ask a ton of questions turn out to be the most difficult customers. If it takes forever to pursued someone to use your services then I generally don't want them as a client anyway. Move on and find those who already understand the importance of online marketing.

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➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online
This Week Using the Piggyback Method...

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SpecDave

I would like to chip in my two cents worth here if I may. I am not a salesperson nor an experienced marketing person, but like many others on this forum I believe there are decent rewards to be reaped from mobile website marketing. Not only for those of us who will be in a position to meet the demand but also for those forward-thinking people who will utilize the technology.

I recently purchased a smartphone and was showing it to a co-worker at my day job. I pulled up a couple of websites so he could see the quality of the phone's screen. Just by coincidence, of course, the sites were not mobile-ready.

I know he's in a rock band and after a little conversation I mentioned that I was learning to build mobile ready websites and that I could put together a mobile site for his band. Their fans could find them when they're out and about. They could stay in touch with their fans by getting their fan's phone numbers (give them an offer in exchange for their #'s) and sending updates about their appearances, cd sales, tshirts, etc...( SMS text marketing?)

Perhaps some of the fans are business owners themselves and will visit the band's site and/or receive the text updates and in the process grasp the marketing aspect and perhaps want something similar for themselves.

It could be that some of the reluctant business owners, and other possible mobile website clients will need to see other businesses utilizing the technology in real world situations in order to grasp the potiental of what is available to them.

And, although the aforementioned deal hasn't been closed yet, I'm still confident this is a niche that will work well with mobile marketing.

My point here is not about marketing methods. Not at all. As I stated before I'm not a marketing person. I just wanted to point out that there are many different types of businesses that will be able to integrate mobile websites into their marketing strategies. Entertainers, performing artists, other mobile type businesses. Might take a little creative thinking or brainstorming with others, but, isn't that one of the reasons why we're here .

My thanks also to OP for this thread,

Dave

Mobileico

Maybe it's your approach. Watch this video on Simon Sinek to maybe understand more about why you are having trouble.

"My aim in design and UX is elegance, intelligence, functionality, and fun." - Wallace Morrison.
Desktop - Mobileico.com / Mobile - m.mobileico.com
Featured in Google's video about mobilizing, Mobile 1:35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Rzs5Iud20bk

peter_act

I started another thread on the lines of this, called "What's wrong with them?" - I should have read this thread first. But a few comments on this thread:

I emailed (probably a mistake!) every tow truck operator in Canberra, and pointed out that very thing. Result - not one reply.

As I said in my own thread, I also tried giving them away, as per "The Bower formula"
Result - not one taker.

Quentin, that makes me feel a bit better - if someone like you tried 30 ways, my 10 ways seems somewhat meagre.I'll keep trying. I tried the ad in local paper - $345 for not one reply.

Like you, I cannot understand this either.

My next venture is good old Don Alm's idea of an exclusive directory - Don can always be relied on for some straightforward common sense ideas.

By the way, I heard a great quote from Ian Chappell today - "the trouble with common sense is that it's not very common." (Perhaps only Will and Quentin will know who Ian Chappell is.)

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carmack

this video is Amazing! It has transformed my thinking. Thank you so much for posting it.

jtlucas2511

No wonder you can't sell ****

Jason Fladlien

Restaurants ARE one of the hottest businesses to sell mobile sites to. You're either not targeting correctly or botching the sales presentation or both.

What I show local restaurants...

1) a mockup mobile site that captures PHONE leads for their customers with the optional birthday as well (people never eat alone on their birthday)

2) A mockup table tent with a QR code and a long code/shortcode that basically says "how'd you like to get 10% off this meal?". the hook is if you join the businesses's digital diner club you get an immediate 10% of your first meal.

Marketing is done on the backend via text messaging.

You've solved all their problems. They don't have to market the website. It markets itself via the table tents placed on every table. It answers the question of "what's in it for me?" because this is an obvious way that any business owner with half a brain would realize could be a money maker.

Plus this is a service you can sell for much, much more than $350.

Co-creator of WP Twin. Perhaps the most expensive yet most reliable wordress cloning tool on the market. We've definitely been used more successfully than all other options :)

ADukes81

What I have been doing lately is shooting Jing videos and showing them their site on the iphone tester site and I find a competitor' site and show them theres. I also show them the monthly searches per the Google KW tool. I have been getting people that respond (my problem is my follow-up) and am hoping to close a few soon.

I have a client that I am trying to convince (his actual business gets around 250 mobile searches/mo) and he still does not see the value.

I am not a salesman, I couldn't sell a dollar for 50 cents...

How to Build a Sales Funnel for FREE

mak25

Thank you for your expertise, your command of the English language,
and your overall contribution to this thread.

bryson

If you are giving mobile sites 100% free to your customers why not just do it and then send them the link using the same email structure with a few tweeks. Your customers will then think you did a great thing for them totally free (include $ value). Then go to all their competition and show them their compeition is already mobilized. People in general love to follow the crowd.

mak25

Hey Jason, thanks for your input. I certainly appreciate what you brought to the table.

So what you're essentially saying is that mobile sites do not work well as a stand alone offering? That for restaurants mobile should combined with SMS?

That very well may be, but venturing into yet another service is not what I want to do at the moment.

I invested enough time and energy into designing mobile sites and would like to think they CAN be marketed as a stand alone offering. If I'm wrong, then my bad. But people such as Quentin and WillR say they are good enough.

As far as saying 'that any business owner with half a brain...', well that seems to be my proverbial wall. In my area those with just that aren't 'wowed' or see the ultimate benefits from having a mobile site.

I do agree, however, with your comment about my not targeting correctly. I'm going to start targeting restaurants with a different criteria in mind. I'll see how that goes.

Thanks again for your input.

mak25

Following your suggestion of giving away free sites, then showing their competition that their competitors are mobile, am I to understand that I am charging their competitors for THEIR site?

So what happens when they hear through the grapevine that their competitors got theirs for free?

What does that make me look like? How would I answer their question of why I charged them and not their competitors?

I'm not sure I like that idea. Or maybe I misunderstood you.

bryson

It is all about behaviour. Everyone wants the latest and greatest piece of technology. Why do I use my mobile more than my laptop? Speed. No firing up the computer, no waiting, I get what I am searching for fast. Every business knows they need to be on the internet, why? It's because they know their customers look to the internet first.

Maybe I am the few, I would like to hear from others here who have a smart phone what their mobile Vs desktop usage is.

Mobile is where the customers for local are heading and while we may not be there just yet but soon, I believe, desktop websites will be a shrinking secondary source of traffic for local businesses

bryson

To add to this, you could use this idea and talk to the owner telling them you got this new technology for generating new customers for restaurants and you are looking for someone to help test it out, no charge for the new business they will get.

With a QR in the paper or whatever print ad, you are bound to get good results. Then after you get results and its time to puhll the plug on the test,. They can buy the site for a discount for helping you out.

Jason Fladlien

Yeah you can sell mobile sites stand alone all day long. We do. It's just easier for us with restaurants to sell the service below and makes a lot more money.

Here's some tips to sell standalone mobile sites.

1) any local business who is advertising in google PPC that doesn't have a mobile friendly site - google gives you a negative quality score for this. These are people who are already TRYING to use an online medium to get more customers and failing at it. You show them how this easily improves their adwords marketing and they'll buy your mobile site.

2) Flash based websites - we find these work extremely well with attorneys but work well across the board. There are many ways to do google searches to find flash based websites in your local area.

3) Local advertisers who are using print media and inserting a QR code in their advertising. I scan every local QR code I can find because more often than that it takes the user to a MOBILE unfriendly site. Here is a business who somewhat understands and is already sold on the concept of mobile marketing but is doing it poorly.

More instructive than these tips is the thinking behind them. We try to target people who are already attempting and failing miserably to do what we can an offer a much better solution for than to target someone who is not even TRYING to do anything remotely close to the service you offer.

Co-creator of WP Twin. Perhaps the most expensive yet most reliable wordress cloning tool on the market. We've definitely been used more successfully than all other options :)

YellowGreenMedia

My tip would be to stay away from QRcodes, except from some techies and us IMers 90% of the normal population has no clue of what QR codes are... you will be wasting your time wit it... more on that here http://www.warriorforum.com/mobile-m...-qr-codes.html

The way i do it is i use postcards, here is how i do it

I search 10/15 restaurants/bars, dinners
I go for the businesses that advertise online/offline first but if i have had then all i will go after all the others to.

Then i create the websites, i have a system in place where i easily change the colors to the color of the original website and ad the logo of the business, the pages are already there and i don't change that, i have a menu page, wine-page, Google maps with address info, contact page, business hours page and about us page

When i am done i take a screenshot of how their site look in a iPhone emulator and i take a screenshot of the new mobile site, i put them together on a postcard with a good headline and a personalized URL to a landing-page with a video, where i explain all of the benefits of this mobile website...

I show them the Google keyword tool.. i show them a report by the government planning agency telling that mobile internet is exploding, i show them articles from newspapers and i tell them how they will get more clients into their establishment, that is really important

I also have a live demo of their mobile site on the landing-page that they can play around with....

Then i sent these postcards out, most of the time i get about 2/3 calls right away and i always sell them, if they call i know they will buy because i have taken away all the barriers even before speaking to them... (i belief it's cold pre-selling) and after 24/48 hours i follow up with a call or a email and often i sell about 2 more, so out of the 15 i create, i sell about 4/5 mobile sites on average.


I hope you get what i am trying to say, as you can see English is not my fist language, if you have any questions let me know

Dave