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We Need Help

by redotaku
11 replies
Hello,

I own 25% of a computer repair business in Vancouver, Canada. My guy only needs one client a day to make an income. He has no money is flat broke.

We are limited to free advertising & marketing methods only but I have tried to be as creative as possible. We've tried Craigslist ads (we've stuck to posting 3 every day, one for each service. We've tried changing up the text, the way we write the ads, using competitors format, bolding the ad with HTML tags, etc etc etc), delivering over 1,000 flyers to mailboxes, reaching out to every community center and library and offering to do free computer classes, etc. Nothing is working. He has business cards as well and went in to 100 businesses and offered to cross promote plus told the business owners about what he does. We even tried cold calling churches and offering to do services for free for 1-3 months. None of the places every got back to us and he is not getting the calls he needs to make an income with this business. His prices are fair $60 US for virus removal, etc.

I think SEO will help solve this problem drastically as he will show up when people are searching for his business.

The issue is I have tried to learn SEO over and over and it gives me headaches and I get very confused.

I have installed the Yoast Plugin, set up an HTTPS certificate on his site, improved his site loading time, etc. The site is mobile optimized.

I have set target focus keywords such as "computer repair", etc. on his site. I also tried to SEO optimize his Google Maps listing by putting the keywords in the business title.

His business is called Vancouver Computers. Someone told me having the business name in the title is good for SEO.

That is his website:

https://vancouvercomputers.org

This is his Google Maps listing:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Va...6!4d-123.13115

He also has a Yelp page, Facebook page, Twitter profile, Google Plus page, LinkedIn, etc.

Any help I could get on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

I apologize for the long paragraph of a post but it is so frustrating to see all of these people making it and meanwhile we have a migraine and are extremely depressed because we're trying everything we can possibly think of and nothing is working.

I should also mention that he does website designs, computer classes, and computer repairs. That way he offers enough different services that he should absolutely be getting the clients he needs one way or another.
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I own 25% of a computer repair business in Vancouver, Canada. My guy only needs one client a day to make an income. He has no money is flat broke.
    I guess the 'guy' owns the other 75%? Someone who is flat broke should not open a new business - that's just the truth. Does your partner have offline business experience in computer repair or have customers he's worked for?

    The domain (why a .org?) was registered mid-November so the site is less than 3 months old. It takes time to build 'cred' online - and more time if you have to do it all for free.
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  • Profile picture of the author stanton
    When I was in this business, we had a shopfront.

    A shopfront implies permeability and people trust taking their computer into a shop much more than having some random guy coming to pick it up. Just look at your competitors on google maps, they all have shopfronts.

    A shopfront is also something people remember. So people will see your shopfront for a year or two and then when they do need you they will come and see you.

    You will need stock as well, mostly printer cartridges, paper, stuff that people need today rather than waiting for amazon to deliver it.

    Fix your services menu, it looks like the only smartphone repairs you do is unlocking.

    I am sure that since it says on your site that you have sold 1,378 Custom Built PCs you can afford a shopfront.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    IDK red...there's something seriously wrong here.

    I saw this post days ago and clicked away because although I can't quite pick out what it is on a conscious level, my "scan ability" sees a broken business here and I don't think I can fix it.

    That's a crazy thing for me to say... there are probably people reading familiar with me who are surprised. But there's a missing X factor here that can't be faked or replaced or duplicated. Probably something to do with the ability to sell.

    It isn't traffic, it isn't a storefront, and it isn't pricing. Those google maps and site loading things don't matter. You don't even need a website to get business.

    I think your friend should go get an IT job because running a business is not a cookie-cutter paint by numbers affair where you set up some things and presto! it works. You're both pointed in the wrong direction. The way to get customers is to Get Good Conversations With Qualified Prospects. You guys are playing around with technical features. Yeah, you tried some phone prospecting but it was to a terrible target market and was probably done without any skill. Raise your prices so you appeal to a better class of clientele...and concentrate on getting conversations with that market segment.

    It's been several days and no other experienced peeps than Kay have weighed in here...and I suspect it's because they've had the same gut feeling I've had. Sorry but I think you should ditch your 25% and move on.
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  • Profile picture of the author FairDeveloperUk
    It's hard to give up sometimes, but this niche feels like it wouldn't be crowded. And the point about smart phones, just to add to that, this is relevant because there will be a lot of people wanting iPhone repairs, far more than will want PC repairs (not based on research though)

    But.. the killer for me is that you actually did the local marketing, on foot and in person, and that didn't yield anything. I'd be thinking of a new product after that

    I'll make a suggestion for what it is worth - there's a business a few miles up the road from me sell renovated ID card printers, it's a niche I know a bit about. Well they are inundated, got a shipping container full of printers they don't get round to fixing and selling, very profitable. Interestingly the owner started out fixing mobile phones. Making a change like this, recycling those skills, this would be my suggestion but every decision still has to be backed up with ongoing marketing

    Just isn't easy more often than not, sadly
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    Networking, if you do it well, might work.

    So would calling small businesses, you know kindergarten, real estate office, etc. Small businesses but not too small, you know, the kind that have 4 or 5 computers.

    SEO, Go for Vancouver keywords, but also for Vancouver neighborhood keywords... Pick the neighborhood you're in and the next door neighborhoods and go for those...

    Laptop repair Chinatown Vancouver... not a lot of searches but a lot easier to rank for than Vancouver computer repair...

    If you're #22 for a keyword with 1000 monthly searches, you'll probably get 0-1 visitors a month. If you're #1 for a keyword with 10 monthly searches, you get 3-5 visitors a month for that. You get yourself to be #1 for 30 such keywords and, if your site converts well, your friend's got work for half of the month.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lonnie Ray
    You need to go for the local business. Good old fashion flyers and ground pounding. Drive around and hand out cards to local company's... word of mouth is a powerful tool.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeffrey Joson
    find copywriting book from kindle and try to read octalysis book to solve your problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
    Too bad the OP disappeared. This thread had so much potential. I'm sure he would have found his own little pot of "offline gold", with just a little effort.

    Oh, well.

    Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author YourGoToWriter
    This sounds sad and this can be discouraging, considering the amount of effort you have already done for marketing. But if none of the things you've mentioned above is working, I suggest that you try offering free trial services, first. Make sure they're satisfied and that you get the positive feedback from them. Reach out to the community and from the testimonials you'll receive, you can go on with your marketing campaigns. -Micah
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Lafuddy
    Computer repair is a service that the public values and will gladly pay for. It's proven. No need to offer it for free.

    Like many businesses, it can be run out of the home. There's no need for a shop or business front.

    Someone I know started out part-time, fixing computers for his friends. He's in a small town and has a customer list of over 3,000 people he's done work for. Word of mouth is the only advertising he does.

    As to the OP's post, "flat broke" is a sign of incompetence. Run!

    Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author sterlingmarketing
    Hi,
    You have tried all digital marketing techniques it takes time and gives you great benefit in the future.
    As your product is to repair pc you should connect with startup owners. Email Marketing is the best way to reach business owners.

    Cheers
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