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Some help from you offline experts!

by JackStriker
12 replies
Hi there

I have a directory site (Directory Script for Wordpress - DirectoryPress) on page 1 of Google for Restaurants in (City) There are a lot of searches for this every month around 10000 and only slight competition.

Now I am in the just about to hit the restaurants but in your expert opinions:-

1. Do you think it is better to give the listing away for free and then try and up sell them to a featured listing/videos/FB Fan Page/Website/general offline/online marketing

2. Charge a small amount for the listing around $20-$50 for the year and then try and up sell them

Where I live there are hundreds of restaurants so just the listings will bring a considerable amount.

Have any of you any experience in the directory area as I would love to know what route to take.

Looking forward to your advice and thanks.

Darren
#directories #experts #offline #restaurants #upsell
  • Profile picture of the author Seantrepreneur
    I don't have experience in the directory field, but I understand pricing quite well.

    I would absolutely charge them for the listing. Show them how much value you are bring to them and maybe even throw some traffic numbers out at them. You could even break it down like, if even 5 out of the 1,000 people search land on their listing and visit their restaurant at an average of $20-$30 a plate then you are making $100-$150 a month more by being listed on your site. Business owners love seeing dollars signs and they will get what you are saying if you show it to them that way.

    Plus, once you get a couple of these restaurants you can go to their competition and tell them that their competition is currently listed in your directly so they should be to to stay competitive.

    Definitely charge a fee up front and then go for the up-sell. Easier to sell a paying customer than a prospect or even someone who is using your service for free.

    Congrats on getting that site listed. The hard part is pretty much done now it's time to start making some monnney!

    Sean
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    -------->Started with $500 on Amazon and building it from there. Week #1 income report is live ($593.78 in revenue)<----------
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    • Profile picture of the author JackStriker
      Hi Sean and thanks for your answer.

      Yes that was my aim was to play one restaurateur off against the other. Once one signs up you can just point out that the competition across the road is in the directory!

      I live in a major tourist destination so there are loads of places to eat out. I think I am going to price it so the first listing really is a no brainer for the venue owner. After the ice is broken maybe hit them with all the up sell options.

      The main thing I have noticed here absolutely no one is utilizing email marketing. As I am sure you are aware it is so easy for a restaurant to instigate and not that expensive especially if they do the work.

      Once again thanks for your answer.

      Darren
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  • Profile picture of the author sam m
    I agree with sean not to give it away for free
    what happens then is when you try to sell them
    on a service they will be cheap

    I would say charge them a small fee for it
    to help to set up the upsells
    This way than can respect as a bussiness man.

    I work with alot resturant owners they want to think
    in terms of what they will get out this
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  • Profile picture of the author ClarkKent
    Populate the directory for free.

    Sell on:
    Customized profile pages (logos, inbound links to their web pages) ($20 monthly)
    Articles ($120) pay a local writer $10 + the cost of their meal - great content for your SERP.
    Featured profile pages (pages up the sidebar) (10 days / $90 / 2 spots available)
    Your regular services (Facebook landing pages, etc.)
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  • Profile picture of the author JackStriker
    Hi Sam

    For your basic listing do you usually charge a monthly listing fee or a yearly one ?

    Thanks for the advice

    Darren
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  • Profile picture of the author MaxReferrals
    I'd sell the small fee for inclusion, and then upsell the featured/add-ons.

    That's your strongest selling prop out of the gate -- from your perspective -- to see if the market will bear paying for the listing. They might not.

    If not, then you have a fall back position.
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  • Profile picture of the author JackStriker
    Cheers folks thanks for all you help.

    Regards

    Darren
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  • Profile picture of the author abubakar89
    I would populate the directory for free with basic options and then upsell featured listings with enhanced features like pictures, video, links etc

    Finally my other services
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    I would absolutely not populate the directory for free. If you want to make additional money off of upsells, you want people who have some money to spend and are willing to spend it. By charging for the listing, you are quickly qualifying your leads and eliminating those clients that would never pay you a cent for much of anything.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bojacked
      I would consult with the restaurateurs and simply ask if they are spending any money on pay per click marketing and where they are ranked in google for "your city + restaurant" or whatever your keyword ranking is for. Present your traffic measures and explain how much extra exposure they could get for 20-50$ a month (which is nothing in PPC marketing). Even break it down by the AVG PPC cost per click for your keyword and then multiply that by your traffic.

      For example,

      Atlanta restaurant is your keyword and PPC marketing averages 50 cents a click. If your directory reaches 10000 people a month then your value to your customer could be as much as .5 x 10000= or 5000$ a month in bought clicks from a search engine. What a bargain at a special limited time introductory rate for 1/10th the actual value you are providing the business. Let them know there are only 17 more spots available and you want them to get in now before you have to start charging much more for your listings. You choose them because X, Y, Z (insert flattery here).

      now go profit.

      Cheers!
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      • Profile picture of the author SiteSmarty
        I'd have three prices.

        - A basic listing which would include the minimum in a listing.
        - The second price would be the option you really want them to select. It would have more options.
        - The third would be a ridiculous price with lots of options. (if they choose this options great, if not no big deal)

        I'd start that way and then send free listing offers for each price point to test the sign ups.

        Test then adjust until you find the right combo. All models work but you have to test to see what converts best.

        I wouldn't dismiss free because some times it's a door opener. If you look around you'll see that 99.9% of the most successful businesses making a killing with their up sells, many start with giving something away.

        The guys are right about free if you give away crap. That's why if you give something away it has to be your best stuff.

        In your case I'd test the ridiculous price by giving it away to different segments in your restaurant list. ie: small, medium and large restaurants.

        Testing is where it's at. Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author TopKat22
    If you are absolutely sure that this will help them tremendously then give them a free trial, not free forever, just long enough for them to see that this is really working and they don't want to stop.

    Make sure you have some great tracking so that they know for sure that the traffic came from your site.

    As an offline business owner, if an advertiser or marketer showed me how much money they could make me before I had to pay them, I jumped on it. Remember, those of us who have owned or own offline businesses get contacted by a lot of people to spend our advertising dollar in many different ways.

    In order for us to pick you, over every other option, you have got to show us how you are better.

    :-)
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    44 days in and we broke the $10K a month recurring bench mark.

    Guaranteed 60% Opt In Rate Traffic-Real People-Fresh Today-High Quality Biz Opp traffic![/URL]
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