Generate Local Online Leads For New Business

by eccj
34 replies
Hello All

I've been around the forum for a while, mainly the offline forum. I have a background in insurance sales, working in a car dealership, print sales, small JV's, direct mail, etc. But now I am out of all of those things and I am focusing on bringing the business model that I worked within for life insurance and bringing it to another industry; home improvement, starting with flooring since that is what I know the most about by far.

I won't bog down this post with all the details but suffice it to say that I have paid my dues in this industry and now I am ready to make a difference in the industry and greatly improve the lives of many people. This isn't going to be a lifestyle business.

In order to get this thing off the ground properly I am proving how this new model will work by doing it myself to an extent where I can make a healthy living doing this alone and make a better living than all but a few people in this industry.

A major part of this is generating online leads for residential flooring sales.

My goal is to generate $50,000 dollars of sales from online leads in the next 90 days.

My method is local search. I live in a town of 70,000 and I am located in a metro area of over a million. My thought is to have two websites; one for the metro area and one for my town.

My Next steps are

1. Buy a domain and get hosting - biggest thing here is choosing a domain name that can help me rank locally. The point of this site is purely to generate leads and not branding since this is not at all about building a brand. So probably looking for something in the www.keywordlocation.com realm.

2.Building the actual site - Since this is just about lead gen I am thinking about keeping the site stupid simple. I am not looking for this site to serve the purpose starting a long funnel. I have ideas for that down the road and how to do that but I want to keep a razor sharp focus on lead generation.

3. Doing the things that I need to do to get the site to rank - this is where I don't know a whole lot. I got my site in the number 1 spot for life insurance in a slightly larger town about 5 years ago so I have a little experience in this but by no means am I an expert in this.
#business #generate #leads #local #online
  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    This sounds like it is going to be a fun ride! If you need any help with anything let me know.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    Okay so I am off!

    I'm going super simple on the hosting domain stuff. I could probably do it cheaper or better but I'm using Name Cheap where I can buy a domain with managed Wordpress for like $5 a name a month.

    There used to be a guy on this forum, Nathan, who had a blog called Income Bully. I read through it and he said the exact name domain thing works great and I am trusting that he is right. Again, the main thing here isn't branding so I am not worried about that YET.

    The keywordCityState.com was taken but I grabbed keywordcity-state.com for the main city in the metro area. I did register keywordcitystate.com for my town of 70,000 though.

    Another thing I did was look at the suggested search terms at the bottom on page one that Google provides and the top one that kept showing up was discount flooring (city state). So I also registered discountflooringcitystate.com I am not sure if this is a sound strategy but hey it's pocket change.

    This is where things get a little difficult. My goal is $50,000 in sales in 3 months, which should give me over $12,000 in profit. However I assume that it has to be a lot easier to rank my lead gen site in my immediate town than in the bigger city. I also know there are a lot more people in the bigger city so we have a risk reward trade off here.

    Since this is new to me so I am guessing but I got to think $50,000 is possible in my smaller town in three months IF I can get my site high enough in Google. There are 5 retail flooring stores in my town and they are obviously making money - two recently expanded their retail footprint.

    As to the other keywords that Google suggests (vinyl flooring city state, wood flooring city state, etc) I wonder if it would be worth it to buy them all up and slightly change my site to match those keywords and spread my risk and increase leads. I would only do this for the largest city in the metro. If anyone has insight on this please share!

    For the site itself I am wanting to keep it very simple. I am looking all over to see examples that I can use but I am not finding a lot in the home improvement world that I think does a good job of driving phone calls. Most Adwords ads send users to a standard homepage that does the normal song and dance. No call to actions, no features or benefits, no USP, social proof, deals, pricing, or anything that would generate a phone call. Certainly nothing that would capture an email address other than a standard contact us form.

    My thought is people using such direct keywords are wanting to 1. Get a quote 2. Buy.
    They have probably done some research other places and now it is time to get an idea of how much their project is going to cost.

    It may be a good idea to put in a quote calculator/survey with info capture.

    I'll update next when I have decided on which other domains to buy and how to structure the website.
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    • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      There used to be a guy on this forum, Nathan, who had a blog called Income Bully. I read through it and he said the exact name domain thing works great and I am trusting that he is right.
      Looks like a interesting challenge $12,000.00 profit in 3 months seems like a worth while goal. Good luck with this will follow along to see how you make out.

      Speaking of Nathan his blog is still around. He did some posting around the first of the year on his blog. https://incomebully.com/ he use to go under the name https://www.warriorforum.com/members/iamnameless.html when he posted here.
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  • Profile picture of the author umc
    Following. First, I like your posts and have for years eccj. Second, I love the idea of lead gen but have never done it. Okay, that's not true, I did it for a few companies back years ago. Very small time stuff. I even have some domains to use for it already that I would love to do something with. I'm growing something else I'm doing and might even be able to use some of this to generate my own leads locally. Who knows. I'll see if I can help in any way by throwing out a suggestion or encouragement as you go along. These threads are fun.

    Also, I loved Nathan's stuff. Glad to see he's still around.
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    eccj,

    You will want to read: https://incomebully.com/seo-in-the-b...-small-cities/ over and over and over and THEN read: https://incomebully.com/local-seo-tu...icate-content/ over and over and over. I can tell you that "Technically" this is "Black-Hat" because it is creating "Island Pages" ( you can obviously look this up to figure out exactly what that means ) BUT, this is a strategy I have used as recently as yesterday.

    A modern suggestion on "getting" a GMB is to first use the Google "Contribute" app to place your business on the Google map. So you will include things like Name Address and Phone Number ( NAP ) and also include a description of the business, some photos your web address and your first review. - you can do a quick search on "How to list a new location with the contribute app" to figure out how and where to do this.

    This process takes a couple of days to clear. If you have an android phone you can do a voice google search for your company name to figure out when the map listing is live. From this point you will want to use the SAME device you used the app from and "Claim this listing" - there is an amount of variables but in SOME cases you will be given an option to claim the listing with a text message code and from thee you are gold. In other cases you have to wait for the post card.

    YOU specifically will want to create your GMB as a service area vs the actual physical address. The only down fall with the above process is there is a gap between your address being seen and then hidden. However because you are not an existing business this should have little to no effect - you are obviously not going to have angry customers coming to your front door.

    I personally... with one exception would only create ONE of your sites that use a GMB... and the exception is having a friend in the major city that would allow you to use their address. And DO NOT use the same phone you used for GMB #1 to create GMB #2 - just saying LOL

    Hope that Helps!
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    • Profile picture of the author eccj
      Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

      eccj,

      You will want to read: https://incomebully.com/seo-in-the-b...-small-cities/ over and over and over and THEN read: https://incomebully.com/local-seo-tu...icate-content/ over and over and over. I can tell you that "Technically" this is "Black-Hat" because it is creating "Island Pages" ( you can obviously look this up to figure out exactly what that means ) BUT, this is a strategy I have used as recently as yesterday.

      A modern suggestion on "getting" a GMB is to first use the Google "Contribute" app to place your business on the Google map. So you will include things like Name Address and Phone Number ( NAP ) and also include a description of the business, some photos your web address and your first review. - you can do a quick search on "How to list a new location with the contribute app" to figure out how and where to do this.

      This process takes a couple of days to clear. If you have an android phone you can do a voice google search for your company name to figure out when the map listing is live. From this point you will want to use the SAME device you used the app from and "Claim this listing" - there is an amount of variables but in SOME cases you will be given an option to claim the listing with a text message code and from thee you are gold. In other cases you have to wait for the post card.

      YOU specifically will want to create your GMB as a service area vs the actual physical address. The only down fall with the above process is there is a gap between your address being seen and then hidden. However because you are not an existing business this should have little to no effect - you are obviously not going to have angry customers coming to your front door.

      I personally... with one exception would only create ONE of your sites that use a GMB... and the exception is having a friend in the major city that would allow you to use their address. And DO NOT use the same phone you used for GMB #1 to create GMB #2 - just saying LOL

      Hope that Helps!
      Thank you for the help. I am waiting to claim my profile as we speak.

      Do you think it is worth creating different websites for different search terms and specific services? Like Tileflooringcitystate.com? or Discountflooringcitystate.com? Or is that over kill? I know I will not be able to GMB all of those sites so maybe it's not worth the time.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by eccj View Post

        Thank you for the help. I am waiting to claim my profile as we speak.

        Do you think it is worth creating different websites for different search terms and specific services? Like Tileflooringcitystate.com? or Discountflooringcitystate.com? Or is that over kill? I know I will not be able to GMB all of those sites so maybe it's not worth the time.
        Is it over kill - eh maybe... BUT if you can get one listing in the GMB ( 1 of 3 ) and then follow up with 2 or 3 or 4 in organic, you start to dominate the space. In a small town 1 Billboard is "enough" 4 is dominating ( right? ) LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    I'll have a longer update tomorrow but I wanted to give an update to where I am putting my effort. I am doing essentially what the two Income Bully articles said. And I'll go into a little more detail about that tomorrow.

    I am focusing on three towns in my area. There is a town with apparently no flooring stores and little competition as far as Google local goes. So I bought the domain for that town and I think it will be really easy to get to the one spot. I have a friend helping me out with the GMB part for that town.

    BTW this is one of the wealthiest areas in the whole state. Apparently it's too expensive for a traditional store and no one else thought to target it their online marketing efforts.

    Other than that I have my town and another right next to us. All told those areas have over 90,000 people. That should be enough to reach my goal so I am going to focus there. If it isn't enough then I'll expand out to the biggest city and more search terms.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wyatt Lance
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by Wyatt Lance View Post

      Based on your local area being so big, I would highly recommend using a vehicle wrap (or fleet of wraps) for generating more local leads. The cost per impression is extremely low and a wrap will last you years instead of just a few months. We get hits everyday from our wraps- good luck to you!
      There is something to be said for this... Depending on the vehicle type maybe a portion of a rear window with text that is actually readable. I prefer pick-up trucks with bed caps giving you 2 side windows and the back glass - so as needed you can remove one message and replace with another with ease.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    Okay so where I am so far.....

    Claiming GMB - This is taking longer than I thought. I'm not sure if I messed something up here or what. I did this using the contribute part of Maps which I haven't done before so I am a little lost as to how it works.

    Websites are more or less done. Nothing fancy here. I made pages for each product type and a page for "installation" and the usual contact page, and about page. From what I get this should be enough.

    Also I got three phone numbers all being sent to my cell from phone.com

    I did buy some Fiverr gigs for citations for all 3 websites. I also found a local directory that I submitted to. Once I have my GMB figured out I will sign up for BrightLocal or at least do the free trial to see what my competition is up to.

    My next step is to make the videos as outlined on Income Bully. I'll give myself a few days to wrap that up.

    I am going to make a quote calculator that visitors can do themselves. No one else is doing this in my area and I believe this will give me a huge advantage.

    I believe all of this will get me visible online and getting calls, emails, etc. Again I don't need a lot to reach my goal here. I looked at the GMB profiles of companies in my area and most of them haven't even claimed their profiles and we are talking about people showing up in the three pack!
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    Just to better understand your process a bit... I get you are building sites and will be generating leads. So where in the process are you or have you contacted the business' that you will be getting these leads to?
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    • Profile picture of the author umc
      Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

      Just to better understand your process a bit... I get you are building sites and will be generating leads. So where in the process are you or have you contacted the business' that you will be getting these leads to?
      That's always a huge question. Do you get someone lined up first, once you have leads coming in, etc.? One company or multiple? Flat rate for the month or charge per lead? So many options.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by umc View Post

        That's always a huge question. Do you get someone lined up first, once you have leads coming in, etc.? One company or multiple? Flat rate for the month or charge per lead? So many options.
        Agreed, so many options... so what did you choose? LOL
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        • Profile picture of the author umc
          Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

          Agreed, so many options... so what did you choose? LOL
          Personally I've done it where a company paid me a flat fee and I basically rented a website to them. I had them locked down right from the beginning. I had industry experience in a particular industry and did that for a while. I later built a local leads website and had fun generating leads and just gave them to a friend of mine that had a business. I was just trying it out. I don't remember what happened back then, it has been quite some time, but I ended up shutting it all down for some reason. It was probably something personal back when I had a lot of huge life changes going on.
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    • Profile picture of the author eccj
      Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

      Just to better understand your process a bit... I get you are building sites and will be generating leads. So where in the process are you or have you contacted the business' that you will be getting these leads to?
      I am fulfilling the work at least for now.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by eccj View Post

        I am fulfilling the work at least for now.
        Again to clarify... you are suggesting you will be buying the materials at "Wholesale" ish, and doing the actual install? I personally would be all about this type of model.

        IF this is the case... this changes some things. You need to do some market research IE visit the places that sell hardwood floors to include big box stores and figure out what sells the best. So I am going to suggest you will be looking at categories that will include Pre finished hardwood floors. Engineered floors, and Engineered Vinyl floors. If you MUST I would also include "click floors" but not a fan...

        you then want to create compare type content of to show the benefit of each to help the buying process. ( at this point, I only install engineered Vinyl... wicked cool product with wicked cool finishes and the whole water, expanding, and shrinking element is gone. )

        From there you want to create content for each.. what are they, pros and cons, etc. and then content sub categoried with wood and finish types... so Oak and Birch and Maple etc

        You want ranked content over and over at every step of the buying process and give content that helps in these decisions. Every click in the process of wanting to buy hardwood flooring is another tick in TRUST and cementing the idea of buying from you.

        A ton of content, I understand that, but this is basically the model that I use to create success.

        Hope that Helps!
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        • Profile picture of the author eccj
          Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

          Again to clarify... you are suggesting you will be buying the materials at "Wholesale" ish, and doing the actual install? I personally would be all about this type of model.

          IF this is the case... this changes some things. You need to do some market research IE visit the places that sell hardwood floors to include big box stores and figure out what sells the best. So I am going to suggest you will be looking at categories that will include Pre finished hardwood floors. Engineered floors, and Engineered Vinyl floors. If you MUST I would also include "click floors" but not a fan...

          you then want to create compare type content of to show the benefit of each to help the buying process. ( at this point, I only install engineered Vinyl... wicked cool product with wicked cool finishes and the whole water, expanding, and shrinking element is gone. )

          From there you want to create content for each.. what are they, pros and cons, etc. and then content sub categoried with wood and finish types... so Oak and Birch and Maple etc

          You want ranked content over and over at every step of the buying process and give content that helps in these decisions. Every click in the process of wanting to buy hardwood flooring is another tick in TRUST and cementing the idea of buying from you.

          A ton of content, I understand that, but this is basically the model that I use to create success.

          Hope that Helps!
          So the most popular floor right now is luxury vinyl tile. It's outselling wood, laminate, and tile combined in most floor retail stores.

          Where I am almost all wood flooring is engineered wood due to concrete subfloors and high moisture in my state.

          I am not doing any unfinished hardwood. I don't know how to finish and I don't know anyone that does.

          I am only selling material to those that I am installing their floor. I am not selling floors only to people unless it just happens and only locally at that. I am simply not set up to win at the nationwide flooring ecommerce game.

          I won't personally be installing the floors but my subs will be. I am trying to get to 50,000 in 3 months to show others how it is done and become their wholesaler. That's the long term plan at least.

          So that is why I am only targeting locally at the moment.
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          • Profile picture of the author savidge4
            Originally Posted by eccj View Post

            So the most popular floor right now is luxury vinyl tile. It's outselling wood, laminate, and tile combined in most floor retail stores.

            Where I am almost all wood flooring is engineered wood due to concrete subfloors and high moisture in my state.

            I am not doing any unfinished hardwood. I don't know how to finish and I don't know anyone that does.
            Think about this for a moment... In general as a broad view of this "product" what term is used? I would suggest people call it "wood flooring" - Even the Engineered Vinyl flooring - ever notice that all of the "Patterns" of wood names? "Legacy Oak" or "Embossed Wood" or "Driftwood"?

            The idea of an SEO strategy is to Reach those that are looking for your product - "Wood Flooring" but to also educate on why they should be buying THIS over THAT. I would say that the New Vinyl flooring is not so mainstream.. and is a purchase made by education.

            You are saying you live in a "Moist Climate" YOU and I understand the advantages of Vinyl... but does everyone looking for a flooring solution? This is where the comparison of the 3 flooring types would come into play and the Checkmark next to "Applies Directly to Concrete Floors" becomes an eye opener.

            You don't have to include "unfinished" flooring - I just don't think in todays market place that is an option ( obviously it is, but you understand + its damn expensive )

            Originally Posted by eccj View Post

            I am only selling material to those that I am installing their floor. I am not selling floors only to people unless it just happens and only locally at that. I am simply not set up to win at the nationwide flooring ecommerce game.
            To throw my $.02 in here... I personally will play the local game all day long "Act local, Think Global" is a motto I will forever work under. YOU are smart enough to understand that coordinating local purchasing, and adding local labor will require a "System" and THIS ( the System ) is how you in this case could grow "Nationally". Not by means of opening new offices etc, but distribution of a system that would allow a contractor in anytown America to replicate this model. Build an operate a "System", and the System itself becomes a commodity.

            Originally Posted by eccj View Post

            I won't personally be installing the floors but my subs will be. I am trying to get to 50,000 in 3 months to show others how it is done and become their wholesaler. That's the long term plan at least.
            Another suggestion... I am sure there is a Lowes near by. Go to the pro desk and ask about a "Commercial Account" ( LAR ) vs a "Contractors Account" Contractors account gets you 5% off - A Commercial account can get you uh way more.

            Originally Posted by eccj View Post

            So that is why I am only targeting locally at the moment.
            I operate any and every aspect of my personal and business operations as this as a base.. if not a continual. Anything outside of local simply adds variables and complication - even for things such as Affiliate Marketing. Start local, gain traction ( inertia ) and go from there.
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  • Profile picture of the author goldenarm66
    Hi there eccj, I'm also starting to get involved in the lead gen rank and rent model and wanted to see how you're doing with regard to getting the GMB. Have you had any success?
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    • Profile picture of the author eccj
      Originally Posted by goldenarm66 View Post

      Hi there eccj, I'm also starting to get involved in the lead gen rank and rent model and wanted to see how you're doing with regard to getting the GMB. Have you had any success?
      So I did it through the contribute app on Maps and it is still not showing up. I guess I'll do it the old way and wait on the postcard.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by eccj View Post

        So I did it through the contribute app on Maps and it is still not showing up. I guess I'll do it the old way and wait on the postcard.
        I have a few recently that are lagging... Not just with Contribute, but with the postcard as well. Not spreading rumors, but wonder if there is a portion of the process that may include an office in China to do manual verification type research?

        I have reached out to some of my channels at Google and have not heard a response yet.
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        • Profile picture of the author eccj
          Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

          I have a few recently that are lagging... Not just with Contribute, but with the postcard as well. Not spreading rumors, but wonder if there is a portion of the process that may include an office in China to do manual verification type research?

          I have reached out to some of my channels at Google and have not heard a response yet.
          No idea but possible. I'm waiting it out.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    So I am going to get listed the old school way.

    I did have someone share me/website on Nextdoor and I have received 3 calls for estimates. I thought I may have $13,000+ from one deal until I got the "maybe in a month after this thing settles down."

    I know this type of lead isn't the point of this challenge but there have already been side benefits.
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    • Profile picture of the author umc
      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      So I am going to get listed the old school way.

      I did have someone share me/website on Nextdoor and I have received 3 calls for estimates. I thought I may have $13,000+ from one deal until I got the "maybe in a month after this thing settles down."

      I know this type of lead isn't the point of this challenge but there have already been side benefits.
      I love old school marketing. On sites like Nextdoor and local Facebook groups there can be low hanging fruit where people are raising their hand, saying I need this or that, and you can swoop in and grab the business quickly. Honestly so many businesses that reply in those instances just say "hey, I do x, call me". If you actually go in there and educate the customer and show your expertise you might not only get the person that is asking but others that are watching. If nothing else they may remember you. I have a list of certain companies that I've seen recommended or that have really been great on these groups that I will call if I need their specific services.

      There was a local sports forum that I participated in years ago and I was detailing cars on the side because I loved doing it. It was satisfying and I liked getting out and doing the work. I became known on there as the guy to go to for that and people started referring me. I was there anyway because I love local college athletics but it ended up being a big deal for me and business came to me at no cost.
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      • Profile picture of the author eccj
        Originally Posted by umc View Post

        I love old school marketing. On sites like Nextdoor and local Facebook groups there can be low hanging fruit where people are raising their hand, saying I need this or that, and you can swoop in and grab the business quickly. Honestly so many businesses that reply in those instances just say "hey, I do x, call me". If you actually go in there and educate the customer and show your expertise you might not only get the person that is asking but others that are watching. If nothing else they may remember you. I have a list of certain companies that I've seen recommended or that have really been great on these groups that I will call if I need their specific services.

        There was a local sports forum that I participated in years ago and I was detailing cars on the side because I loved doing it. It was satisfying and I liked getting out and doing the work. I became known on there as the guy to go to for that and people started referring me. I was there anyway because I love local college athletics but it ended up being a big deal for me and business came to me at no cost.
        It's wild. I've got three phone calls from people off Nextdoor and from a friend just saying "call this guy."
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    So I am going to have to pause this experiment for the time being. With the shutdown in place there is no way I can reach my goal.

    Hopefully the mods will keep it open for when the shutdown ends.

    I'll still be doing work obviously but getting to rank in Google Local doesn't look possible at the moment as I still haven't gotten the postcard in the mail and I don't think they are even being mailed.

    Bummer? Yes.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    "Never let a crises go to waste"

    Okay so I am retooling this thing.

    So originally I was going to try to grab people who were looking for a quote. Which typically means someone physically coming to your house. This is a physical business after all.

    Then if they buy multiple people physically come into your home for days at a time.

    Obviously this isn't going over very well at the moment.

    anyways.............

    I've decided not to give up but to rather focus on the "top of the funnel."

    I read in a trade magazine that people take 3 months on average to make up their mind on what to buy, who to call, etc before making a purchase decision. The majority of that time happens before they get quotes.

    Since installs are not happening right now other than in empty homes, I have decided to start focusing on the top of the funnel.

    People who are likely to buy but not actively looking and people doing research, gathering info, etc.

    I am really stepping out into the wild unknown for me. I wasn't planning on doing this type of marketing for a long time but here we are!

    My plan as of now (subject to change)

    1. (in progress) Write a book. I've done this before for other people so why not do it for me?

    I have recorded myself answering FAQ and sent it over to Fiverr for transcribing (shout out to Claude for this idea)

    Once it is "done" I'll send it out to my local contacts for their insight. I also think I can use this for JVs with local home pros. We will see.

    There are a lot of different ways to monetize a book but at the very least I'll have something to send to prospects before appointments when this is over.

    2. Content marketing - I'll take the material from the book and use it for content marketing. I'll use it for my local site but also for a non location specific site.

    This is completely new for me. I've done never successfully done content marketing before.

    Basically I want to start making good content that gets visitors to take some kind of action; email, download, affiliate link click through, something.

    I also want to use this as practice for when I take step 3

    3. Paid traffic - native ads look like the best option for me for this type on marketing but I've never done it. The 3rd party data feeds appear to be what I need. It has a huge scale. Many local websites use the same provider.

    I don't want to go straight into number 3 because I believe that number 1 and 2 will help me be successful with number 3 without blowing through thousands of dollars before I have the basics figured out.

    Am I wrong ? I am open to suggestions here from those who know.

    Asked later:

    Is this the time to jump into paid traffic though? From what I've read revenue is down at Twitter 20% despite user growth. Is this the time to test since on native since money is going further?
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      "Never let a crises go to waste"

      2. Content marketing - I'll take the material from the book and use it for content marketing. I'll use it for my local site but also for a non location specific site.

      This is completely new for me. I've done never successfully done content marketing before.

      Basically I want to start making good content that gets visitors to take some kind of action; email, download, affiliate link click through, something.
      Im going to be a bit long winded I think LOL... The above statement "I want to start making good content that gets visitors to take some kind of action; email, download, affiliate link click through, something." is what gets most people in trouble. SELL when you need to and inform otherwise.

      To develop a truly useful ( in my opinion ) content marketing strategy you have to really look at the buyer cycle. The buying process consists of 5 steps give or take.
      1. Discovery
      2. Information
      3. Comparison
      4. Purchase
      5. After sales support

      Discovery is the thought "Hmm maybe we should put hardwood floors in" Information is the point they realize there are options, and they research that. Comparison is where they decide maybe A or B and then look to compare the 2 or 6. Purchase means they now know what they want and are looking to buy. After sales support I personally place a lot of effort here. Understanding the flaws of a product or the special needs for caring for it can influence a decision.

      Ok so we know there are 4 basic types of flooring and 2 fringe types. The fringe are Unfinished hardwoods and wood looking tile based products. The 4 basic types are Prefinished Hardwood, Engineered, Laminate, and Vinyl. And Vinyl can be broken into 2 cats - Engineered, and Laminate. Breaking this down would be the Discovery Process.

      I would think art this point you then write some content on best uses of each product. Do you own or are you going to rent. Residential and commercial. Just moving in, or getting ready to sell? I would maybe do a few interviews with say a Real Estate Appraiser and discuss the values of each type, and the expected return on investment for each. I would also interview 2 or 3 Real Estate Agents. 1 That deals with rental properties, 1 that sells primarily Residential and the 3rd being a commercial real estate broker. and get their take on buyer thoughts in the process.. does a one product over the others make the wifes heart sing?

      Comparison.. I would do this many different ways as I just described based on ROI value in value. Renting vs owning. Pets no pets etc etc At this point I would be pushing a Conversion of some type... because this is the point in the cycle that the buyer has crossed the bridge from interest / looking, to there being an amount of attachment in the process... they want to but can they afford to.

      Enter at this point, you need to find a financing company <wink>

      Purchase will be in terms of volume of content your largest amount. Things get very specific in terms of "board width" and color and species ( or appearance of ) etc etc. The wider you make this net the better.

      After Purchase support... how to care for, how to clean etc. I personally have DARK brown hard wood floors in my home... they are awesome but a pain in the tail end to keep clean looking. you learn real fast that wet swiffers are a no no and then you are looking for products like Bono. The big 24 inch microfiber broom deals are awesome etc etc.

      This section also plays into the intended use of the property. A rental you do not want prefinished Wood or Click Lams. In my Investment business I only use Engineered Vinyl. its everything proof and will actually last a whole lot of years. Real hardwood flooring and a renter that does not use AC and leaves the windows open is a absolute train wreck. Click flooring and 1 spilled Super big gulp is painful. ( fortunately for me these are all lessons I have learned from people doing this a lot longer than I )

      The interviews of local Authorities helps in co branding, and re-writing the content to guest post on the interviewees website makes for a dandy back link and Citation.

      The discovery and Information stage I would not make a big push at getting an Action. I think of it this way... Do you like it when you are in a store and an associate comes up to you and says "Can I help you?" More often than not No right? same thing. You are also playing against the NORM in digital marketing. Asking for NOTHING is a refreshing separation from each and every competitor you will have in this market space.

      Once they jump into the Comparison and Buying section, yes, you want to start leaning. At this point there will be a level of rust with the information you have given, and the number of visits to your site for information, you will have developed Authority... This is the point you welcome phone calls etc for further information. Vs the 1st 2 steps where they are asking tire kicker questions.

      Originally Posted by eccj View Post

      I also want to use this as practice for when I take step 3

      3. Paid traffic - native ads look like the best option for me for this type on marketing but I've never done it. The 3rd party data feeds appear to be what I need. It has a huge scale. Many local websites use the same provider.

      I don't want to go straight into number 3 because I believe that number 1 and 2 will help me be successful with number 3 without blowing through thousands of dollars before I have the basics figured out.

      Am I wrong ? I am open to suggestions here from those who know.

      Asked later:

      Is this the time to jump into paid traffic though? From what I've read revenue is down at Twitter 20% despite user growth. Is this the time to test since on native since money is going further?
      I would agree the more Content you have the better the investment of traffic pays. because I think we all know that people are not just at a moments notice going to click an ad and buy.... Referrals and multiple touches to develop trust and Authority is what it takes.

      If I were to build a wood flooring site today I would be using TICTOC, Instagram story ads and paying out the nose for LinkedIn ads

      I would also be using Facebook. I would create a group specifically for wholesalers and contractors. I would have a Business page and be listing on marketplace for work. AND running ads. - Facebook is where you will find the age category that is looking to remodel A to sell and downsize, or B remodel and update to make the existing home a forever home.

      Hope that Helps!
      Signature
      Success is an ACT not an idea
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      • Profile picture of the author eccj
        Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

        Im going to be a bit long winded I think LOL... The above statement "I want to start making good content that gets visitors to take some kind of action; email, download, affiliate link click through, something." is what gets most people in trouble. SELL when you need to and inform otherwise.

        To develop a truly useful ( in my opinion ) content marketing strategy you have to really look at the buyer cycle. The buying process consists of 5 steps give or take.
        1. Discovery
        2. Information
        3. Comparison
        4. Purchase
        5. After sales support

        Discovery is the thought "Hmm maybe we should put hardwood floors in" Information is the point they realize there are options, and they research that. Comparison is where they decide maybe A or B and then look to compare the 2 or 6. Purchase means they now know what they want and are looking to buy. After sales support I personally place a lot of effort here. Understanding the flaws of a product or the special needs for caring for it can influence a decision.

        Ok so we know there are 4 basic types of flooring and 2 fringe types. The fringe are Unfinished hardwoods and wood looking tile based products. The 4 basic types are Prefinished Hardwood, Engineered, Laminate, and Vinyl. And Vinyl can be broken into 2 cats - Engineered, and Laminate. Breaking this down would be the Discovery Process.

        I would think art this point you then write some content on best uses of each product. Do you own or are you going to rent. Residential and commercial. Just moving in, or getting ready to sell? I would maybe do a few interviews with say a Real Estate Appraiser and discuss the values of each type, and the expected return on investment for each. I would also interview 2 or 3 Real Estate Agents. 1 That deals with rental properties, 1 that sells primarily Residential and the 3rd being a commercial real estate broker. and get their take on buyer thoughts in the process.. does a one product over the others make the wifes heart sing?

        Comparison.. I would do this many different ways as I just described based on ROI value in value. Renting vs owning. Pets no pets etc etc At this point I would be pushing a Conversion of some type... because this is the point in the cycle that the buyer has crossed the bridge from interest / looking, to there being an amount of attachment in the process... they want to but can they afford to.

        Enter at this point, you need to find a financing company <wink>

        Purchase will be in terms of volume of content your largest amount. Things get very specific in terms of "board width" and color and species ( or appearance of ) etc etc. The wider you make this net the better.

        After Purchase support... how to care for, how to clean etc. I personally have DARK brown hard wood floors in my home... they are awesome but a pain in the tail end to keep clean looking. you learn real fast that wet swiffers are a no no and then you are looking for products like Bono. The big 24 inch microfiber broom deals are awesome etc etc.

        This section also plays into the intended use of the property. A rental you do not want prefinished Wood or Click Lams. In my Investment business I only use Engineered Vinyl. its everything proof and will actually last a whole lot of years. Real hardwood flooring and a renter that does not use AC and leaves the windows open is a absolute train wreck. Click flooring and 1 spilled Super big gulp is painful. ( fortunately for me these are all lessons I have learned from people doing this a lot longer than I )

        The interviews of local Authorities helps in co branding, and re-writing the content to guest post on the interviewees website makes for a dandy back link and Citation.

        The discovery and Information stage I would not make a big push at getting an Action. I think of it this way... Do you like it when you are in a store and an associate comes up to you and says "Can I help you?" More often than not No right? same thing. You are also playing against the NORM in digital marketing. Asking for NOTHING is a refreshing separation from each and every competitor you will have in this market space.

        Once they jump into the Comparison and Buying section, yes, you want to start leaning. At this point there will be a level of rust with the information you have given, and the number of visits to your site for information, you will have developed Authority... This is the point you welcome phone calls etc for further information. Vs the 1st 2 steps where they are asking tire kicker questions.



        I would agree the more Content you have the better the investment of traffic pays. because I think we all know that people are not just at a moments notice going to click an ad and buy.... Referrals and multiple touches to develop trust and Authority is what it takes.

        If I were to build a wood flooring site today I would be using TICTOC, Instagram story ads and paying out the nose for LinkedIn ads

        I would also be using Facebook. I would create a group specifically for wholesalers and contractors. I would have a Business page and be listing on marketplace for work. AND running ads. - Facebook is where you will find the age category that is looking to remodel A to sell and downsize, or B remodel and update to make the existing home a forever home.

        Hope that Helps!
        Thank you so much for this response.

        I read through your thread in this forum and learned a lot from that as well.

        Question: Should I be doing all this on a "local" website or should all of this content be on a "national" website?

        If people in my area are searching in their discovery phase but not using local type keywords will my site stand a chance of showing up?
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        • Profile picture of the author savidge4
          Originally Posted by eccj View Post

          Thank you so much for this response.

          I read through your thread in this forum and learned a lot from that as well.

          Question: Should I be doing all this on a "local" website or should all of this content be on a "national" website?
          Yes

          Originally Posted by eccj View Post

          If people in my area are searching in their discovery phase but not using local type keywords will my site stand a chance of showing up?
          Type "plumber" and you tell me.

          As you get longer tail into the "Install" terms you will find those hard bring up because like the other thread with "Parks" and "walking dogs" there is a disconnect. I have found that "Install and "wood floor" it is the same thing
          Signature
          Success is an ACT not an idea
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    Update:

    The Book - Wow the transcription was bad. Not that the transcriber did a bad job but that I did a bad job of talking the way a book should be written! I thought it would be good enough to heavily edit it and get a workable book but I was wrong.

    So I immediately started typing out a book and I am about halfway done. Since I am repurposing the content in so many different ways I figured it is more than worth the time investment.

    When it is all done I will post a link to it here for anyone who is interested.

    Based off two discussions I have had I think the book will be a great tool for formal and informal JVs. I will delve more into that later next week though.
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  • Profile picture of the author eccj
    Okay So where am I at? I'm stuck at home now with no internet! And they can't come out and fix is for a week! Great times since there is basically no where to go and my home is now my office.

    Book is pretty much done. All I am waiting on is approval from my main distributor to use their images as examples. I don't think it's a big deal to get approved it's more of a matter of no one knows anything when it comes to this kind of thing.

    Once I have the images in I'll update and share the link with those who have been following along.

    I've been using Thrive Themes/Architecture to build my site. This hasn't gone smoothly. If you need to have a shopping cart for any reason I would recommend staying away from Thrive. Imagine a theme based on conversions but not having a good integration with a shopping cart or payment gateway so people can CONVERT!

    I have put together something that I think is going to be very powerful. I am awaiting approval for a paid ad campaign and waiting on support from Thrive for an issue with a plugin that I need for my paid ad funnel.
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  • Profile picture of the author Claire Koch
    did you ever find Iamnameless? I used to read his posts a lot read those two articles you followed as well. He pulled in cash like crazy in his day doing his own company. He knew what he was talking about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gray Smith
    Hi, I am curious regarding the progress you made.. Please share the details. Thanks!
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