Employee Problem

[Steve]

In the past when I wanted to hand out flyers, I always made sure that I was the driver and had two people doing the deliveries When you did this in the past, what kind of response rate did you get? Do you still distribute flyers like this or have you moved on to other more effect marketing methods?

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[jymie]

Lawn care business tips

The response rate is around 1-2%. I feel that getting my business on Google maps was the smartest thing I did this year. Key words in my website make all the difference in the world. Google maps is even above the search engine results and is more golden than search engine placement.

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. http://www.lunchesruslawncare.com

[Steve]

Do you feel you cut back on distributing flyers because of the success of google maps?

It's amazing how experimenting with a number of different methods can really help one that works in your area.

What works in your area may or may not work in other areas, but it's good to know the different kind of methods out there in order to have things to test.

[jymie]

I still distribute flyer's. Based on the fact that I always tried to include a coupon on them for the most part with not getting any coupons back, I would say that flyer's are only good to put the name of your business in the minds of potential customers. Maybe some just don't want to use the coupons. We tripled business this year. I did:

• Google Maps (Excellent)
• Google Adwords (Put $100 on account in April 2010, still have $93 available Oct 2010, so not the effect I thought I would get)
• Flyer's (blanket coverage, plus on streets we already service once a month, will do this again for fall cleanup advertising)
• Free Classifieds
• Craigslist & Backpage (I put an HTML ad by hosting it on an image hosting site)

I use the following HTML code to do that

insert image address here">

It's important to note that you cannot make the picture a clickable link to your website. You can only include a link to your site as a text link.

Various yellow book sites

1. Yellowbooks.com, magicyellow.com etc

Free listings on other business sites

1. Merchant circle
2. ultimate guide
3. search sight
4. super pages
5. local search
6. insider pages
7. metrowny
8. topix
9. local.com etc

The more of these you find the better.

I am already preparing for next year. Instead of flyer's all the time, I am going to go with post cards and distribute them like I would a flyer. Post cards last longer than a piece of paper and more likely to be kept. They will be more targeted instead of general advertisement. For example, In spring I want to push spring cleanups, mulch installations & weekly mowing, during the summer months I may advertise for hedge trimming, driveway edging, weed whacking, etc.

The biggest thing I do will be just before Christmas, I plan to get desk calendars and am making referral cards to give to my customers. This is big I feel to grow more for next year. The calender will have our logo on them so it will always be in front of them all year long.

[jymie]

As a side note, if you are on a site which allows clickable pictures use the following code to do that:

insert your website address here">insert image address here">


Good luck!

[Steve]

The biggest thing I do will be just before Christmas, I plan to get desk calendars and am making referral cards to give to my customers. This is big I feel to grow more for next year. The calender will have our logo on them so it will always be in front of them all year long.

What size will the desk calendars be? How will you distribute them?

When you say referral cards, can you tell me a little more what these are?

[jymie]

The desk calender will be about 6 inches by 5 inches. They will stand up on a desk. Referral cards, so that my current customers can give me contacts of friends and relatives that may be looking for our services. In return for them, I will give them $25 credit towards next seasons work for each new customer they refer to us that becomes a customer next year. That way, it's no cash out of pocket. I plan to send these out by mail, or perhaps may include a small gift with them and deliver them personally.

[Steve]

That sounds great!

What is the difference between a referral card and a business card?

[MMYardService]

Go with them next time work for a day handing out fliers and then you will know how fast they are.. Funny how so many people want to get paid but they just do not want to work..

I always work with people for a while, to make sure they are not doing stupid things, and I know the speed they work. Then and only then will I think about anything else. And fliers I changed to X number of fliers for $X .. And I double check them, were they put them out I check ..

Simple rule is ... 9 our of 10 poeple are going to do little or nothing for you .. Take care of the other 10% they make the world go around!

[jklawncare]

What is the difference between a referral card and a business card?

Im not sure if its the same thing for me but my referral cards have numbers on the top right corner of my customers own ID number. This way if someone hires me to do there lawn and they hand me a business card i can say.. "ok..thanks?" but if they hand me a referral card i look up what customer matches the ID number and both the new customer and the customer that referred the other to me receive some type of benefit, be it a small service free or a small discount.