Curious as to what has been your best return of money on advertising?

Print? website? SEO? Bringing in an in-demand brand/line?

I'm going to do a little advertising push soon and wanted some experiences from you guys...

TIA

Website

billboard

1. Doing a good job
2. Networking with designers, architects, builders
3. Website
4. Everything else sucks

Direct MAIL has been a waste - 0% return.
get your page at the top of Google. I buy adwords and get a lot of traction for less than $200 month.
I need to get my site optomized

I get a few call from seeing my truck - get good - readable graphics and keep it clean!

I noticed more flaky people the last year or so, but I still get pretty good overall results from zip-targeted, "top of their list" advertising on Angie's List.

This.
But the networking part has only landed me thier personnel residences / offices?
My web site is so outdated, it's just a place holder now.

Maybe I'm lucky, but:
I'm 110% referral. If Not refered then we are likely not going to be doing business.


I would be working existing GREAT clients. Call. Stop by. Free tune up. Let me show you what's new.
Asking for referrals.

RnD new product to offer instead of advertising.
Heck. Give a GREAT client some cool new item.

Not in your shoes, but working with great clients / builders / people, seems to build upon itself.

Why is your site so outdated? I think a tech company should have at least a halfway decent looking website. With Mac being able to easily get you going for a VERY affordable price, its a no brainer. Message him and get yours updated. I've been told by clients they went with me over competition simply because their website looked like something out of the 90's, and they didn't trust them to do a good job based on that fact. I have no idea who he was referring to, and they may do great work, but he was put off by their website and kept searching.

We worked on our SEO a bit after that and improved our standing on search engines, and probably should do so once again.

Angies List has been a total, 150% complete BUST. Hundreds of dollars per month and have essential 0 ROI. They make promises, but can't deliver. I get a lot more business from Home Advisor then AL, albeit TV hangs. I get an occasional client from HA that turns into a larger project. I did have one client that has spent probably $10-15,000 with us, who referred us to his friend who spent about $8,000. He then referred us to another friend who has done two houses with us, spending about $45,000. So HA has more than paid for itself. I have spent more on AL fees in the year we have had them than I have made off of them. In fact, I have paid more in fees than the total revenue brought in by AL, as we have gotten exactly 2 leads from them and closed only one of the two. It was nothing more than a couple TV hangs.

I had video advertising at the local high end movie theater. Adds during preview. We would run it during high profile openings on very specific movies. We also did print adds in a very high end "lake"magazine in Chicago and sw Michigan. And the marina news letter.


It paid off very well. But nothing beats quality referrals from happy clients.

+1000

I have a website. Used to get a few inquiries a month. Now I get zero leads from it. Not that those emails were all that good, but to just drop to nothing is weird.

I've been in business 6 years all by word of mouth. I want/need to grow some more.

id like to do some SEO but those monthly rates seem crazy. Also plan on wrapping the van shortly.

Those are really the only things I think I'd be comfortable with spending money on.

Home Advisoor sucks! :) I think I'm in there for one cheap category now for like $8 a lead or something. For Angie's List I target the highest income areas in MN - and my own backyard, which I won't get rich off of, but it's a nice, and close.

I forgot, check out Thumbtack too. Leads come through via email and text. You buy credits from Thumbtack and only pay when you respond and quote those leads. It's pretty slick. A lot of crazy ones though, lead comes through on a Saturday night and they want a TV hung the next morning, or something like that.

What's your site look like? Throw it out to the mob and we'll tell you how to fix it :)

I could take down my dated website I havent touched in years (no lie, and it shows lol) and it would have ZERO effect on my business. I mean ZERO.

We have never spent a dime on advertising. Nor a penny. lol.

100% referrals. The best advertising is your own work. Make it better than everyone elses and YOU set the pricing. They pay your pricing because they want YOUR work. It really is that simple.

Of course, it helps have the right personality. Trust and integrity are key as well. Set the standard and they will ONLY want to use you.

I spent zero on advertising the last 11 years I was in the custom biz, except for business cards.

Repeat, referrals, and networking with builders, interior designers, etc. was always more than enough to keep the hopper full.

Google