Internet advertising

[washboy]

Has anyone used free internet sites to advertise the wash? Did it work? How did you sell the wash? I was thinking of putting some out there to let the custmers know that we are owner/operated, care for the environment and stand behind our wash. Has it worked for anyone or backfired?

 

[robert roman]

You only need one website and host to promote your business. The key to bring people to your site is to effectively submit your site (domain, site description and meta tags) to search engines and promoting the site.

Site description and meta tags contain key phrases and words (identifiers) that search engine crawlers used to ferret out your site from other sites when consumers make inquiries on the www.

You can submit your site to search engines manually or via a pay-to-submit service.

Is it effective? Websites can be very effective in reaching the Gen-X and Gen-Y crowd. How effective will depend on how well you promote and target the site.

There are a number of ways to promote; reach out to social networks like Twitter, put the web address on all of your advertising, etc., etc.

 

[bigleo48]

Since I see my wash as only "locally significant", web ads have done poorly for me and so I use other media. But I still have a website and online coupons floating around.

BigLeo

 

[Skipper Jack]

Try Google Local Business Center. Your business should show up under a listing called "Local business results for CAR WASH near CITY, STATE" for people that searched for the term "CAR WASH" and only for people near the "CITY, STATE" where your car wash is located. The listing includes a link to your web site and a map with a pointer to your location.

You can also run Google ads and restrict them so that the ads only run for searches launched from users within your city, geographic area or zip code.

As Robert said, be sure your description and meta tags are in order and unique for each page, they are important for Google's ranking system.

 

[washboy]

I need to do a website like you said. I was also thinking of running ads on site like craigslist. I am just a SS w an iba so I think mostly what I have to offer is that I am here everyday making sure that my equipment is right that I use the best Chems I can and give alot. Have you guys ever done ads on the back of grocery store recipts or the local dinners have ads on the place mats that you can pay for. I know some of it is just name recognition but brings them in someday and makes me more reputable. I wish I could come up with a promotion (aside from free wash all day) that would have them lined up, but it seems that the ss bussiness is gradual growth.

 

[Red Baron]

I have a website www.redbaroncarwash.com and use it for local promotions but it has limited response. I think washboy is on the right track, establish your niche by being clean and mechanically dependable.

Last night a customer called while I was in bed, sayign he lost $5 in my IBA. I was there in 5 minuters and found a pebble under the tredle plate, shutting the bay down. I gave him the $8 wash and $8 more in coupons for a free wash later. He said "I only lost $5." I told him our policy is that anytime someone is inconvenienced by a mechanical issue, I pay them back double. I think this gives customers the confidence to use our wash, knowign they'll never lose money here, and that I'll work doubly hard to keep things working because it costs mer free car washes when it doesn't.

Btw, the guy and his wife drove out of their way, after their car was washed, to come back around and say thanks.

 

[pitzerwm]

Having your local website IMO is amart, but you MUST put the URL all over your wash and everything else that you print or have(car/truck). It is so cheap that one or two new customers makes it pay.

Years ago(10) when I lived in Mexico and a guy in a piece of crap pickup had his URl painted on the side, I had no doubt that the Internet was going to be a big & valuable thing.

 

[TonyMCC]

Internet marketing will only gain in importance. Consumers are increasingly turning to the Web first to search for local products and services. Think about how you, your friends and certainly your kids look for retail or service information. So much is at people's fingertips online that printed directories are collecting dust. Dex, for example, has launched a pretty aggressive television campaign positioning it against Google for reliability in local merchant searches.

We've done a couple of stories on this topic recently. Ryan Carlson did a nice job on some of the basics in improving your Web presence in the April issue of Modern Car Care, including making sure you are registered with the online versions of Dex and the Yellow Pages, as well as with the Google Maps Local Business Center mentioned earlier. You might find these useful:

http://www.moderncarcare.com/articles/important-ways-to-increasep-web-presence.html

http://www.moderncarcare.com/articles/small-businesses-slow-to-build-web-presence.html

Best,
Tony

 

[Dolly6767]

Has anyone used free internet sites to advertise the wash? Did it work? How did you sell the wash? I was thinking of putting some out there to let the custmers know that we are owner/operated, care for the environment and stand behind our wash. Has it worked for anyone or backfired?

If you have a business phone line at your wash, you might try going to www.superpages.com and search your business name. When it comes up, there is a link that allows business owners to add/edit their phone listing by adding their website and other info for free. Now they have some pay options if you are so inclined. I know a lot of people (including myself) using that site to look up numbers instead of the physical yellow pages. It may not be a huge traffic generator, but doing little things like this certainly can't hurt.