Advise required, What the hell am I doing wrong?

[cullen]

Having worked in sales in the retail flooring industry (carpets, woods, vinyls etc) for 15 years I decided to make the break and set my own company up. Instead of having retail premises I have bought a LWB Sprinter and decked it out as a 'mobile' showroom. The company is called 'Floors to You' (the shop that comes to your door!). The idea being that I can offer a very high level of service as you would expect but with significantly lower prices as my overheads are almost non-existant. The van has been sign written and looks great I have also bought an easy to remember phone number and set up a web site all to give a confidence inspiring profesional look to the business.

I have advertised in the local press, done a leaflet drop to 7500 homes, I make sure the van is left in prominent areas of the city for people to see but...............

6 x weeks into the start of the business I have only had one job as a result of my efforts and that was someone that saw the van and decided to call!

Am I being impatient or have I got some fundemental flaw in my business plan? I realise it takes time to build a reputation but only one call? My advertising has been to the point not too pushy but enough to get the point across that I have some great quality products at excellent prices...

Obviouly I have contacted all the letting agents, property managers etc in my area so that I hope will generate some work, but why are members of the public not calling for a free, no obligation quotation?

Help please!

[JustinP1]

I think the issue is that the way you are doing it is great from a business perspective, but from a customer's perspective the concept is very different to what they are used to.

People like what they are used to, so you just need to break that concept down, or show it is better.

Got an example of your adverts?

[hadenough!]

Well, you appear to be Tim, so who are Chris and Natalie:

http://www.floorsdirect2you.co.uk/

If this isn't your company, it appears there is another with the same name.

[cullen]

This is me www.floors-to-you.co.uk

Edited by cullen on Tuesday 9th March 13:08

[JustinP1]

cullen said:

This is me www.floor-to-you.co.uk

There's your problem - that link doesn't work.

Seriously though, even when I Googled Floor to You, you didn't come up. So, even if I saw your van and remembered your name, I still couldn't find you.

[cullen]

JustinP1 said:

cullen said:

This is me www.floor-to-you.co.uk

There's your problem - that link doesn't work.

Seriously though, even when I Googled Floor to You, you didn't come up. So, even if I saw your van and remembered your name, I still couldn't find you.

Sorry it's "Floors to You" I was typing too fast!

[JustinP1]

That's still a problem.

Unless I remember exactly the correct combination of forgettable words and hyphens I don't find you.

If I Google 'Floors to you' you are not there - you just gave business to your competitors.

Compare that to:

Pink Fish Carpets. (Example only to prove a point)

You would be top of Google, and none of your competitors would get a sniff.

Also if your marketing is like your site, I see no reason to call you. OK, you do carpets like anyone else in the Yellow Pages. So what?

However, if an advert came through my door saying:

"Get a 15 foot room carpeted with underlay for £150 - choice of quality carpets - Pink Fish Carpets"

Then you are actually hooking someone for something THEY want - not what you can do. Then, they can Google your name, find you straight away, see you are legit, and call you up.

[cullen]

Oh st have I made a complete balls of this then?

JustinP1 said:

That's still a problem.

Unless I remember exactly the correct combination of forgettable words and hyphens I don't find you.

If I Google 'Floors to you' you are not there - you just gave business to your competitors.

Compare that to:

Pink Fish Carpets. (Example only to prove a point)

You would be top of Google, and none of your competitors would get a sniff.

Also if your marketing is like your site, I see no reason to call you. OK, you do carpets like anyone else in the Yellow Pages. So what?

However, if an advert came through my door saying:

"Get a 15 foot room carpeted with underlay for £150 - choice of quality carpets - Pink Fish Carpets"

Then you are actually hooking someone for something THEY want - not what you can do. Then, they can Google your name, find you straight away, see you are legit, and call you up.

[JustinP1]

Not really, you have done the best you can.

The reason why there is the statistic that 3 out of 5 businesses don't last 2 years or whatever is because it is quite common for tradesmen to leave who they work for and assume that doing good quality work is enough to get business.

To give you an idea, as a tradesman (of sorts) who is in an area dominated by one man bands, I actually spend 70% of my time and effort getting work. Doing the work is easy.

You also have to make the mistakes first in order to find the best way.

[pokethepope]

More and more often nowadays people google for local tradesman (rather than yellow pages etc), so you should get yourself higher ranking on google and on places such as Gumtree, and im sure theres loads of online trade directories where you can get yourself listed.

Ratemybuilder or something pops up often in Home, G & DIY, I dont know if you can add youself to that but have a look.

[Mr Overheads]

Get out and network, join as many organisations as you can meet as many people as you can - but don't sell to them, just explain the concept and they'll remember you. Then try and help as many people as you can by connecting people you've met at networking events.

Go to trade shows, meet builders, odd job men, plumbers etc etc.

Plumbers as an example - if they know your service exists and they are in a household that has had their foor ruined due to a leak, they can call you, you drive round and the householder can choose a new floor there and then.

Insurance companies - same idea as the plumber.

There are lots more "introducers of business" that you want to cultivate

Maybe call it "Emergency Flooring" you-ve just invented a new niche in flooring...and you'll be top of Google.

Take a look at "Real Oak Floors" they get vast volumes of business in just from web enquiries and builders etc. They even export because people google the term "Real Oak Floors", people won't google "Floors to You"

6 weeks in with 1 phonecall it's not too late to change your name.

Edited by Mr Overheads on Tuesday 9th March 14:32

[HiRich]

cullen said:

Oh st have I made a complete balls of this then?

No, there's an interesting idea there. Justin makes some good points, but I would tie them to some key points on the strengths and weaknesses.

Key USPs are:

• You go to the customer, not the other way around
• You can measure up at the same time, and see samples in situ
• You can advise and contribute to decisions more - seeing the room you can provide a consultation on both material and colour.
• You can do it Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.

So (as well as lower overheads), there's convenience, speed, and better recommendations.
Downsides include;

• But have you got the range? I want to see lots of samples (even though it's too many to make a decision)
• What area do you cover?

So your website and other marketing needs to highlight the USPs and eliminate the doubts.

• Google SEO to highlight what and where (e.g. carpet +Salisbury, Karndean +Hampshire). Key searches are going to be product (or brand name) +town/area/postcode. You need to be front page, to get people to click through. Look at your site stats to see how many people are getting to the site - that will give you a clue whether they are not finding it or are getting scared off.
• Same for Yellow Pages and any ads & leaflets. You need to stand out as the people who will do carpets in the area
• Give me the confidence that if I call you in, you will have access to a huge range of floorings. That means a lot more info on your website - numbers, name brands. Remember, the objective of the website is to get me to call or email you.
• Use the website to really sell the USPs - the convenience, the consultation service ("helping you make the right choice")

I would suggest a smoother, sexier website to communicate a premium, luxury proposition. You're adding value by making life more convenient and advising, and yet you still match/beat the competition on price. I would consider replacing the green and black with softer images (like silk). And open the copy sections to be more readable, and sexier. There's a lot more design work to go into that website.

[Greg_D]

there is some excellent advise on this thread, if i were you, i would give serious consideration to taking it.

IME, traditional paper advertising and leaflets etc is a VERY expensive way of generating business, and again IME not at all effective, web is the way forward, especially if you have no foot traffic.

Greg

Edit, my dad has a very successful traditional carpet shop called STD Carpets. He doesn't even have a website, but some epic naivete in his youth irt name choice has proven to be inspired. People never forget the name.........

Edited by Greg_D on Tuesday 9th March 14:28

[Mr Overheads]

Get a wrap for each of the Landrover, Elise and TT, make the wrap look like wooden flooring, you'll have a small fleet of "wooden" cars, people will soon take notice and remember the company name emblazoned on them as well.

[TooLateForAName]

Mr Overheads said:

Get a wrap for each of the Landrover, Elise and TT, make the wrap look like wooden flooring, you'll have a small fleet of "wooden" cars, people will soon take notice and remember the company name emblazoned on them as well.

But might think that he must be expensive if it is just the owner and the flooring business is funding a collection of sports cars?

[Dick Dastardly]

Haven't got time to comment on SEO and online marketing right now sorry, but from your initial post it looks like you need to find your local BNI and join it. There is a flooring guy in the chapter I am in and another in the chpater that one of my employees goes to and both get a number of sales a month from it.

[Frimley111R]

JustinP1 said:

I think the issue is that the way you are doing it is great from a business perspective, but from a customer's perspective the concept is very different to what they are used to.

People like what they are used to, so you just need to break that concept down, or show it is better.

Got an example of your adverts?

I do tend to agree, having been on the receiving end of something similar (selling cars in people's homes via a laptop - great in theory but people are used to going to see cars and looking at them, not seeing them on a computer and buying them off one. It taught me that new buying concepts for products are best left to the big boys as they have the money to change general thinking). People can have a mistrust of salespeople visiting their homes, old memories of 'strong arm' sales tactics in their own home put them off. I remember Kirby Hoovers doing this to me some years back.

Also, flooring is somethnig I'd like to see and I'd tend to go to a large store to see it laid out for the full affect.

Your technique can work but it'll be harder than having a shop IMO. Sorry to sound a bit negative.

[jon-]

All good suggestions, but if you're going offline drops at the very least get adwords ads on the various combinations of your company name.

SEO is great, but takes time. Adwords is great for day one.

[Mr Overheads]

TooLateForAName said:

Mr Overheads said:

Get a wrap for each of the Landrover, Elise and TT, make the wrap look like wooden flooring, you'll have a small fleet of "wooden" cars, people will soon take notice and remember the company name emblazoned on them as well.

But might think that he must be expensive if it is just the owner and the flooring business is funding a collection of sports cars?

It depends what market he's aiming at is it quality real wood to expensive homes or is it cheap and nasty laminate to the consumer that's looking to save every penny.

Brand Association with Sports Cars for a quality product might not be such a bad thing.

[Mr Overheads]

The others on here are right, your website needs a serious redesign - you say you've had 1 customer, but you have 6 testimonials - don't start a business with a lie or is there another reason for the testimonials?

You're a van based business - have a picture of the van - not one of a random living room (you could be selling white sofa's)

I'm not a web designer or content expert or an SEO expert but there are plenty on here and I would take their advice.