Internet Marketing & Social Media Presentation for Irrigation Contrac…

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Why a website? Why not a camel? As Groucho Marx said, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.”Most contactors are as confused about internet marketing as Groucho was about camels.With websites, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and email, it is all very confusing. And a lot of the experts provide conflicting suggestions.In this presentation I will clear up some of the confusion

The first question I am asked by most contractors isDo I need a website?

Over 80% of American consumers check out your company’s website before they ever pick up the phone to call.

When buying a car, the consumer often knows more about the vehicle than does the sales person because they’ve researched on the internet.

When buying shoes…

…and when buying a lawn sprinkler system.

Yet less than 60% of small businesses have websites.

When creating a website many companies focus on how good the website looks.

Although creating a professional appearance is important. It is not nearly as important as being found by search engines. And search engines could care less about how good looking a website is.

Search engines rank you based upon how relevant the terms in your website match the terms in the search.

They then look at how recently the website pages were updated.

And finally, geographically, how close is your business to the person searching the web.

A good website is not about the look…

On Marketing Grader, the Ohio Irrigation Association website scores better than 69% of all websites in existence.

Yet, we spent only $800

This website of a Landscape Architect

Score only 7 and, in my opinion, is much prettier than the Ohio Irrigation Association’s website.

She paid $1,500

Valley Crest, a world-class leader in the landscape industry, has beautiful and rich website

Yet it only scores 38

And they have paid a lot,

If you search for ‘Ohio Irrigation”

It comes up number one.

If you search “Irrigation Ohio”

It comes up number one.

Word-of-Mouth is still the best form of marketing. People buy because of endorsements from satisfied customers and influential people.

Social media is word-of-mouth marketing…

…on steriods

From Me… …to YOU …to THEM

Gary Vanderchuck, in his book “CRUSH IT!,” advertised free shipping for a bottle of wine on a billboard in New Jersey

From the billboard he received 170 orders

He advertised it on a Northern New Jersey radio station.

From the radio advertising he received 240 orders.

He then ran the ad as a direct mail piece.

And received 300 orders

One tweet on Twitter

1,700 orders in forty-eight hours.

We ran an ad for a landscape contracting company in Indianapolis with the Indianapolis Monthly.The circulation is 42,000 readers

Good lookin ad

Cost $4,700 and we ran it three month at $4,700 each time.

Impression are around 42,000 each month

No new business

For the Ohio Irrigation Association we ran an ad on Facebook.

“Stop Draggin’ Your Hose”

Over Mother’s Day Weekend we received 246.000 impressions

And it only cost $75

So back to the beginning – Do You Need A Website?Absolutely

Why a website? Why not a camel? As Groucho Marx said, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.”Most contractors are as confused about internet marketing as Groucho was about camels.This clears up some of the confusion.

Stop wasting your money on ineffective and expensive advertising campaigns. Invest in a website, use social media to amplify your message, and email to close the sale.

Give me a call if you want some help.

Internet Marketing & Social Media Presentation for Irrigation Contractors

Tom Barrett

Internet Marketing & Social Media Presentation for Irrigation Contractors