So a few weeks ago, we were finishing up a new contractor website.

Before we launch a website, our SEO department runs an automated audit of over 300 items SEO-related items (keyword density, meta coding, etc.). This ensures every piece of the SEO puzzle is there and nothing has slipped through the cracks.

If the audit comes back with a “warning,” it means we missed something, and we MUST fix it before launching the website.

Typically when we run the SEO audit, we either get just a handful of warnings or none at all. So we were confident that everything was going to be hunky dory to take the website live the next day.

Here’s how that process went:

1. We ran the SEO audit.
2. We awaited the results, so we could fix any last-minute issues and launch the site the following day.
3. We received the results.
4. We had a collective heart attack.

SEO Audit Result: 450 Warnings.

This is the part of the episode where Scooby-Doo says, “Ruh-roh.”

Somehow, we forgot to implement the metadata for 450 images on this client’s website (a really important “behind-the-scenes” SEO step). This is usually either already done or almost done by the time the website is ready to launch.

Sure, our SEO audit catches anything that slips through the cracks. But this was less of a “slip in the crack” and more of an “8,000-foot plunge into the Grand Canyon.”

Image metadata takes us 7-10 days to complete. And the website absolutely HAD to launch the next day.

Long story short…

We had to condense 56 to 80 hours worth of work into 14 hours.

To make matters worse, you can’t automate quality image tags. Every single tag must be MANUALLY written. That leaves a TON of room for spelling errors, punctuation errors, and duplicate tags.

The image metadata process goes like this:

1. Analyze images
2. Write tags
3. Edit tags the 1st time
4. Edit tags a 2nd time
5. Implement tags
6. Final tag edits

After our SEO team recovered from their initial panic attacks, they regrouped, got down to business, and pulled an all-nighter. The Diet Coke and coffee flowed freely.

Fast-forward 10 hours.

The rooster crowed to signal the morning.

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon.

And our red-eyed, sleep-deprived SEO team had created and implemented all 450 image tags.

Not only that, but they did it near perfectly.

For typical website projects, our SEO team makes modifications to 30% to 50% of image metadata code during the editing phase.

When they finished implementing the 450 image tags for this website, they achieved an error rate of less than 10%. That’s like LeBron scoring 50 points on 90% shooting.

The result of the MYM SEO team’s Herculean effort?

The contractor’s website launched on time… and our SEO team took a long, well-deserved nap.

Here’s the thing…

These kinds of rush jobs are NOT standard practice at MYM.

But if an unexpected fire is raging, we’re equipped to go “all hands on deck” to put it out… quickly and for good.

It all comes down to having the proper processes in place (like our SEO audit) and people who are passionate about their clients’ success.

When you have a marketing company like that in your corner, the sky is the limit for your success.

Head on over here to learn more about our SEO services and see a comprehensive list of behind-the-scenes “nerd stuff” that goes into every contractor’s website. You’ll be surprised at how involved it is.

P.S. Prior to this post, you may not have realized the importance of coding image tags. To see if the image tags on your website are “up to snuff”—along with the rest of your SEO and online marketing efforts—take advantage of our Lead Generation Audit. You’ll get an exhaustive analysis of your internet marketing efforts, along with how to improve the areas in which you’re lacking.

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I’m speaking at a national conference in Las Vegas in November.

Since I’m OCD about planning, yesterday I started researching flights to Vegas from Dallas.

I visited the website of a major airline I’d never used before. I heard they were pretty cheap, so decided to book my flight through them.

When I input the dates for my trip on the website, I was impressed by the flights and prices it turned up for me.

I could fly to Las Vegas from Dallas and back for $118.19 each way ($236.38 total).

These were flights at reasonable times, too—not some redeye 2 am departures.

“Not too shabby!” I thought.

So I clicked through to proceed with booking my tickets.

And that’s when things got ugly… and expensive.

While airlines will charge you for things like checked baggage and first-class upgrades, this particular airline charges à la carte for a bunch of other stuff.

And by “bunch of other stuff,” I mean LITERALLY EVERYTHING.

As I went through the booking process, I was met with multiple pages of “optional upgrades” for not-so-reasonable fees.

Here are the extra fees I encountered (with my reactions below each one):

• Checked baggage fee: $35.00 each way
  o    Me: “Okay, that’s normal.” (clicks to next page)
• Online booking fee: $33.98
  o    Me: “Really? Alright, whatever. It’s still a decent overall price.” (clicks to next page)
• Seat-choosing fee: $40.00
  o    Me: Seriously? I’m flying coach!” (begrudgingly clicks to next page)
• Carry-on fee: $39.00 each way
  o    Me: “A freaking CARRY-ON fee?” (starting to see red while clicking to next page)
• In-flight peanuts and water: $6.00 each way
  o    “I don’t even get free peanuts?! Oh, come on!” (slams laptop shut)

The final total for my “$236.38” roundtrip flight came to $430.38… 45% more than advertised. About the only thing this airline didn’t charge for was using the bathroom.

I guess I shouldn’t have been THAT surprised. Airlines nickel-and-dime like this all the time.

But this particular airline’s price gouging was on a totally different level… as in, “typical-PPC-company-price-gouging” level.

I’ll explain.

Some PPC companies like to lure prospects in with low advertised prices. What they neglect to tell you is that these advertised prices don’t include components your PPC company unequivocally NEEDS to succeed:

• Job map functionality.
• Mobile campaigns.
• Google Review implementation.
• Re-targeting ad design.
• And then some.

If you want these features (which you do), you have to pay à la carte for each.

By the time you buy up everything you need, you’re spending up to thousands more per month than what you originally intended.

Let’s go through an example based on real industry averages.

Say a roofing company wants to run a PPC campaign, and they set a budget of $3,200 per month with $1,824 going to ad spend.

If they hire an “à la carte” PPC provider—and want all the necessary stuff to ensure a successful campaign—it’s going to cost them.

BIG TIME.

Here’s a breakdown of the roofing company’s REAL PPC costs (again these are based on industry-average prices):

• AdWords Management Fee: $440 per month
• Mobile Campaign: $350 per month (+$299 set up fee)
• Online Chat: $35 per chat (+$200 set up fee and assuming they generate 10 chats per month)
• Google Review System: $299 per month (+$149 set up fee)
• Job Map Service: $99 per month (+$99 set up fee)
• Re-targeting Budget: $200 per month (+$399 set up fee)
• Transcription: $96 per month
• Reporting: $80 per month

Total Monthly Budget: $3,200

REAL Monthly Cost: $4,884

Percentage Actually Going Toward Ad Spend: 37.3%

Amount Over Budget: $1,684

Even when you take out the initial set up fees, the roofing company would still go over budget every month by over $500.

Yeah, PPC is a “takes money to make money” endeavor. But it should never take THIS much.

At MYM, we do PPC the right way. We include every feature necessary for a successful PPC campaign in one low monthly price.

Here is what that roofing company would invest in PPC with MYM if they signed a 12-month agreement (assuming the same $3,200 budget, $1,824 ad spend, and 10 chats generated):

• Online Chat: $35 per chat (Note: only actual leads are counted)
• $950 monthly cost, including…
  o    Transcriptions
  o    Reporting
  o    AdWords Management
  o    Mobile Campaign
  o    Google Review System
  o    Job Map Service
  o    Re-Targeting Ad Design
  o    $0 set-up fee

Total Monthly Budget: $3,200

REAL Monthly Cost: $3,124

Percentage Actually Going Toward Ad Spend: 58.3%

Amount Over Budget: $0.00 (with change to spare)

Factoring in our lack of set up fees, it cost the roofing company $1,760 LESS that first month of their campaign…. and over $500 less every month after that.

And they’ll get better results with us. (We’re the only PPC provider that GUARANTEES at least 15 leads per month for less than $200 per lead.)

You’re probably wondering how the heck we offer ALL of the things other companies do… but at a much lower price.
It’s simple.

Stats show some PPC companies have up to a 60% (!!!) client churn-over rate every year. That’s insane… but it’s the price of doing business when you’re in the business of price gouging.

We prefer forging long-term relationships with our clients. And the way to do that is to ensuring you have EVERYTHING you need for a successful PPC campaign—without ANY nickel and diming.

Period.

Find out more about how our PPC services can produce loads of quality internet leads for you every month.

P.S. Want to know just HOW much money you’re wasting on your current PPC efforts? Request a Free Lead Generation Audit. We’ll put ALL of your online marketing efforts under the microscope, determine the problem areas, and show you how to fix your issues.

Here’s what I know based on concrete statistics:

Financing makes the average sale price go up.

It’s incontrovertible.

And the better the terms, the higher the sale.

Because here is the truth—most homeowners get sticker shock when you tell them their project will cost $10,000 or $20,000 or $40,000 or whatever the number is.

But when you come in with financing, you soften the blow.

The thing is, there is a right way and a wrong way to offer financing.

Most contractors use financing as a last-ditch attempt to salvage a sale. This is the WRONG way.

Instead, sell the monthly payment just like car companies do.

What you do is sit down with the homeowners and say, “Mr. and Mrs. Prospect, we offer several financing options to make this project affordable. How much money do you feel would fit comfortably into your monthly budget to make this project happen?”

(Remember, this is at the beginning—not the end—of the sale.)

If the prospect is not 100% dead set on paying cash upfront (many aren’t, and are open to different options), they will either give you a number or say, “Well, I don’t really know.”

If they don’t know, you say, “What about $200? $300?”

When the prospect gives you a number, say, “OK, you know what, Mr. Prospect? I’ll make you a promise. We can absolutely perform the project you want within your budget of [number] a month.”

If necessary, you can always negotiate the length of the contractor later to make the price fit.

Offering financing this way allows you to close deals faster, easier, and at higher prices.

So when contractors tell me their customers don’t need financing because they all have money, I respond, “That may be true, but how many deals are you losing because the customer did not have the money right then?”

Or…

“That may be true, but how much money in upsells are you losing when your customer has to fork over $10,000 at once, instead of $850 per month?”

One of the best ways I’ve found to offer financing as a first resort is through the GreenSky® Program.

The GreenSky Program is the real deal. Upfront payments. Higher credit limits. Instant credit decisions. No paperwork. No enrollment fee.

Your customers apply for credit during your sales presentation through the GreenSky website, by phone, or through the mobile app. They then get a credit decision almost immediately—sometimes in as little as five seconds.

And when they’re approved, the amount can actually be for more than the cost of the project. This allows you to easily make upsells while staying within your customers’ budgets. Who could possibly pass up replacing their entry door for another $10 per month or upgrading their countertops for $25 per month?

Bottom Line: When you lead with financing through companies like GreenSky, you immediately get your prospects thinking about their projects in small, manageable monthly payments—not a five-figure sum that’s going to leave a gaping hole in their bank accounts.

You’re much more likely to get a “yes”… and for a higher price.

Find out more about the advantages of offering financing through GreenSky on our official MYM GreenSky® page.

Basically, it’s a contractor’s financing dream—and a tool that will melt away price resistance in practically all of your prospects.

* All financing is subject to credit approval and credit qualification.  Financing for GreenSky® consumer credit programs is provided by federally insured, federal and state-chartered financial institutions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex or familial status.

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Whether you love or loathe car dealerships, you have to admit: They’ve got upselling down to a science.

And the backbone of their upselling wizardry is how they advertise the cost of a vehicle in low monthly payments, rather than the whole price.

They do this partly to make their vehicles seem more affordable to shoppers.

But the other reason is that breaking the price down into monthly payments makes it MUCH easier to upsell all the bells and whistles.

For instance, put yourself in the shoes of someone looking for a new car.

You find one you like. You sit down with the salesperson, and he tells you he can offer you in the mid-grade model—with all of the standards features and a few extras—for $419 per month.

–OR–

He can put your gluteus maximus in the sporty red and black two-tone leather seat of the high-end model—the one with the touch screen, heated steering wheel, Bose speaker system, and everything but the kitchen sink—for $459 per month. Right here. Right now.

That’s a lot of awesome extra stuff for just $40 more a month. And it’s REALLY hard to pass up.

After all, you’re already going to spend $419 per month… what’s an extra 40 bucks?

This is how car dealerships make upsells left and right with ridiculous ease.

And believe it or not, it’s exactly how you can, too.

Offering your customers financing through the GreenSky® Program gives you the upselling power of the world’s best car salesman.

Here’s how…

When your customer finances through the GreenSky Program, they can be approved for MORE than the cost of the project.

So say you quote your customer a $15,000 window project. The GreenSky Program approves the customer for $18,000.

This gives you the opportunity to earn up to $3,000 in upsells with practically no effort or salesmanship.

Here’s basically all you have to say: “Ms. Smith, with your new windows, you’re sitting at $200 per month. If you’d like, we can also perform that entry door replacement you’ve been thinking about for just $40 more a month.”

The offer is so fantastic that it literally sells itself.

I mean, seriously. How on earth can anyone say “no” to getting a new entry door for a quarter of the cost of their monthly cable bill?

Answer: Almost no one can. And when you upsell with the GreenSky Program, you’ll find not many people will.

And the best part is, everyone comes out on top in this scenario. Your customer gets a beautiful new entry door; you get more money.

Win-win.

But upselling with the GreenSky Program isn’t just for the window and door contractors out there.

If you’re a kitchen remodeler, you can effortlessly upsell your customers on that countertop upgrade. If you build sunrooms, you can get your customers to invest in your most expensive triple-pane windows. And so on.

See for yourself. Fill out the form on our official MYM GreenSky page to get in touch with GreenSky and get set up with the program.

The GreenSky Program requires zero enrollment fee, and you get exclusive “red carpet treatment” for an MYM email subscriber.

What you get that non-subscribers don’t (because you’re special):

• Dedicated account management by your own personal GreenSky representative
• Daily reporting to identify how to get most value from your accounts
• Detail-level finance sales training and program launch training
• New employee training
• Educational opportunities at NARI events and access to ongoing GreenSky research

You literally have nothing to lose and—oh, I don’t know—potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars to gain.

Here’s the link to the MYM GreenSky page again. Fill out the form right now, and a GreenSky rep will get in touch with you shortly.

Happy upselling!

* All financing is subject to credit approval and credit qualification.  Financing for GreenSky® consumer credit programs is provided by federally insured, federal and state chartered financial institutions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex or familial status.

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