Filtering Posts by Month: December, 2017

Last month, I blogged about lead and cost-per-lead stats of five MYM PPC clients. These stats were from the beginning of the year to November 4^th.

Today, I want to show you the stats of the same five clients through December 2^nd. In parentheses, I’ve denoted the total difference in lead count and cost per lead between November 4^th and December 2^nd. This will give you a better sense of what to expect from a PPC campaign once it is fully optimized.

Note: The following statistics are not for No-Risk PPC Lead Generation. We’re still in the process of switching over some of our current PPC clients to No-Risk PPC. I tell you this because once these clients are switched over to No-Risk PPC, their monthly lead count will be more static (since THEY will be choosing the amount of leads they want). Their cost per lead, however, will be similar to what you see below.

Company names are kept confidential for privacy purposes. For more in-depth details on client lead amounts and CPL, email us at noriskppc@mymonline.com.

1. Illinois Door Company
   a. Number of leads since January 2017: 516 (+11)
        b. Cost per lead: $146.35 (-$1.62)
2. Utah Roofer
        a. Number of leads since January 2017: 611 (+19)
   b. Cost per lead: $58.55 (+$0.35)
3. Washington Gutter Company
   a. Number of leads since January 2017: 505 (+22)
   b. Cost per lead: $123.74 (-$0.67)
4. Tennessee Exterior Remodeler
   a. Number of leads since January 2017: 851 (+19)
   b. Cost per lead: $169.46 (+$7.76)
5. Kansas Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
        a. Number of leads since January 2017: 923 (+52)
   b. Cost per lead: $25.35 (-$1.30)

Takeaways:

• As you know, this is the slow season for most contractors. The increase in the amount of leads between November 2^nd and December 4^th for all clients is much higher during the spring and summer. (For example, client #1 typically experiences 30 to 40 leads per month during the busy season, while client #5 gets over 100 per month.)
• Cost per lead will fluctuate up and down, depending on difference circumstances. If you’re someone like client #4, a $7.76 increase during one particular month is nothing to worry about (especially when your cost per lead is sub-$200 to begin with!). The cost per lead could just as easily decrease $10 or $15 next month.
• Depending on your market and how aggressive you want to be, you can experience results like client #1 or #5.

If you think THESE numbers are good, wait until we get these clients locked and loaded with No-Risk PPC Lead Generation. I can’t want to show you THOSE results.

If you’d like to learn more details about what MYM No-Risk PPC Lead Generation can do for your company and profits, visit the official No-Risk PPC webpage. Or, shoot an email to noriskppc@mymonline.com. We’d be happy to answer your questions.

If you’re new here,  you probably don’t know that there are two types of pay-per-click advertising.

First, there’s “normal” PPC.

This is the type of PPC you’re already familiar with. The goal of “normal” PPC is to get as many clicks as possible for as low of a cost-per-click as possible. You won’t know how many leads you’re getting or what your cost per lead will be. “Normal” PPC doesn’t track that stuff.

Then there is PPC Lead Generation..

This is the type of PPC most contractors don’t know exist. But it’s hands down the better type of PPC for remodelers, builders, and construction companies.

PPC Lead Generation still tracks clicks and cost per click. It still requires a monthly budget (except when it doesn’t… more on that in a second). But PPC Lead Generation uses more sophisticated methods and technology to collect and measure what’s really important: LEADS and COST PER LEAD.

By focusing on leads instead of clicks, PPC Lead Generation actually grows your business. And does so in a quantifiable way.

MYM specializes in PPC Lead Generation. But we’ve evolved it to the next level.

No-Risk PPC Lead Generation is contractor-specific PPC Lead Generation that requires NO budget, NO commitment, and NO risk.

It’s PPC Lead Generation on PEDs.

Here is a completely scientific visual comparison among PPC, PPC Lead Generation, and MYM No-Risk PPC Lead Generation:

PPC

PPC Lead Generation

MYM No-Risk PPC Lead Generation

Here’s how No-Risk PPC Lead Generation works…

You tell us the number of leads you want. We get them to you for $200 or less per lead—guaranteed. We track every single PPC-related call, chat, and contact you get to determine your amount of TRUE leads. Once you receive and review your leads, then you pay for those leads.

• You don’t have to worry about running out of money 10 days into your monthly campaign.
• You don’t have to worry whether clicks are (or are not) turning into leads.
• You don’t have to worry about wrong numbers, calls outside your service area, or calls for services you don’t provide counting as leads.
• All you have to focus on is closing the leads we supply you. And since PPC leads are usually the hottest of the hot, that shouldn’t be a problem.

So if “normal” PPC has failed you in the past… and you can’t stomach the budget for typical PPC Lead Generation… step up to MYM No-Risk PPC Lead Generation. It will grow your business as fast as YOU want it to… without any risk.

Email noriskppc@mymonline.com for more details. We can analyze your business and market to determine how many leads are available in your area. If you decide you want to proceed, we’ll get the ball rolling immediately.

P.S. When you become an MYM No-Risk PPC client, we waive our $1,000 monthly management fee for the first three months. This is to prove the program will deliver the leads you need to grow your business to where you want it to be.

In the post When and Why Did Black Friday Gobble Up Thanksgiving I talked to you about how Black Friday is gradually engulfing Turkey Day and also how brick-and-mortar retailers are desperate to turn business around as more and more people shop online.

Over the weekend, I read an article in the NY Times about this subject. It profiles two Sears locations, and how they have fought tooth and nail to stay open despite struggling sales.

The articles says that, despite a strong market and high consumer confidence, it’s still “a vulnerable time for many [brick-and-mortar] retailers, as they try to adjust their business model… to a more adept online operation.”

In other, non-euphemistic words: companies that don’t have strong online-sales infrastructure are being eaten alive.

According to the article, Sears Holdings CEO Eddie Lampert said, “We are fighting like hell [to stay in business].”

But Sears Holdings—which also owns Kmart—has closed over 150 stores since January 2017.

They waited too long to get into the internet-marketing game. And now they are paying the steepest of prices.

Sears Holdings lost more than $2 billion in 2016.

This reminds me of how some contractors STILL “pooh-pooh” internet marketing in 2017… and how it will inevitably lead them down the same path as Sears.

The “pooh-poohers” believe the offline lead-generation methods they’ve used for years—referrals, home shows, even direct mail—are and always will be their most effective ways of getting business. They’ve shunned online marketing because they “don’t need it” or “it’s too complex” or “it costs too much” or “it’s too risky.”

But while offline lead-generation methods DO still work for contractors, they are now objectively less effective than internet-marketing strategies like SEO, PPC, and a strong website. Sorry, it’s not up for debate.

Need proof?

Ninety-one percent of consumers now search for local companies online.

Consumer habits aren’t just trending toward buying online… buying online is now the de-facto norm. And that’s not changing.

Here’s why I’m telling you this…

If you’re a contractor who still relies mostly on offline lead generation, you ARE in danger of going down the same path as Sears. And I don’t want you “fighting like hell” to stay in business.

Sure, you may be doing fine right now. Maybe better than fine.

But Sears and Kmart were also doing fine… until online retail companies like Amazon came along, caught them off guard, and annihilated them.

I’ve seen similar situations play out numerous times in the remodeling industry…

• Remodeler A builds a nice business for himself through referrals and other offline methods. He prospers for years. Maybe decades.
• Then Remodeler B comes along. He has a great website, an SEO strategy, and a strong PPC campaign. Remodeler B also uses offline lead-generation methods. But he uses them in addition to—not in replace of—his internet marketing campaign.
• Gradually, Remodeler B starts dipping his hand in Remodeler A’s cookie jar. He’s the remodeler people in the area now overwhelmingly choose because he is so easy to find—after all, over 90% of folks start their search for contractors online. All it takes is a few clicks, and—boom—Remodeler B is right in their faces.
• Meanwhile, Remodeler A sticks to offline lead generation only. His profits stall. Then they start to shrink a little more every year.
• Remodeler B, on the other hand, continues to grow using an effective combination of online and offline methods. His business booms.

It may seem like impending doom for Remodeler A… a “Sears in 2017”-type state of affairs. But the situation is not hopeless.

I’ve seen contractors like Remodeler A finally “see the light” with regards to internet marketing… and turn things around in a BIG way.

If internet marketing seems risky to you…

or you’re unconvinced it can be effective for your specific company

or situation… I’ve got a GUARANTEED proposal for you.

At MYM, we’ve developed a groundbreaking method of online marketing called No-Risk PPC Lead Generation.

It’s exactly what it says: a ZERO-risk pay per click program that guarantees leads.

Here’s how it works…

1. You tell us the amount of monthly PPC leads you want. (Minimum of 30 per month.)
2. We get those leads to you for $200 or less, guaranteed.
3. You pay for those leads only after you receive and review them.

That’s it. Besides a monthly management fee—which we waive for the first three months to prove our program works—you pay only for the leads. There is no monthly budget. And if at any time you decide No-Risk PPC isn’t for you, you can quit; we require no commitment. (But I’m positive you’ll want to stay onboard once you see the results.)

This is THE perfect way to get into the online-lead-generation game if you worry about the costs or complexity of internet marketing.

You get the number of leads you want… for a cost per lead that’s comparable or LOWER than your current offline efforts… and you don’t do anything except let us handle everything for you. All we ask is that you can handle at least 30 leads per month, answer your phone consistently, and pay promptly. That’s it.

 You

Of course, you need a website to have a PPC campaign. But with No-Risk PPC Lead Generation, your website doesn’t have to be the Mona Lisa of the internet. As long as it’s serviceable (i.e., has a clear call-to-action, a decent design, and is written in coherent English), No-Risk PPC will work for you since the leads are guaranteed.

And here’s the other great news: You don’t have to give up your tried-and-true offline lead-generation strategies. After all… if those strategies still get homeowners knocking on your door, why WOULDN’T you continue to utilize them? Using your current lead-generation efforts in TANDEM with No-Risk PPC will give you a double whammy.  (Read this blog where I talk about How PPC can Finance The Growth Of Your Company to see how to implement PPC into your current marketing efforts—without going over your marketing budget.)

For more info, email us at noriskppc@mymonline.com. We’ll answer your questions and research your company and market to determine the number of leads available in your service area.

So yesterday, I came across an amusing video by Mike Rowe from television’s Dirty Jobs. Not only is it hilarious, but it’s enormously relevant for contractors looking to improve their marketing.

In the video, Rowe reads an email his friend received from his friend’s daughter, Charlotte, who is an 11-year-old Girl Scout. She was looking to sell a certain amount of Girl Scout cookies to take a trip.

Charlotte heard from her dad that his friend was “rich.” Within the hour, she emailed the rich friend a powerful and persuasive sales letter. (If you have a daughter who is a Girl Scout, you know they get cutthroat about meeting their sales quotas.)

Before you go any further in this email, watch the video below to hear Rowe read the sales letter (he starts reading it around the 40-second mark):

Watched it? Good.

Did you count the number of persuasion elements in the letter? There’s a whole bunch. And you can use them all in your own marketing.

Let’s break down Charlotte’s powerful sales letter…

• Credentials (“I’ve sold the most boxes in my troop.”)
• Speaking directly to the prospect’s needs (“I heard you were looking to donate cookies to our soldiers…”)
• Specifics (detailing the taste of each cookie)
• A call to action (“I do hope you’ll purchase a few boxes from my website; the link is below.”)
• An honest, respectful, no-pressure sales approach (being truthful about which cookies she doesn’t like and which ones the prospect may like)

What stands out most to me about Charlotte’s sales letter is that last bullet. An honest and low-key “pitch” can often be THE most effective way to close the sale.

After all, who LIKES the feeling of being pressured into something?

After Rowe read this letter to hundreds of thousands of people on the internet, Charlotte’s little landing page was flooded with cookie orders. She met her goal the same day the video went viral.

That brings me to my point.

When you’re talking to potential customers, are you honest with them? Or do you just tell them what they want to hear?

If it’s the latter, it’ll come back to bite you.

Sooner or later, you’ll get exposed. Those empty promises will lead to unsatisfied customers, bad word of mouth, negative online reviews… the whole nine yards.

But if you’re honest with folks, they’ll reward you. Not just with their money, but with referrals, positive feedback, and repeat business.

At MYM, we use the “Charlotte” approach to selling. We dish the straight facts to potential clients. No fluff. No nonsense.

If the prospect likes what they hear, then we proceed. If not, then we wish them well. Strong-arming prospects into partnerships just isn’t our style.

It’s why we offer invaluable complimentary services to prospects like our Lead Generation Audit.

We’ll unleash thousands of dollars worth of resources—at no charge to you—to determine the effectiveness of your website, SEO, PPC, and internet marketing as a whole. Then we’ll give you the 100% honest truth about where you’re falling short… and what needs to happen to fix the problem.

If you’re interested, get a FREE  Lead Generation Audit.

P.S. MYM’s Lead Generation Audit uncovers problems that aren’t even a blip on most contractors’ radar. So if your sales are lagging or your growth has stalled—and you just can’t figure out why—take advantage of our audit. It could be the catalyst that propels your business to where you WANT it to be.