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.

© 2017, Rich Harshaw. All rights reserved.