Probelms with YP

[LawnsRUsInc.]

I was wondering why everyone has a probelm with the YP? Everyone says it doesnt pay for itself at all! If you think of it as if you get 10 new customers at $40 per cut X 25 cuts = $10,000. Like my ad at the top its $280 per month x 12 = 3360. Who hear thinks iam off my rocker and wont get 10 clients? Also lets say i lose 10% of those new clients next year thats only 1 customer. And next year if i dont have the ad than those 9+ customers will become very profitable.

Any comments, Jason

[Soupy]

What is your profit margin on those #'s? I don't think it is worth it for the 10 customers, but I do think it is worth it if you get 20.

The main reason why I don't run an add in the yellow pages is because It cost to much each month just to have a business line. All I would do is forward the calls to my cell anyway. I am listed in a smaller book, that doesn't care if you have a business line. Plus this year, I had my land-line # transfered to my cell phone. Now I don't have the added expense of a land-line just to forward calls.

I really like you ad! I would hope it brings you more then 10 customers.

Good Luck,
Soupy

[DUSTYCEDAR]

the add looks great
i don't do YP adds because i try to stay focused in a small area

[LawnsRUsInc.]

yea i hope it brings in more than 10 clients lol. But i was thinking theoretically.

[dkeisala]

I like your yp ad - I use just a small box ad similar to the one on the upper right corner of your ad. I've used a larger ad in the past and it just didn't seem to generate enough business to justify the cost and I can make those dollars go so much further in different forms of ads. Most the calls I get are people that have seen our various other forms of advertising (trucks, trailers, signs, referrals) and can remember the name but not necessarily the phone number. They can look through the yp's or do an internent search. Seems like the yp calls I would get are shoppers - when I show up to do an estimate they have a list of a dozen different numbers they have called. Those are price shoppers and I want nothing to do with them.

But to answer your question, while a lot of people may have a problem with the yp's, they must work because they have no shortage of advertisers and many of us are in there regardless of whether we believe it's 100% effective or not.

[WeatherMan]

I advertise in YP and its a great tool for us. the only downside is the clientell is so spread out.

[rodfather]

Take the 10 grand, subtract all of the expenses associated with these 10 new customers, subtract the $3360 it costs you for 12 months and then tells us how much is left...

[dougaustreim]

Several years ago, TORO placed our yellow pages ad in the wrong phone book. The only number listed was an 800 number so there was no way to tell actual location from that. The street address was for a street that was also a busy commercial street in the other much larger city than ours. So the average customer in that city looking at the yellow pages would have seen what would appear to be a legitimate local contractor. The only catch would be that they would not have known the name from word of mouth of course.

In two years we got a total of 5 calls from that market and 3 of them were for parts and the other two were shopping prices so we probably would not have gotten those jobs anyway.

Use your YP money to improve customer service and word of mouth will carry you much farther. Simple easy to read vechicle signs will also go a long way.


Doug
Austreim Landscaping
1973-

[lawnman_scott]

My add is a bit smaller than your and about twice as much. But its well worth it. I will never get rid of it.

[Scraper]

Originally posted by Soupy

The main reason why I don't run an add in the yellow pages is because It cost to much each month just to have a business line. All I would do is forward the calls to my cell anyway. I am listed in a smaller book, that doesn't care if you have a business line. Plus this year, I had my land-line # transfered to my cell phone. Now I don't have the added expense of a land-line just to forward calls.



I don't know if you've looked into it recently, but the Verizon Yellow pages allows you to use any number for your listing. You no longer need a dedicated business line. I used my cell number for my ad.

[promower]

I have my cell number in the SBC YP's they never questioned it. I wouldnt have 75% of my customers without the YP I think its a great tool especially for people just starting

[Green Finger]

LawnsRUS,


Good ad,

It takes money to make money. What your ad does is it establishes your name within the community. You have a catchy name therefore people will remember you. Sure it might spread you out a little just be selective with your routes.

Just keep advertising. keep it within your budet and you'll be fine.

The funny thing is people will keep your ad and call you 4 to 6 months down the road. You are going to make your money back and some. Just keep your name clean and do good work. You'll be fine.

[Let it Grow]

This year will be my first year in the YP. I put a 1/4 page ad in it and it will cost about $300/month. My goal is to get many more landscape installs, so I put the ad under landscape contractors. All of my lawn care advertising is done locally in my area of town. What I'm trying to do is get more landscaping clients, and I don't care where they are (as long as they are fairly close!!!) and keep my lawn care clients in a tight route in my part of town...we'll see if it works that way!

[LawnsRUsInc.]

good replys thanks to all. Yea so far it has been getting calls. With me trying to grow my business, i thought it was worth a try. I dont want to sit around and wait for people to find me by word of mouth yea it has been growing my bus. but when you want to get larger quicker why not. I have the equip. to perform the work and the money to advertise it. Last year all i really did was the newspaper and i got many clients. One of the clients for their home and business and they spent 32k last year for our services well that probably what paid for all my advertising in the newspaper for 5 years prior!

Jason

[Team Gopher]

Hi LawnsRUsInc.,

Very nice ad. It really stands out.

[sodzilla]

This is my first year doing lawn care. I figured I had to take out an ad to get business. Business card size ad with full color. Ad cost $189 a month. Book goes out to just under 450,000 people. I just got a call Friday from a develpment company that wants bids on 15 properties. I would say yellow pages are a good way to go.

[Green Finger]

Way to go Sodzilla, You jump on that bid!:blob3: :blob3: :blob3:

[allstar]

Jason,
I think it's essential for a new business to run a yellow page ad if you want to get exposure and grow quickly.Word-of-mouth referrals are great but it takes time to get a significant number of those coming your way.I feel confident a well-designed ad will more than pay for itself.

[LawnsRUsInc.]

Thank you to all here. Yea same here sodzilla i got a bid packet for lawn and landscape managment for commercial prperties #12 and we are landscaping a new condo association getting built wierd thing is its right behind my house ok so far we will see how it goes.

Jason