When you need a hamburger it is easy to remember the exact locations of every hamburger haven in the vicinity. These people locate their stores at busy intersections where the public can see them several times a day. Their advertising campaigns are mainly designed to entice a buyer to stop at their store instead of another store down the street.
Approximately half of all locksmith businesses are mobile. Mobile locksmith business locations are usually at their home in a quiet residential setting. It is much less likely that the public will remember where to find you when they have an emergency. Advertising becomes a matter of letting people know that your company exists.
Telephone directories have always been the main focal point of advertising for most locksmiths. In the days when a pay phone was always within walking distance, an advertisement in the Yellow Pages was a real necessity. The only pay phones that I have found today are located in airports. The business value of a Yellow Page advertisement can be directly connected to the amount of people who now use a pay phone when they have an emergency.
In the short period of approximately 15 years, cell phones have become the new and only way of communication. By pressing a few cell phone buttons, a person can either call a friend or can find a locksmith in an emergency. Information regarding any goods or service can be found today by the cell phone/internet connection.
It is no longer necessary for a locksmith business to be located on the busiest intersection in town as long as they have an easily found presence on the internet. A good business web page is a must. Web page providers can make the site for you. If your business is in a vicinity where there are several competitors, web page providers can provide search engine optimization (SEO) which is a system for placing your business name near the top of the locksmith listing.
Every locksmith job is not an emergency. Big money jobs usually occur when a commercial or residential customer wants to upgrade their security. One new service called "Porch.com" allows companies such as locksmiths to register free of charge. A potential customer can then check the list of locksmiths in their area. People can write comments about the good or bad service they received.
Lowe's has reportedly partnered with Porch.com to provide lists of tradespeople. If you can't beat them, join them. Home Depot has a website called HomeDepot.com/Install. Check with Home Depot for details. Menards and Ace Hardware apparently do not have similar electronic service provider lists at this time but it may be possible to register with them for future business.
Consumers can access sites such as Angie’s List and Checkbook.com to find recommendations for tradespeople. You reportedly cannot join these lists; they are collections of comments from satisfied or unsatisfied customers. Positive comments from consumers are a valuable commodity.
Cell phones and computers have trained the public to expect immediate results. If they need service, they can contact someone either by cell phone or computer within seconds. Without a website listing, you are losing business every day to a more savvy competitor.
