How are you advertising PV?

[Markc]

Well the title say's it all really!

How are you advertising your new venture?

Here's my thoughts:

1, Internet. Company web site. (Nice new one coming soon as well!)

How do people find it? how do you know what traffic its getting? Is it linked to other websites?

2, Newspaper adverts.

What sort of adds are you putting in and what sort of cost?

3, Anyone dare look into radio or TV advertising?

4, Local parish mag's or alike

Does the readership coverage actually cover the cost and is it generating any leads?

5, Magazines, trade shows, local event shows etc

Anyone doing any of this?

Anyone with any ideas? would help us all.

Another thought is I know there are also recommend websites out there but would there be any interest if a group of installers over the UK got together to start a site linking all our sites together and then using something like a google platform as a sponsored link. Like a club together set up to link all our sites off one page? Would require costs and admin set up but might be a cheaper way of web advertising.

Just a thought to see what you all think.

Cheers

 

[Noshocks]

It all seems to be internet at the moment as its so new, I am considering putting in Dentons etc for next year as at the moment there are no companies advertising PV, this will change within a year or two though I am sure.

 

[pcollins]

I was thinking internet (site under development at the moment), newspaper and local parish mags and was also considering a stall at our local game fair. So mostly the usual options. I've found the local mags very rewarding for my day to day work, and there is currently a lot of interest in our panels within the village. Also possibly a leaflet drop (though I find them soul destroying!)

I had a call from some web developing agency offering to get me a sponsored link on Google for 10 popular search phrases for £250 per month (which was novel, as the internet advertising people have left me a lone for at least 2 weeks!)

The other one I've had of late was somebody offering to put my details on a leaflet at Homebase for about £600 per year (1 store), 2 year contract but I'm not totally convinced of this, having been into homebase to look at the board 19 out of 20 leaflets on the board were different leaflets all advertising the board (the other was a local spark) Has anybody else used these?

I would certainly be interested in a being part of what you have proposed, Mark, even if it was a non-sponsored site, the greater the different numbers of websites your own site is linked to the higher up a search engine list it comes, and like you say, if we had several websites linked off one paid/sponsored site it would be cheaper than doing it individually...

Cheers
Paul

 

[Sparky Ninja]

Thought it may be worth a mention... a company local to me have done some work and have fixed a sign on the clients fence. The fence backs onto the road for passers by to see when they notice the installation.

I know the client personally (my dentist) so I know it's not his company. My guess is that there may have been a gentlemens agreement of some kind?



I myself am not directly involved with installation of PV. I did an eco-house 10 years ago for the local councils PR and that was enough for me

 

[Martin Dawes]

We're getting a website sorted and we were going to do some minor local advertising for now. I can't spend much more on this venture without getting some returns. Everyone else at my firm think I'm going crackers.

 

[Markc]

We've gone for the website sponsored links and £25 a phrase. It does get your web page to the top IF the search is done using your key phrases. Feed back from the provider is poor as they said they would provide statistics. As yet nothing.

Local press is our other option we are now looking into but like most it's a cost thing.

I have had numerous PV Lead companies contact me who could give us leads at £35 each and upwards. Think that is a total loss as you can't vet them prior to receiving them. Could even be form the other side of the UK!

Interesting thoughts and I am considering the linked web site option IF the cost was smaller to have it linked, other installers would commit and possible sponsored links to suppliers or alike. I know the admin would possibly be a nightmare but I think it may be worth looking at.

 

[edexlab]

The firm i work with do local papers some leaflet drops around our installs, also board signs outside installs but most comes in from customers checking Mcs list seeing we're local to them and then on to the website and customer referrals .

 

[Dpl Renewables]

I am the e-commerce manager here at DPL renewable energy. Its my job is to get us on the net - and seen!

You need to open a Gmail account (not a bad move in itself) and search, then sign up for "Google Analytics". Add your web site to your analytics account and it gives you a verification code. Get whoever does your web site to add this code to the HTML of your web site and you can see all kinds of relevant, important and useful information on your visitors (or lack of them).

Run it for 3 months, then advertise in a magazine and see if the trend changes to see if the spend with the magazine was worth it. You can see the visitors, searches and results in great detail and it’s not hard to grind down the data to useful results.

If enough people want to do a group site I can arrange this and swallow the cost in my budget for the 1st quarter of next year. I can apply my SEO skills and tools I use to this web site for us to get work for all maybe?

 

[Coffeemad]

Look at the wider picture as well. You've got Venture Capitalsit Groups such as Foresight supplying and installing the kit for free, but taking most of the revenues. You should also look at Consutancy organisations such as Ownenergy, who help companies capitilise on the "feed in tariff scheme"

Advertising PV, look at British Gas, Southern Electric et al. see Solar Panel Checklist from British Gas

Good article in The Times 1/8/10 under thesundaytimes.co.uk/environment

 

[robbobnbill]

Markc i do our website and the idea this post originally had is a good one, a cooperative of installers working together recommending each other based on location, im intrested
and intrested in helping create it! pm me if the idea is still running round your brain

 

[High Tower]

Markc i do our website and the idea this post originally had is a good one, a cooperative of installers working together recommending each other based on location, im intrested
and intrested in helping create it! pm me if the idea is still running round your brain

All sounds good!!

 

[SolarCity]

I also like the idea. I'd definitely like to get involved with something like this.

 

[SRE]

Buy the leads from the referral agency they're excellent quality and we're converting one in 3 and getting further referrals from the customers...

 

[Ramjam]

Buy the leads! I used to sell for another company before I set up on my own. They used to buy leads from just one company and I would convert 30-50% into sales.

I've just signed up to servicemagic at £19 per lead. In my area they have around 38 leads per month. They only sell them to 3 companies max. You set the number of leads you want from which postcode area(s) and therefore your monthly budget. If you figure on a 1-5 conversion rate then you pay £95 per sale. So you sit back and the leads come in, you have to make 5 sales visits for each sale which with MCS is not a short process. While I get established this strikes me as a good way to build a sales order pipeline as a one man band with wife and casual roofer I'm aiming for 4-8 installs a month which will make good money.

If you're operating anywhere populated (I live in the back of beyond) I'd imagine that you could do well buying leads if you're good at closing sales. Speedy, polite and informative was always the key for me! Price is a factor but quality information and local beats price for most customers.

 

[dgreenberr]

hi mark, think its a great idea if as a whole group we pool together and spread our wings nationwide i would definately be interested in a group advertisement based on location

 

[Markc]

Hi All

This idea is still running through my mind and I keep coming back to it.

The issues for me at this time are:

1. Time! (need I say more)
2. Cost's. We have all had massive costs to get where we are and funds are low for us all.
3. Knowledge. I'm a sparks and a PV installer, No web designer. Web designer = costs!
4. Keeping it amended and accounted.
5. Deciding on a strategy to implement it which keeps all the installers on a equal footing (no one installer taking presidents) and how many to allow for a designed area.
6. Ensuring trust and accountancy over admin costs. After all we are all cyber buddy's here aren't we!

Looking at using a web hosting services of 1and1 as they seem reasonable and cost effective on a basic package.

Was also considering sponsorship may be and keeping any adverts relevant to the industry.

Ideas welcome and anyone with web design and building skill welcome to assist.

Anyone interested email me [email protected] with your email details and over the coming weeks I will see what response I get and if it's a goer. Ideas and location would be good also. Anything looked at with an open mind and if response is good I will email you all back with all the information received for you all to consider.

Mark

P.S Website name also would be good.

 

[MorganPVI]

It's a good idea, basically taking the interent quote-machines on and cutting out the middleman.

For £250 we can have a nice website built with another £250 we can have it Search Engine Optimised, probally you'd need £100 /mth to keep it at the top of the search engines and general maintenace. So £500 -£750 upfront would get us a nice website.

There are 48 counties in England, so can we get 15 firms/people to take 3 counties each and pay £30 - £40 upfront and £6 a month, they then have all the leads in a tri county area. I'm willing to pay far more than £50 and £10 a month for 38 leads every 4 weeks. sounds better than £20 a time for a shot in the dark.

 

[Markc]

It's a good idea, basically taking the interent quote-machines on and cutting out the middleman.

For £250 we can have a nice website built with another £250 we can have it Search Engine Optimised, probally you'd need £100 /mth to keep it at the top of the search engines and general maintenace. So £500 -£750 upfront would get us a nice website.

There are 48 counties in England, so can we get 15 firms/people to take 3 counties each and pay £30 - £40 upfront and £6 a month, they then have all the leads in a tri county area. I'm willing to pay far more than £50 and £10 a month for 38 leads every 4 weeks. sounds better than £20 a time for a shot in the dark.

All sounds good but I think there may be a need to have some sort of one off payment on an annual basis. Calculate the cost of a web site and some form of admin split between a certain number (15 is good) of installers for a 12 month period. When 11 months are up Admin can send emails to those willing to stay in and collect moneys for the next 12 months. Anyone who pulls out within 12 months can not then jeopardise the web site for that 12 month period. £1000 split on 15 is around £66 per year. May be paypal would be the easiest way to collect payments?

Nothing could be instigated until 15 installers are signed up and payments made. I would further suggest payments could be made in one go? So as installers join up over time no monies are paid until 15. Then we all pay together and arrange for the website to be built.

I see the website as a UK map with the areas (counties) shown. If you click in that area it links directly to that installers website? Obviously a home page explaining the uniqueness of our site. As one has said already a installers site by installers.

Your thoughts?

P.S When emailing me please can I ask you to also put your Forum name? I don't know who you are on here if I don't know that and obviously nothing will be passed on to others!

 

[SRE]

OMG - came in tonight to 4 referrals from referral company - all good quality. One referral from my structural surveyor who wants to go ahead pretty quickly, one from the Parish magazine and another 2 from a customer who we installed for before Christmas. Out of those 4 are planning to go ahead in the next couple of weeks and 2 others in the next month. The most that's going to cost me is £80. I only went out for 4 hours!

Another colleague in a different part of the country got over 80 referals last week and is converting one in 4/5.

Remember it's quite expensive to mainatin the optimisation of your site, requiring ongoing & frequent tweaking and reviewing. In my experience SEO experts are expert in seo not solar so someone is going to have to keep providing up to date info to have a chance of competing with the big guys.

 

[Apollo]

We've gone for the website sponsored links and £25 a phrase. It does get your web page to the top IF the search is done using your key phrases. Feed back from the provider is poor as they said they would provide statistics. As yet nothing.

Hi Mark,

Like said you need to get a google account, get your web site linked in with this and then I would recommend talking to someone in the know about PPC and SEO, PPC is what costs you everytime someone clicks on your sponsored link. SEO is natural listings and is all about your Key words deep within your site. If you get the latter one right it can bring massive dividends. I would get hold of someone who can do a report for you on your web site as is. and then recommendations. This can cost but its well worth the investment. If you get it right you can stay top(ish) of the natural listings without much input. Problem being is that things are constantly changing but a little work can be a massive benefit. Hope that helps.