Dilemma… What to do..

Need to pick some brains...

[Compworld]

Ok, one of the sites that I run I started back in the mid to late 90’s (97ish – 98ish). As we went in to the balloon traffic and sales went up. When everyone came back down to earth sales and advertising plummeted. Took about a year and a half to see some strong recovery. Now, for some reason, traffic does up, sales go down. Overture and Google converted fine up until the last couple of months. Now, it’s like throwing money in to a wishing well. So, I am pulling my hair out and trying to see what else we could do to bring the company afloat. It dabbles up and down, just like it did in 2001 – 2002. That was when I had the great idea in expanding outside of our realm. At first, it showed a nice and positive new guy on the block feel and sale started to go up. But it seems that the new guy image is not doing so well anymore. Since the PPC’s are converting less, that is not longer a real good viable way to advertise. I was thinking about going into some trade magazines, but I do not want to shell out thousands per week on magazine ads that may or may not do anything. Can’t go back into just computers anymore, and can’t really rely on Internet advertising anymore either. My question that I have to find an answer to is there a way I can find out about smaller trade magazines (home and garden, computer related, electronics, etc.) that are reasonable priced in the United States and Canada? Or, do I have no other alternative but the flip a coin and hope for the best with one of the larger publications? Additionally, are there advertising avenues that I am not exploring that I should consider? Now, you’re probably telling yourself this guy’s nuts to ask this type of question. Well, maybe, but I had an advertising agency represent us for well over a year, and it did little to nothing. Their idea was to keep it all in the Internet. So, I am at the crossroad, and I just requesting some suggestions from people who have been down this road before. I assume I am not the only one who has been in a situation like this. So please, bare with me on this.

Thanks,

CompWorld

[chuladi]

Bacon's Magazine and Newspaper Directory at www.bacons.com is a starting point if you need to research publications to advertise in or to contact for possible editorial coverage.

[Compworld]

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.

CompWorld

[TallTroll]

>> Now, for some reason, traffic does up, sales go down. Overture and Google converted fine up until the last couple of months.

Thats the effect of their new broad matching programmes. Spending some serious time going over your listings, and adding exact match and negative match bits should enable you to restore the margins, at the cost of lower traffic

Also, think about trying out some of the smaller PPCs. Although the results can be variable, they are sometimes very good. At the very least, your average CPC should be way down with them, so you may be able to support a lower conversion %age from them

Also, think about other ways to generate trade. Are you doing everything you can to get repeat business, for instance? Retaining a customer ALWAYS costs less than acquiring a new one

Conducting a major usability / conversion programme on your site would seem to be in order too. If the traffic is more expensive on a CPA basis now, you need to extract more $$$ per incoming session (especially PAID FOR ones)

[Shane]

Part of what you should look at is who are your competitors and where do they advertise?

Also take the same question from a different perspective, ask you friends and acquaintances where they buy from and how did they hear of them. You might want to exand this to a wider market survey and it might be worth spending money on it. (Or have local marketting students do it for free).

The point about retaining a customer is a good one. How long is the life cycle of your product. You might want to contact some customers prior to the end of the product life cycle and try to get their next sale. If they don't purchase through you ask them why (in a nice way). You may learn quite a bit.

Good luck,
Shane

[Compworld]

Thanks all for replying. I have started accounts with some of the smaller PPC's (AH-HA & epilot). To my surprise, they are converting much better than before. Findwhat, Search123, and Kanoodle have little to no conversions, so I have left all of them. My competitors are much bigger than me, and can with out a doubt spend much more on advertising than I can.

I am about to try some magazine advertising in some trade magazines, and hope for the best, but as usual, expect the worst.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on to some other PPC's that are low cost and convert somewhat?

Thanks,

CompWorld

[Essex_boy]

I found this worked, posting out via teh Royal mail small black and white flyers advertising the business and its products to retailers.

to my cynical eye I thought it was a total waste of money till the orders came rolling in. we grossed £2000 for an out lay of maybe £100.

Well worth it it you can do it.

[Compworld]

Is that like direct mail services?

Thanks,

CompWorld

[Essex_boy]

Yes exactly that, I photocopied all the pages of the telephone directory that was relevent then sent these small mailings.

Worked a treat