[user182]

One of the dilemmas of internet marketing is attracting visitors that are within your geographic area.

What good does it do if you attract visitors that are too far away to buy from you?

I guess that’s why Google Adwords is effective because you can target geographically.

If you generate calls from people that are just a little too far away you still have to spend time talking to them on the phone.

I’ve sold a few jobs that took over an hour to drive to, I don’t like to drive that far but things were slow, so any work is better than none.

Ideally I would like to keep most of my jobs within a 10 mile radius but I haven’t been able to make it happen yet.

If the lead is referral I don’t mind going a little farther but I try to implement my marketing closer to the office.

 

[Ed the Roofer]

Sign up for Google Local Maps. You can have 10 accounts listed there I believe and then your company not only shows up in the search items, but also in the A-H letters on the map.

Ed

 

[Ed the Roofer]

Here is my Dashboard from one of my Google Local Accounts for the past one month.

Seems pretty good for Free.

Ed





Dashboard

Coupons

14 Jul, 2009- 14 Jun, 2009

last 7 days | last 30 days
«July 2009»SMTWTFS2829301234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303112345678TodayNone


« Locations
Right Way Roofing Company


Activity

Impressions

Actions


Totals
162 impressionsHow many times users saw your business listing as a local search result

16 actionsHow many times users showed interest in your business listing
13 Clicks for more info on Maps0 Clicks for driving directions3 Clicks to your website


Top search queries

QueryImpressions1.cleaning service15

2.roofing company15

3.roofing contractors12

4.roofing systems12

5.roof cleaning9

6.roofers8

7.roofer7

8.roofing7

9.right way roofing5

10.right way roofing company5

Other67



Where driving directions requests come from

 

[Grumpy]

Build your site to attract your local audience and you'll be fine. Sure you get people from far away calling from time to time, and even people from Florida sending emails often too. However the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[Ed the Roofer]

Jack,

I thought that you lived out in the boonies of Detroit and typically travelled cross county for most of your work anyways.

Are you just trying to create less driving time? Or, have you always tried to work in a 10 mile radius?

Ed

 

[user182]

Jack,

I thought that you lived out in the boonies of Detroit and typically travelled cross county for most of your work anyways.

Are you just trying to create less driving time? Or, have you always tried to work in a 10 mile radius?

Ed

I do commute to a suburb and I plan to move closer even if I have to rent out my current home. It doesn’t look like I can sell it.

I have an office in the center of my target market. That’s were my customer base is. I used to live in that area years ago and I have always maintained a customer base there.

Even though I commute to my target market it’s easier to do estimates and manage jobs if they are all close together. It cuts down on drive time between destinations.

Plus it’s easier to create marketing synergy if most of your jobs are close together.