As usual I am going contra-flow but, as a punter, I like the decorations. Both from an informational point of view and an eye-catcher.
I am always seeing " Andy Tradesperson", "General Repairs", and not bothering to think more about it.
With your areas listed, several interest me and would provoke a response.
Now I will go and hide.
I'm not so sure. Maybe for you and I sitting here on teh intawebs, but then we're less likely to employ a handyman as well. My mother needs the phone number.
On the topic of phone numbers, they don't need the "mobile:" prefix anyway and space is more valuable. Callers either don't care, or can tell.
That's a good point. The URL works fairly well as a business name in isolation.
I assume that Dave already has both "medwayhandyman" and "themedwayhandyman" as domains?
rather more descriptive than amazon.com :-)
I don't know, but perhaps medwayhandymen and medwayhandypeople should be added...
Owain
It is. Although there is a typo.
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in news:ep5ekj$5ut$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org:
Definitely the TOP one.
Terry W
"Phil L" wrote in news:Airth.171$ snipped-for-privacy@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk:
No way!
You need people to remember "The Medway Handyman" when they next need a job, they can look up the phone book. (They won't remember phone number)
Thanks for all the input chaps. I have a few more ideas now.
Just to let you all know what my experience is;
When I started up my Escort Estate was signwritten and it proved to be a good source of leads. I'm often approached in car parks and asked for a card. The punters next question is always "what do you do?"
This surprised me to be honest, I would have thought 'handyman' said it all. Not so, people regularly ask "What do you do". So I see it as essential to have a basic list. I'm even contemplating a leaflet detailing 'What Else Do You Do?".
The web address is my preferred initial route of contact. It shows what I do and what I charge. That achieves two things, one that they can view a complete online brochure detailing my services and two, it shows what I charge, so I can eliminate the market sector that wants a handyman @ £5 an hour.
In addition, 'medwayhandyman' is what is says on the tin. I live in the Medway Towns and I'm a handyman. Easy to remember for when you get home without needing to remember 'www.' or 'co.uk' Typing 'medwayhandyman' with or without a space gives me number 1 on Google.
It's also useful because 20% of my local population work in London and use the web to find tradesmen from their work PC.
The other reason I want to attract enquiries who have first viewed my web site is that I don't really want to deal with punters who don't have internet access. The logic being that they are either (1) too poor or (2) not in touch with the 21st century. Sorry if that sounds harsh.
I was approached by the ad agency responsible for posters inside local buses. I didn't advertise with them because I don't want the sort of punter who travels by bus. Again sorry if that sounds elitist or harsh.
If they call after seeing the web site I know I have a 'live' punter.
It's also interesting that punters who call the land line are more price sensitive than those who call the mobile or use the web.
The back of the vehicle is important. Traffic congestion is very heavy in the Medway Towns. Distance from here to Rochester railway station is 1.2 miles, takes 15 mins on average and entails 11 sets of traffic lights. Plenty of time for the following vehicle to read anything.
I also want to create a 'brand'. Van, cards, web-site, work clothing all use the same logo etc.
Thanks for all the input though chaps. I find this group to be full of people with positive advice and I'm grateful.
the case of the domain name is not significant so you could make it clearer by writing
as others have said the bottom version is clearer and less blobby
Even so, if the van doesn't already have a bulkhead behind the driver, it would be a good idea to add one, along with a high security rear door lock. You might also want to add a tool vault for the high value items. Thieves don't always work at night. A solid bulkhead also makes the heater more effective.
Colin Bignell
Dave
First of all, excellent idea getting input on this from the group, although I suspect it may be a little bit biased/affected.
Looks like I am literally the only one with this opinion, but I find the upper image of coloured text easier on the eye at a quick glance.
I can agree with the regular punters there, handyman tends to cover:
a) the guy who does a bit of gardening, paints a fence and re-hangs a door to b) someone with a wide range of skills and knowledge which may encompass plumbing and (permitted) electrical works
So asking what you (can) do is understandable
I agree with others who suspect that a good proportion of your target market may be older and not IT literate. Is this your experience?
Do people who live in the medway towns know that they are so called? If all of your target market know this then it's not an issue, but I live up north and have not heard this expression, other than on this NG! Where are they?
Guess that partly answers my earlier Q.
From the preceeding 2 paras, it sounds like you are restricting your market somewhat with all this! Do you want to grow the business and employ others to do the hard graft in future? If you have plenty of work from your current advertising methods, guess that isn't important.
Strange! I would have expected the opposite in some ways.
Second that sentiment
Phil
Scrolling LED display in the back window?
Owain
I owned a sign company (was a brush and paint signwriter) for over fifteen years - a long time ago!. Sometimes it's a double-edged sword - not enough info/too much info. The three prime elements are NAME of business, NATURE of business, CONTACT details.
[[thinking out loud...]] How about doing both sides differently? Nobody sees both sides simultaneously, so it won't look strange. Side one would display the main info as bold and clearly as possible, and will serve the clientele who can guess the rest, or will phone to ask anyhow. Side two will serve the inquisitive passers bye when the van is parked at a job or at your yard or wherever. Back doors - I'd be tempted to go for the three prime elements plus a more generalised description of categories (home, garden, security... perhaps?).Perhaps a line of icons depicting the various categories (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, picket fencing, alarm bell etc. etc.) stretching along the side from back bumper right through the front door below the door handle.
Also consider increasing the size of your website address by leaving out the 'www.'. Most hosting caters for the domain name without using the www (checked yours and it works) so -- MedwayHandyman.co.uk
I guess telephone is still the most significant contact method so I'd give it precedence on the van. I'm not convinced that mobile telephone numbers on a van are a good thing. They are more obscure to remember (most folk know a range of local STD codes and just need to remember the telephone number part or can look it up), but with mobile numbers you need to remember the entire number. Perhaps it's better just to have your landline number on the van and to have it redirect to your mobile when you are out on the job.
Web Address is by far the easiest thing for anyone to take away with them. Phone numbers are obligatoery but pointless on a van or any advertising media the prospective customer can not take with them.#
Zactly. I prefer the top one with the solid colour. It stands out like the title of the page Definately the one that sticks in my mind.
You could always set up an 0845 number just for the van so you can guage exactly how usefull the van number is. :¬)
If you have broadband then I've been trialing VOIP in the shop. An 0845 number can be had for £1.99 a month from voipfone.co.uk
Makes perfect sense, though cost of cards will be significantly increased. I would think most folks would keep one safe for future reference if they liked what you did though.
Cheers Pete
Website address (and other variations of it) are by far the easiest way to remember a business (like what they do/did in the US with phone numbers eg... "dial 1800-fixit" or whatever)
So she does what all "older" folks do and looks in the yellow pages of thompson local or whatever handy pocket local directory is most abundant in her area. THATS where the phone number should go. The name will be remembered along with the big list of things he does.
Pete.
I'm with you Eric.
Too many vans give too little info to provoke any memorable issues.
The longer somone is looking at the "advert" the more it will subconciously register and stick.
I did too, so youre not alone. :¬)
You're pretty much excluding pensioners then. Big mistake since most of them are rolling in money, are usually very tolerant, are home all day and have drives you can park on.
Again, very silly. They give you a bus pass at 60. Would *you* get the car out to go into town?
Stuart Noble wrote in news:R4Jth.72799$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe2-win.ntli.net:
I couldn't agree more !
I am 64, moderately disabled. I also have enough money to employ local craftsmen/handymen to do ALL my work for me.
I DO travel by bus because of convenience. I tend to remember names of advertised tradesmen or look them up in the local freebe newspaper.
Advertise or die is always a good motto. And don't write off groups of people unless you KNOW, by looking up good research, that they don't fit your customer profile.
Only poor people travel by bus - what total rubbish!
Not sure if someone else has already mentioned this, but how about adding a '...and more!' sub-line to your list of things you do. As discussed a list can seem exhaustive but at least this comment keeps it open. If space if still a premium I'd even consider sacrificing one of your other list items for it.
Mathew
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