Contractors and Home Improvement Businesses in Santa Fe – Flyers are a Great Way to Marketing Your Business Inexpensively. Here’s how!

By Joe on April 20, 2011

Using flyers to market your roofing business, plumbing business, plastering business or contracting business may seem “old school” but if done well and consistently you’ll find people will read your marketing flyers and you’ll get leads. Here’s how you can make your marketing flyer look great, grab attention, and bring you leads.

1. Knockout Title or Headline is Key – Phrases like, SECRETS TO FEWER ROOF LEAKS, TIME TO ACT IS NOW, FREE BONUSES, DISCOVER HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR WATER BILL can catch attention where people will tear off your phone number from the flyer.

2. Use Color or Smoking Hot Graphics – A great photo or illustration will get peoples attention visually. Quality photos are available online at Istockphoto.com or fotolia.com that will make your flyer look very cool.

3. Target Benefits of Your Service or Product – You do something most people cannot do like plumbing or framing. Express the benefit someone will receive by hiring your company.

4. Use Awesome Testimonials – People read testimonials from your clients. You have satisfied clients. Capitalize on your success by including a short testimonial on the flyer.

5. Flyer Design Needs to Include Boxes and Borders with Colors that Separate Section – Ease of read for your prospect is huge. Make the flyer “pop” with a solid design. There are flyer service for do-it-your-selfers online that you can subscribe to that you can use to make awesome flyers.

6. Make Your Message Easy to Read – Targeting your main points with BOLD HEADLINES where it makes sense that will help your readers see what you want them to see.

7. Keep it Simple – Making your flyer too busy will kill your message and no one will read it. Read your flyer and pretend you are the customer and then decide if you were a guy looking for a new roof or a to add a deck to their home would your flyer catch your attention. If your answer is YES you’ve done a great job.

8. Proofread – Do this your self then have 2 other people re-read it so you do not have mistakes.

9. Tight Budget and Cannot Use Color Graphics Then Here’s Your Solution – Use bright color paper and print with black ink.

10. Include a Special – If you can, offer a monthly special that grabs your readers attention.

PLACEMENT OF THE FLYERS – Scout out all the places around town that allow 30 day placement of flyers. Many of the banks, grocery stores, credit unions and mail box places have community boards for flyers. Scout them out, make a list, then place your current flyer at the beginning of each month every month and continue to do it for 6 months. Include a tracking phone number on the flyer instead of your regular busines phone number from FREEDOMVOICE.COM for $10 a month that forwards to your business phone or business cell phone so you know where your leads are coming from. This is a cost, but it is well worth knowing if your marketing is working or if it is not.

Good luck!

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Internet Marketing Your Santa Fe Construction Business – Home Repair Business With Google Places – Better Than The Yellow Pages and It’s Free

By Joe on April 18, 2011

Google Places – We can all agree that advertising works. Some advertising works better than other types of advertising. Heny Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company stated, ” A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man whos stops a clock to save time.” Where Google Places comes In to help you grow your business is one simple amazing fact. 71% of all internet searches. Back in 2005 69% of all searches were done using Google. With this amazing fact in mind Google Places, which is Google’s version of a yellow page business listing, is for the time being free, offers business owners an opportunity to list all their business information including contact information, location information, website address, images from the business and Youtube videos. Businesses with the most relevant information and the with a well designed website quite often get listed on PAGE 1 in the group businesses listed in Google Places business listings or they get listed organically ( organic listing means the search engine computer programs list of indexed websites for every possible relevant search term, bit of information, product, service, or news item. The more relevent the search engines find a website the higher the search engines index the website. Some website are on page 1 while other websites show up on page 7) for that business’s search term. The higher or better your placement is in the list of business in Google Places or the higher your business is listed organically statistically the better your chance is of someone clicking on the link to your website which in turn can convert into new business.

Google Places Optimized Local Business Listing – What’s the Next Step

1. Create a Google Account – You can do this with your current primary email. Once you’ve created your own Google Account stay logged in.

2. Type in a search in Google for Your Business Name – i.e. Joe’s Speedy Plumbing

3. IF Google Places listing comes up for your business click on the words PLACE PAGE. Then click on EDIT THIS PLACE.

4. Then click on EDIT MY BUSINESS LISTING. Then below on that page click on CONTINUE.

5. After you click on CONTINUE you will be in your Google Places business listing. Fill in all the relevant information asked for the click on SUBMIT at the bottom of the page.

6. On the next page Google will ask you to verify your listing by telephone or by postcard. Pick one then wait for your FIVE DIGIT code by an immediate phone call from Google or from Google via the postcard method. Type in the five digit code then press FINISH. Once you pressed finish you will have completed your company’s very own Google Places Optimized Business Listing.

Now when people type in your business name in Google they will more than likely come to your Google Places business listing which includes all the important information about your business, including your phone number, website, images from jobs you’ve completed and Youtube videos, if you’ve set up a Youtube channel for your business. The more information on the internet about your business so people can find you and your website the better off you’ll be when it comes to developing new pieces of business.

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Santa Fe Contractors – How you too can get found for the search terms – Contractor Santa Fe, Remodeler Santa Fe, Home Remodel Santa Fe

By Joe on April 16, 2011

Getting Your Santa Fe Home Builder/Home Remodeling Contracting Business Found on The Internet – Here are Some Steps to Follow

How to Get Found On the Internet – Getting your business website found on the internet can be appear to be a daunting task, but if you employ some basic search engine optimization strategy (known as SEO) on an ongoing basis you can get your website indexed and more visible than your competitors. Here are some basic SEO steps to follow to help your cause on the web:

1. Check your website to make sure each page on your website has a browser title that describes what your business sells. This means listing your service or product in the browser title my subject name. Make sure the browser title also includes the city you do business in. An example of a correctly written browser title is as follows: home remodeler santa fe, home repairs santa fe, remodel santa fe. It may seem simple to do this on a web page, but most business owners put the name of their business in the browser title and nothing about the service/product and city the company does business in. Big mistake.

2. H1 TAG – This is the tag in the header of your website pages that describes what your business does. If you don’t know what an H1 tag is or how to add one to your website ask an SEO Consultant for help.

3. Meta-Description – This is the description of what your company does that comes up in the search results. This description should explain your company in 2 or 3 short sentences.

4. Meta-Tags – These are the keywords about your company’s service or product. Each page can have up to 160 characters for your keyword list

Each page on your website should be optimized with the components described above. If you have a website where you get to manage the content including the SEO portion of the pages you can “SEO” the pages yourself without much trouble. If you do not have a content management system you can contact your webmaster, go through the pages of your site, and make sure each page is optimized with the right information for your company, product, and services, including the browser page title, H1 tag, Meta-Description and the Meta-Tags. Doing all these things will help get your website indexed and found for the right keywords and search terms and in turn hopefully lead to more visitors to your website.

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Thinking of Hiring a Side-Job Contractor Without a License or Insurance for Your Home Improvement in Santa Fe? Think Again

By Joe on April 11, 2011

The same story gets told about side-job guys that do remodels and home improvement projects in communities around the country. Joe Side-Job comes in as the low bid on your kitchen remodel. You hire him and he asks for a deposit for materials and a weeks worth of labor. He starts the job, buys some materials and from your perspective the project is starting off great. You see progress the first 2 days then on day 3 you get a call from your low bid guy and he tells you something came up and he cannot make it in today and neither can his guys. Day 4 rolls around and he and his crew are there first thing working on your kitchen again. You’re happy because the project is off to a roaring start and it’s looking like you’ve made a great decision hiring your guy. Then, the 5th day rolls around and you don’t get a call until 11 a.m.. The excuse why the guy cannot show up is lame at best and your “this could be trouble” warning signal is going off, but you buy the reason. Monday rolls around and the worst happens. No call comes your way and no one shows up at the job. Essentially your low quote side-job contractor has turned into a skip with your money in hand. Day 6 turns into day 7, then day 8 and before know it you’re working on hiring a new company with insurance, a good list of references and proof of insurance to finish the job the low quote guy started on.

Another scenario can happen where you hire a similar guy and he or one of his workers gets hurt on the job at your home. In some instances your home owners insurance will sometimes pick up and cover the loss, but then your premiums go up and you could be facing a lawsuit from the injured worker. Worse yet, if your home owners insurance does not cover the costs of the workers injuries you’re on the hook for the entire amount. The idea of saving a few hundred or even a $1,000 on a low bid from a builder that’s not licensed or insured is looking worse all the time.

Your Next Move:

Check out your contractor prior to hiriing. The basics you need to do when hiring a contractor for a home improvement job are as follows:

1. Get a written quote with time of completion guarantees.

2. Check out at least 3 of the contractors references

3. Get proof of insurance including general liability and workmen’s compensation insurance.

4. Go online and make sure the contractor’s license is current with your state’s construction industries division.

Spending the time now to check out your contractor and you could be saving yourself 1,000′s of dollars in the future.

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Still Have a Blue Grass or Bermuda Grass Yard in Santa Fe? Maybe It’s, To Quote the Commodores, “Time for a Cool Change” to Xeriscaping

By Joe on April 9, 2011

Xeriscaping is the creation of a landscape in your yard with indigenous plants and grasses from this area. These plants will require less water and fertilizer than say for example, the grass in your yard currently. Virtually everyone loves a green lawn, but with the cost of everything going up, including water, a yard that is xeriscaped will cost less money to keep up and really fit in with the 7,000 foot plus high desert mountain climate of Santa Fe, NM.

Xeriscaping does require some water. Most new xeriscaped yards have local plants as part of the layout. Even though those plants will require far, far less water than grass does, the plants will require some watering and a drip irrigation watering system is just the ticket to get the job done. Once you’ve figured out what plants and rocks you want for your xeriscaped yard you’ll need to factor in a drip irrigation system to your costs. The beauty about a drip system is that if it’s done correctly the yard will almost be maintenance free other than some occasional week pulling and the requirement to shut down and start up your drip system at the end and the beginning of each season. Here are some of the benefits of xeriscaping the yard of your home:

1. Annual costs are less – You will not have a lawn to water so that means way lower water bills.

2. Wildlife Habitat – Native plants means indigenous animals will have the best habitat possible.

3. Fertilizer bill – You will not have to fertilize your xeriscaped yard.

4. Virtually No Yard Work – The Saturday morning lawn mower chore goes out the window when you xeriscape your yard.

5. Lower water use – A drip system with 1 and 2 gallon per hour bubblers to each plant will reduce your water bill to a tiny fraction of your bill when you had a lawn to water.

How to get rolling if you like this idea –

There are books to refer to for xeriscaping ideas. There are also plenty of websites you can look at that offer ideas about xeriscaping. And lastly you can contact a local landscaping company for quote on xeriscaping your yard. Once you’ve decided what your action plan it’s time to get moving and save money on your water bill for years to come.

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Home Improvement Santa Fe – On-Line Press Release Wise Improvements Announces Search For More Home Improvement Service Providers In Santa Fe

By Joe on April 8, 2011

Home improvement service providers in Santa Fe are for the most part small businesses with 1 to 10 employees. Developing new business and being the service provider for your Santa Fe home improvement small business is hard because you have to wear two hats and more every day. Wise Improvements LLC is seeking new candidates to join their team in 2011.   Wise Improvements LLC, a home improvement, home repair, contractor referral service wants to help local Santa Fe area home improvement service providers grow their business by being one of the marketing arms for them bringing in new business leads to their door step.  Wise Improvements LLC’s business is to bring new business opportunities to their group of home improvement service providers. They put together the party needing the work done with the service provider and then the service provider such as an electrician pays Wise Improvements LLC a reasonable percentage of the job after completion. Each business in their group of service providers signs a contract with Wise Improvements LLC that puts everything both parties agree to in writing. The service provider does the work and Wise Improvements LLC works daily, weekly, monthly, and all year long, at providing leads to write quotes for on an on-going basis.  The goal for both companies is to help customers, make more money, and be more successful.  There are no upfront costs or fees to use the Wise Improvements network. Wise Improvements LLC helps their home improvement service providers on many business fronts including the following:

  • Being part of a strong network in the building industry cluster (strength in numbers)
  • Customer service, customer follow-up and quality control
  • Expanding your professional networks
  • Creating realistic client expectations
  • Building partnerships
  • Collecting accounts receivables
  • Handling communication breakdowns
  • Helping you find compatible clients
  • Finding jobs you want
  • Finding good employees
  • Finding good subcontractors
  • Finding apprentices
  • Finding mentors
  • Finding work
  • Discount at supply houses
  • Focusing on specialty areas
  • Insurance and licensing issues
  • Extending services to your customers
  • Leveling out down periods and seasonal slumps
  • Separating yourself from less reliable professionals
  • Training and education
  • Getting your name known
  • Growing your business
  • Geographical business expansion into Santa Fe and Northern NM
  • Refining your marketing and sales
  • Pre-selling your products and services
  • Increasing your client base
  • Qualifying leads
  • Web exposure
  • Securing and maintaining your own property and structures

To join the team at Wise Improvements LLC companies need to provide the company with some basic paperwork to establish your company as a service provider. The basic paperwork Wise Improvements LLC needs is as follows:

  • Copy of the State of New Mexico’s Construction Industries Contractor License
  • Copy of companies insurance certificates
  • Wise Improvement LLC’s signed and dated contract
  • Five checkable references with phone numbers
  • Brief phone or face to face interview to learn about the business services your company provides
  • About Wise Improvements LLC

 

 

 

About Wise Improvements LLC

Established in 2006, Wise Improvements LLC is dedicated to offering the best home improvement and construction professionals that Santa Fe has to offer.  The company currently offers a line-up of 30 plus professionals in the construction industry including roofers, plumbers, electricians, and exterminators.  Wise Improvements LLC serves Santa Fe and the surrounding communities.  When you want it done right and on time you need to call Wise Improvements LLC

Wise Improvements LLC

Joe Lewis – Owner

Santa Fe, NM

(505) 216-7529

 

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Handyman Santa Fe – Let’s face it, sooner or later we all need to use a handyman in Santa Fe

By Joe on March 30, 2011

Homes in Santa Fe are unique.  People in every locale feel the same way, but here in this town we have flat roofs, stucco walls, temperature swings in one day of up to 60 degrees, dry climate, monsoon season, dry winters with little or no snow and many times during the year Santa Fe and New Mexico has the highest UV ratings in the country according the EPA of the United States.  All those factors are mentioned because our homes in Santa Fe take a beating from the elements.  If you’re not handy when it comes to fixing things like roof leaks, canale leaks, cracked stucco, plumbing problems due to frozen pipes (like the winter of 2011) etcetera, then at some point you’ll need to hire a handyman for the maintenance every home needs in Santa Fe.

Why hire a Handyman in Santa Fe? – There are advantages that keep adding up.  Places like Lowes and Home Depot make a living off of do-it-yourself home owners, but often times the home owner, especially the ones in Santa Fe, find themselves in over their head with repair or home improvement projects.

The Tile Job – Take the typical homeowner where they want to add new tile to their Santa Fe home, but they don’t have the resources financially to pay a local tile company to add tile to their living room and dining room.  The next step they take is to pick out flooring tile, buy the thin-set adhesive to set the tile, buy the grout to grout the tile once the tile has been laid, rent a tile saw at the local equipment rental place, then they go to town and start the job.  Let’s say they get knee deep into the first room and start realizing the job is bigger than them, the tile lines are crooked, and the job is on the 2nd week.  The tile saw rental cost is adding up and all of a sudden the job is costing way more than the owners dreamed it would cost because it just is.  Now the owners start panicking. They start thinking, “Do we need to hire a tile company to come finish this job?”  The answer to that question is yes, and also no.  A local tile company will do a great job, but cost a mint. A local handyman, on the other hand will cost less and do a nice job, just like the local tile company.   The best way to determine if you should go the handyman route or tile company route or yourself for that matter, is to look at all three and see which one gets the job done the best at the best price.  Get quotes, get references, then you need to make the decision on how to get your tile job done.

Anyone looking for a hot tub, can check on hot tubs store

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Xeriscaping Landscaping in Santa Fe – Landscaping this way in Santa Fe is so smart

By Joe on February 10, 2011

 

Xeriscape landscaping means put away the mower!

 

 

Xeriscape landscaping is the landscaping method of landscaping your home or commercial property with plants that require little or no water. Another term for XERISCAPING is “waterless landscaping”.  Water in Santa Fe is a rare expensive commodity. Landscaping in Santa Fe the XERISCAPING way is a smart way to beautify the outside of your home with native plants and save money at the same time.

Xeriscaping landscaping in Santa Fe does not mean just local rocks, and yucca plants.  In the Santa Fe area and the southwest there is a huge selection of plants available to xeriscape landscape your garden. The plants are native to the area so they have developed in a way where they are resistant to drought and do not need much water.  Your local Santa Fe landscaping company or local plant nursery will offer you guidance on what to buy and how much water each plant needs.  The old days of lawn landscaping are not gone, but when you xeriscape landscape your home in Santa Fe you can put your lawnmower away.

Sprinkler Systems and Drip Irrigation Watering – Even if you xeriscape landscape your home in Santa Fe the plants in your garden still need water.  Landscaping companies in Santa Fe specialize in setting up low water use drip irrigation systems that emit low amounts of water with drip devices call bubblers that emit 1 to 3 gallons an hour.  Landscaping companies in Santa Fe landscaping a new or existing home set up the drip system first throughout the outside of the home using a set of set of landscape blueprints.  They run drip irrigation lines to the location of each plant and attach a bubbler at the end of the line.  Once the landscaping is complete the drip irrigation system they set up is configured to turn on each night at a set time and run for a set period of time so each plant receives the water it needs. The beauty about landscaping your home this way is that you have hands free garden that waters itself, does not need mowing and only occasional weed pulling.   With a fixed scheduled drip irrigation system in place your landscaping will flourish.

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