I keep getting phone calls from signsearch.com Promising me that I will be "at the top of the list" when I subscribe to their online sign searching service.
As it stands, I am 50th when you type in my zip code. I am behind "signs by yesterday" "fast signs" etc. These national companies pay to be first even tho they are 50-100 miles away. If I pay $288 a year, I can be first.
What are your thoughts? Is this just another yellow pages morph? I welcome your thoughts.
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
So say you are a guy looking for a sign for your new business, semi door, whatever. What do you do? You would probably ask a neighbor or friend. But IF you do an internet search, do you go and type in www.signsearch.com? How would you even KNOW about it? I would think you would be better served to have a good WEBSITE that would register high on search engines so if someone typed in (your town or area) signs, you should pop up first or at least on the first page. Just my thoughts.
Posted by Dana Blair (Member # 951) on :
They hit me up a lot too but I just use the free listing. My monthly data report from them shows searches on their site for my city average about 5-8 searches per month. I get more hits than that from my website for people searching for signs in my area according to my SiteMeter data report.
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
We have had a free listing for quite some time and have upgraded it to the 50 mile radius paid account recently. We get a lot of calls from leads off our website. We like to stay within our area for clientele, so out of town inquires we refer to others. If we don't know anyone in that area, we tell them to check signsearch. I think a lot of sign companies do that. Kelly had asked in a previous thread about if anyone knew some one in Brooks, Alberta to do a survey for her. This is the topic and you can check my response referring to signsearch. Previous thread referring to signsearch Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
put that money in your pocket..........and tell them you aint in business anymore....THEN THEY WONT BOTHER YOU. their stats are JUST TO MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD....so you pay them.
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
Yes, you could do that, but every business needs a marketing strategy and a budget, even sign companies. No, it doesn't necessarily have to be formal, but waiting for the phone to ring is not a strategy. We feel that signsearch is a good part of our marketing mix and a great value. We spend about $15,000.00 a year on marketing materials and strategies. We probably should spend a lot more as that is only about 2% of sales. Most of that budget goes into trade shows. If my customers pocketed their money instead of investing in sign advertising, both they and I would soon be out of business. Just my 2 cents.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
My question is...If they take your money and put you at the top of "their" list..are they going to stop calling other shops in your area and offer them the same deal? Where do you end up after 5 or 6 other shops take them up on their offer?
There can only be one "top of the list".
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
They guarantee first page, that's all I know. Free listings are in subsiquent pages. I've had leads from the free listing too, even from 3 pages deep. The odds are though, that people would probably not get past the 1st page. They also guaranty you a minimum number of leads per month or the subscription fee is carried forward I believe. They are also developing an online community store which sounds interesting.
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
Dave
I did ask them that question. They said if more than one local shop pay the fee, they rotate them.
Posted by Blake Koehn (Member # 5984) on :
I have had their paid listing for almost a year. I have never had a single customer call that I could trace to SignSearch, however I get probably 4 calls a month from other sign companies needing site surveys or installs in my area. They all tell me they found me on Sign Search.
So if that is the kind of work you want... go for it. Otherwise it has been no benefit to me.
Posted by PatRaap (Member # 4290) on :
We used it for a few years, but last year they jumped their prices. I really didn't find much benefit from it, got alot of inquiries from out of town to do installs. I agree with Duncan, you need to advertise and do your marketing...but I have found that by getting my add out to the local areas is what benefits. Local newspapers, Chamber newsletters/events, School ads gets a lot of attention.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Jane nailed it. If someone is looking for a sign shop, they're going to ask friends or google signs & the town name. The general public has never heard of signsearch. And why would they? For all the more often a single customer needs a sign and doesn't have a regular shop, they're going to remember a specific search engine?
Other than a rare out of area company looking for install, I've only ever heard of shops using it to bitch about how many sign shops there are in their area.
I don't know nor care if my free listing is still there. When I know I had a free listing, I never got 1 call, even from other shops.
Posted by Tony Teveris (Member # 2911) on :
Just did a Google search using
"signs Newaygo,mi" and got (your #3)
Graphicus Signs & Designs · (231) 652-9160 477 S Park St, Newaygo · Directions
Armstrong Custom Canvas · Website · (231) 652-1211 480 S Park St, Newaygo · Directions
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