I guess it was about a year ago (maybe more) that I promised I'd give the Pro Detailers a place to advertise their business.
That day is near!
In the next few days I will announce for general use a new directory service (marketplace) that will allow you to list your business, contact information and services. The basic service is free, but the good news is a new sponsor (to be announced later this week) pre-purchased 50 "Silver" upgrades (There are four levels: Free, Silver, Gold and Platinum). That means the first 50 of you (Pro Detailers only... not product retailers) can ask for a free upgrade to Silver and it's already paid!!!
Want a demo?
Okay, browse to
Autopia Directory and you can see my early Beta version.
Most everything is working, but I'm still having trouble with some of the email features & functions. If you find a bug, please report it in this thread.
When this new system is complete, I will heavily advertise it on the home page and throughout Google/Yahoo. Why should you care? Well, we get about 100,000 unique visitors a month to our home page. Many of these people stumble on us looking for a detailer.
How will the Autopia Directory help people find you? Simple. The system is being designed with territory in mind. Plus, I'm just about finished with a zip code range finder. That means people looking for you will be able to search by distance from their zip code. Currently, I have Lat. & Long. information for USA and Canada. When I have it for Europe and the Pac. Rim I will add it.
One of the features I think will be very important is the reviews. If you use the system, you should ask your customers to come and give you a positive review. All reviews are hand approved (by me), and I will be checking for spam... so please don't post fake reviews.
Have a look at let me know what you think. More importantly, create your account:
Compare Memberships | Autopia Directory
If you're one of the first 50, I will upgrade your account after I see it. If you're not one of the first 50... don't come crying to me for your free upgrade! Snooze ya loose!
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GET UPGRADED FOR FREE!!!
Refer new members and get your account upgraded for life at no cost to you:
25 referrals = Upgrade to Silver
50 referrals = Upgrade to Gold
100 referrals = Upgrade to Platinum
Referrals must be recorded in your profile (meaning the new member must enter your member name when they join).
FEATURES EXPLAINED
The basic listing is what shows in the ad space, but there are many other features that help you communicate your services to prospective clients.
- Products: Products are the individual services that you offer. I have included an example here:
Coronado Executive Detailing | Products | Autopia Directory. When a client views your listing and then clicks the "Products" link, they will see your product listings.
- Images: These are additional pictures you can add to your listing to show-off your work.
- Documents: If you have a brochure other document in pdf format you want to distribute, you can upload it and visitors will find it when they click the "Documents" link on your listing.
- Email: If you put a valid email address in your account then prospective clients can send you an email through a form email system. This protects your email address from the spammers. I don't recommend putting your email in the text as it will get picked up by a spam bot.
- Visit Website: If you put a web address in your listing, clients will be able to find it by clicking this link.
- Add Reviews: This is a very powerful feature if your guide your customers back to your listing to submit a review for you. There's nothing better than a personal recommendation from someone you know, but reviews follow a close second. Use this feature and it will bring you more business.
WRITING EFFECTIVE CLASSIFIED ADS
Classified advertising is one of the most effective and inexpensive advertising methods available, both on and off of the Internet. But writing a good classified ad is confusing to many.
Here are some simple tips to help you write great classifieds with pull!
1. HEADLINE -- Start your classified ad with a headline. This is simply two or three words capitalized at the beginning of your ad that grab the attention of the reader.
2. ACTION WORDS -- Use an action word (a verb) at the beginning of your ad. Words like "earn," "save," "get," "feel" and "do" all encourage the reader to take action.
3. SOLVE A PROBLEM -- Can your business or product solve a problem for your potential customer? Let them know! We are all looking for solutions of some kind.
4. KEEP IT SHORT -- Keep your sentences short and easy to read. Don't try to get all the information about your company or product into your ad. The goal of your ad should be to peak the curiosity of the reader enough that they will want more information. Then make sure that they know how to reach you.
Continue to make modifications to you ads and test them. Once an ad has proven itself effective, you will feel more comfortable placing it in other paid placement services.
Please check my other comments (above) for some other little snags.
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