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QypeBiz: Qype for Business Owners

Welcome to the QypeBiz group. Here, you can find answers to all your questions about Qype and your business listing. First, please read through the threads below to see if you can find the info you’re after. If not, why not read through our FAQ or visit the Support section of our blog, where you’ll find ‘how-to’ videos and articles to help you get the most out of Qype.

Help with Advertising

started by Jane Wilkins (23 June 2012)

• 

  Jane Wilkins

  23 June 2012

  Hello everyone. I have started a party accessories website last October, I was wondering how other people are getting on with their advertising. It is all payout with no returns. I am not great with the internet, but get by. I have an Ebay shop (waste of time), I am a member of Ebid, I am also a member of PartypopUK and three free ad advertising along with Qype and a school magazine. I don not seem to get anywhere. I also would like to now if other members feel the same as I do with Paypal and Ebay fees. Rip off. Please contact me with your views I would really like to know what you think. Good luck and Thank you for looking. Jane

  
• 

  plumberin...

  23 June 2012

  You need to promote your website, there are various free way you can do this.

  Become Part of a Social Media Community.
  Begin a Business Blog
  Ask Visitors to Bookmark Your Site
  Include Your URL on Stationery, Cards, and Literature
  Publish an Email Newsletter.
  Submit Your Site to Key Directories,

  But it all takes time if you give yourself two hours a week doing this you will defintely see results.

  Main thing create a Google webmaster tool account all the answer are there.

  Plumber in Bradford

  plumberinbradford edited this post 23 June 2012

  
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  Jane Wilkins

  25 June 2012

  Thank you for your advice. I will take everything on board.
  Kind regards
  Jane

  
• 

  strongy65

  29 June 2012

  Hi Jane

  it sounds as though you have made a good start already,

  + you have identified a lot of the correct channels for you to market your product (ebay etc)
  + you’ve tried and tested a few different advertising channels to see what does /doesnt work for u
  + you have garnered a couple of excellent reviews from customers already (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/2146211-Janes-Party-Accessori...)

  The latter certainly suggests that you are doing a good job once you get custom, its just the struggle to get customers to choose your shop over others that appears to be providing the most difficult and costly hurdle to overcome.

  In my humble opinion the most cost effective means of trying to overcome this hurdle would be to try and maximise the number of good reviews you have got online. I have lifted a couple of the following stats from an online article (http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9366-e-commerce-consumer-...):

  + 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site which has user reviews
  + 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision
  + reviews produce an average 18% uplift in sales

  Many large companies send out emails to customers who have made a recent purchase with a link to their website to write reviews about products/service for precisely the above reasons.

  It resures potential customers and is often the point of difference between them and the competition.

  if you dont have your customers email address or permissions you could include an insert on all deliveries directing customers to your review site (e.g your Qype url)

  For instore customers you could have the Qype url on the reciept.

  Sometimes it helps to run competitons to incentivise people to provide reviews – for a party shop you could provide 10% of next order etc.

  You could use the same competition instore to get people to give you an email address so you can begin to build a customers database that you can start conacting regularly, for example with an email newsletter llike “Plumber from Bradford” above recommended.

  If i was you i would also start to include the url to your positiive reviews on your ebay and ebid adverts, as i can see you have done on your webpage, this enables potential customers with the ability to read about your successes

  Hope some or any of the above helps

  
• 

  Jane Wilkins

  29 June 2012

  Thank you for your kind words. So I am heading in the right direction. I am in the process of sorting out a news letter to all the customers who have bought from me through Ebay and ebid and the 8 people who have purchased through my website. Thank you kindley. Good luck to you all. X