Service Magic...Just when you think

[Brian R]

Just when you think, "maybe this ISN'T a great ad"...Some Church calls you and schedules an Estimate.
Decent size, not the biggest I've done...but it will make a good amount of money when we do it.

And when we keep doing it every quarter, Service Magic will have earned it's place in our budget for years to come.

 

[dgargan]

I go through the same thing every month. I get 6-8 leads that I can't reach the client and they won't return calls or emails then boom, I get a $600 area rug order or a large commerical job. It's well worth the money invested

 

[Mikey P]

Give us some real numbers Brian.

how much did it cost you last month and what did it generate?

 

[Royal Man]

My marketing system this week: Cost zero, Job total, over $900.00

 

[hogjowl]

I'd be interested in hearing BRIAN'S response to that, as well.

 

[Brian R]

Spent $622.00 on Service Magic...This includes the $200.00 set up fee

Made $2,428 from it.

I still have some estimates that will be jobs (around $1500.00 or so) and I lost a $1000.00 estimate because I didn't answer the phone when she called and the other guy did....This is straight from the property manager...it was THAT close between myself and him.

Gotta answer that friggin phone EVERY TIME in order for service magic to work.

I was the guy she called first and I lost it...this will stay with me for a while and bug the crap right outa me. ugh.

 

[Brian R]

Oh, I should say that some of those jobs were done by guys who I never see...they just sent me MY part of the job

so the total should be a little higher...not much because some of the invoices I did differently than others.

Now I put the total invoice no matter what....it was a tax thing.

 

[hogjowl]

I coiuld have sworn I read that there was no set up fee.

 

[rhino1]

IF you agree to pay the setup fee, then there is a setup fee. If you tell them you're not interested in paying the setup fee, then they will waive it.

ServiceMagic was a waste of time and money for me, and they LIED about several things. I posted about this earlier and the post DISAPPEARED, I wonder what happened to it?

 

[Royal Man]

I still can't figure out why anyone would want to use Service Magic. In my area My site is 9 slots higher on google than their site. SM in clear at the bottom of page 1. (Definitely below the fold.)

I would rather have a client go you my website than to go to a site that has other cleaners clamoring for the jobs.

Then they want you to pay them.

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a web page ranking higher that has no competition.

Also, $127 job average before you subtract the SM costs?

 

[Royal Man]

You could have both. But why?

Check google under "carpet cleaning Lincoln ne" "carpet cleaning lincoln" or "carpet cleaning nebraska" and see where Royal Carpet is and SM is.

You could substitute, rug or upholstery for carpet and the results would be simular.

(Less than 15 bucks a month.)

Why pay a company that also promotes your competition?

Wouldn't it be better to let them go bye bye?

They were the rage before everyone started developing their own websites.

Let them go the way of the dinosaur.

 

[Brian R]

What does it hurt?..you don't pay any money if you don't get leads.

If you do get leads, you really have to be on the ball to get the job.

Some are better than others at that.

You have to be at your phone when it rings, or email, or text whatever.

You are "competing" with all the other websites anyway, if you can't beatem joinem.

There ARE a lot of low budget leads from SMagic but I have gotten a few really good ones that more than make up for the bad. CCing is always "good with the bad".
The proof is in my post about the money made.

It's doing pretty well for something I have just started.
It should get better if judging by any other worthy advertiser.

 

[Louis]

I tried it and it never payed for it self in 5 months. got one big job and the guy refused to pay. a hole doctor. They said they would give me some free leads to make up for it. They sent me all excat match after that not leads and charged me $ 20.00 per price shopper and got no jobs from them.

 

[Brian R]

Update


It seems someone in my area has signed up with Service Magic and is either quicker on the draw than I am OR they are sending him the info first.
I have lost about 3 jobs to whoever it is and I can't really drill the customer to tell me.
I asked and they always go "I'm not sure but you guys are quick".

Though this has made me some money, it is like marketing in the dark sometimes...you don't know if someone is just "checking to see how it works" or what.
I have gotten my money back on a about 5 leads where people didn't really want work done and two different companies checking the service out to see how it works.

I talked to one cleaner who used to live down the street from me.

Anyway, it seems most of my work now is coming from "exact match" which is fine but it's the 13 dollar leads that I am starting to lose....can't keep that up for very long.

 

[Brian R]

Fred,
Do you have a website? I think that is the main reason the custy will pick me and I get the exact match.

If they can't shop you before, then how can they chose? Plus my profile on SM is as filled out as it can be. That is important to a customer as well, I think.


If it wasn't for the occasional $500.00 job, I am not sure that I would stay on SM.

Good thing I can track it on Service Monster.

Even if it only makes a little bit of money, it adds to the rest of the marketing and the customer retention is important.

 

[Brian R]

Yea it's not the most amazing marketing gem in the world as of yet but it's working.

You should put your website in your profile here. The more places you put that, the more you will show up on searches.

I would like to see it anyway.

 

[handdi]

You could have both. But why?


MAybe some one thinks they would have to work more i'll take a 4 to 1 return anyday of the week

 

[Brian R]

Yea it's not the most amazing marketing gem in the world as of yet but it's working.

You should put your website in your profile here. The more places you put that, the more you will show up on searches.

Awesome. When you were designing your site and doing your SEO work what kind of increase did you notice in your ranking when you placed a link in your profile or link/anchor text in your sig?

Couldn't tell you lol. It's just what the web guys tell me.