Business to business marketing

Hi Rob, welcome aboard and congratulations on the new business.

I'm afraid marketing is a lot of trial and error as you find what works for you and your industry. But the key thing is to have a plan rather than a random scatter gun approach.

Have a plan, follow it, test your results, tweak, tune, change as required then rinse and repeat.

Everything serves different purposes. If you're expecting bucket loads of leads and sales because you have listed with lots of free directories, then I'm afraid you will be disappointed. But as long as you are consistent with your business name and details, then you are spreading a citation foot print across the web which Google will reference, as it shows you are a genuine business (ie you haven't been booted off the directories). 

Also starting to generate reviews on different platforms will also send out strong signals as well as reassure potential customers who may be researching you to find out what others think.

Paying for ads is a different matter. It depends on your budget, your perceived value, and the platform in question. No sales pitch from me, do the rounds and make your own mind up.

But there is a form of instant marketing, and it sounds like you have tried it, Google PPC. But it's not the sort of thing you can throw a hundred quid at it and run it for a week. It's a complex beast to get started, but it's all about analysing data.

It's incredibly powerful, you can try things and see results straight away. You can tune it to death until you are happy with your conversion rate. Allocate a couple of grand, plenty of time and really try it out over a few months.

Other ideas from a biz to biz perspective, talk to people like BAR, get in with them and their members and maybe do a deal supplying crates. 

Exciting times ahead and so many opportunities! 

so well was said, just trying to get organized with my thoughts where to start first, just takes so much time when you start from zero but I will look at it positive and will try my best

Just adding my 2c worth 

When adding your details to these directories just be careful as I have read some of them can actually harm your presence on the net these days ...ie if google is penalising that particular site and if you add your details it may harm your site too ... As usual I don't make claim to this only what I read  

Originally Posted by Andy-C27

“ie if google is penalising that particular site and if you add your details it may harm your site too ... As usual I don't make claim to this only what I read  ”

Unfortunately there is lots of scare mongering, particularly from SEO or people offering "clean up services".

It would only be a problem if the only links to your site came from low quality directories. In reality you have links form all over the place, including more unscrupulous ones you're not probably even aware of. But if Google detects that your linking profile is unnatural, the it will beat you over the head with a cuddly penguin.

I've had countless of emails over the years from panic stricken biz owners who have been "advised" to remove all links to their site. Utter cobblers, but Google hasn't helped in quelling the hysteria which has only recently died down.

I had bad experience with that, because I didn't really follow rules, so now trying careful and slowly.

Originally Posted by Andy-C27

“Just adding my 2c worth 

When adding your details to these directories just be careful as I have read some of them can actually harm your presence on the net these days ...ie if google is penalising that particular site and if you add your details it may harm your site too ... As usual I don't make claim to this only what I read  ”

Hi Rob,

I've just come across your post. I own a Removals Company in Derby and have just bookmarked your website. 

Email me info@dwremoval.co.uk