Use Google for GREAT Free Web Marketing

[MrMachine]

Here's an easy tip to get your store promoted by Google for FREE.

These days, when somebody new moves into your neighborhood, they rarely use the yellow pages anymore....However, they WILL do a Google search for laundromats.

So, do what a new resident will do....do a Google search for: Laundromats and your zip code. You will get a map of your zip code area with all the laundromats in that area marked on the map. You will also see the laundromats listed on the left side of the page.
Look up your store and click on it. A page will come up for your store with some generic stuff, but mostly not too useful.
If you look up near the top middle of the page, you will see "edit this place-business owner"...click on that, and you will see how you can claim this listing and customize it to your needs. You can add your own photos of your store, descriptions of what you offer, and even a video link to Youtube! It's basically an easy way to make a custom webpage that you KNOW people will be looking at as soon as they need a laundromat in your area! Hell...you can even add coupons...and it's all FREE!!!

Plus, Google will even give you a report indicating how many people looked up laundromats in your area in the last 30 days, plus how many of those people clicked to find more information about YOUR store. If you have good photos, you can increase the number of clicks on your location, and hopefully the number of people who will find and use your store.

And to think I used to pay the Yellow Pages $150.00 a month for a nothing little ad....jeeze....

Paul
Hearing customer's say...."My dryer's not hot enough", since 1976....

[HOWARDRS]

good tip, I did that with another business and it gave me some good sales. The coupon feature was a big plus!

[James2011]

Paul, how can I add my store picture??

[YoungJedi]

There should be an opt-in for images toward the bottom. I think it's a "browse file" opt-in.


As an aside, there was a 99 year old woman in my mat today droppin quarters like there's no tomorrow. :)

[CanCanCase]

There should be an opt-in for images toward the bottom. I think it's a "browse file" opt-in.


As an aside, there was a 99 year old woman in my mat today droppin quarters like there's no tomorrow. :)

99? wow! My store best at the moment is an 84-year-old swiping her card like it was going out of style... 3 washes at $12 each and at least 3 hours of dry time. Oh, and she bought the overpriced soap, softener and a frappuccino too...!

-Case

[MrMachine]

Paul, how can I add my store picture??

Once you have identified yourself to Google as the owner, (they will call the phone that is listed for your store on their site with an automated PIN#) then you can open up the editing page for your store. They do this almost immediately and I was doing this at home, so I had to call my employees right away to tell them "If Google calls, write down the number they give you and call me with it". I had my pin number within 15 minutes....awesome!!!
Once you have the editing page, you just scroll down to the PHOTOS section. There they will allow you to either choose a file from your computer, or one from the web. Once you choose the file, then just click select, and it will upload.
The only problem you might encounter is if your photos are too "large"...eg too many pixels. So you might have to convert some of your bigger photos down.
I use a Mac, so it's easy on a Mac, but I wouldn't know how to "thin out" a photo on a windows machine. Maybe someone else here can chip in for that.

Good Luck!
Paul
Hearing customer's say...."My dryer's not hot enough", since 1976.....

[Sudds]

Yeup, it's a great marketing tool.

I added the attended location complete with pictures and all just the other day. I need to work on one for the unattended mat as well.

[Sudds]

The only problem you might encounter is if your photos are too "large"...eg too many pixels. So you might have to convert some of your bigger photos down.
I use a Mac, so it's easy on a Mac, but I wouldn't know how to "thin out" a photo on a windows machine. Maybe someone else here can chip in for that.

Good Luck!
Paul
Hearing customer's say...."My dryer's not hot enough", since 1976.....[/QUOTE]

That's an easy fix. All you do is open the pictures up in Microsoft paint or a photoshop program and resize the pics. No problem.

[BCW]

I signed up a week ago and never got a phone call or a listing. I'm just heartbroken over it too. I use Dog Pile for a search engine, much better than google because it's a metasearch.

Tom

[Sudds]

I picked up three customer in about two weeks using the Google tool. Not bad. Glad I signed up.

I picked up a fourth customer that found us via the applications on his iphone. Don't you just love technology?

[StaceyG]

Good stuff! Many thanks for the tip.