Comments on: Results of your Marketing Survey are here!

By: buziboy

buziboy — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:48:55 +0000

The report is helpful, but they would be moreso if they were broken down by $ category. Then we could really see the cost-benefit of the various marketing approaches vs. the revenue earned by the business in general.
In other words, I know the various forms of marketing are helpful, but which ones can help us get from the “under $50K” category to the “over $50K” category?
For future use, I’d also be great if responders could provide us with a % of their income spent on marketing activities. Even if they only generalized, knowing how much spending it might take to make a difference would be helpful.
I sure do appreciate the survey & report, though. I haven’t found anything like it in years.

By: junjun

junjun — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:49:41 +0000

Any other demographics on the respondends? Age, geography, kind of business entity etc?

By: aneitlich

aneitlich — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 12:51:09 +0000

Kisan,

Not true. Not true at all. There are many inexpensive ways to use those tactics. Speaking, writing, publicity, and enewsletters are virtually free.

Andrew

By: Kisan

Kisan — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 02:59:54 +0000

The majority of you do not use the following tactics: advertising, direct marketing, public speaking, publicity/press releases, writing articles (really 45%, but close to a majority), Pay Per Click Advertising, telemarketing, and newsletters (mailed or electronic).

I wish the survey had a field asking for the size of the company, freelance, consultants etc.

A small/big company may have resources to handle such kind of marketing tactics. A freelancer like me has no time or resources and will depend mainly on word of mouth and Search Engine rankings
for marketing the services.

Kisan

By: basia

basia — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:15:31 +0000

My opinion about phone books is to get minimal insertion, nothing more. It saves time and nerves to reject various sellers or… charity foundraisers. (We have not enough money to save the world, we have to save ourselves first… Life…)
However, listing in printed directory for target market, it is (at least here, in Poland) cheaper and more effective.
What to improve? Obviously a lot, and again back to it. (To be done… soon… in nearest future… of course soonest…)

By: Stevie D

Stevie D — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:31:12 +0000

“How effective is phone book advertising (other than the phone book) in helping you to attract clients?”

The way I would interpret that is that (i) your business is listed in the phone book, in tiny print, just like everyone else, or (ii) you take out an advert in the phone book, which stands out above other entries.

By: aneitlich

aneitlich — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:18:00 +0000

All of these are good points. But a question:

Who has benchmarked their own marketing to others in the survey and sees an opportunity to improve? What opportunity do you recognize and what will you do about it?

Andrew

By: mniessen

mniessen — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 21:37:28 +0000

Regarding the revenue… Don’t forget that many Sitepointers are living in places where salaries and cost of living are different than in the US (or other developped countries). What really counts is the purchasing power, not what you earn (see the Big Mac index)!

By: drakke

drakke — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:02:01 +0000

It seems from that survey that most businesses don’t do any marketing.

In that case I think that survey could apply to almost any small/medium-sized business (not just designers) in how much marketing they do.

By: peach

peach — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:39:38 +0000

But 61% have been in business for 3 years or more. Despite this experience, 49% are generating less than $50,000 in revenue and 71% are generating less than $100,000. There is lots of opportunity to increase revenues for those who want to! Note that 17% of respondents say that their firm generates over $200,000 in revenue. Why not you?

Mind that lots of sitepointers are teenagers and not working fulltime.