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Tips to help you get the most out of your advertising

on hipages.com.au

As such, it is vital that your business stands out to capture their attention and meet the needs of this informed customer base. By doing so, you will attract quality enquiries from people who are interested in your specific services.

It may seem daunting to start promoting your business online, especially if you don’t really use the internet. However, the team at hipages are here to make the process as easy as possible for you with our FREE graphic design service. You don’t even need to use the internet to build your page and start generating business online!

Take a look at my top 10 tips to help you start getting the most out of your advertising on hipages.

Kind regards,

Gene Franks

As marketing manager, it’s my job to help you get the most out of your online advertising. As such, I’ve put together my top 10 tips to help benefit your business and gain maximum exposure on hipages.

Your customers in the building, renovation and home improvement industry are becoming more knowledgeable and online savvy, with information now easily accessible to enable them to research and compare products and services.

It’s great to have you on board our hipages local directory!

Gene Franks, Marketing Manager - Advertising Products

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ContentsTip 1: List your business in relevant sub-categories . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 2: Upload a thumbnail image on your search listing/s . . . . .

Tip 3: Include a headline on your search listing/s . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 4: Include relevant content on your page/s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 5: Use engaging copy to initiate a response . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 6: Promote your work in photo galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 7: Feature online brochures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 8: Upload an online video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tip 9: Utilise our FREE services to help create your page/s . . . .

Tip 10: Respond to enquiries in a timely manner . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Checklist to help you get started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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When you join hipages, your business is listed in categories relevant to the services/products you offer. This means your business will be found by people searching for your specific products/services in your local area and enable you to generate quality enquiries for your business.

There are also sub-categories associated with many of the categories on the site. These help users refine their search to more specific services/products they’re looking for. For example, someone looking for a bathroom tiler would type ‘bathroom tiler’ not just ‘bathroom’.

Make sure your business is found in these refined sub-category searches by logging in to hipages.com.au/login.

A thumbnail image, which is seen on your search listing and in the top left hand corner of your profile page, is really beneficial in attracting more interest from customers.

For an idea of the difference an image can make to your search listing, have a look at the examples below:

Tip 1: List your business in relevant sub-categories

Tip 2: Upload a thumbnail image on your search listing/s

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Simply by adding a logo or image relating to your business, your search listing can stand out from other businesses, and encourage potential customers to find out more about you.

Advertisers who do have a thumbnail image get on average 69% more hits to their page to read more about their business and 9% more email enquiries than those who don’t!

If you have a Minisite this comes with customised search listings for each of your product or service categories. This means that you can feature a different thumbnail image for each category your business is listed in. Make your search listing stand out with an image which relates to the service/product that people are searching for.

There are a few ways you can easily get a thumbnail image on your search listing/s:

1. Email or post us an image or logo and our design team can upload it for you for FREE within 5 working days.

Email: support@hipages.com.au Mail: PO Box 2210, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012

2. Log in to hipages.com.au and upload an image of choice when you edit your profile within the ‘my pages’ section.

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Drive more traffic to your page by writing a headline which will be seen on your search listing and at the top of your profile page.

The headline offers you up to 140 characters to promote what you do, how you can help your clients and/or what makes your services/products unique.

This is the first impression of your business and can be the decider between clicking through to find out more about you and your services/products or scrolling to the next search listing.

Here are a few tips to create an affective headline to attract the right sort of customers:

• Make your clients stop and take notice by speaking directly to your potential clients. Why not ask them a question to tap into what they may be seeking a solution for and then provide a reason why your business can help them.

• Point out what makes your business unique – mention how many years you have been working in your industry, the way you work with clients or the specific services or products you offer which make you stand out.

When your business is listed on the site, the default headline includes a list of the categories your business is listed in, in alphabetical order, but why not change it to something like this?

‘Looking for a plumber anytime of the day or night? ABC Plumbing offer you exceptional service no matter when you need it.’

Tip 3: Include a headline on your search listing/s

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Advertisers with a Minisite have customised search listings for each of your product or service categories. This means that you can create a different headline for each category your business is listed in to target people searching for that specific service/product. This in turn links through to the page in your Minisite dedicated to that service/product you provide.

Make sure you create a different headline for each service/product to attract relevant enquiries.

There are a few ways you can easily update your headline:

1. Email or post us 140 characters (including spaces and our design team can upload it for you for FREE within 5 working days. Email: support@hipages.com.au Mail: PO Box 2210, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012

2. Log in to hipages.com.au and write your content within the ‘page information’ section when you click to edit your page.

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Your webpage offers you unlimited content to attract relevant customers who know what you do.

This information should cover at the very least 4 main areas in clearly defined sections: • Information about your business• Services/products offered• Why someone should choose your business• Qualifications

About your business:

This section could include a short paragraph about who you are, how long you have been in business for, what you specialise in, and how you work with your clients.

Services/Products offered:

As your business is listed in various service/product categories, your page needs to be relevant for each of the services/products being searched for on the site. Begin by providing key points about the services or products you offer to make it clear to potential customers that you do the job they’re looking for.

Reasons why someone should choose your business:

As your potential customers are seeing other businesses who offer similar services/products, it’s important to let them know more than what you do. Point out the unique offerings your business provides which set you apart. This way they know that they need to choose your business if they want to benefit from your unique offering. You might like to focus on your unrivalled professional commitment, competitive pricing and unique products and services you offer.

Qualifications:

At the bottom of your web page include any relevant Licences you hold (including the numbers), any professional associations you are a member of or any awards you have won.

Advertisers who have a Minisite on the other hand can include this information on separate pages such as ‘About Us’, ‘Services’, ‘Products’ etc. This means that details about your business, why someone should choose you and qualifications can feature on your ‘About us’ page. A separate page can be used for each of your products and services to promote what the benefits are for the customer and what they can expect from choosing that product/service. For example you could have a page about your plumbing services to target people who are just looking for a plumber, a page about your bathroom services to target people looking for a bathroom renovator and so on.

Utilise our FREE graphic design service by sending us your content or let us know if we can simply incorporate information from an existing website.

Tip 4: Include relevant content on your page/s

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Write as if you are talking to one person:

When writing the copy it’s important to keep your customer in mind. Although it will be read by many people, each individual will be reading it in isolation. Speaking to them directly gives the impression that you are having a one on one conversation with them and that you are directly responding to their specific needs. Use words such as ‘you’ or ‘yours’ rather than ’we’ or ‘our’. For example, ‘You can expect a personalised approach to all your landscaping requirements as we turn your landscaping dreams into reality.’

Emphasise the benefits:

Focus on how your service or product will benefit the person reading your page. It is these benefits that your readers are looking for, not a particular product or service. So rather than list your services or products, describe the benefits associated with each. As they say, people don’t want to buy a drill, they really want to buy a hole.

Offer solutions:

Your readers are also looking for a solution to their problems rather than a specific service or product. Somebody with a burst pipe isn’t looking for a plumber, they are looking to get their pipe fixed ASAP. It may well be the case that a plumber is what they need but it is not the plumber that the person desires. The plumber is merely the means to an end.

It is important to communicate how your products or services provide solutions to the various problems that are associated with your target market. For example:

‘Do you enjoy entertaining and want to extend your indoor living out into your backyard? We can help you with all your outdoor needs.’

Use frequently asked questions:

Another great technique to use is frequently asked questions. These tap into the state of mind and current situation of your potential customers such as ‘How do I know which materials will work best for my kitchen?’. Other good questions and answers cover the process of how you work with them so that they know what to expect, such as ‘How long will it take to fit out my kitchen?’

Use a strong call to action:

A strong call to action is also important to create a sense of urgency and encourage someone to take the next step. Conveying a sense of enthusiasm is also a great idea. You could say something like ‘Email us today so that we can help you create your dream kitchen tailored to your needs. We pride ourselves on your satisfaction and the knowledge that we have created a space that you, your family and friends will enjoy.’

Tip 5: Use engaging copy to initiate a response

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You have unlimited photo galleries to showcase the great work that you have done. This is a great way to prove you can do a great job and convince potential customers to choose your services. Some tips to make the most of your photo galleries are:

• Create a separate photo gallery for each of the services/products you offer or for the different types of jobs that you do. (Minisite advertisers can feature relevant photo galleries on each of your service/product pages)

• Use before and after shots to make a real impact and show the kinds of results you can achieve.

• Label your galleries and each of your images so it’s clear what each image is presenting and how these relate to the content on your page.

• Keep adding to your galleries by taking photos of your work as you complete each project or launch a new product.

You can easily upload photo galleries yourself by logging in to hipages.com.au/login. Otherwise email them to support@hipages.com.au and we can upload them for you for free.

An added benefit of a mini-site listing is that you can feature your brochures on a separate page. This is a great way to drive further interest in the products/services you offer.

Engage your customers and attract more interest in your business by uploading a promotional video on your page. If you need help creating one, we can help you.

Take a look at the range of video services available at www.hipages.com.au/advertise

Tip 6: Promote your work in photo galleries

Tip 7: Feature online brochures

Tip 8: Upload an online video

You can send us through your content in any format you like, whether it be business cards, brochures, photos, CDs, hand written or typed content.

Send it to us by

Post: PO Box 2210, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012 Email: support@hipages.com.au

We can even take your content from your website. Our friendly graphic design team will take all your information and build a page for you. Graphic design is a free and unlimited service. All you have to do is send us your information and we’ll take care of the rest.

As an hipages advertiser you get the added benefit of our ongoing marketing advice to help you get the most out of your listing. This includes our monthly Page of the Month email with tips and advice.

Tip 9: Utilise our FREE services to help create your page/s

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Now that you have a developed page you are more likely to attract relevant enquiries from people who know what you do.

So make the most of these email and phone enquiries by responding in a timely manner.

Our hipages users tell us that they are more likely to use a service provider if they respond in a timely manner and if it’s a quality response.

Here are a few tips to help you build a relationship with your customers and stand out from your competitors when dealing with enquiries:

• If you are very busy and don’t have time straight away to provide a thorough response to your enquiries, send a short reply that you have received the message and will get back to them within 24 hours. This is a great way to start building a relationship with a potential customer to secure the job before they start contacting your competitors.

• If a phone or email enquiry doesn’t sound relevant to your business, it’s still a good idea to return the message. This will present a better image for your business and you never know, you might be able to do a job for them that they didn’t mention or they may need your services in the future.

• If a potential client emails you with their phone number in the message, why not phone them back and start building rapport with them over the phone.

Remember the more relevant the content is on your page, the more likely you will generate relevant enquiries.

Tip 10: Respond to enquiries in a timely manner

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Have you?Listed your business in relevant sub-categories

Uploaded a thumbnail image for your search listing (If you have a Minisite, have you uploaded a different image for each service/product search listing?)

Created headline copy for your search listing (If you have a Minisite, have you customised your headline for each product/service search listing?)

Provided relevant content for your page/s (If you have a Minisite, have you created content for each of your pages, including separate pages for each product/service?)

Uploaded images in photo galleries

Uploaded online brochures

Uploaded an online video (We can help you create one – just ask!)

Checklist to help you start developing your page/s

We can help you get started. Call us on 1300 762 994.