New media marketing campaign

Good morning!

So I'm learning about how fast the world is changing.     At least the way we have traditionally marketed my business.    Going away are the Yellow pages book, traditional business cards and yes, even websites (as we currently know them) will eventually have a lesser presence.

All because so many people are now carrying smart devices.     These devices of course have smaller screens which means that we need to get our inmportant information to the consumer cleaner and faster.    And consumers want the information using just one or two "clicks".     Thus the increased popularity of FaceBook, QR codes, Pinterest, InstaGram and other apps meant to get you to the information that you want......Fast!

I have an interesting dilemma in approaching how to tackle this new issue.     I personnally Hate spam.    I hate being spammed!    So I promised myself that I would not in turn do this to my customers.   So I have to balance the need to provide information so that when it is requested or needed, it is available.     That is the only way that I'll survive in this new world.     On the other hand, I will Never spam customers in the hopes of getting that one or two more orders.

Some things that I found out in doing my research....    The way Google ranks a business on their search engine changes daily!    Some of the things that they are looking for are relevant content, relevant links and legitimate key word inclusion.    So that is why you see so many business' ask you to "Like us on FaceBook"!!!!!     It provides relevant links and gives the consumer a way to get to important information about the business fast.   Another way of increasing my ranking is to have my website, www.myswimplatform.com, show up on blogs, articles, etc......   (You noticed how I got that into my blog; right?)

While I understand the need to pay attention to this important aspect of marketing my Safe Step Swim Platforms, I still believe that the most important way to increase our volume is by treating people right, making a Great product and positive word of mouth advertizing.    That is what we will continue to do.

I do want to give a shout out to my friend Jamie who has been an important part of why Contemporary Fiberglass grew as fast as it did.    She designed and maintained the original website and obviously did a Great job.    The website will be completely redone shortly in order to make it easier to maintain and optimized in order to keep our first page ranking on the major search engines.    Thanks for all of your hard work Jamie!

So there you have it.....    I'll be more active on FaceBook, Pinterest, and these other apps in order to attempt to drive more customers to the information about Contemporary Fiberglass that will allow them to make a good, informed decision.

After you are done reading this.....you know what to do-    Like us on FaceBook!

Cheers,
Scott

Good morning from the Great Pacific Northwest.  I'm in a Great mood today for two reasons:    First, it's Jeanne's 50th Birthday and I'm looking forward to spoiling her all day.   We've already been celebrating her birthday all of last week, so not a lack of fun and frivoloity so far.

Second; I had a request to engineer a dive seat from a current customer.   I love these types of requests as it gives me a reason to be creative and do something out of the ordinary.    He wanted it about 20" square and be able to fold down into the water and all him to have his dive gear on and still be able to get on and off the platform easily.

I think we did a terrific job of meeting his design criteria and still keep it clean, strong and affordable.    So much so that I'm going to add it as an option going forward.     I think it will sell because it's not the first time someone has requested it.

So if you are a diver and want some extra room on the back of the boat, an easy way to get out of the water or a place to just rest inbetween dives.....consider our new dive seat platform as an addition to your boat.

Or, if you have an idea of a different option that you don't see on my site.....write me an e-mail and tell me about it.....I love those types of requests and I love my customers!

This and more photos can be seen on the options page of my website:  www.myswimplatform.com  

Enjoy the rest of the boating season.   We're starting to get call about winterizing and storage.    Where does the time go?

Cheers!

Scott

How fast was this summer?

I know, I know......it's not over.    However, it seems to go by faster and faster every year!  We've had some great weather here in the beautiful Pacifc Northwest.    Seems that is not the case around much of the rest of the country.    The extreme heat is affecting many things including the boating industry.   For those of you that have been affected, my wish is that things get back to "normal" for you asap.

We've been as busy as ever.     Jeanne and I have done a great deal of riding, doing some wine tasting, sightseeing and camping.    I'm now an addict of the riding expience.    In fact, I've done very little boating.    Oh well, you can't do it all, right? 

So my "rant" this month is in regards to insurance companies that tell their customers that they can only go to the companies "preferred" repair shop.    This is irritating on several fronts.  First, and foremost, the law in Washington state is clear:   The insurance companies cannot dictate where you get your boat or car repaired.    The consumer can decide where to go.

These insurance companies can get a repair shop that is not the "best" repair shop, but may have lower rates, to be a "preferred" shop for the company.   They may even intimidate the consumer by stating that the work will not be guaranteed unless the "preferred" shop is utilized.   To me, all of these practices are unethical and are done only to save the insurance companies money.....it is not in the best interest of the consumer who needs to do research in order to make a wise choice.

Another thing that is not necessarily considered by the insurance companies is that just because a shop has a higher hourly rate, does not mean that the job will cost more in the long run.    My rates are near the highest in the area, but because we pride ourselves on our effecient methods, overall I'm told again and again that we at Contemporary Fiberglass are extremely competitive when it comes to all of our services that we provide.   And, the fact that we offer the most services under one roof, makes the time in our shop the lowest available.    And I'm told that that is just as important to the consumer as is the price.

I won't mention the companies that practice this.....but encourage you to do your homework.    If you find that your company tries to steer you to an inferior shop......at the very least, remind them that you have the right by law to choose where you want to go.    And I would think about switching to a company that does not participate in these unethical practices.

Please let me know your thoughts and experiences when it comes to getting your boat repaired.   I'll share them on my blog.   Let's face it, when you've had an accident.....it is traumatic enough.     You just want to get your boat repaired correctly and in a timely manner!   If you have any doubts about what our customers think of their experience, please visit the customer comments page of the website:   www.myswimplatform.com.   Thanks!

Have a great rest of your summer and let's hope for a nice long Indian summer!

Cheers, Scott