Wondering if my prices are to high.

Sam,
Thanks for your reply --

If the shops around your area are only charging $75-200 for a full Interior and Exterior Detailing, then you may need to re-think the Client Base you are wanting to attract to your shop...

Perhaps find a neighborhood that has upscale housing and vehicles parked in the garage and get some Professionally made Flyers out there??
Is there a neighborhood or perhaps a Professional Office Building with nothing but really nice vehicles parked in it every day nearby ???

Still don't know much about your experience level... :)
Dan F
 
Regarding your website one of the first things I see people do is to put all their services on one page. Thats a mistake for a few reasons. People will search for different things for different reasons. One search may be auto detailing, another might be interior stain removal and yet another might be antique car restoration. All these need their own page, doesnt mean you cant have some over lap but it will throw a much more specific hook into the waters. Remember google will display a page on a website not a website, so create individual pages.

Just from knowing what goes into detailing a car I would have a page for:

Lease turn ins
paint correction
show car prep
exotic car (whatever would be appropriate)
paint restoration
interior restoration
interior smoke removal
interior stain removal
paintless dent removal (make contacts)
wheel refinishing (make contacts)
headlight restoration
diamond detail package
bronze detail package


ect ect.

Anything that is a basic gets a price, lease turn ins ect. Restoration work, 3 steps, trashed interiors, you need to give a quote.

The more people you can meet face to face the less people will shop based on price and it will allow you to:

MAF: AKA- Make a Friend and sell yourself.

A decent amount will shop on price, the others just want someone who isnt a heroin addict to deal with.

Like you stated, I should make couple of different pages for different packages! This is my first time creating a business website so much more of your knowledge and others will be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Sam,
Thanks for your reply --

If the shops around your area are only charging $75-200 for a full Interior and Exterior Detailing, then you may need to re-think the Client Base you are wanting to attract to your shop...

Perhaps find a neighborhood that has upscale housing and vehicles parked in the garage and get some Professionally made Flyers out there??
Is there a neighborhood or perhaps a Professional Office Building with nothing but really nice vehicles parked in it every day nearby ???

Still don't know much about your experience level... :)
Dan F

Yea I live in one of the most upscale area in Philadelphia (Montgomery County). I do get a handful of customers who are willing to pay for $300-600 paint correction done. About 60% of the people who call me are not willing to pay that much and I have learned that getting something is better than nothing. I am just trying to see where I can set my prices so I can get both customers. Also, I have detailed for 10 years so I guess my experience level is up there but still learning new ways and techniques everyday. Its either I adjust the price, or stick to my prices and convert the nonbelievers to believers through my detailing works. As of now, I am getting about 3-4 details a week but I feel like I can get a lot more if the low balling customers accepted my prices. I got to admit its not always easy to please the crowd in the detailing world lol.
 
Sam,

This paragraph has a problem that is hi-lited in Bold --

We are honored to work on all types of vehicle, and even offer same-day services to save our customers' time. All customers will be receiving an update on the progression of their vehicle during a detail. In addition to detailing services, we also offer road paint removal, headlight restoration, and glass coatings. Call us what you want done on your car or

I talked to one of the best PR Companies in Seattle, WA.. He said people do NOT want to wade through a zillion pictures, a zillion words per page, product names, technique details, and all that.. They are very busy, and can only devote so much time to this project...

You really want to structure your Website to what THEY want to read - not what YOU want to read... Marketing 101....:)

JBM above is exactly correct -- You want just a few tabs - not 10 tabs... Each with just enough information, that is succinct, grammatically correct, etc...
Good Luck !
Dan F
 
Yea I live in one of the most upscale area in Philadelphia (Montgomery County). I do get a handful of customers who are willing to pay for $300-600 paint correction done. About 60% of the people who call me are not willing to pay that much and I have learned that getting something is better than nothing. I am just trying to see where I can set my prices so I can get both customers. Also, I have detailed for 10 years so I guess my experience level is up there but still learning new ways and techniques everyday. Its either I adjust the price, or stick to my prices and convert the nonbelievers to believers through my detailing works. As of now, I am getting about 3-4 details a week but I feel like I can get a lot more if the low balling customers accepted my prices. I got to admit its not always easy to please the crowd in the detailing world lol.

I lived in a neighborhood like yours, outside of Seattle, WA..

Attracted all my neighbors by putting up business cards at the Yacht Club Office, (you have something like that, right ?), and letting them see me working in the garage with the doors up, fully lit, day and night...

I only had 1 nice new European car at a time there and never, never, ever - lined up cars up and down the street, etc...
My front yard was one of the nicest yards, and it stayed that way always...

All of my own vehicles at my house were always perfectly Detailed and washed inside and out... --- They are what you show your prospective Clients when they ask you about your work -----

I found that if I put a really nice car in the driveway during the times all these billionaires came back from work, the bank, golf, etc., they would always look over, and then look back at their dirty Black Mercedes E63/AMG, Ferrari 360 Modena, etc., and swing back around and pull up to the driveway and want to talk to me.. Marketing 101 - show them what they want to see - :)

How good are you at selling not only your perfect work, but yourself ???
Dan F
 
I lived in a neighborhood like yours, outside of Seattle, WA..

Attracted all my neighbors by putting up business cards at the Yacht Club Office, (you have something like that, right ?), and letting them see me working in the garage with the doors up, fully lit, day and night...

I only had 1 nice new European car at a time there and never, never, ever - lined up cars up and down the street, etc...
My front yard was one of the nicest yards, and it stayed that way always...

All of my own vehicles at my house were always perfectly Detailed and washed inside and out... --- They are what you show your prospective Clients when they ask you about your work -----

I found that if I put a really nice car in the driveway during the times all these billionaires came back from work, the bank, golf, etc., they would always look over, and then look back at their dirty Black Mercedes E63/AMG, Ferrari 360 Modena, etc., and swing back around and pull up to the driveway and want to talk to me.. Marketing 101 - show them what they want to see - :)

How good are you at selling not only your perfect work, but yourself ???
Dan F

Hey Dan, you been such a tremendous help. I should be more active by putting business cards at areas where the audience have no problem paying for my services. I must admit my customer service is great based on the reviews, however, I need to work on selling myself so I can grab the customers attention over the phone. Also, I made a lot of changes on my website and planning on adding more services. For now, I just finished a 20 hour detail on a Maserati and have trouble keeping my eyes open:wacko:. Dan can you do me a favor and see whether my website changed in a good way? From your perspective, as a customer, is it better to read and understand without to much information? Thanks again,
Sam
 
Hey Dan, you been such a tremendous help. I should be more active by putting business cards at areas where the audience have no problem paying for my services. I must admit my customer service is great based on the reviews, however, I need to work on selling myself so I can grab the customers attention over the phone. Also, I made a lot of changes on my website and planning on adding more services. For now, I just finished a 20 hour detail on a Maserati and have trouble keeping my eyes open:wacko:. Dan can you do me a favor and see whether my website changed in a good way? From your perspective, as a customer, is it better to read and understand without to much information? Thanks again,
Sam

Great news, Sam !!!

Glad that you have a new perspective on this and are going forward with new enthusiasm and plans....

20 hours - that's about right for 1 person doing the entire vehicle from one end to the other, so there is absolutely not 1 speck of dirt to be found anywhere, the Interior is perfect and smells Clean with no cover up anything, and the paint is Blinding in the sunlight... Great job !!!

Will get a moment later to look at your changes and get back to you..

Hope that everyone else is doing the same - the more eyes we have on this the better it Always works out...

Dan F
 
Dan I just want to say, even though you aren't helping me directly, the advice you share is being silently read by myself (as well as others I'm sure) and I just want to say thanks. I've taken a lot of your tips and applied them to my own newly redesigned website and the more I'm reading here, the more I realize I still have some work to do. I may PM you if I get stuck on something or want some advice.
 
Shane,
Thanks, I am so glad you found something that helps you too !!!

Everything I have said is based on actual events that I personally went through in building a most amazing business...

It was never - just wake up tomorrow and it's going to be there... It took lots of time and hard work to come to fruition.. Like it does for everyone who chooses to make this part of their life..

We will always be better off when we meet often and reason together...

I have been so blessed to have had a few experiences in life that were incredibly good for me...

It would be so wrong to not share what I have learned, and then also learn so much from all that walk these halls here, eh ???

The amount of incredible talent and wisdom here at Autopia is just the best !

Keep it moving forward !
Dan F
 
Thank you for your insights on the website. I will make a lot of changes but one thing I want to point out is the products used in each package. As a consumer, I would like to know what products and techniques are used during the process? I guess that is just me? Also, if you look at my service page, I felt like I listed the prices clear to understand in bold letters. However, like you said, I should create a "about me page". Also, sorry if I haven't answer your other question. I have called and got quotes from detailers around me who had great reviews. The pictures on their site was just good, not amazing. Their pricing range from 75-200 for a full interior and exterior job. So yes, I did do some research and called "detail shops" that had good reviews".
Thanks,
Sam

I agree with you about knowing which products are used, to an extent. If I'm a painter and I say on my web site I use Behr paint, people will generally know what that is without having to google it. Nobody I detail for knows detailing companies outside of Meguiars and Mothers, and half don't even know those. Most at best know Armor All. If I tell people I use Polish Angel & Scholl Concepts, they're going to shrug, and just my assumption here. But next to none will Google to find out more. People don't care that I use 480gsm microfiber towels from South Korea. What they do care about is when I let them feel the towel, and they don't care about brands and specifics. They just like the finished results. I typically tell people I use boutique brands they wouldn't know by name that you can't buy at any B&M store. And I do use a lot of German made products, so I'll throw that in, a lot of people seem to associate German with uber high quality lol. Mentioning Scholl Concepts, Einszett or Sonax would mean absolutely ziltch to them. But tell them the products are made in Germany? They might have more interest.

Now with all that said, my thinking is it can't hurt to have a totally separate section on your web site where you go into detail about technique & brands you use. As there will probably be potential clients who do research everything.
 
Back
Top