I Highly Suggest Craigslist To Everyone Here

lawndart

I've been posting on craiglist for the past month now. I put out 6 highly specific adds with a call to action phrase every 7 days, and have been surprised at the results. The first week was slow, but I've noticed an increase in leads each week.

week 1.... Just one email that turned out to be crap
week 2.... 5 calls, 4 emails, that lead to 1 jobs booked
week 3.... 12 calls, 5 emails, that lead to 5 jobs booked
week 4.... This week 2 days so far, 8 calls, 10 emails 4 jobs booked and the week is still young.

The closing ratio is much lower from these leads as opposed to my print ads, and refferals, but heck craigslist is free. I spent a couple hours writing these adds a month back, saved them to my desktop in word format, and now all I have to do is copy and paste them every 7 days. The best part is I'm not giving out any deals. I'm charging my going rate, so there are obviously people shopping for legitimate contractors on the site looking to spend money.

Give it a shot, you've got nothing to lose.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

I also advertise on craigslist. I have landed several job per month through them. Many times it starts with one project to feel you out, then end up there for a month with a whole list!!!!! One job started out as a simple drywall job, I ended up there for two months. He was so happy with everything he took my fiancee and I out for an expensive dinner when it was all done. And they said craigslist was for cheapies!!

K2

I love Craigslist too. I don't know how Craig does it/did it, but He's probably got some island and a ski getaway and a yacht in hs future. Must be a Democrat. San Fran i think.

ultimatetouch

No offense lawn dart but if your landing all kinds of jobs on craigslist and the newspaper ads, your prices must be a little low or the jobs are smaller jobs. Either way its not a bad thing. If I do a job that takes 4 hrs thats a days work and my price will reflect that. Most of the inquiries we have gotten are, " how much is it", over the phone.

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Ultimatetouch
Illinois Remodeling Company, Kitchen Remodeling Chicago, Room Additions Illinois

CheckmateOhio

Had he met your fiancee BEFORE he took you both out ???
Maybe he just invited YOU to be nice.

dirt diggler

ouch, lol

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

That may be the case. But ay least I got a free meal out of it. It is nice to have a hottie for a fiancee.

Woz the Painter

Craigslist sucks, its inhabited by the F_uckin cheapest MotherF_uckers in the world, go lap up all that cheap work....

lawndart

I would hardly call charging $4.50 SF for pre-finished hardwood flooring installs "cheap". I booked quite a few installs at this rate.

How about $400 to install a storm door with white aluminum capping?

15 hollow core interior doors installed at $125 each (labor only)?

Then there is the crown molding job, for 300 LF, I charged $1,750 for that one.

The 800 SF Laminate flooring job I booked monday, with $5 SF gross profit..

There are people on the site looking to spend money, and hire reputable contractors. I'll admit there are quite a few tire kickers, but the results have been real nice from a free ad.

PressurePros

Put your linked URL in those ads and watch your Google ranking climb very quickly.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

ultimatetouch

Lawndart I dont charge by the s.f. I walk in and figure me and my laborer will spend a day and a half here. Ill just make it 16 hrs X 2 (two guys). 16 X $70 an hr. Most of those people to me are price shoppers and some of the guys on there are charging $20 an hr. S.f would never work for us not when your talking to customers and moving furniture. When people ask me how much a s.f. I laugh and usually wont go for the estimate.

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Ultimatetouch
Illinois Remodeling Company, Kitchen Remodeling Chicago, Room Additions Illinois

ultimatetouch

Pressure how do you do that. The same way you add your URL to the signature on this site.

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Ultimatetouch
Illinois Remodeling Company, Kitchen Remodeling Chicago, Room Additions Illinois

slickshift

He's actually a very nice guy
He refuses to sell the company to the big companies because he makes a good living from it and doesn't need any more money (I believe one of the quotes is "...I've got a car, I've got a house, how much money does a person need?")

He lists his title as owner/service rep because he still does all the service calls/complaints

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Signature Quote

Quote:

Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

Yes theere are some cheap HO's but not always. I don't take the jobs that I do not make me moolah. I just remodeled a bathroom last week and made $1,800 off the project, yesterday I did a one day job and made $450 on about 6 hours work. These are just a couple to name and I have more projects coming from the both of them. You just have to sell yourself to the right clientel. I'll lap that work anyday

Mike Finley

Hey, I'm not here to knock you, work can be work for a lot of guys. But in your examples for instance this one: You're in Staten Island right? What's the going rate for that kind of work? $4.50 sound very low to me for where you are. That sounds like the middle of no where Iowa rates.

lawndart

Mike, unfortunately out here, thats pretty good. There are guys installing for $1.25 SF. $4.50 is on the higher end. I'm not unhappy with it either. I typically can install anywere from 600-1,000 SF a day with a helper. I make very good money at this rate.

PressurePros

You have to use the right html code <a href > etc. Service magic uses Craig's list ad nauseum.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

RobertCDF

So I take it you use it exclusivly?

Really, you cant say that, you have no clue past your own small market and your few calls. I post adds on craigslist every once in a while and the last one I did I made NO differant than I would from leads from an add that cost me money. I dont change my rates and I am NOT the cheapest. In fact there is an add that lists his SQ. FT. prices and I am a lot more than he is. Guess that does not stop people from hiring good people.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

bruno002

can you share that html code





<a href="<A href="http://www.bucustommasonry.com">www.BuCustomMasonry.com</a">http://www.bucustommasonry.com">www.BuCustomMasonry.com</a>

Rhino Roofing

Lawndart,

Would you mind sharing those call to action adds you run on craig's list?

Rhino Roofing