Website Video

All I have to say Chris, is that those videos have the potential to EXPLODE your local business, and create a personality-driven marketing campaign that will quite literally decimate the competition (I’m taking about the video blogs you’ve posted).

I have NEVER seen a window cleaning company anywhere capitalize on this (adding video of them speaking to prospective clients), and Chris has beat me to this, at least in principle, but I, for one, will be adding videos ASAP to my company’s website.

Chris - this stuff is genius, and should be thrown onto your website as soon as you can. Imagine this:

“Hi, my name is Chris, and I am the owner of All County Window Cleaning, proudly serving the (yadda yadda) area … I appreciate you dropping by, and I’d like to take 30 seconds to tell you why you’re going to love trusting us with your home’s window & eavestrough cleaning and powerwashing needs…”

Seriously. This is GOLD, and I don’t know how I could be so foolish so as NOT to implement this strategy yet for my site.

A thousand kudos for the video breakthrough, and the entire execution.

This is truly a powerful, powerful thing, and I will make this a priority.

Wow thanks man! Yep we will defiantly have something just like that on the website. Its surprisingly easy to do with web technology today. Now its just a matter of crafting the right words. I want it to be of a much higher caliber quality and production. :slight_smile:

And we’ve JUST added our first video, soon more to follow…

Thats awesome… Great Video!

Thx man. Gotta mix it up a bit now.

What do you have in mind topic wise, for future videos?

Letting the prospective client meet me, out on the job, climbing out of our truck, working at one of our sweetest jobs so that they can see we have an awesome clientele that trusts us already, describing exactly what we can do for them, showing us doing all those things we just described, all the ways it will help them and make their lives easier, and all the reasons why they need to hire US to look after their window and/or eaves cleaning instead of our competitors (why we are a WAY better choice), and why they need to hire us NOW.

Basically…

:slight_smile:

I have a few other more advanced video strategies in mind, too, but first things first, right?

does anyone but window cleaners watch these videos?

If I were looking for a carpet cleaner and I happen to use the internet to find one. I then would go onto their site and mostly find out just a few little things. If they had a video to watch, I would not watch it because, who cares. I just want my carpets cleaned.

this (to me) is just more vanity extras that lead to nothing but chatter. Let’s talk about sales due to the videos.

I do agree in adding the “personallity” aspect, 100%

I think some prospective customers would look at the videos. I think they would have a relatively short attention span so I think a window under 2 minutes would be most effective. I think a video builds trust in the customers eyes, most customers want to know who will clean their windows, And you have an opportunity to sell your worth to the customer. I haven’t seen it done on any other website, so I think putting it on now gives you an edge.

I, for one, have no sales numbers to back me up, since this is all new to me (less than a week old).

Although…I have heard positive comments from one existing client that called yesterday to rebook, and she commented on how much she loved our marketing, and was watching the homepage video while talking to me, and laughed and enjoyed it all. This has some value to me, in strengthening the client/company bond, and building a stronger relationship (which is, in fact, everything)

SO, I guess only 1 piece of evidence thus far.

And, for the record, she is definitely in my target demographic, we’re charging her a high price, and she’s delighted with the whole deal.

but, she already is a customer and you already have the bond. The video is just a nifty extra.

A website is a tool and to lead all of your current customers to it to see you doing what they have already seen live… is kinda lack-luster. I hope you are using other more personal techniques to strengthen your bonds with them.

I am not against doing this stuff, it just really does not add anything, except this-

[B]"This has some value to me’[/B]

[B][I]This feels like the old days, CFP…lots of dissimilar opinions…[/I][/B]

But I thinks it’s good to hear the other side expressed so firmly, it makes me double-check and re-analyze my own opinion…

Your dead-on about the 1 result I referenced, it was an existing client.

I was simply observing her interest and responsiveness to the video, and her enthusiasm for it, that I did very little to engender.

It is pretty obvious to me that you are an avid student of marketing. I’m sure that as such, you have noted that almost every marketing superstar/expert/guru out there has incorporated video into their own marketing messages.

I could name 5 or 6 off the top of my head.

And these are guys that earn 7 or 8 digits year in, year out, so they know what they’re doing.

“Personality-driven marketing” is an important key for any business (as it sounds like you have known for a very long time) and video has been remarkably useful in accomplishing that for many, many other businesspeople.

Have you ever tried it? Do you have some numbers or scientific data to indicate that it is/has been/will be ineffective in your market?

And again, I have no data of my own, as yet, either, I’m just curious if you’ve completed some testing in your area.

One more thing- since this was about Chris’s video, let’s point out that [U]none[/U] of his giant success was from it. He did it all through other methods.

ahh, paneless. That is why I love you so

All the gurus are selling information, not window cleaning. When we are being asked to spend a couple hundred bucks for some marketing material, we need to be talked into it.

If the people are on our site, they want their windows cleaned. They do not need convincing.

A lot of these gurus told me to axe all my web pages except 1. They feel they are not needed for this type of service, and they are right. I am down to 1 page now.

I am revamping everything for Spring (maybe) and my site will say it all right on page one. Just like my successful flyers. I will not have them clicking, because with every click comes the chance of clicking away.

I will of course have a lot of personality on that page. I get 10 - 1 from my mailer/flier advertising vs my site… I have been way too focused on the damned thing, it seems.

Are those folks marketing to the there’s-a-sucker-born-everyday crowd? Is that to whom a video appeals?

I honestly have never watched a “guru’s” video on their site. I will watch a dvd, but to have them stare at me and tell me all the tasty nuggets I can find out by breezing through their copy is way more than enough.

to watch a fat ugly guy whisper sweet nothings into my face, is not very compelling… unless it is Phil

Good one, CFP!

Listen, man (and I thank you for the nice stuff you said, too), selling info and selling stuff is the same thing.

Same reason Lee Iacocca had to get his big face in front of the camera to sell cars, and the reason Dave Thomas had to get his face in front of the camera to sell burgers.

Because face to face stuff communicates personality very effectively. That being said, I agree 100% that copy is King.

I do firmly believe, though, that video is its Crown Prince.

…in my opinion…

:rolleyes:

[B]llaczko:[/B]

These videos/products are legitimate pitches for legitimate, valuable info, and they sell a LOT of it. It has nothing to do with the ‘sucker-born-a-minute’ thing.

Take CFP, for example. If someone was starting out in this biz, and CFP offered to spend an afternoon with them, mentoring them, and telling them all of his secrets as to how he’s managed to achieve remarkable success with his window cleaning business, the 20 things to avoid and the 20 things to do, and do right now, as well as actual templates that can be tweaked for any window cleaning business, and all the scientific data from his testing to back it all up, would you recommend that your friend take him up on his offer?

Of course. You’d be foolish not to.

Now, let’s talk price. How much would that kind of information be worth? $500? $1,000? $2,000?

See what I mean? Now change the format of CFP’s advice from an afternoon meeting to a 3-hr DVD, a 61-page transcript to pore over, a 159-page workbook, and another DVD with all of the editable digital files ready to be customized, of invaluable insider information. And its still available for only $1,500 let’s say, spread into 3 easy payments of $500.00 per month for 3 months…

Now, if CFP sold 667 of these DVD’s in a 12-month period, he’d be a millionaire. That’s only 56 per month, worldwide. That’s less than 2 a day.

And THAT is what’s known as a 7-digit income…

No scams, no suckers, just valuable, insider info from someone who knows what he’s doing, and who can save you months and years, and tens of thousands of dollars of trial and error.

These guys simply do that with different, high-response markets, where they have legitimate, real-world success and experience.

CFP: You owe me $50,000 when you earn your first million doing this!
:wink:

P.S. Hope everyone enjoyed that free lesson in economics…

But, there are probably more “scams” selling their advice than legitimate gurus, no? Jim Jones was a guru of sorts…Bush 43 as well.

I might “know” you or CFP or Chris or Phil from these forums, but I might be sceptical otherwise.

How does one effectively get an audience to trust them and their product/service? Or, is it a numbers game (“less than 2 a day…worldwide”)?

The sure-fire answer to this question is worth several million dollars.

What I would do if I was developing this kind of product is show some PROOF of success (maybe some checks that my company had recently received, etc), outline all the business successes, all the lucrative clients I’ve acquired, glowing testimonials from people who have trusted me and applied my advice with success, and … are you ready for it …

[SIZE=“7”]VIDEO![/SIZE]

To show people that there is a REAL person behind all the hype, and that I am here assuming full responsibility for the genuine value built in to the product I’m selling you right now, and that I will be here a year from now should you want every penny back because its a scam somehow.

This would address the trust issue fairly well, but even more would be needed…probably a strong, airtight guarantee, samples of the information that I’m selling as ‘tasters’, and maybe some proof of some sort of being a legitimate business and being registered with the BBB or similar.

And the more you can teach someone something valuable and new, that fills an immediate need, the more likely they are to trust you in the future, so specialized education is also essential.

Think of this :

I am genuinely flattered that you trust me, CFP, Phil, and Chris, but ask yourself this: Why do you trust us?

Ever met me? What if I’m just a huge scam-artist? The truth is, you have no definitive proof that I should be trusted, except that maybe some things that I’ve said have sounded right to you, or maybe some links to some stuff that I’ve made also seemed to be a good idea.

Either way, it earned your trust, and - I assure you - it is not misplaced! I AM the real deal, and many here also are…

The lesson is this: Trust is a fascinating thing that can be acquired and strengthened in a formulaic way.…these “gurus” are experts at it, and some of the scam-artists are, too, although they are more easily picked off with a discerning eye and ear…

Great stuff here, thanks!

BTW, reread my last post; I never used the word trust. :smiley: