I think that sharing can be good, in the right time & place, but not in endless detail and not everything.
I look at what other folks post on their websites in much the same way I look at other peoples’ houses. Sometimes I’m just curious and sometimes I’m actively looking for ideas, but I don’t consider it “spying”.
I do believe in sharing with my peers, but I don’t think of my website as the place to do that.
It’s fair to say that I share more openly with remodelers who are not in my market and less openly with remodelers in my market.
For our website we are striving to “right-size” the amount of information we share: enough to satisfy but not so much as to overwhelm. You could say that in the process of figuring out “right-size” we are also thinking about how to tell potential clients enough without “over-showing our cards” if that makes sense.
I’m pretty sure that even the folks who speak in favor of sharing wouldn’t post their dollar volume, profit margins, bank balance or salary. So if some information is clearly off-limits, what does “right-sized” information include (& at what level of detail) and what is off-limits?
Patty
pmcd@boardwalkbuilders.com
ProfServMI977 478 days ago
Great topic here Leah! I've always believed that the benefits of prospective clients reading and seeing what makes you different/unique far out way the disadvantages of your competition potentially 'swipping' your ideas because they are out in the public.
Frankly, I think a lot of us spend too much time worrying about the competition!
Focus everyday on incremental improvements in YOUR business and marketing... Keep adding layer after layer to your message, your reach, your network of contacts, your unique points of difference, your testimonials/proof, your systems, etc.
Pretty soon you'll be miles ahead of the great majority of the other folks in your market and have a solid competitive advantage (made up of a lot of little things you excel at.)
Keep up the hard work!
Kyle Hunt
RemodelYourMarketing.com
DB-RemdCA1157 478 days ago
I second everything that DB-RemdVA2857 said. I couldn't have said it better. My philosophy is like the song "I'm giving all my secrets away". Reading d5R and some LinkedIn group discussions have helped me learn from others willing to share and why wouldn't I do the same?
J Steele
www.blackdiamondbuilders.com
DB-RemdWI1015 479 days ago
You need to be able to back up what you say. Hopefully you have some testimonials, 3rd party surveying, and reviews out there that back up what you say. I hope no one else can copy that! (And buyer beware, if they hire a company that posts fake reviews!)
abe www.degnandesignbuilders.com
DB-RemdNJ1122 479 days ago
I agree with most already posted here especially what Christopher just wrote. Creating compelling material, but not displaying it is only a rumor. Our goal is to always be first and best. Then once others start to catch on and slowly catch up our material has been updated and/or adapted for supreme relevancy.
Neil Parsons
INFO@DesignBuildPros.com
DB-RemdIN1032 479 days ago
My website content has been plagiarized on numerous occasions. That's the unfortunate reality of being online. There are a lot of lazy contractors and lazy web designers out there.
You can copy some text here or a photo there—but I don’t think you can copy true uniqueness. Who you are is the sum of your complete marketing message and “brand”. From your portfolio to your references to your USP.
Successful products and brands invariably spawn copy cats, but when you’re first to market with a compelling message the advantage still remains with you. A far bigger concern than being copied should be not getting your message heard. Being irrelevant. Get your message out there, in as many places as you can. Get out front of the pack with a compelling brand and do everything you can to stay there. Your competitors will find it hard to hit a moving target if you continually adapt and improve your marketing materials to take advantage of the changing needs in your market.
Christopher Wright, CR
WrightWorks LLC
www.WrightWorks.net
DB-RemdNC1077 479 days ago
Welcome to the new world of marketing.
This ain't rocket science.
Full page ad in yellow pages, no more. Trade Shows, no more free mouse pads! Yard sign, keep putting them out!
Marketing for our industry in 2012?
SEO, SEM, Blogging, Twitter, Reviews,Testimonials. Content for website. The game has changed. And, it changes everyday. You will need a full time marketing guru to keep your company on the front page of google.
Hell, I need a clone to just start blogging 4 times a day. Another clone to upload videos and photos for website and youtr tube. A third person or recent grad for Facebook campaigns. Whew! You can devote 60 hours a week to internet marketing and still be 10 hours short! We are not there yet!
I focus on communities. Always have. Not going to change that program. We work where we live. We help neighbors. We provide them with information to make the right decision for home renovations.
Our philosophy has not changed. Our clients choose us becuase of the overall experience we provide.
Tonight at the NARI dinner there will be trades and subs asking for work, folks trying to duplicate our efforts with community programs, and GC's willing to go in on project as a team. And folks from the big box stores will be there too.
I shake everyone's hand. I look them in the eye. And, I concentrate on our efforts. We hide nothing. transparent. nothing to hide. Focus on strengths.
Parnter with trades, subs and suppliers that share your work ethic and business model.
We are fortunate to spend the majority of our time and efforts in our business model and rarely, very rarely do we spy on competition.
Do we lose bids to our competitors, of course. But we are not going to fall into the monkey see, monkey do mentality.
Build your business on trust, devote efforts to your core competencies and referrals will through the front door.
Is it that easy everyday? No, but we love a challenge!
We have created a family atmosphere and we work for each other and our families.
And we over deliver.
DB-RemdVA2857 479 days ago
It took me a while to become comfortable with sharing our information so openly, but I'm glad I finally came around. I think deep down we are all truly committed to raising the level of integrity and service our industry provides the homeowners and business owners we serve. If my competition learns how to be a better remodeler from information they see on my website, so be it. Again, the reality is the majority of them won't act on it anyway and if they do...good for them!
The main reason to put your information out there is to brand you as the expert in your field. The more knowledge you can demonstrate the more your potential clients will trust you. Lastly, and at the risk of sounding too "touchy-feely," sharing your information openly, comes from a mindset of abundance vs. lack. There is plenty of work out there for all of us and the more you openly share and are generous with your gifts, the more they will be returned in unexpected ways.
NewConstMO1642 479 days ago
I agree with earlier posts in that just because they have it, doesn't mean that they will understand or use it. I would be more concerned about your website designer. Just as we want our customers to understand that cheaper doesn't necessarily mean better, the same holds true for web designers. In my area many of my competitors use the same web designer (who is a member of our HBA). He uses a "template" to keep the cost down, but all the websites look and feel the same. If you want to be different, don't use the same web template your competition is using and I also recommend using a different web designer.
DB-RemdPA1061 479 days ago
What goes around comes around. I'm very willing to share because I've learned so much from other remodelers who've been willing to share over the years.
dennis@gehmanremodeling.com
DB-Remd001742 479 days ago
I would not worry about giving away to much information. The reality is that most others will not act on it and if they do, they will not do it same way as you do.
DB-Remd001742 479 days ago
I would not worry about giving away to much information. The reality is that most others will not act on it and if they do, they will not do it same way as you do.
