I need to increase my IBA counts/sales - What is everyone else doing?

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Only averaging 30 +/- CPD. Average price is $11.

Wash packages are $7/$9/$10/$12

I have a Touchless and Soft/Gloss.

I have a EE and formerly Full Service now operating as a FLEX about 3.5miles from me.

I was wondering what you guys are doing regarding the following:

1. Advertising.
2. Pricing.
3. Show( Foam arch, LED, etc)
4. Free additional services ( Vacs,etc)

I have the WashCard system, so I'm able to work that route, but I feel that cards are becoming a thing of the past. I know I haven't wanted a loyalty card from anyplace in a long time.

I've been thinking as well as my chem distributor suggesting 1. Free vacs. and possibly 2. $3 basic wash.

Any input would be great!

 

[mac]

Hello Car Wash Guy. Glad you asked. I'm not familiar with your location, but get asked this question a lot by my customers. They all want to know how to increase business. So I simply ask them how much they spend on advertising. And I almost always get a blank stare. I have a direct mailing marketing program that I try to sell. Depending on the market size, it will have the closest 5,000 to 10,000 households. We then have nice four color post cards sent out a little each month. Most operators think having a sign on the road is good enough. Well, it ain't. Almost every other business on the planet spends some percentage of their gross on revenue. My guess is that Bob Roman will have some thoughts on this also.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Hello Car Wash Guy. Glad you asked. I'm not familiar with your location, but get asked this question a lot by my customers. They all want to know how to increase business. So I simply ask them how much they spend on advertising. And I almost always get a blank stare. I have a direct mailing marketing program that I try to sell. Depending on the market size, it will have the closest 5,000 to 10,000 households. We then have nice four color post cards sent out a little each month. Most operators think having a sign on the road is good enough. Well, it ain't. Almost every other business on the planet spends some percentage of their gross on revenue. My guess is that Bob Roman will have some thoughts on this also.

Thanks for the reply mac. As of now - I use Google Adwords, Yelp and to a smaller extent, Facebook.I spend a meager 2% of my gross on advertising.

I've considered many forms but ...as they say, suffer from paralysis by analysis! I've looked into dvertising on a billboard on the main artery to/from my wash. That would cost anywhere from $800-$1500/mo. I've also considered direct mailing, but I've heard many here and elsewhere claim it wasn't effective.

 

[loewem]

I've been trying to figure marketing out for four years. I've tried targeted mailing to the surrounding area with coupons for $ off a wash. I've tried internet marketing through my Internet Service Provider. I've tried Facebook Marketing. I set up a google account and tried google ads. None of these resulted in an apparent increase in sales. One thing that has worked on a small scale is a neighborhood welcome service that I bought into. For $85/ month a lady would provide a bag of coupons and information about local business. 30 would get distributed per month and about 10 would come back to my wash. I went to a course on small business marketing at the small business center at a local community college and the take home for me from that course is that nothing can beat word of mouth. If someone you know and trust tells you about something you listen. I've found that engaging existing customers to spread the word about my wash is a good way to market. I have a personal interest in Autism as my daughter is on the Autism Spectrum, so I've incorporated that into my word of mouth marketing. I had 2,000 business cards printed up with my wash information on the front and information about Autism on the back. I take two business cards and six tokens and give them to an existing customer. I tell the customer that three tokens and one card are form them and ask them to give the other card and three tokens to a friend or neighbor. I ask them to read the back of the card and to tell their friend/neighbor to do the same. I've given out about 1,000 cards in the past six months and have been happy with the results. I have one customer that asked me for more cards and tokens three times, so I gave him 50 cards and 150 tokens. That one guy has had at least 10 people try my wash and two of those people are now regular automatic customers and one of those people is a regular self serve customer. So, for $150 worth of tokens I got at least three new regular customers. Not sure how good that is in terms of return on investment, but I'm happy with it.....especially compared to the other marketing that I've tried. Check out this video and book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN4eDk1pq6U. The book is a pretty easy read and is interesting.

 

[robert roman]

If you want to generate more car counts and sales, you need to capture a greater share of the market. Share is a function of customer attraction rate and customer loyalty rate.

So, you might want to consider things that are known to have a positive influence on attraction (capturing new customers) and loyalty (getting existing customers to visit more often and/or spend more per visit).

There are a number of tactics that can be used to achieve these goals and objectives.

However, unlike a bad defensive attorney, you would not want to just throw a bunch of poop on the wall and see what sticks. This is usually a waste of time and resources and doesn’t produce the desired results.

For example, chemical rep made an off the cuff suggestion for free vacuums and $3.00 wash.

Yes, these are two attributes of express model but not all. Express means no waiting, attended, fast process, hand finished qualities, multiple profit centers, and so forth.

How much is it going to cost to provide free vacuums? What will $3.00 price do to average per car revenue? Will gain offset cost to get it?

My advice is to get someone to help you prepare a formal marketing plan.

I’ll give you another free tip I’ve published several times.

If you don’t already have them, create a responsive website and offer customers a free phone app.

 

[D3Dubs]

I haven't tried this but am seriously considering sign spinning. My wash is in Mass but I visit family in Florida a lot and love seeing the sign spinners down here. Usually for furniture stores or selling gold for cash, but I've always thought it would be a great idea on a sunny weekend day to bring folks in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81CLwwTJccg

Getting a website and getting my business squared away online was a good investment of time.

 

[getnbusy]

I have a local idiot I have used as a spinner several times. On a pretty day I can put him out there and he will fill the lot in 5 minutes. It will run a capacity til he goes home. $8 an hour and the customers love him.