Any business depends on the number of customers who purchase the company's goods or use its services. A priori, any business cannot do without advertising itself and increasing the number of buyers of its goods and services.
This statement fully applies to this type of business as a car wash. This business, due to high competition in the Russian capital, requires much more effort on the part of car wash owners than in other regions of our great country. Of course, the fact that the vehicle fleet in the capital is constantly increasing plays into the hands of car wash owners, but the question of how to promote a car wash in the highly competitive conditions of the capital is one of the most pressing in the realities of the modern car business.
The editors of the project site tried to carry out marketing research this issue and find out which car wash advertisement will be most effective in modern conditions.
Let's start with the fact that any new car wash (as well as some other types modern business) should become known to as many potential clients as possible. That is, even before it opens, it is necessary to use some means of outdoor advertising (the “We are opening soon” banner on a car wash job will be very, very useful). It is necessary to organize the distribution of leaflets with a short list of future services and the exact address of the location of the future car wash. The owner of a car wash can be sure that the information will reach potential customers and they will definitely use the services of the new car wash when it opens. It is necessary to start creating a small Internet project for a car wash (mini business card website), but not release it on the big Internet yet.
After the exciting moment of opening has passed, it is necessary to begin large-scale advertising of the car wash. Repeat the same set of outdoor advertising media (replace the banner from “We are opening soon” with the banner “We are open. Welcome”), pay for advertising in various printed publications, order advertising on the Internet (Yandex. Direct is quite suitable - that’s why you need your own website). Naturally, distribution of leaflets to motorists on the road and some other events. It is necessary to carry out various promotions at your car wash (a flight of fancy for business owners).
In fact, the question of how to quickly promote a car wash is important, but another more important question is how to make sure that the car wash remains popular over a long period of time. For this it would be nice to have promotional video using the example given at the end of the article.
So, you recently opened a car wash or have owned it for a long time, but there are few customers. It is necessary to increase the number of visitors and, accordingly, revenue. But how to attract customers to a car wash? Let's look at some creative ideas.
This is a great way to quickly enter the market. You need to think about when your mailings will reach potential customers' doors. Most people are busy on weekdays, so it makes sense to deliver your ad closer to the weekend.
Watch the weather, it greatly affects how dirty your car is. Send your newsletter on the most favorable days for you.
The email text must be written correctly and contain a clear call to action. You can offer discounts, for example, servicing two cars for the price of one. Your current customers will refer their friends to get a discount - this will greatly increase future traffic.
The method is similar to mailing. But it’s better that your employees implement it, like a competition among them. The message may contain a direct offer from an employee to visit a car wash, a discount offer, etc. And the employee who attracts the most visitors is rewarded.
It is advisable to place pendants in nearby houses.
Practically the same as pendants. Stickers in the shape of dollars containing an offer to visit the car wash. Have employees stick them on dirty cars (in parking lots, yards, parking lots, etc.). There is a prize for the most successful.
Buy one, get one
Organize a promotion for new visitors. If they pay for one visit to the car wash, then the next one is given to them free of charge. When a client comes for a free car wash, your employees will have to offer him additional services, or buy a prepaid card, if you have such an option.
How to return the queue to the car wash? Recently, many car wash owners have been faced with what is called a harsh reality: the usual queues of 5-10 cars in front of the bays are no longer observed. It’s especially difficult for new car washes - they often stand idle for up to half of their working time waiting for a “stray” client. And the estimated profit that was included when drawing up the business plan, in fact, remains an unattainable dream. It must be admitted that the crisis has had a negative impact on the car wash services market. And in order to save business, today we need to actively look for new ways to attract customers who have learned to count every ruble. This is the subject of this article by a business consultant. Dmitry Dubrovsky(St. Petersburg).
All is well! And that's all - by!
The main misconception of most car wash owners is the “blind faith” that the daily flow of cars rushing past is more than enough to load all the posts with work and reach an acceptable level of profitability.
Believe me, there is nothing more dangerous for business than relying on “gravity”! This is a business with many unknowns. Firstly, it is unknown how many car owners will actually decide to slow down and “turn” to your post. Secondly, it is unknown how much money each of them will ultimately leave in the cash register. Thirdly, it is unknown whether they will ever return to you.How can you predict profits in such conditions? No way. Solution: get serious about actively attracting clients.
Unfortunately, most car wash owners do not have a clear marketing strategy to promote their business, but act “at random” or (more often) following the example of fellow competitors. Often, the little money that is reserved for advertising is simply thrown away. This is the notorious “us too” principle: 99% of car washes use the same methods of attracting customers, which, alas, in reality turn out to be insufficiently effective.
Image? Not that!
You can, of course, seek help from professionals from advertising agency. There, the inexperienced neophyte will be gladly “taken into circulation”: not sparing bright epithets and “killer” quotes, they will start talking about how important it is to “work on the positive image of the car wash”, “increase brand awareness”, etc. And, after taking a breath, they will summarize: there is no way to do without a solid advertising budget... Do not doubt, your money will be successfully spent. They will go towards developing a multi-page brand book (why do you need one?), a neon sign, billboards, “exclusive” booklet design and business cards. When it becomes clear that “professional marketing” did not work, and the funds have already been spent, expensive (in every sense) advertising experts are unlikely to admit their own fiasco. On the contrary, they will double the advertiser's "processing". They will say that this is to be expected: one-time promotions are ineffective and that “before customers remember your ad, they must see it 6-8 times, preferably on different media.”
Is this a familiar situation? I'm sure so. So, this type of marketing, which operates with the concepts of “brand” or “image” and which is actively used by giant corporations like Coca-Cola or, say, VimpelCom (Beeline trademark), does not work at all in the small business format, to which includes a car wash. Why? The main reason is the limited advertising budget. For transnational companies, it traditionally amounts to millions of dollars (even now, despite the crisis), so the “whales” can afford any experiments and the most sophisticated types of advertising (such as sponsorship of large charity projects or sporting events). What car wash complex (even the largest) is ready for such expenses? No.
Direct response advertising
That's why I want to offer a completely different approach to marketing car wash services. An approach that can really become a source of constant influx of clients. So, to attract customers to the car wash, I advise using exclusively direct response advertising (so-called direct response marketing). Its main difference from traditional advertising is that the advertiser can calculate the effectiveness of advertising investments with an accuracy of up to a ruble. There is no need to “increase awareness” of the car wash brand. The specificity of advertising car wash services is the immediate effect. If at the beginning of the week you send out letters with a seasonal offer to all car enthusiasts living within a radius of 3-7 km from the car wash, then after a few days the first customers will begin to arrive with a discount coupon thoughtfully included in the letter. Such an instant response allows you to immediately determine how successfully it worked. mailing list. As a rule, the funds invested in advertising are recouped the first time and even bring a small profit. Moreover, they “fight back” on new clients, who will then come again (and without any paid advertising) to again leave money at the cash register of your car wash.
2. It is necessary to scrupulously track the results and derive the efficiency ratio: costs, responses, total revenue, etc.
3. It is necessary to use as many advertising channels as possible (direct mail, partnerships with other organizations, contextual advertising on the Internet, outdoor advertising, distribution of flyers, etc.)
4. If the advertisement has an effect, it must be repeated after some time. Unfortunately, in one short article it is impossible to talk about all the marketing techniques used to attract customers to the car wash. For additional information, please contact my author’s website www.car-wash-profits.ru, where you can sign up for an electronic subscription to a free mini-course for car wash owners “The 7 most common mistakes that are guaranteed to kill your profits!”
Personal experience
Denis Privarnikov, manager of the Dolinka car wash (Chelyabinsk):
- Over the past four years, we have tried different methods of promoting our services. Radio and television are expensive, newspaper advertising is ineffective. At one time we had such a funny life-size washer doll costume - a promoter dressed in it was on duty at an intersection, approached cars standing at a red traffic light, handed out leaflets and business cards... We also placed advertising on a billboard, although without reference to a fixed place: thanks This shield cost us twice as much. Of course, we regularly distribute business cards at nearby parking lots, parking lots and gas stations. This is the third year we have successfully implemented a loyalty program: regular customers are awarded a cumulative discount card. Last summer, we launched an anti-crisis campaign, according to which an express wash will cost the owner of a car in the first price category (this includes small cars and all domestic brands) only 99 rubles instead of 120 according to the list price. Practice shows that the most effective advertising- this is a classic “word of mouth”. Therefore, I myself communicate closely with clients, trying to find out how satisfied they are with our service and how we can improve it. It is fundamentally important for me that the client leaves his post in good mood. Then there is a chance that he will return to us more than once. Regular customers are the key to the success of any business. This fully applies to the field of car wash services.
Active advertising companies, favorable discounts in the first months of operation of a self-service car wash always give good results. Offers attract big flow visitors, allow you to develop a base of regular customers. But after 2-3 months, many owners note a decline. There are no longer any queues at the car wash, and profits are declining. What to do in this case and how to attract new customers to the car wash, without forgetting about the regular ones?
When thinking through methods of “luring”, do not forget that the business operates in the “economy” segment. Catchy slogans with a discount of a few percent will not attract new people, because few people will want to travel halfway across the city for a benefit of 10-15 rubles. Advertising should be of a slightly different nature and not always obvious.
The client will come to the car wash again and bring his friend if he is convinced that this is where he can wash his car perfectly. Don’t skimp on clean water and auto chemicals. Buy reliable equipment that is easy and convenient to work with. Many customers leave car washes due to low efficiency detergents, which are difficult to wash even ordinary dirt. People prefer a rag and a bucket in the yard of their own home - it’s free, you don’t have to go anywhere, and the result depends only on your own efforts. Therefore, quality and quality again, keep an eye on consumables with special care.
A common offer that is actively used by network car washes. The client buys a loyalty card and washes at a discount at any facility of the selected company. Using loyalty cards is sure to retain loyal customers who live, work or regularly drive near your car wash. The likelihood that drivers from the other end of the city will come to you for bonuses is extremely low. But cards will be a good addition to your overall marketing strategy.
Offering a discount as such may not have the desired effect, so car wash owners come up with all sorts of promotions. An interesting offer combined with a good financial bonus will not go unnoticed. For example, happy hour promotions are very popular at self-service car washes. The bottom line is that drivers are offered to wash their car at night or on a certain day of the week at a much lower price than usual. This allows you to relieve posts during peak hours, remove queues, and attract some clients to periods of downtime.
Popular promotion “Pay for one service and get a 50% discount on the second.” Sometimes, as a second service, they offer tire inflation or 10 minutes of using a vacuum cleaner completely free of charge. The promotion is available for a limited period of time. As soon as the client flow subsides, you need to come up with something new. Don't forget to actively advertise your offers. A simple sign at the entrance to a car wash is not enough. Use all advertising resources available to you.
Creating a group on social networks does not require financial investments, but if your budget allows, then it is better to design a full-fledged website for your car wash. On Internet resources you can promote your services and inform subscribers latest news, talk about promotions and various interesting facts. You can fill pages with SEO articles with queries relevant to your services. Be sure to use a geographic reference: the name of the nearest metro, locality, etc.
Another way to promote a business on the Internet is through marks on the Yandex.Maps and Google Maps services, in various directories and on information portals. How does this work? Let's say a driver is driving along a highway and decides to wash his car before entering the city. He opens Yandex and searches for the nearest car wash. If the car is in your area, the navigator will automatically direct the driver to you. The same thing will happen when you type the key phrase “Car wash in City N.” The search engine will show the address of your self-service car wash in the TOP.
Work with reviews, try to resolve controversial situations personally with each specific client. Visitors who are satisfied with the work of the car wash will simply leave and come back to you again. And those customers who didn’t like something, in a fit of emotion, will write a negative review about your company on the Internet and tell their friends about it.
Spend time monitoring your network. Check not only your website, but also other sites and thematic forums. Try to respond to every review, both positive and negative. Take into account comments and communicate politely even with boors.
You can write your answer directly under the reviews, but not in the style of “you’re wrong, we’re good,” but with an explanation of the situation and your apologies. Remember that this text will be seen not only dissatisfied client, but also hundreds of website visitors, among whom your target audience will probably be. The diplomacy of the car wash management greatly increases loyalty to the enterprise.
Pay attention to your business, work with clients, improve the quality of services, and then the flow of visitors will be stable.
Opening your own car wash is a business that begins to pay for itself from the first day of operation. The dream of seeing a line at a car wash forces its owner to actively look for ways to attract customers. You shouldn't rely on chance. The choice of a clear marketing strategy will have a decisive impact on the profitability of the enterprise. Failure to pay attention to this seemingly insignificant detail results in profits that are much lower than originally expected.
If you have complete order with the location and appearance of the car wash, then the rest is a matter of marketing.
It is important to understand that in order to develop a business, it is necessary to solve two problems: attract a client and retain him for as long as possible. I propose to consider several effective strategic schemes for attracting clientele from different angles.
Regular car wash customers who use its services for a long time are necessarily rewarded with discounts, attractive bonuses and cumulative discount cards. Special conditions and special offers should be discussed during the first car service.
The traditional small business strategy has many advantages that are attractive to both customers and car wash owners:
When implementing the scheme, it is necessary to take into account several negative points:
New customers are offered to wash their car at reduced prices for a certain period of time. This can be considered as a reward for choosing your car wash. Then the price becomes standard for everyone.
Benefits of the scheme for both parties:
Negative points requiring attention:
In my opinion, you can achieve quick success in the field of car wash services only by resorting to non-standard methods of promotion in the service market.
A skillful combination of classical and motivational strategies can lead to amazing results in the fight for the hearts of customers. A universal scheme helps to quickly and practically without losses expand your customer base.
At the first stage of working with new clients, a motivational method is used. But receiving preferential services is limited in time or number of services.
Visitors are then offered a car wash at a standard cost.
At the third stage, when the client is considered permanent, his loyalty is supported by discounts and bonuses according to the classical scheme.
This approach can really become the basis for a constant influx of people who want to use your services.
Attractive features of the strategic scheme:
Disadvantages of the strategy:
In order for your car wash to be noticed, you must stand out from the typical background of your competitors. To do this, it is important to prepare a unique offer that offers something “in addition” to the standard service.
Choose the best one marketing strategy, and then customers will come again to increase money at the car wash cash desk again.
To implement any of the selected strategies, we will help you, for accounting clients, processing work orders, maintaining a client base, making calculations wages washers...and much more.
