Anyone from that there London?

[WaftyCrank]

I'm running an 'offline' business and looking to expand into London. It's the tattoo removal link in my sig.

I'm running a Google Ad campaign targetting London only but so far yielding little results. I'm wondering if anyone has any promotional tips for marketing to a London audience to get the word out?

 

[dta]

im from london.

considering its an offline biz, I'd suggest using the likes of a groupon offer to help target a local audience as a way to promote your biz.

most folks in london commute in and although most won't admit, we all sneak a peak in the local metro paper so worth trying to get some kind of article or coverage in the paper. They're often looking for 'stories'....

 

[expertc]

Here in London not many "offline" services work London-wide. The city is too big, people mostly interested in "offline" services in their area. E.g. for me to get from West London to East London is a loooong (and unpleasant!) drive.

 

[Edwin]

What about Facebook advertising? You might be able to target people who have tags such as "London" and "tattoo" and who are above a certain age group (if you have demographic info about the type of people who are more likely to have "tattoo regret" in later life) for example. Thinking way outside the box, you might want to cross-reference for people who've recently changed status from "In a relationship" or "Married" to "Single" as they may have an ex's name they want to excise...

I know literally nothing about the tattoo "scene" (if such an animal even exists) but perhaps you could also think of ways to facilitate word of mouth between your existing clients and their friends who might also have expressed doubts about their tattoos.

Finally, regardless of your interest in expanding to London, I doubt you're going to get much if any business through a site with a Sheffield URL. You need something either London-centric or non-geographic if you want to take a bite out of the capital!

 

[Bailey]

No offence but, "sheffieldLaser" is going to be seen as a Caterers Knife-set down our way

 

[chrisduggan]

Give a kid 50 quid and ask him to walk through Covent Garden, Leicester Sq and down Oxford St with a board and some leaflets for a couple of hours.
Where a handful of the more popular tattoo parlours reside.

Change the domain name or give it s London promotion sub domain at least.

There are many reputable skin clinics in London offering laser treatments, competitiion will be fierce and probably not worth the expense.

 

[WaftyCrank]

Thanks for all the replies. I've thought about changing the name but to be honest it's part of the brand and the site is already generating traffic so I don't like the idea of starting from scratch.

The competition is fierce in London hence the reason I'm promoting it as having more northern prices. Do you think the name will affect the sales THAT much? Really?

I'm interested in your comment Bailey specifically about Sheffield Laser being seen as a caterers knife set. Are you saying that because its how a lot of Londoners associate Sheffield or just some (and with all due respect) of a certain age group who remember Sheffield steel being world famous and the industry around it?

Thanks for all the feedback. I've used Groupon in Sheffield successfully so might give them a round two. I also have considered facebook but the last time I used them it produced poor quality results.

expertc your comment is very interesting as I've actually been trying to rack my brain about exactly where to host the clinic on a monthly basis. I'm not from London and have only been to London once approx 15 years ago. I don't know the good from the bad areas and I don't know how far people would travel for a good deal on removal costs.

For example I have relations in Reading and Maidenhead. Would Londoners consider this destination too far to travel for a cheaper cost of treatment?

 

[expertc]

...For example I have relations in Reading and Maidenhead. Would Londoners consider this destination too far to travel for a cheaper cost of treatment?

I can't speak for all Londoners, but we tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to travel. Driving all day in London traffic takes fun out of it. If choosing from the above I would think Reading is a bit easier to get to. Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Bailey]

Hi Mate, I'm pleased you took my comment in the light hearted way intended. "Laser" is indeed actually the name of a well respected knife-set both in professional catering circles and for keen cooks - Couple that with "Sheffield" And you can see the association. I have no idea where the knives are actually manufactured. But they're easy to recognise due to their one piece construction - being all made (handle included) from the same piece of solid-steel. Yep us Londoners do still associate Sheffied with quality Steel.

As for the "Pricing association" Sheffield/Northern = Good pricing. You are well wide of a Southerners/Londoners perspective. We don't associate the North of England with better pricing. In fact competition alone tells us that 'London pricing' is probably as competitive as you ever going to find.

I'm happy to put some thought into wording that may suit your enterprise. But, even "London Laser" would perceived as a 'Gaming Arena' or possibly 'Club Scene'

 

[Edwin]

Surely THE key factor is quality of removal, not price? A "cheap" tattoo removal is very expensive if it's perceived in any way as a botched job!

 

[WaftyCrank]

Its interesting to see the opinions differ somewhat. I've done the research into the industry I'm in and know that the treatment charge I'd be entering at is substantially lower than the average for London prices. And the perspective for us northern monkeys is that there is always a premium attached to London for service industry costs.

In fact even the guy at Groupon who I dealt with for my Sheffield campaign (who was based in London) even said the same.

Maybe it is the Sheffield Laser letting the side down but if it came down to a choice of rebranding for London or just not running a clinic there I'd choose not to run the clinic as I don't want to start from scratch with it all over again if I'm honest.

I'm considering Groupon to get the word out so that's an option. The metro might be worth a look to. The next issue is the location. If I go north will those in the south travel to it for a good deal? Can even contemplate more central? What are the costs involved such as taking a car into London and parking?

I'd like to run the service to Londoners as I feel it's time they got a better deal on the service I run but I need to consider all the facts first.

 

[WaftyCrank]

Surely THE key factor is quality of removal, not price? A "cheap" tattoo removal is very expensive if it's perceived in any way as a botched job!

Thanks Edwin, I'm not sure I follow though? I like to think of it as more affordable or cost effective than cheap. The service is first rate and works fantastically well even if I do say so myself. However in the spirit of the current climate, I can offer the service at a lower cost as because (a) I'm not greedy and (b) my overheads will be low as I'll just hire a treatment room for the day.

Its a win win if I can get enough people to find out that I'm there and ready to provide the service to them.

 

[Edwin]

Thanks Edwin, I'm not sure I follow though? I like to think of it as more affordable or cost effective than cheap. The service is first rate and works fantastically well even if I do say so myself. However in the spirit of the current climate, I can offer the service at a lower cost as because (a) I'm not greedy and (b) my overheads will be low as I'll just hire a treatment room for the day.

Its a win win if I can get enough people to find out that I'm there and ready to provide the service to them.

My point was, do you actually know what customers in your "new" target market are after? What do they value most highly? Is it the price of the service? Is it the accessibility (from what I gathered from a brief Google, it takes numerous treatments for a larger tattoo)? Is it the quality of the service? Is it the reassurance of a large number of testimonials, or of professional body qualifications? Is it something else entirely?

I was trying to prompt you to look beyond the raw cost to see if that's really the right "differentiating factor" for your proposed market.

 

[figleaf007]

Newspaper and Magazine wise, you might want to look into a small ad in;

Time out
Evening Standard
Metro
Also, some of the traveller magazines, people getting tats removed before going home for a proper job etc eg TNT Magazine

Good luck

 

[WaftyCrank]

Apologies for the delay folks, I have been under the pumps over the last couple of days.
Edwin in answer to your question, no I guess I don't know what my new target market customers want most. I assume (probably shouldn't do that) the customers want the same thing as the ones in my current market, a good price and good results both being equal to the decision of whom they choose to use.

I think if I get can the word out on the price then the rest will take care of itself but looking objectively and trying to be an outsider for a second, I think I need to nail down and display the location of the potential clinic. That way they know where it will be, then display the cost for the treatment followed by examples (which already exists).

I'm also coming around to the idea that the site may need to be London generic as right now there is a two tier price structure in place. One for up here and one for down in London, I think people may not like it when looking around but it is an unfortunate necessity due to the distance and added costs as such.

 

[Frog]

I would try expanding your photo selection. IMO, this photo would not make me want to use your service:

Showing me that you can dull and blur it with 1 treatment is not helping... I would far rather see multiple pictures after each treatment, all the way up to a final result. As if you can't remove it completely I'd rather have a full bad tattoo, than a blurred bad tattoo

 

[Bailey]

I would try expanding your photo selection. IMO, this photo would not make me want to use your service:

As if you can't remove it completely I'd rather have a full bad tattoo, than a blurred bad tattoo

I have to agree - that looks like a "brighten-up" your tattoo service.

Is the service really any good these days? - or does it play on peoples wants - I'm asking because i don't know the answer and I have a friend that went for surgical-removal a couple of years ago -they ended up looking like "burn scars"

 

[jimm]

Id fix your DNS too
http://cl.ly/1J3u1U003l2O052B3o0a

 

[WaftyCrank]

That tattoo is for a cover up. It's not meant as an example for full removal.
It works in Sheffield so I don't think that is a London issue personally but appreciate the feedback.

What's the dns issue?

The service is very good and the burn scars wouldn't be from laser removal. More probably demabration or similar.

 

[jimm]

What's the dns issue?

http://www.intodns.com/sheffieldlaser.co.uk

OpenDNS for instance cant resolve your site so you are loosing visitors.