A Sleeping Giant Was Awakened!

[SirWolfy]

The last few weeks dealing with Mr. Harrell have been interesting and entertaining to say the least! lol

[djdonny]

He does tend to make everything overly complex. If I were a client who came across his site, I would just back out because it just looks like it would take a half hour to read the first page alone. Web sites MUST follow the KISS rule! His vendor sign up, lead letters, and everything else originating from that site is unnecessarily complex as well.

And yes, I cancelled membership also because I was getting more leads from outside my area of service than within (and I serve the NYC metro area!!!)

Another inherent problem is that there is really no easy way for vendors to track which bookings came from ATF. I would happily offer commission when due, but clients forget where they found out about me, and I get leads from entirely too many sources to keep track of them.

I will be setting up a regional affiliate tracking program in NYC that will take care of this. I expect to set it up this summer, with my own DJ business as the only "vendor". As that takes hold, I'll branch out to include other local vendors.
If it continues to work locally, then I may start a national site the following year.

[DJMC]

Originally posted by jwg@Feb 8 2004, 01:31 AM


I have found from ALL of the lead sites available, I only booked ONE job from one of them (out of hundreds of responses back to clients on all the boards)

I firmly believe in this day and age, if you have a well designed website for your own DJ business, use some sort of availability checker on the site, you don't need to deal with these outside sites.

I have done VERY well with WeDJ, Respond.com, and Gigmasters.

My average booking rate for qualified leads is 33% on these sites. Average cost per booked event is $8

My trial with All Time Favorites went very badly:

Out of 14 leads, most turned out to be bogus and I did not book any of the handful that turned out to be for real.



Internet Lead Services are a reality that you must deal with in order to effectively market on the internet!

ONE WEB SITE ALONE is foolish because of the "Google Dance" that will leave your web pages on Page 3 or Page 4 during the dance.

Not only that, but it is impossible to Keyword every possible word in your Title tags.

Some sites do better with "DJ's"
Some sites do better with "DJs"
some sites do better with "DJ" singular not plural

It is prudent to be like a "Billboard" where the prospect sees you in more than one place.

One web site by itself cannot accomplish this objective.
Having a bunch of free listings will help spread the love around.
Getting free posts at Craigslist and a free web site at CRN is helpful

Be everywhere you can be, and the custies will find you!

[jwg]

Matt:

I have been using a trial with Gigmasters for the last month or so and have found I like what I see.

Respond.com is the lead I booked in June of '02.

Direct Catering and 1-800 DJ have not yielded much for me only tire kickers.

Am well aware of the Google dance and so is my Webmaster.

Oh...i forgot to add the tons of free wedding sites etc I am listed on. So, I do agree with you.

[djdonny]

I've continued these thoughts in a post at the Website Help & Promotions forum, if anyone is interested...