Promotion Plan, need advise.

[ProPanda]

For a lot of this month, I've been figuring out how I'll be getting some money business together for this year as we have just purchased our second truck to put on the road for our paper/cardboard & plastic recycle collections.

At this point, I've been reading a lot about building email databases by either giving something away for free or promoting something to collect data from the potential customer after discussing with my business partner we found it wouldn't be too inefficient to us if we started giving out our smaller bins for free in exchange for there details (email, name, business address etc) we already have a truck passing in the area so collecting them for free isn't that much of a problem either.

At this point, we are thinking 3 month free for a 240 liter bin with only paper and cardboard as that's what the second truck will be primarily for with the 3 month you can have as many collections as you can schedule using out online request collection form which i have programmed myself, there is alot of back end algorithm to automatically calculate the best day for there collection based on there collection post code etc so there is no admin required in terms of sorting when customers want there bin emptied as its automatic by my online system ive developed.

My concern here is basically the delivery of the bin and then recovering it once the 3 month trial end should they not want to sign up to a collection service going forward this will actually be costly too us as for one if the bin goes missing what can we do and if we cant recover the bin we are out of pocket. I'm trying to avoid putting the potential customer through any thoughts that there might be a catch with the free 3 month service and if i start telling them if the bin goes missing we will have to charge x amount etc they may think there is more too it or refrain from trying the offer.

Please ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes you may find as I haven't focused too much on that just yet as I'm still trying to edit the promo to suite what will most likely work. I also have no put any form validating in the fields yet either so don't worry about that too much this is mainly a concept page.

http://www.newwaverecycling.com.au/promo0212 it's not live yet so feel free to try and sign up to the offer (just use post code 0000) when you do so the system knows its a test. You should be able to see how easy it is and how simple it is to book an automatic collection, feedback on this would be good too.

Any help.. would be awesome I would have to say this would be my first online promotion and its the 2nd year trading in our business so i could be missing alot of important things.

[Couple It]

It was very easy once I found it.

I don't tend to scroll down immediately, so I looked around on the right-hand side and saw the "make an online request now" and went into that link. After I'd entered all my details and had the error message that I wasn't a registered customer, I returned to the page and then read the smaller text around the link.

I felt a little dumb actually, but it is Monday morning here and I'm tired from watching all that tennis last night lol

Wendy

[JacquiPryor]

Hi NWR... The page/promotion is easy to read and understand etc.
Only thought I have, is that you mention this is really to build an email list etc - so, perhaps you might need to include a 'disclaimer' or similar in this particular promotion that you will not sell off details to other parties but may from time to time contact them with other promotions you feel they may be interested in?

Good luck with it! Think this is a good offer you have that people could get real use from so hope it works well for you.

[AgentMail]

2 thoughts -

Firstly, I would remove the word 'promotional' from the bin image - customers don't need to know it is 'promotional' that is more a marketing term for you to use in your business.

Second, I would be hesitant to try something for free, without first knowing what it is going to cost when paying for it kicks in - do you have pricing information you can share with the potential customer - or perhaps make a note that when their free bin is delivered, pricing will be provided for their ongoing service - it is all well and good to offer people to 'chat to a sales person' but they will immediately back off at the thought of this - no-one likes talking to us sales types

[Phillip P]

How are people going to get to this website? Do you have a plan on promoting it?

Just causes its there doesnt mean anyone is going to use it. Think about sending cards to the possible companies you wish to target and give them the option to fill them in and sending it back (postage paid) or going online and doing it there with your promo offer.

Now for your PROMO Page...

1)The header should be 40% of that size so you can fit more information and less logo that nobody cares about.

2) Put the registration form in the right hand sidebar and make sure it stand outs.

3) The title of the page... make it red so it can stand out.

4) Leave the registration box below

5) change the button instead of place order. Use something better (place order sounds like they are spending money) Use something like YES, Send me the FREE Bin

[King]

Hi
I think doing three months free is setting yourself up for a loss making introduction to new customers.

Alternatives:

• Sign for 12 months, get three months free
  
• Sign for three months, get third month free

This way at least your basic costs are covered

[ProPanda]

Originally Posted by King

Hi
I think doing three months free is setting yourself up for a loss making introduction to new customers.

Alternatives:

• Sign for 12 months, get three months free
  
• Sign for three months, get third month free

This way at least your basic costs are covered

In regards to this, previously we have been doing this in order to keep customers in an non existent contact type service agreement. Everyone hates contacts so always sold a service by offering paying for 12 month we dock 20% off the price and the total amount is not refundable so really they should end up staying for the 12 month they've paid for. Collections are normally free its more the bin hire they would be paying for my experience is which is why it lead us to this direction is that because people sometimes don't recycle at the moment and what they already do works for them so there not going to spend any money to change it hence the free everything to get started.

I mean i've found people just dump everything in there huge general waste bin or cram as much as they can in there council bins, it works why would they change it?

In terms of fact, it is cheaper if your some type of warehouse/manufacturing business that has so much cardboard from the production line that putting them into recycle bins generally cost 1/3 of the amount to empty in some cases it can be free. The idea behind this is that we want to show them how beneficial having this bin might be and if it solves an issue for them or maybe makes a current waste issue a fixed problem they'll sign up as it just makes sense too.

Going back to another reply having price of what it would cost if they did sign up is important to show the customer as that is our primary target to get them to do, but maybe after the trial period we could offer them 12 month, 15% off offer as a introductory rate but doing this way will still as you say put a loss to us - any suggestions after the above response King?

[ProPanda]

Originally Posted by Phillip P

How are people going to get to this website? Do you have a plan on promoting it?

Just causes its there doesnt mean anyone is going to use it. Think about sending cards to the possible companies you wish to target and give them the option to fill them in and sending it back (postage paid) or going online and doing it there with your promo offer.

Now for your PROMO Page...

1)The header should be 40% of that size so you can fit more information and less logo that nobody cares about.

2) Put the registration form in the right hand sidebar and make sure it stand outs.

3) The title of the page... make it red so it can stand out.

4) Leave the registration box below

5) change the button instead of place order. Use something better (place order sounds like they are spending money) Use something like YES, Send me the FREE Bin

Hi Phillip,

Thank you for taking your time to give feedback, I've made the changes you advised - although I'm confused as to 2) do you mean align the registration to the right or ?

Cheers

[ProPanda]

Originally Posted by JacquiPryor

Hi NWR... The page/promotion is easy to read and understand etc.
Only thought I have, is that you mention this is really to build an email list etc - so, perhaps you might need to include a 'disclaimer' or similar in this particular promotion that you will not sell off details to other parties but may from time to time contact them with other promotions you feel they may be interested in?

Good luck with it! Think this is a good offer you have that people could get real use from so hope it works well for you.

Thank you JacquiPryor!

I have added a tick box form they to agree about the usage of there contact information provided. very good one I really needed to have

[ProPanda]

Originally Posted by AgentMail

2 thoughts -

Firstly, I would remove the word 'promotional' from the bin image - customers don't need to know it is 'promotional' that is more a marketing term for you to use in your business.

Second, I would be hesitant to try something for free, without first knowing what it is going to cost when paying for it kicks in - do you have pricing information you can share with the potential customer - or perhaps make a note that when their free bin is delivered, pricing will be provided for their ongoing service - it is all well and good to offer people to 'chat to a sales person' but they will immediately back off at the thought of this - no-one likes talking to us sales types

AgentMail,

Thanks for having a look at what I have, I've modified the image (but I think we need something more attractive in this image anyway so its pending changes still again)

We do have a PDF with all our prices but I am thinking now I may offer something a special rate to the after the 3 month trial which I may add in the promotional page so they can at least know if they do get what there looking for they also know they will be able to utilize the price of it thereafter. Something like if you continue after the trial period, pay 12 month and receive another 1 month discount which is something King gave me the idea of so in total they would of received 4 month free and paid for 8 month of service. Suggestions/Thoughts?