[fakie99]

this is an ad i've got going into a couple of local papers and i'd like to get some feedback. our focus is residential renovation (pretty extensive landscape renovations in most cases) - i want to steer clear of new construction in a market like this.

anyhow, any input as to the effectiveness of this ad would be appreciated. thanks,

jim

[natural12]

I like it. Short and sweet. Nice photo to grab your attention. My only thought is the large tree seems to dominate the photo over the landscaping. Excellent web page for people to refer to.

[Stonehenge]

Depends on the size of the ad. Like natural12, I think the tree dominates. And if the after isn't big enough, you may have a hard time catching any eyes. Since it's the after everyone wants to see, I'd increase that size even more. And make the word renovate bigger. That message doesn't seem very strong in the copy.

That's my $.02, anyway.

[spiderlily]

I agree, the tree dominates the ad, and the photo should be taken from a different angle. But my concern is more for the tree---do you know that all that dirt you mounded up over the bark on the trunk is going to kill that tree?

[Fine Edge]

The tree is in the way. Try a different angle so you can see more of the hardscapes.

[jshilan]

Originally Posted by spiderlily

I agree, the tree dominates the ad, and the photo should be taken from a different angle. But my concern is more for the tree---do you know that all that dirt you mounded up over the bark on the trunk is going to kill that tree?

The work and design are beautiful, but bye bye Mr. Shade Tree (I freely admit that I don't my trees from their bark).

[Mac]

it looks to be a silver maple - yes, killing it would be bad in the short term but long term would certainly be worth while.

I agree with what has been said above. Good for you marketing now - you definitely wont have to compete with (m)any other co's for attention.

[fakie99]

thanks for the feedback - i may try photographing that job form a different angle to reduce the impact of that tree. i agree with the fact that it is a bit dominating.

"I agree, the tree dominates the ad, and the photo should be taken from a different angle. But my concern is more for the tree---do you know that all that dirt you mounded up over the bark on the trunk is going to kill that tree?"

lol....that's quite a sure opinion for not having actually seen the site.....if you'll look closely at the before pic, the original soil around the tree was scraped away during the renovation of the house, so the soil we added back in the creation of that bed was not that significant. i'm not too worried about killing it.

thanks again for the thoughts - let's see the effectiveness of this. hopefully it gets the phone ringing in an otherwise very slow July.......

[Chris Heiler]

I like the ad Jim. These are actually the projects I specialize in also. Funny how everyone is trying to break into the renovation market now.

I have one suggestion that has worked well for me. Hopefully you have a nice online portfolio. If so, you could add something like "to see more incredible transformations, visit our online portfolio at ....".

This might create more traffic to your site.

You can also drive a little more traffic to your site by offering them something for free. For instance, I direct people to my website to dowload my article/list- "Period Plants- Trees, Shrubs, & Vines for Your Period Garden”
Whatever is relevant to your business and market.

You just have to be careful not to clutter up the ad.

[fakie99]

chris that is a great idea - thanks for the feedback!

jim

[sandim]

Jim,

I spend most of my time over the winter studying marketing. I could be way off base here, and I'm sure I'll get told if I am, but I've always read that it's important to offer them something. X% off with this ad, free something or other. Just a thought.