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You’ve finally opened your own computer repair business and are now looking for ways to market it cost-effectively.
You know you have to do something different and unique, but what? Or perhaps you already run a successful computer repair business but need to come up with new ideas to improve it.
Keep reading as I will share the best marketing strategies you could use in your computer repair business effectively.
Why Computer Repair is a Unique Business
The income potential
One of the main reasons why people start their own computer repair business is for the income potential. By setting up a computer repair business, you don’t have to worry about getting fired or laid off by someone else, because you will be the one who makes all the decisions in regards to your work and your income.
The job autonomy
Owning a computer repair business gives you complete control over your job and how much time you want to put into it. If you want to work on the weekends, then do so because no one is stopping you from doing so!
Being in control of your hours and workload
When you own your own computer repair business, no one tells you how many hours to work or how many computers to fix each day because it’s completely up to you!
It is cheap to get started
You don’t need any special schooling or certifications, and you don’t need many supplies. As long as you know how to fix computers, it shouldn’t cost much money to set up shop.
Multiple avenues for making money
You can go door-to-door or place ads in local papers to drum up a new business, which means that you aren’t relying solely on the Internet for finding clients or customers.
You gain invaluable experience
Because you’ll have to learn on the fly when a customer brings in their malfunctioning computer or monitor. You won’t have anyone else around to help or guide you through solving any problems. This is one reason why many IT professionals start out working for themselves.
Not much competition
This may be surprising, but there are not a lot of people who have chosen to run a computer repair company on their own. Most people simply do not know how to fix computers or they don’t have time to do it as a hobby. Because there is less competition, you will be able to set your prices without worrying that someone else will offer lower prices.
Main Computer Repair Business Challenges
Pricing
Computer Repair is not an easy industry to price in. You must take into account many factors such as your skill level, how difficult the repair may be, parts costs, and how much time you spend on each project. The good thing is that most people would rather pay a little more for better service and quality work rather than trying to find someone cheaper who they may end up having to call back again anyway.
Employees
It is hard to find reliable workers who are willing to work with computers all day long and who are not afraid of getting their hands dirty. If you decide to hire employees make certain that they know what they are doing or else you could lose money every time they “fix” something that was not broken in the first place.
The location of the shop
It is important to have your shop located in a neighborhood where there is a lot of people and you have easy access to transportation so that you can send your workers for some errands if necessary and deliver the services offered at an agreed time.
Trouble defining the problem
This is an easy one, but people often do not know what is wrong with their systems, beyond that it is “not working”. Because of this, it can be hard to get a clear idea of what needs to be fixed.
Keeping up with technology
Computers are changing all the time. Newer models come out faster than ever before. There are always new software and hardware updates. Keeping up with it all can be difficult, especially if you’re trying to run your business on a shoestring budget.
Pros and Cons of Computer Repair Business
Pros
- You will have more control over your business; no one will tell you what to do or when to do it.
- Operating a computer repair business allows you to help people solve issues they might not be able to fix on their own.
- It’s not hard to start.
- You don’t need any special certifications.
- You get to meet new people all the time, which is never boring because every case is different.
- You’ll get good at finding solutions for problems.
Cons
- Troubleshooting issues with computers can be a very time-consuming process that may require you to have more equipment than you originally thought was necessary.
- Trying to get your business off the ground takes a lot of creativity and persistence.
Best Computer Repair Marketing Strategies
Make your store available online
As a computer repair business owner, you have to make sure that every aspect of your business is compatible with online marketing.
One of the most important parts of being an online business is making sure that you are visible on the web. You want to increase your traffic and be found more easily by potential customers.
The best marketing strategies are the ones that fit your store’s needs, so take into account what you want to accomplish before deciding.
- Create a website. This is the first step in your computer repair marketing strategy. If customers can’t find you, they will not be able to visit your store. You should have a domain name and a professional-looking website so that those looking for a computer repair service can easily find your store online and learn about the services that you provide.
- Get listed on popular business directories. Once you have a website up and running, it’s time to start getting listed on local business directories. This can help attract potential customers who are looking for computer repair in their area when they search these sites. It can also help build credibility and trust with potential customers who may not know much about how to fix their computers but are willing to pay someone else to do it for them.
Develop relationships with local schools and colleges
Schools often have service departments that repair broken computers on campus and students with broken computers at home frequently bring them back to campus for repairs. You should also consider developing a relationship with the IT department so they will refer students to you if they have any computer problems with their laptops or desktops.
Formal education institutions are great for your business for two reasons. First, the students that attend these schools and colleges often have powerful connections within the IT industry.
Second, IT professionals who work at these institutions can help spread the word about your business to friends and family who are also in the field.
Here are some suggestions on how to develop relationships with local schools and colleges:
Find out what courses they offer Students may be required to buy a certain piece of software or hardware to complete their course work. By offering them a cheaper option from your store, you may be able to establish a great relationship with them as a result. You could even provide them with free repair services for their hardware if it’s faulty, or give them tips on how to avoid similar issues in the future.
Contact individual departments at universities In addition to contacting the head of IT at an institution, it may be worth contacting individual departments such as Computer Science or Software Engineering departments. These people may not have the authority to recommend your company but they might be able to spread the word.
Meet with school administrators. Early morning, mid-morning, and during lunch, hours are great times to meet with administrators to discuss the computer repair services you offer. These people are busy during the day with teachers, students, and other tasks, so they will likely appreciate your willingness to work around their schedule.
Find out who’s in charge of technology at the school or college. This may be hard at smaller institutions, but once you figure out who’s in charge of technology at your target location, make sure that you’re on their good side. Finding your way into the good graces of an IT director or head technologist may allow you to place informational ads within their school or college’s newspaper or newsletter.
Give regular tech tips
You’ve built a business by providing laptop repair service to your clients, and you want to do what you can to keep them happy. In addition to providing high-quality repair service, you also want to provide regular tech tips for your customers.
Here are some tips on how to give regular tech tips as part of your computer repair marketing strategy.
- Tailor Your Tips
When giving out tech tips, don’t just provide the same information over and over again. Tailor your tips to each customer. For example, if you have a customer who uses a Mac and a Windows laptop, provide different sets of tips for each computer type. Also, think about the different types of problems users may encounter with their computers and tailor your tips accordingly. For example, if many people are having trouble with a particular app or program, focus on providing solutions for that problem.
- Make It Personal
When giving out tech tips, it’s important to make the information personal so that it resonates with customers. A good way to do this is by sharing stories about why certain things are the way they are or how they came into being. For example, share how you came up with a solution for a common problem or how you found out about a product feature when it was introduced.
Use banners and stickers
Banners and stickers can be a great tool for computer repair marketing. You can use them to promote your business, or you can use them to promote computers or other products.
They are easy to make, but there are some ways that you can go about creating the best banners and stickers. Here are some tips that will help you make the best banners and stickers for your business.
- Design For The Right Reason
When you are designing a banner or a sticker, your design must be focused on the right reason. Make sure that you aren’t trying to use a banner or sticker to impress anyone with your graphic design skills. Also, don’t try to use them as an advertising tool. Your design should be focused on driving people to purchase a product from you or visit your website so that they can learn more about your company.
- Put The Most Important Information Up Front
If you are going to put information on a banner or a sticker, make sure that the most important information is upfront and center. You want the customer’s attention to be drawn towards something specific when they look at your banner or sticker. This way, if they like what they see, they will read more of it and then ultimately follow through.
- Banner Design
The banner design for your business needs to be prominent and attractive. The design should be simple but attractive enough to attract attention from passersby. Try using colorful graphics and a brief description of your business on the banner to make it more appealing.
- The Logo
The logo of your company needs to be located in an area that is visible on the banner. Your logo should also include some information about your type of computer repair services or other related information that you would like to share with potential clients. Keeping your business name at the top of the banner followed by your slogan or catchphrase will grab attention quickly.
Buy your team T-shirts
There are a lot of benefits to purchasing your T-shirts for your tech team. A shirt with the company logo and name can create a sense of community among employees.
You are also creating an image for yourself as a company, which will increase customer confidence. The biggest benefit to buying T-shirts for the company is that you can share your brand with the world without having to spend a dime on advertising.
You will be able to promote your business while creating opportunities for word-of-mouth advertising when customers see your shirts worn by employees.
When deciding on whether or not to purchase T-shirts, you first need to decide what you want them for. If you want them to be conversation starters about computer repair, then you need to purchase them in color combinations that will look good together and have words printed on them that people will ask about.
For example, if you have a shirt that says “Computer Repair” on the front, then people are going to ask what it means and how they can get service from you.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Choose a theme:
T-shirts can be used as a marketing tool for your business, but only if you choose a theme for them. Make sure the theme is relevant to your business. For example, if you own an auto body shop, choose shirts that say “I [insert city] body shop” with an auto body shop logo on them. Or choose fun shirts that say “I’m here to help,” which is a great way to let customers know they can count on you and your team to take care of them.
2) Material
Once you have decided on your t-shirt design, you need to choose the right material for it. If you want something more durable than cotton, then you may want to opt for a polyester blend since it is less absorbent than cotton. This makes it ideal for printing as the fabric will keep its shape better, and the design will not fade over time.
3)Create a design
Once you’ve chosen your theme and material, it’s time to create a design for your t-shirts.
Get your pricing structure right
Pricing is one of the most important factors in your computer repair business’s success. The price you charge must be high enough to cover expenses and still enable you to turn a profit, but not so high that people will go somewhere else.
Trying to guess what other computer repair businesses are charging is a good way to end up with a high price and no customers.
Pricing is different in every market, and you might have to do a lot of research — talking with other local computer repair businesses, comparing your prices with those on popular pricing websites, and monitoring your competitors’ prices — before you can arrive at an optimal price for your services.
There are two basic strategies for computer repair pricing: fixed-rate pricing and hourly pricing. Fixed-rate pricing.
Fixed-rate pricing means that you charge a set amount for each service you perform, regardless of how long it takes you or how many problems a customer may have. Customers like this type of pricing because they know exactly how much they’re going to pay once they sit down in your office and spill their guts about their broken computers. Computer repair businesses like it because it gives them more control over their income and makes it easy to calculate profits.
A single hourly rate structure is easy and makes sense for a successful computer repair business. if you have experienced technicians and the ability to control your labor costs. That’s the most important part of the discussion. The easiest way to price is the best way if you can control your labor expenses.
Other factors that affect how much you should charge are:
1. The cost to perform the service (in both time and money). This is usually the biggest part of what you’ll charge. You can estimate how long it will take to fix a customer’s hardware problem by averaging the amount of time you’ve spent fixing similar problems in the past. You can then multiply that time by your hourly rate to get an idea of how much you should charge for the service.
2. Overhead costs. These include any costs involved in running your business, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and so on. If you don’t run your own business but work from home, your home’s utility bills should be included in this category
Focus on long-term relationships
Long-term relationships are the cornerstone of a successful computer repair business.
It is important to know how to build these types of relationships in the business world.
If you are looking for ways to expand your business and improve profits through building long term relationships, consider the following:
- Be honest with your customers – Honesty is always the best policy. You do not want to take advantage of your customers or overcharge them for repairs or parts. Your reputation will eventually be ruined if you do this consistently, so integrity is an important part of any business.
- Stay focused – As a small business owner, it can be challenging to provide the best customer service without getting distracted by other things going on in your life. You will want to make sure that you can provide quality service and build relationships with your customers as quickly as possible. Focus on one thing at a time to remain efficient.
- Send follow-up e-mails – After a job has been completed, send your clients an email thanking them for using your services. This will let your customers know that you appreciate their business.
- Provide free services – You can offer free services periodically to your customers to show that you care about their satisfaction and want to help them out as much as possible.
- Provide discounts – If they refer their friends and family members to you, give them discounts on future services or products. The more people they tell about your business, the more money you will make so always make sure that they are getting something out of it too!
Final Thoughts
As you can see from the above list, there are plenty of marketing strategies you can use to help your computer repair business grow.
Whatever strategy you choose to go with, just be sure that you’re making good use of it and reaching as many potential customers as possible.
And if your marketing strategy isn’t producing the results that you want, feel free to make a change—just look at it as an opportunity to try out something new. Then, once it grows into its role, make sure to stick with it and keep enjoying its benefits. Best of luck!
