LAS VEGAS —Effective online marketing can reduce a service company’s cost-per-lead, according to Gary Elekes, industry consultant and co-founder of iMarket Solutions, which provides websites and online marketing services to contracting businesses. The company was launched in August 2010 by Elekes, online marketing expert Andrew Allen, and Nadia Romeo who’s been helping HVAC and plumbing dealers implement marketing campaigns since 2006.
The partners are combining their expertise to fill a need that Romeo and Elekes has seen while working and training HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors: affordable websites and online marketing that generates the return on investment for service companies.
“A lot of business owners know that the Yellow Pages is antiquated and that most consumers now search for service companies online,” said Elekes. “But they don’t know how to get in the game. Online marketing can be complicated and people feel intimidated. That’s where we come in.”
iMarket Solutions offers a range of website packages at a variety of price points, complemented by an array of online marketing services. iMarket’s higher-end packages provide turnkey solutions that cover all aspects of online marketing for large service companies. The premiere package, aptly named the Domination Package, guarantees geographic exclusivity for companies that want to dominate their local market.
According to Romeo, who now serves as a president of iMarket, iMarket’s goal is to provide HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contracting businesses with the online marketing tools they need to succeed.
"That’s why we offer a range of packages: we want to make online marketing accessible to everyone, regardless of company size or budget,” said Romeo.
Allen, who has been in the online marketing business since the late 1990s, says that local search is key.
“Contracting companies often get overcharged for online marketing because someone persuades them to buy paid advertising for really competitive national keywords,” said Allen. “But service businesses generally aren’t national brands. What makes iMarket different is that we focus on maximizing service companies’ online presence in their local community. This makes our online marketing extremely cost-effective.”
With several contracting companies on board, iMarket is helping them to lower overall cost-per-lead. One example is a contracting company in southeastern Pennsylvania that was spending upwards of $250 per lead before launching its new iMarket website and online marketing campaign. Now, their cost-per-lead has gone down by a factor of ten — to under $25.
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