When Marketing goes Wrong

[resumenationonline]

I am the owner of Resume Nation, LLC. It is a resume writing service that targets entry-level candidates, specifically college students and graduates between the ages of 18-24. As an 18-year-old college student myself, I thought it would be easy to target my peers since I know what many kids my age want. As a former student of an elite high school, I understand that students worry a lot about their professional future, feeling that their educational experiences do not prepare them enough. In turn, I created my company to offer high-quality, unparalleled resumes at the low cost of $79.99....three times less the price of my competitors’.

I have attempted to increase online sales by:

Selling more of the same product at a discounted price. For instance, employment agencies and educational institutions can purchase resume packages for their more than one of their entry-level candidates simultaneously. By doing so, they receive a free, fifth resume for every four ordered.

Trying to split up my current product. For example, of basic version titled the “Poor College Student” package that includes a resume in 4 formats, lifetime storage, and 100% satisfaction guaranteed for just $79.99. By offering a standard version, I hope to generate a large volume of sales at a low price... since most college students have little or no income. In addition, I offer more serious customers advanced, expanded versions that include a cover letter for $10 more, or a cover letter and thank-you notes for only $20 extra.

Writing keyword-rich articles to increase site traffic. I have written many articles concerning resumes and cover letters. I then distributed them online to a few job search websites. Moreover, I make sure to include sample resumes and cover letters on my site as well as affiliate sites.

Submitting my site to search engines, including Google. Currently, I appear on the first page when “Resume Nation” is googled under its site, Google AdWords, and Craigslist.
Creating a clean, keyword-rich site. My site is clean, easy to navigate, and filled with material about my establishment and products.

Participating in blogs. I am an avid participant in career and teen blogs as well as social sites like Facebook. I offer constantly offer advice to individuals concerning self-marketing, resume writing, and cover letter distribution.

Unfortunately, my activities have yet to yield any customers. I am unsure if I am experiencing neophyte fatigue, for I have been in the business for less than two weeks! At the same time, I feel like my hard work should have resulted in some prospective clientèle...any advice as to how to gain credibility, build site traffic, and transform site visitors into customers would be helpful. Before responding, it may be good to take a look at my website, resumenationonline.net. Thank you in advance for your time and patience!!!

[hugh009]

You are doing fine and like you said only in biz TWO WEEKS! Give it time!

[Gaulkin]

Two weeks... come on, your going to need to give it time.

[OnTheWayUp]

Hate to say the same things, but just have some patience. Your site probably hasn't even been indexed by google yet.

[tazman9r]

I think the standard is five years before a business begins to actually turn a profit. This sounds like it could go much faster, but I gotta agree with the other posts in here. Besides, it seems to me that this business would do best during the April -July time frame, when students are preparing to graduate, graduating, or have just graduated and wanted a break before taking a "next step". Give this at least a couple of graduation cycles (summer AND winter) before making any judgments.

[DPayne]

I suggest you pick up a copy of Jay Levinson's Guerilla Marketing.

[gekidoe]

Post bulletin ads every local to you.

All colleges around you. Especially community colleges
Supermarkets
you get the idea.

But yeah two weeks... it is still early but if you can create a nice ad, you will be in business.

[BusinessAdviser]

Prepare marketing materials and provide them to the career services department at colleges nearby. Give them a kickback for every student that hires you from the material provided to them.

[Aletheides]

Just keep plugging away. Persistence is key.

[jasaunders]

You are focusing too heavily on online marketing. What marketing activities have you done outside of "search engines" and basic online marketing tactics?

How do you know people are willing to pay $79 for your service? Have you conducted surveys on the subject? Who exactly is your target market and you do you plan on reaching them?

I hate to say it, but you are like a lot of other young entrepreneurs on this board. You open a business and go all out with regular online marketing tactics. Sure, submitting articles, being active on blogs, and so on helps your site, but that isn't a marketing strategy. It seems like you focus a lot on promotion and not the other 3P's of marketing mix, which are just as essential.

[Ahern & Brucker]

Two weeks and no profit yet??

This is not going to look good on your "apprentice" application with the Don... No sir.

I think Jasaunders ask if you have done any off line marketing... or have plans to? job fairs or recruiter confrences or school presentations or just hanging out at the unemployment line on pay day?

Put an ad in the local paper advertising your service 1/2 off if you've recently lost your job or just "try something" creative... Your marketing plan just about put me to sleep.

Try not to think about that $79.00 sale so much and keep your eye on the main point.

offer to send the resume's out to a certain # of recruiters or offer some thing that goes along with the resume game... jobs.

main point is... your not doing enough of the right things. try harder.

[HarveyJ]

I gotta agree with jasuanders here.
It seems to me that you haven't done some research on what it is that your target demographic wants.
I don't know what it's like in the States, but in Australia, there are job seeker websites. People put up a resume, and employers pay to put up an ad. There are a few other things they sell to generate more revenue, but I doubt how often they get purchased. Then they can search for jobs or employees. These sites usually offer a template resume writing service, that out puts to a couple different forms, for free.
Considering the resume template service is available for anyone that registers, and registration is free, I would, as a discerning customer, question the merits of having to pay $80

[resumenationonline]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I plan on creating a marketing plan tonight, that will incorporate tactics both on and offline. Once again, thank you everyone for your time and helpful advice!

Nicole

[gregmori]

Agreed with Dpayne.

Regards
Online Marketing

[shirtaholic]

I see to it in a different perspective, dont look at numbers, focus on the people. Give them a lil extra.

For example, you can somehow try to tell the clients that its not just the format you'll be providing, you will rather help them prepare and get a job, your client needs to understand that its not just a piece of paper they'll get from you, they will be getting solutions towards their problems, and you can further guide them towards the right jobs that will suit them. You will help prepare them for interviews, you will find tonns of data about interview appearances etc, you can compile them with good solid points and help them out to prepare.
It might be a little too much to do for a start, but you have to develop good relationship with your clients, by giving them a good personal advice on individual level, so your clients would know that they are being cared about actually, and not just buying a paper copy to fill in.

Take your business as a service based business, not a product based one, thats how you will understand the importance of building a good client reputation.

Hope it helps, feel free to contradict