Welcome to PMCDS - design & programming services by Milan Polak

Make advertising work for you and spend your ad dollars wisely!

WHAT WORKS

Quality

Run a quality ad with a great design. If you're investing $1,000 and up in promotion over the course of six months, it's a wise investment to spend a few hundred dollars on a creative, personalized ad, and even enlist the help of a good agency with the knowledge and experience of what works. PMCDS can also help with ad design at very reasonable rates.

Repetition

Just as real estate depends on location, location, location, advertising works best with repetition, repetition, repetition! Big business has spent millions to find that out, and it's why you'll see the same ads over and over again on TV. We recommend no fewer than three insertions per advertising medium, and preferably six to allow for customers who go on vacation or miss an issue. The customer's need may take time to arise, and you want your product to have established credibility when it does. For example: It's not every day that someone buys an eco-friendly modular home. How often do most people go to a spa? When do they need a medical help? How frequently do they go out to dinner? Make your assessment of effectiveness once you have given the customer a fair chance to respond.

Warmth

There's nothing like a friendly voice. Who does the customer reach when calling the number in your ad? Is it voicemail or a live person? If you don't have support staff, there are many reasonably priced answering services available with a live person. If the customer reaches a voicemail, be sure to welcome them with more information about your business, such as where they can find you online or when they will be able to reach a live person. Be sure to give the buyer a time frame in which to expect a return phone call. And then, remember to call back!

Website Backup

Not every interested buyer picks up the phone. When people see your promotion, either print or online, the next thing many of them do is go to your website for more information about you or your company. Is your website dynamic? Does it convert your potential buyer to a sale? Prospective buyers often do an initial product comparison and quality analysis by an assessment of offerings online. If your company's website is listed in the ad, the website must continue to make the sale for you. Otherwise you'd be wiser to list only your phone number.

Accurate Assessment

Assess your ROI (return on investment) after a reasonable response time. For most products and services, ROI should be assessed after one year's presence in a particular market, not after one or two ad placements. A reliable product or service will withstand market fluctuations. You build customers' trust by consistency, repetition, and being a visible part of their community. It may take a few months to see results, but you can expect steady and consistent sales over time.

Size Matters

Appropriate size and placement for your product or service is crucial. If each item that you sell will reward you with a $10-$100 profit, then it is best to advertise in a section (for print ads) on the site (for web ads), which correspond to your product and do not require premium placement (low budget solution).

If the sale item rewards a $100 to $1,000 profit, a 1/2 page (for print), index page banner (for web) would be more appropriate.

If the advertised item is a very popular product or one that is used often by many people, it probably will warrant a full page (for print), index page ledger banner (for web) or bus banner in areas with your buyer demographic.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

• Have your ad created and advertise only one time. (Exception: certain types of events or a closeout/going out of business sale)
• Your ad is too busy. The layout/design looks cluttered. Let PMCDS suggest the design.
• Too little (or too much!) information in your ad leaves the customer wondering exactly what you're offering.
• No call to action, special offer, or reason for the reader to pick up the phone or go to your company's website.
• Your ad is too big or too small for the product/service you are offering.
• Your ad is not placed in the advertising medium that is most appropriate for potential customers to find your services.

~ PMCDS Admin

We have 8+ years experience in print advertising and while we may not have all the answers, we are happy to point you in the right direction.

Thanks for joining us! Your success is our success. Our design work is memorable, timeless, and we communicate effectively. Preview our pages for our credentials, references, project samples and pricing.