Business

Marketing your upholstery business

Traditional marketing tactics meet modern methods to influence customers.

Upholstery Journal | April 2010

by Abbie Yarger

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Target a market

The foundation of marketing remains the same: the customers. Defining a customer base allows an upholstery shop to cater its approach to meet the needs of its customers. Naseem Muaddi of Delaware County Auto Upholstery in Holmes, Pa., identifies patterns in his customer base by analyzing his company’s 30-year history. Roughly 75 percent of his customers, the majority of whom are men between the ages of 30 and 65, bring their antique and classic vehicles in for restoration services, which the company highlights in its advertisements.

But knowing your target market is only half the battle, and knowing how and where to connect with customers in person is equally essential. For Delaware County Auto Upholstery, custom car shows are the perfect venue to meet potential customers. “When we are discussing our services to potential clients face to face, we create a relationship with them, and this is our best opportunity to gain their trust,” Muaddi says. Several existing customers will even bring vehicles restored by Muaddi to the shows. “These cars create a fleet of rolling advertisements for our business,” Muaddi says.

Build a brand

With a target market in mind, small upholstery shops can build a distinct brand identity, and one of the most important recognizable aspects of any business is its logo.

Cheryl Valleroy of Cheryl’s Custom Upholstery in Benton, Ill., chose a French chair for her logo. “I want people to think of me when they see similar little chairs,” she says. She displays the logo on her van, invoices and website to build her brand.

Muaddi also wants customers to make an association when they see his logo. When considering a logo design, “we wanted to proudly display our name, the fact that we are family owned and operated, and our years of experience,” Muaddi says. “We believe that our logo does a good job of summing up who we are,” Muaddi says. The logo includes the colors of the American flag to show patriotism, and a classic car to appeal to its customer base.

But a logo doesn’t build a brand by itself. Doing quality work so customers will spread the word can help you market your business too.

“We think of all our clients as our marketing team because they will spread the word for us,” Muaddi says. “This is why it is imperative for us to deliver the best quality work on every single job because this will determine whether our word-of-mouth marketing strategy is positive or negative.” Developing a reputation based on excellent craftsmanship and personal service gives smaller shops an edge over larger shops and opens the door for word-of-mouth advertising, a classic marketing method that remains a valuable asset.

To ensure her clients have a positive experience, Jan Havercamp Odell of The Upholstering Studio in Essexville, Mich., adds a personal touch to every job. “If I do not see the client at the time of delivery, I will call on the telephone to make sure of their satisfaction,” she says. “My satisfied clients are the best advertising around.”

Get online

As the internet continues to grow at an astounding rate, word-of-mouth marketing and brand identity have gone digital. Potential customers seeking an upholstery service often make judgments about a shop that are strictly based on what they find online via search engines, forums, business reviews, social media and company websites. A strong web presence allows small shops to grab prospective leads before they even make contact with the company or visit the shop.

Delaware County Auto Upholstery didn’t pay much attention to the value of online marketing until customers and suppliers began asking to see its website. Customers wanted to view pictures of their work, and some requested quotes via e-mail. “These and other factors proved to us that establishing a presence on the internet would be inevitable if we had intentions of expanding in the future,” Muaddi says. So he launched a website that lists the company’s services, shows examples of finished jobs and provides answers to frequently asked questions. Customers responded positively, and many decided to visit the shop after exploring the site.

Because Odell works from home and does not have a traditional storefront, she wanted the site to add credibility to her business. “Since I am the only upholstering shop in the area to have a website, I have the entire market at my fingertips,” she says. Odell’s clients appreciate her website, which launched nearly a year ago and includes images of her work and studio, as well as customer testimonials.

Valleroy reaches local customers on her website, but also plans to promote her business on a Facebook page so she can post pictures of projects she is working on and alert customers of upcoming sales or specials. “Updating at Facebook is much easier than updating a website,” she says. “That alone makes it a great asset. Plus, every contact has tons of other contacts, so the exposure spreads exponentially.”

Many businesses use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to connect with customers and drive traffic to their websites. Forums also generate interest in a company because upholsterers who participate in online discussions can showcase their expertise to customers and other upholsterers. Delaware County Auto Upholstery posts ads on forums and Craigslist geared toward users in its city and neighboring areas. All these sites allow customers to recommend upholstery shops to their friends and professional contacts.

Deck the walls

Although effective marketing can extend well beyond the walls of a shop, it needs to exist within the shop itself.

In 2009, Odell received a silver award in the antique chair category of the Design & Craftsmanship Awards. An Upholstery Journal story about the award caught the attention of a local newspaper, which featured her in an article that several of her customers read. Odell framed both stories and keeps them on the wall in her studio.

Muaddi, who also has a framed Upholstery Journal story in his shop, believes in-shop advertisements and displays are just as important as any other form of marketing. Customers may still have doubts when they visit a shop, and Muaddi says a business can gain their trust through a direct or indirect approach. “The direct approach is by being cordial, respectful, answering all of their questions, and acting professional at all times,” he says. “The indirect approach is by allowing the client time to examine the advertisements in your shop’s office.”

Photos of unique projects, awards they have won, advertisements for services and thank-you letters from customers decorate the walls of Delaware County Auto Upholstery. Small plywood chairs upholstered in the latest styles and materials are also exhibited, allowing customers to closely examine a finished product. “These wall hangings make the customer feel comfortable enough to contract us for a job and confident that it will be done properly,” Muaddi says.

Whether it’s online, in print, in person or in shop, a combination of marketing basics and modern methods gets customers through the door. Quality craftsmanship and personal service keep them coming back.