Ineffective Advertising

The other day I walked up to my car and saw that a handbill was on my windshield. Like many, I have an adverse reaction to anything placed on my car but I thought I'd check it out anyway. The note was advertising computer service. It mentioned a company with more than 20 years of experience but my hunch is that it's a company of one.

So why was I so turned off by a individual who was offering to give my computer a tuneup at an "affordable price?" First, the flyer was printed poorly from a printer that obviously needs an new ink cartridge. This doesn't inspire much confidence in me. There were also problems with the layout and design of the sheet. It was on white paper and used about seven different fonts, with poorly written copy randomly laid out across the page. If this company has been in business for more than two decades, are there no testimonials that could be added to the sheet?

My guess is that the author is someone who's trying to make a few bucks off his or her computer knowledge. The expertise may be real but the presentation of the service is so bad that anyone would be reluctant to hand over a computer, especially one that contains personal information.

Flyers are great for bake sales but if you shouldn't use them if you want to appear professional. If you can't afford any graphic design, put your ad in Craigslist instead. Think as well about the last time you took advantage of a service advertised on your windshield.