Crucial to this business drive is advertising those services, although using a full-service advertising agency can be an expensive proposition.

An option for some wash owners is to personally design their print ads since they are a popular and less costly form of advertising. Others rely on a newspaper's classified department staff for design work.

Ads may look easy to produce, but unless you have marketing training, they are likely to be ineffective. Nevertheless, there are some tips of the advertising trade that can help you attract customers.

* Strategically place visuals. Include a relevant picture in the advertisement because readers' eyes are attracted to pictures rather than text. Ads with visuals are read more often than those without them.

Visuals, which add interest and break up copy, are best placed above and to the left of the ad's important information. Visuals should lead the readers' eyes through the text in a logical progression, as we normally read.

* Indicate the benefit. Suggest in your ad why it's beneficial to choose your carwash. For example, if you offer a spot-free rinse with every wash package, mention it in the ad. Including a benefit gives customers a clear-cut incentive to use your business.

* Create urgency. Phrases like "these special offers" and "come in today" prompt readers to take action. Using the word "only," as in "only until Friday" or "only $9.99," suggests the special offer might soon be withdrawn. A sense of urgency nudges potential customers to act quickly.

* Include essential information. Often the most obvious information belonging in an ad is forgotten, and it will cost you customers. Few potential clients will try to learn the missing information; they'll simply go somewhere else.

Include your name, type of business and address. You may want to supply a phone number with area code so customers can call with questions such as an explanation of an express service or detail package.

Mention a nearby, well-known landmark if your wash's address or location is not easily recognizable. Include business hours "Open 'til 8 p.m. Sundays" since a competitor's customer may use your services if the times are more suitable.

* Avoid using all capital letters. Emphasize words by printing them in bold type or italics, making them larger than the rest, or Capitalizing The First Letter Of Each Word.

Some advertisers believe text written in all capitals gives it importance or gains attention. In fact, the opposite is true. Most readers will ignore such an ad and move to one that is more readable.

When words are written in lower-case letters, the brain recognizes shapes of letters grouped together and can easily scan sentences. When text is in all capitals, however, each word is rectangular in shape. The brain must slow down to read each letter to recognize the word, therefore taking longer and making it more difficult to read.

* Achieve unity. Use similar typefaces to give your ad a sense of cohesiveness. Including many different typefaces gives an ad a cluttered and disorganized appearance, making customers unlikely to read the entire ad if at all.

Allow some white space to give your ad an orderly presentation that is easy to read. When readers are presented with too much information, they often skip the ad rather than try to read all of the fine print. Simplicity is often best, enabling a reader to assimilate important information at a quick glance.

The key to a successful advertisement is clarity. Study your proposed ad and eliminate all unnecessary information to give it a crisp, professional appearance. When you only have seconds to capture a reader's attention, make sure your ad is ready for the challenge.

The result: a likely increase in customers, which is essential to keeping your business one step ahead of the competition.

Lisa Pelec Hyde is an advertising consultant and free-lance copywriter in Riverview, FL.