Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: zesty on July 10, 2023, 07:45:29 pm
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As per title
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Be interesting to see even if any of us are with check a trade....
10 years ago I looked into it but didn't like the T's and C's and costs.
Darran
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Someone was saying it depends on the demand In your area.
If you google window cleaner in your area does check a trade pop up ? If not then why would people see it if it doesn't rank.
A better bet may be spending money on a website and seo.
But I guess like most thing with advertising the only way to really know is give it a go and find out.
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The Problem I now have is the sheer amount of competition that’s popped up in the last 5 years, people spending a lot to rank high, I used to be consistently no.1 on Google, now I’m 3-4 down the list, check a trade is up there. I just wondered if it would bring it work from a different demographic…
I can’t believe how many new window cleaning businesses have popped up in my area in the last few years, it’s gone mad, thr market is totally saturated.
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The Problem I now have is the sheer amount of competition that’s popped up in the last 5 years, people spending a lot to rank high, I used to be consistently no.1 on Google, now I’m 3-4 down the list, check a trade is up there. I just wondered if it would bring it work from a different demographic…
I can’t believe how many new window cleaning businesses have popped up in my area in the last few years, it’s gone mad, thr market is totally saturated.
I know same in my area I only just rank on the bottom of the the 1st page but there's always 4 or 5 ads at the top then the Google my business listing which I don't rank in then 3 or 4 organic ones above mine.
I've never really done any seo work on my mine so it's no surprise but like you say it's more and more saturated every year.
I don't have any gutter jobs lined up I'm going to try the Facebook groups.
The other thing with seo is that it's expensive and something that needs ongoing work so in the long run you would probably be better off learning yourself and dedicating an hour or 2 a week into doing it yourself.
Check a trade mostly gets a bad rep but then you hear the odd person saying they make a killing off it. A lot of its down to your area,how much demand there is and how much competition you have.
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Agree, although I haven’t got the time to faff with SEO for too long.
You’ve got to find ways of getting out there for the gutters, I’m looking into other ways to advertise it. A dedicated website being one way. A sister company as it were.
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Agree, although I haven’t got the time to faff with SEO for too long.
You’ve got to find ways of getting out there for the gutters, I’m looking into other ways to advertise it. A dedicated website being one way. A sister company as it were.
Neither have i really (well i do but i cant be bothered) but i reckon just 30 mins a day working on the business doing social media/seo etc could equal rewards.
Ive just text about 200 customers asking for a google review. Ive just gone from 5 reviews (3 of them bad ones) to 33 and counting....cost me about 20 quid on text local though, but should give the website a boost.
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What are your bad reviews for?
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What are your bad reviews for?
Thats what happens when you dont ask for reviews.
People only leave them when its negative.
Actually it was only 2 bad reviews which in 8 years isnt bad, could have been much worse...
Both for not turning up, probably when i said id do something horrible like an fsg on a friday then changed my mind.
Looks much better now though
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The Problem I now have is the sheer amount of competition that’s popped up in the last 5 years, people spending a lot to rank high, I used to be consistently no.1 on Google, now I’m 3-4 down the list, check a trade is up there. I just wondered if it would bring it work from a different demographic…
I can’t believe how many new window cleaning businesses have popped up in my area in the last few years, it’s gone mad, thr market is totally saturated.
I know same in my area I only just rank on the bottom of the the 1st page but there's always 4 or 5 ads at the top then the Google my business listing which I don't rank in then 3 or 4 organic ones above mine.
I've never really done any seo work on my mine so it's no surprise but like you say it's more and more saturated every year.
I don't have any gutter jobs lined up I'm going to try the Facebook groups.
The other thing with seo is that it's expensive and something that needs ongoing work so in the long run you would probably be better off learning yourself and dedicating an hour or 2 a week into doing it yourself.
Check a trade mostly gets a bad rep but then you hear the odd person saying they make a killing off it. A lot of its down to your area,how much demand there is and how much competition you have.
if you want customer's , the best method is to knock on doors of houses with windows and ask the people who live there if they need their windows cleaned.
It worked for me.
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Well when you’ve spoken to as many fools that I have this last week you’ll say it’s nothing but a complete con,2 people I spoke to are on there and never clean a window what they prefer to do is clean windows from remote control or via a drone.
1 guy did say if that fails he uses 2 headless chickens 🐓 daily travelling down from some London suburb that will make out their local,all in all seriousness and that 1st bit was it’s a joke.
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Drugs?
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Moderators, why is this fool allowed to run amok throughout the forum, writing what can only be described as incoherent gibberish, yet is allowed to ruin every thread he chooses to take part in.
Can he not be banned?
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Erm excuse me read the title of the thread I am commenting on,it concerns and affects me.
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It has the potential to concern and affect everyone of us on here, but we don’t all pile on and start spouting the first load of bile that froths at our mouths and lips just because we feel like it. You do.
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No it effects me more when people say they’ve been given my details from someone on here like I was informed today from another person wasting my time,the last guy that called me has never even cleaned windows this is the kind of joke people selling in this industry are dealing with.
People just don’t take cleaning windows seriously as a business or they’ve no money,my business takes more money than a few small shops with the cleaning side which is irrelevant to what I’m selling,people just think they can rock up with a bucket and sponge 🧽 and clean multi million £ houses and get away with it,this is the mindset of people that are looking to buy work-business what chance has anyone got.
It’s of no surprise to me when I hear people say you’ll only ever get or I’ll only ever pay 3-4 times the monthly earnings,potentially they’ve no clue one window cleaners work is an absolute mile away from another’s that’s all I’m saying.
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Welcome back Nigel😉
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Moderators, why is this fool allowed to run amok throughout the forum, writing what can only be described as incoherent gibberish, yet is allowed to ruin every thread he chooses to take part in.
Can he not be banned?
You obviously read his posts.
You are under no obligation to read his gibberish.
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Moderators, why is this fool allowed to run amok throughout the forum, writing what can only be described as incoherent gibberish, yet is allowed to ruin every thread he chooses to take part in.
Can he not be banned?
While having some sympathy with this view you will note others feel differently. Some enjoy the banter. Every community has its characters. If voicing stupid opinions and difficult to comprehend comments were banning offences then it would be a very boring place to be.
For me, deciphering the intention of posts can be a challenge but what I think NWH is saying is that some of his potential but failed buyers are on check-a-trade and that from his experience he wouldn't give them time of day.
I'm sure that the way he presents himself on here is how he offers work for sale and so I believe there is a bit of 'you reap what you sow' too.
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Particularly that last paragraph.
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Personally, my belief is that Check-a-Trade might be useful to homeowners who want some big building project undertaken, some plumbing or electrical work done.
I can't see why Mr Ordinary Joe Bloggs would want a window cleaner to be checked out unless there are some very extenuating circumstances.
The vast majority of our work has come from word of mouth and personal recommendations. Any new customers come from recommendations, as we don't canvass any more.
We have never had our integrity questioned. If someone doesn't like us, for what ever reason, they discontinue our service. No hard feelings. That's their right, in the same way it's our right to discontinue providing a service to them.
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⬆️ what a clear and to the point answer Spruce.
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Moderators, why is this fool allowed to run amok throughout the forum, writing what can only be described as incoherent gibberish, yet is allowed to ruin every thread he chooses to take part in.
Can he not be banned?
While having some sympathy with this view you will note others feel differently. Some enjoy the banter. Every community has its characters. If voicing stupid opinions and difficult to comprehend comments were banning offences then it would be a very boring place to be.
For me, deciphering the intention of posts can be a challenge but what I think NWH is saying is that some of his potential but failed buyers are on check-a-trade and that from his experience he wouldn't give them time of day.
I'm sure that the way he presents himself on here is how he offers work for sale and so I believe there is a bit of 'you reap what you sow' too.
👍
I get what you’re saying, and am aware it’s not my opinion that counts in these kinds of matters. However, my opinion isn’t the only one who has suggested a more effective ban for him. Maybe it’s my age, but any threads he participates in seems to descend rapidly in to incoherent dribble.
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I see the cr@p is back
unintelligent - incoherent - pointless posts
brings the forum down but much like the world today the majority have to suffer for the sake of the minority
Darran
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Personally, my belief is that Check-a-Trade might be useful to homeowners who want some big building project undertaken, some plumbing or electrical work done.
I can't see why Mr Ordinary Joe Bloggs would want a window cleaner to be checked out unless there are some very extenuating circumstances.
The vast majority of our work has come from word of mouth and personal recommendations. Any new customers come from recommendations, as we don't canvass any more.
We have never had our integrity questioned. If someone doesn't like us, for what ever reason, they discontinue our service. No hard feelings. That's their right, in the same way it's our right to discontinue providing a service to them.
To me, giving check a trade a go, would purely be in the interest of work gained, being on there for integrity etc is irrelevant for me.
There are several window cleaners on there on in my area, my thoughts are they wouldn’t be paying to be on there if it wasn’t bringing in good work - who knows, without trying it.
I’m very busy, but it does interest me out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know what sort of work comes in.
Perhaps I’ll trial it, or perhaps I’ll just forget and move on like many things ;D
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Personally, my belief is that Check-a-Trade might be useful to homeowners who want some big building project undertaken, some plumbing or electrical work done.
I can't see why Mr Ordinary Joe Bloggs would want a window cleaner to be checked out unless there are some very extenuating circumstances.
The vast majority of our work has come from word of mouth and personal recommendations. Any new customers come from recommendations, as we don't canvass any more.
We have never had our integrity questioned. If someone doesn't like us, for what ever reason, they discontinue our service. No hard feelings. That's their right, in the same way it's our right to discontinue providing a service to them.
To me, giving check a trade a go, would purely be in the interest of work gained, being on there for integrity etc is irrelevant for me.
There are several window cleaners on there on in my area, my thoughts are they wouldn’t be paying to be on there if it wasn’t bringing in good work - who knows, without trying it.
I’m very busy, but it does interest me out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know what sort of work comes in.
Perhaps I’ll trial it, or perhaps I’ll just forget and move on like many things ;D
When you see one of them about, why not stop and ask them their opinion.
What happens if they sign up, get the sticker for their van, and then cancel the following year? They should remove that sticker, but would they?
Having that sticker might help with the odd walk up enquiry, but I doubt it will change the quality of a customer gained.
I've found that if I get a new customer in a street from a recommendation, over time I get a couple more cleans next door to that original customer. Neighbours talk.
My vans have never been sign written.
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Personally, my belief is that Check-a-Trade might be useful to homeowners who want some big building project undertaken, some plumbing or electrical work done.
I can't see why Mr Ordinary Joe Bloggs would want a window cleaner to be checked out unless there are some very extenuating circumstances.
The vast majority of our work has come from word of mouth and personal recommendations. Any new customers come from recommendations, as we don't canvass any more.
We have never had our integrity questioned. If someone doesn't like us, for what ever reason, they discontinue our service. No hard feelings. That's their right, in the same way it's our right to discontinue providing a service to them.
To me, giving check a trade a go, would purely be in the interest of work gained, being on there for integrity etc is irrelevant for me.
There are several window cleaners on there on in my area, my thoughts are they wouldn’t be paying to be on there if it wasn’t bringing in good work - who knows, without trying it.
I’m very busy, but it does interest me out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know what sort of work comes in.
Perhaps I’ll trial it, or perhaps I’ll just forget and move on like many things ;D
When you see one of them about, why not stop and ask them their opinion.
What happens if they sign up, get the sticker for their van, and then cancel the following year? They should remove that sticker, but would they?
Having that sticker might help with the odd walk up enquiry, but I doubt it will change the quality of a customer gained.
I've found that if I get a new customer in a street from a recommendation, over time I get a couple more cleans next door to that original customer. Neighbours talk.
My vans have never been sign written.
Maybe that’s what it’s like in your area and I do remember as a kid all the neighbours talk but personally on my street , we say hi to our immediate neighbours either side and that’s about it. People are more private these days and tend to go online more to find a tradesmen instead of asking their neighbours
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Personally, my belief is that Check-a-Trade might be useful to homeowners who want some big building project undertaken, some plumbing or electrical work done.
I can't see why Mr Ordinary Joe Bloggs would want a window cleaner to be checked out unless there are some very extenuating circumstances.
The vast majority of our work has come from word of mouth and personal recommendations. Any new customers come from recommendations, as we don't canvass any more.
We have never had our integrity questioned. If someone doesn't like us, for what ever reason, they discontinue our service. No hard feelings. That's their right, in the same way it's our right to discontinue providing a service to them.
To me, giving check a trade a go, would purely be in the interest of work gained, being on there for integrity etc is irrelevant for me.
There are several window cleaners on there on in my area, my thoughts are they wouldn’t be paying to be on there if it wasn’t bringing in good work - who knows, without trying it.
I’m very busy, but it does interest me out of curiosity, I’d be interested to know what sort of work comes in.
Perhaps I’ll trial it, or perhaps I’ll just forget and move on like many things ;D
When you see one of them about, why not stop and ask them their opinion.
What happens if they sign up, get the sticker for their van, and then cancel the following year? They should remove that sticker, but would they?
Having that sticker might help with the odd walk up enquiry, but I doubt it will change the quality of a customer gained.
I've found that if I get a new customer in a street from a recommendation, over time I get a couple more cleans next door to that original customer. Neighbours talk.
My vans have never been sign written.
Maybe that’s what it’s like in your area and I do remember as a kid all the neighbours talk but personally on my street , we say hi to our immediate neighbours either side and that’s about it. People are more private these days and tend to go online more to find a tradesmen instead of asking their neighbours
You're right. We are in an area where neighbours talk. I'm already surprised at how many people know my name who I have never met before.
There are some areas where people have lived in for many years and don't know who their neighbours are.
I guess that having another form of security check would help if you are in areas like this. If never really thought about it from that perspective.