[mark_roberts]

Im redoing my website and trying to write the content and get the design to appeal to the public is harder than what it sounds.

In your opinion what makes a good site.  What content are people wanting to read and actually read.

From your analysis of your own site where should I focus.  Do I need a page for every service and offering.

Thanks
Mark

[terrymaloy]

I'm doing the same thing at the minute.
You might want to google 'carpet cleaning websites'
There's a guy doing 10 page websites for carpet cleaners for £259 but more interesting there are loads of examples that may give you a few ideas.
Terry

[jim mca]

For guys a picture of Kelly brook should hold our attention for women you have to ask them.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

The content for selling to customers is different to the content google wants to see I would personally write the former and let the seo expert change it for the latter.

Shaun

[Mark Blazey]

We've just had ours redesigned, cost £400, copyright being written for £250.

I spent hours trying to do it myself but without looking at others site, I couldn't get the point across, so opted for totally original content.

Re content, it depends on who you want to target? Commercial or domestic customers? Content should be worded differently for both as they have different needs and domestic customers are more likely to choose with emotional as you are going into their home, iykwim.

You are more thank welcome to have my website designer details.
Our site is www.topmarkcleaning.co.uk

Kind regards Vicki

[wynne jones]

Quite naturally everyone homes in on the homepage. This tends to be a page crammed with everything you do and a million and one different things the viewer could do, which usually means clicking away.

One page one job.

Ultimately testing proves what works best, this means continuous change and comparison.

[andrew66]

Getting the content is the most important thing, as already said its what google wants, find your niche or market and go for that good luck

[garybristow]

great site topmark
gary

[Chris Straker]

One of mine was done by carpetcleaningwebsites and the other by Mark Roberts ........ between them, they supply my new (non referred) work ....... as I don't advertise 

A niche has been mentioned and I will repeat, the niche is what makes you stand out on a search page of 10 ..... even if you are not at the top 

[*Hector*]

I agree Chris...

I have 2 niche's :

Low moisture ..
Eco friendly.

people who book me for the first time usually say it is for one of those two reasons.

 

[davep]

Chris you do advertise - your site, van, social media 

Mark - your asking the wrong people here as we all see sites through cc glasses, why not try other forums? Are there marketing forums you can ask on?

[Chris Straker]

Davep is correct, I paid for websites and van graphics so that counts as advertising ........... social media is free (for now) and I don't count the odd fiverr spent on pr pictures/videos etc

Not paid for directory advert for over 6 years now ...... basically what I meant by not advertising 

[Mike Halliday]

I mentioned in another post about the buttons that show under your listing on google, I think the perfect website is the one that is designed to make these buttons appear, 99% of my Internet  calls are about the subject listed.

Leather cleaning
Odours &
End of tenacy

Its like people type 'carpet cleaners near hull' because that's what they think they should type......  but really they are wanting something more specific so see the buttons and click them

[garry22]

Sitelinks. It's Google that decides what appears so you will have to set your site up to influence this.

http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=47334

[Ian Gourlay]

I have just received information from Brian Tracy and one of his Gurus who says a clutterd apearance is in to get best rankings. Ie plenty of action
But then they probably want to sell me the latest guide

[*Hector*]

probably is Ian..

But the customers don't like a cluttered website, as it makes it harder for them to know what the heck is going on..

Most IMHO like it plain and simple... Carpet needs cleaning, this is how it is done... This is how I get in touch... They don't care what the cfm or lift of your spinning rag is..

They just want to know: Is the guy good? will my carpets be clean and dry when he is done?

or stuff to that effect.

[garry22]

I have just received information from Brian Tracy and one of his Gurus who says a clutterd apearance is in to get best rankings. Ie plenty of action
But then they probably want to sell me the latest guide

I saw some really interesting test results this week that showed similar stats.  They tested a streamlined "clean" layout against a busy, cluttered one and the second one got about four times as many sales. The all important user metrics were far better as well.

[Mike Halliday]

the brain is an amazing device it can look into a crowded room of 100s of people and find who you are looking for in seconds, just the same as it can look at a cluttered website and find one word that grabs their attention, to say a cluttered website could confuse a viewer is wrong in my opinion.


I could read a very plain web page in seconds and decide it does not have what I am looking for..... but a cluttered website could make me work harder  and engage my brain more.

[wynne jones]

I have just received information from Brian Tracy and one of his Gurus who says a clutterd apearance is in to get best rankings. Ie plenty of action
But then they probably want to sell me the latest guide

I saw some really interesting test results this week that showed similar stats.  They tested a streamlined "clean" layout against a busy, cluttered one and the second one got about four times as many sales. The all important user metrics were far better as well.

This is slightly misleading. If you funnel everyone with every single need to one page sure you are going to get more. If you dont give them other options and its not what they want of course its no interest to them. If you have a searcher for upholstery cleaning and all they get is a page about upholstery cleaning and only a phone number you will get a much higher CTA than a general page with lots of options on what to do next.


google search

Apple <product name> and click on the apple link. what do you see?

then do it again with a different product, see what you get. I think Apple know their onions better than us lot.