[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

so lets cut though this key borad poop please and tell me is it worth getting a site done what kind of figgers do you get from your site

and do i realy need one as much info as poss please as its quict new to me this inter net stuff

[Straker Cleaning]

What i get from my sites is ALL MY NEW WORK as i do not advertise elsewhere 

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

mmmm so it works for you chris but why do you have a few sites

[Shaun_Ashmore]

It's different in Chris's part of the world southern softies tend to lose the feeling in their arms and hands and have to press buttons on a key board rother than open books. But seriously I can remember emailing Chris about websites 5 years ago asking about it, back then he was getting 2 a month I thought little of it then but now it is a definate, pay once for a site and SEO and then host your site for litterally pennies a week for ever.

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

I think Chris is quite pro active with his site and is reaping the rewards by blogging and article writing on Squitter and suchlike.

[bennymon]

im in the south and top of google but dont get many jobs from it . keep putting out the  flyers that works for me  

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Susan, like Chris I get all my new work from the internet, today for example 4 jobs and about 4 other enquiries.

I have lots of sites, most targetting different areas, key words, services etc.

Cheers

Doug

[daysdeepclean]

Hello Susan,

I'm just setting up a web site through BT, it's £5 a month. I must say that I am having difficulties with their "Simple" drag and drop build your own web site! I am starting to get the hang of it though!

I know it isn't the cheapest but when I've finally cracked it.... in about 3 years from now.... it'll surely be worth it! You can go back and change things, add pictures and all that sort of thing any time you like too!

Good luck with it all Susan...

Colin

[Straker Cleaning]

Added sites target specific search criteria ........... no harm in having 3 sites come up on first page of a search 

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Susan - as Shaun said it really is an inexpensive and effective form of marketing.

One off fee to build and SEO it and a small annual hosting fee.

Apart from a full page A5 advert in a local magazine, like Chris and Doug all my new work comes via my site from one source or another.

Look upon it as a long term investment.

Steve

[Paul Heath]

You must have a web site People don't bother looking the phone books anymore. The 1st place they look is on the web. You need to get on the 1st page of google a good web designer who knows the tricks off the trade. Its the best form of advertising. 

[elliott cleaning]

Susan

You want to re-read Chris's post.   
He gets all his new customers from his websites because he doesn't advertise anywhere else. Does that mean it's the best way to go?

In the same way, I get all my new customers from referrals because I don't advertise at all.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think the above poster is going deeper into the subliminal where he is asking for referals or at least hinting to his customers that he wants referal only but it does take powers of persuasion and probably not for anyone employing technicians.

Shaun

[Buster Ingram]

I think any company in the sevice industry needs a web site if only as a shop window to show what services they have on offer. if it brings in more business then that's a bonus

[Mike Halliday]

if I went into the chit-chat section of this forum and asked 'why do people think of pomegranate juice?'

more than likely I would get 1 or 2 people who would tell me that its the greatest, most underestimated drink in the world.

from this response I could believe that it is...... 'the greatest, most underestimated drink in the world'. but what about all the people who don't rate pomegranate juice so don't give a response?

do you see the similarity with the internet?

ask how good is the internet ? and usually you get Spencer, Chris & Doug saying they get all their work from it and it's brilliant, and for them it is but they are only a small percent of this forum.

 what you have got to remember is all the other people who do it and find it not as effective. these people often won't comment so we get a distorted view of the internet.

this is true of most topics on his forum, if anyone ask about leaflets I will tell them they are brilliant and bring all my new customers but this doesn't mean it will be the same for you, everyone and every area is different

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Dave's right, I think it depends on what information you put on it to what you get out of it, a straight forward I clean carpets here is my number may bring in calls but not leads, where as an information site may not bring in the same amount of calls but ready buyers for YOUR kind of service like Chris with his Eco site which probably gets rid of some price shoppers.

Keep it to quick sentences but not bullets, long paragraphs bore me so I'm sure they will bore customers but you have to get the message across professionally.

Shaun

[Mike Osbourne]

Those who only use the web. What happens when  it goes down?

And it will at some point.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think a mix of advertising is a good insurance policy, isn't t time to go all American and say that the best advertising is to do teh very best job

Shaun

Mike what happens when the telephone lines go down?

[Buster Ingram]

Again a good debate, When I was opperating in Wolverhampton Leaflets didn't work for me there but down south here in Berks Brilliant each time I have gone out and posted a hand full the phone has rung with good leads.
On the jobs I have managed to do so far I have asked each person do they use the internet to source suppliers and the answer has always been yes!
When I asked them why they didn't sourse a carpet cleaner via the net the answer came back " I prefer to use local trades man and you are the nearest".
I then asked if my website was up and running would you have called me, again the answer was yes because your local. As Shaun say's its like the cleaning pie you need a little bit of every marketing arm to move forward. You could say backing every horse in the race that way you win, not a lot but you do win.

[Mike Osbourne]

Shaun, I would attached a megaphone to the van and read out my leaflets.