[[GQC] Tim]

I'm seriously thinking about making a website, but the thought crossed my mind if it's really necessary.

It's just me who's running the business and I've got no intention to expand my business in that regard, ie. taking staff on.

I could do with another £500 a month, but that's where I will be happy enough with what I earn.

At the other hand, it does look very professional, but what to do with it if I already have reached my sweet spot? Shall I keep the website and only take on bigger customers, optimizing my round?

What do you guys think?

[Platinum NW]

go for it - end of the day your marketing your business no matter how many employees you take on or dont...

Also if your business isnt growing its going backwards mate so if you do get to £500 extra work still try and build it up

[[GQC] Tim]

go for it - end of the day your marketing your business no matter how many employees you take on or dont...

Also if your business isnt growing its going backwards mate so if you do get to £500 extra work still try and build it up

Good point, that makes perfect sense, thanks. 

[Rogue Trader]

Dont bother web sites are purely for winning business

[AuRavelling79]

What is your sweet spot?

What type of work does a web site get you? I would surmise that it is just as useful to make you look substantial to bigger customers as it is for anything else.

So if you as a one man band (as I am) want a certain profile of customer then think who would be reassured by being able to visit your website.

If I can groom my round to a high monthly turnover off of one man (and his dog) that'd be pretty sweet. Then what? Things have a habit of growing by themselves!

[Milltown Cleaning]

funny, i am in the exact same position. A one man band who could do witha LOT more business. Im in the process of creating a website, i wouldnt have bothered but for the fact that i have several generous computer whizz friends. (check out milltowncleaning.com lol!!!)

also i just bought my first van, im already finding that its speeding me up, but i have also toyed with the idea of getting it signwritten. Like the website, do you guys find that this will increase business or enquiries?

[Nathanael Jones]

A website done properly can be the most cost effective form of advertising available,.. you can get them for free, so its really only your time. I don't see that you can go wrong!
My website brings in a couple of calls a week,.. some are outside my area, some are just fishing for prices,... but there is a steady trickle of new & quality work. Other methods bring in the work faster, but the website is always working in the background.

[Niall McAllister]

funny, i am in the exact same position. A one man band who could do witha LOT more business. Im in the process of creating a website, i wouldnt have bothered but for the fact that i have several generous computer whizz friends. (check out milltowncleaning.com lol!!!)

also i just bought my first van, im already finding that its speeding me up, but i have also toyed with the idea of getting it signwritten. Like the website, do you guys find that this will increase business or enquiries?

defo. get your van sign written, its a one off payment for an advertising board that only appears in the areas you want it in. my van cost about £120 ( tax deductible) and it has brought over 20 customers in 7 months. it might not seem alot but its over £2000 a year in new income.

also a lot of people don't look in the phone book now, they just google (other search engines are available  ) if you have a web site set up properly that will generate business. it doesnt have to be all singing like some (Nathanael Jones  : ), but it won't hurt

[HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy)]

i am still mostly a one man band these days, except when i get really busy.

my website www.gacontracts.co.uk was done by Nat.......it was as cheap as chips.....i get a lot of new work from it....by far the best thing i ever did.

i still have a couple of my own which i built for free on yola......one i can show you for an example is my supply shop ......it was done for no outlay whatsoever except the domain name.....(wfpshop) i cant give you the link on here i am afraid as its against cleanitup rules

[windymiller]

Its ok having a website, but a website needs to be found or it is pointless having a website in the first place.
Most people looking for things on search engines rarely go past the first page of results, most offen only contacting the first 2 or 3 at the top of the first page.
To get to the top of the first page costs money and time.
IMO your time, money and effort would be better used to go out canvassing to get to the point you want to be, unless you are after the big contracts.

[HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy)]

i disagree....i am always at the top or near the top in google rankings......and i have never paid a penny to so called SEO firms.

[windymiller]

It all depends on what competition there is for a specific search term, if you searching for 'window cleaner lands end' i guess there would be not much competition but if you just searched for 'window cleaner' their would be 1000s of competition and thats where you need seo.
It all depends on the search term you want your website at the top of the results and then research your competition.

[C.C.S.]

i think having a website it's a waiting game.i have one for about a couple of months now,well second one as first one don't use that much now.i had a few quote requests and did 2 jobs worth 80 pounds(one off)not much but still it;'s a start and only cost me £10 for the domain name as has been built by my brother in law.i also registred on all sort of free sites including yell.com which brought me work of £130 and i'm very close to secure a contract of 5k a year just by having a free advert on yell.com my advice is to register on all website that are free and have nothing to lose.

[Platinum NW]

If i had a website a would also charge local businesses for advertising onthe site i would just need to show them i had a customer base big enough for x amount of hits a month. There are also marketing businesses that give you money for x amount of hits for advertising

You just have to sit there inyour spare time clicking the sites....

[suds window service]

I'm seriously thinking about making a website, but the thought crossed my mind if it's really necessary.

It's just me who's running the business and I've got no intention to expand my business in that regard, ie. taking staff on.

I could do with another £500 a month, but that's where I will be happy enough with what I earn.

At the other hand, it does look very professional, but what to do with it if I already have reached my sweet spot? Shall I keep the website and only take on bigger customers, optimizing my round?

What do you guys think?

i too am a one man band,with a half decent round. lately i ve been thinking my business is a bit stagnant.
so with this in mind i have commissioned  a web site and ordered another 2000 leaflets.
i think i have just about a full 4 weekly round but it could do with been at a higher average price per house.
and iam desperate to get into the commercial side of things so have done an introductory letter also.....see how it goes.

[TonyD]

Depends what sort of website you want, you can get a Mr.Site website and domain name for £35 so why not  is the question.
I have my handyman/building maintenance website that cost £0 with microsoft office live.  

Here's the site built for £0, not like a professional built one, but does ok - Dillon Projects   I host the domain with 1&1 for a minimal cost so that I can redirect a proper .co.uk name instead of the long and useless microsoft one.

Microsoft live link

Also, moonfruit now do free website and domain, but you have moonfruit in the address, for eg.......www.joebloggs.moonfruit.com

[Sean Dyer]

websites wont hone your domestic round. in fact i find it a pain getting calls from people in random areas, but it will every so often , and farily regular if you do it right, drop you a nice big commercial lead, or a decent domestic job, i find its great for finding gutter and conservatory cleans i have about 1 a week, and probably about one commercial every 1- 2 months, its converting them is the problem but still it gives you a chance, and for no footwork other than setting up a site, or paying someone to do it

[Dean Taberner]

websites work,

google window cleaners in stoke on trent

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=window+cleaners+in+stoke+on+trent&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=o&oq=

works for me on the domestic side and looks professional on the commercial side.

Dean

[Nathanael Jones]

It all depends on what competition there is for a specific search term, if you searching for 'window cleaner lands end' i guess there would be not much competition but if you just searched for 'window cleaner' their would be 1000s of competition and thats where you need seo.
It all depends on the search term you want your website at the top of the results and then research your competition.

Very good point,... there are very few window cleaners websites that are optimised properly for just this reason. The competition for keywords is very high, so using geographical keywords (Names of towns, villages, area's,.. even postcodes you work in) is essential. Having these keywords in your Meta tags AND page text is essential,.. they're a lot less effective if they're in one place and not the other.

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Is it worth it? yes I think so, but don't spend much on it.

I use mine for promotions and even giving new customers an online pdf of their quote (accessible via secret link)

I pay £12 or so per year and get professional email addresses linked. If I then have a promotion they can email a specific account so that I know if the promotion is working.

I also use my website to weed out price shoppers.

I also use it to post up video quotes for potential customers.


The key is to make it look as good as you can for free and get the most out of it, that will vary depending on how we run our one-man business.