Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Website advice
« on: January 28, 2013, 11:51:47 am »
Im trying to target a bit more commercial now, and have been getting a few enquiries and converting a few of the bigger jobs, but i was just wondering what any of you guys thought about having two websites, one for domestic and one targeting solely commercial clients?

so, one with all pictures of nice driveways and what not, and the other with pictures of cherry picker work, and large scale projects with the corresponding text to go along with it?

Or do you think its just as good to have one website, with different sections?

Im also wrestling with the idea of changing the name, not a full on change, just from Precise Pressure Washing (which is a bit of a mouthfull and a long email address) to ppwservices. I think it sounds a bit more professional but i dont want to lose the advantage ive got with my existing domain name on google. although ive been told recently that having a search term in your domain name doesnt matter now.

Thoughts?

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: website advice
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2013, 12:32:05 pm »
I have lots of web addres's and quite a few websites. I started as block and drive cleaning services and now just bd cleaning services which can also be blocked drain cleaning services. It has also been big day castle services when we did the bouncy castles. We have url's  like wasps nest dover and wasps removal folkestone. So yes it is a good idea and yes it does work - you can pay for a lot of web presence with what the yellow pages cost

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: website advice
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2013, 01:29:34 pm »
So you think its a good idea to change to PPW Services? or its a good idea to have separate websites, each one targeting commercial or domestic? or you think both is a good idea?  :)

The problem im having is, if i create a new website just for commercial, do i remove the commercial aspect of my existing website? and transfer it over to the new site? at a risk of losing some google position? or do i leave my existing site as is, and just use the same commercial content on the new site?

Im also thinking google might not look kindly on two sites with the exact same content/pics..

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: website advice
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2013, 05:17:19 pm »
Two sites - completely different content and pictures, one commercial and the other domestic. The domestic tab on each site points to the domestic site and the commercial tab to the commercial. That way they are linked, the content is relevant but you benefit from having specific sites. I'd look to buying something like www.commercialpressurewashingbartertown.co.uk - we have drainsurveykent which works very well but I have to travel a bit

Re: website advice
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2013, 05:21:32 pm »
Matt ref name, Do you provide any other services apart from pressure washing ?

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: website advice
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2013, 06:39:22 pm »
Mike,

The services would be to target the commercial. I.e: all exterior cleaning services. Gum removal, graffiti removal etc. I know what your getting at though. Basically im looking to look abit more proffesional. Also, im lookin to shorten my email address and domain name down. But I was worried that creating two sepearte sites, for the same area, and some same text/pics would make both sites suffer.

David Hernandez

  • Posts: 3
Re: website advice
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2013, 07:50:53 am »
Matt Gibson

               If you think 2 websites in same area will be a prob, then you can simply redirect the old website link to the new one.So that you wont lost your existing customers and also can improve your site as your wish.


Residential cleaning services
| House Cleaning Mesa AZ

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: Website advice
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2013, 04:10:35 pm »
If I was after commercial work I would have a dedicated website. Commercial clients want to know about risk assessment and method statements  they are more interested in  finding a company that will take on the job with the minimum hassle to them.

Domestic clients couldn't careless about all the health & safety they just want it cleaning.

I think it is hard to portray the correct message to 2 different types of customer
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: Website advice
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2013, 04:31:59 pm »
This is what i was thinking mike,

I was also warned off too much multiple content by Google, and as i was going to leave my old website exactly like it is, and use some of the content on the new commercial site, i would run into a problem.

I suppose i could come up with totally new content for the commercial site, but you can only describe what you do in so many ways.. Ive re-directed my other domain name to my site for now, and given my site a bit of a makeover, so ill see how it goes over the next couple of months. Ill jot down a few things for the new site.

Dont get me wrong, we have had a few large jobs in through the site, but i was just wanting to know peoples thoughts.

Rob_Mac

Re: Website advice
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2013, 05:04:50 pm »
Matt

I am going in reverse and agree with Mike and Carl - they need to be separate. I have had an external cleaning web address for the domestic market for some time. Just putting the content together.

Mike - thanks for the comments on the diesel vacuum.

Rob ;D

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: Website advice
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2013, 05:23:15 pm »
Rob,

You going to be using your logo? same name?

What website are you going to have on your stationary/business cards etc? which email will you use?

Rob_Mac

Re: Website advice
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2013, 05:28:19 pm »
The domestic will be called - The external Cleaning Company and all of the email address & website is relevant

On the heading between the name & rest of the details (in a very small but visible) font it states 'are part of M-CLEAN UK Ltd.

It is going to be run as the domestic arm of the commercial business.

Rob

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: Website advice
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2013, 05:31:21 pm »
ahhh ok..

I was going to use the same logo, but just different more commercial oriented content. might get confusing though, two websites with the same logo, same details etc.

Rob_Mac

Re: Website advice
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2013, 05:37:21 pm »
Before we changed names I had a domestic & commercial website - as one site. It did bring a lot of work in which was a real mix of both but as the commercial grows I couldn't ever see me putting the domestic onto it.

I may well be getting one vehicle sign written for the domestic but because there will be a link to the two sites and both sites will state that they are part of each other I am not going not worry if the wrong van turns up for domestic works, i am more concerned the other way around.

Rob ;D

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: Website advice
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2013, 05:49:23 pm »
Yeah, i see your point.. it would be a little different for me, as both the names are so similar. It would effectively be competing with myself in the rankings, and to be honest, when i search for something, and two pages come up and they are the same company i always think, why?

Yours wont be so noticeable because of the different names (albeit the link)

I think ill let it go, i did a bit of changing on my site over the weekend, so ill leave it for a month or two and see what happens, while i think a new site over.

Rob_Mac

Re: Website advice
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2013, 05:52:33 pm »
Use the one name and put domestic & commercial in their web addresses??!!!

Then you don't have the expense of different everything

Rob ;D

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: Website advice
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2013, 05:59:52 pm »
Nah, the whole reason for me getting a new domain was to shorten everything down.

At the moment, precisepressurewashing.co.uk is a bit long, so are the email addresses that go with it.

The site ranks great, brings in work, but i wanted to look a bit more professional, so i bought ppwservices.co.uk which helps the image, and shortens it down.

I was going to use the ppw as the commercial site, but i was going to use the same/similar logo and obviously contact details etc would be the same.

as it stands, im just redirecting it now to my original site.

If i was to add domestic/commercial to the existing domain, it would be a hell of a mouthfull  ;D

Re: Website advice
« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2013, 10:52:50 am »

Domestic clients couldn't careless about all the health & safety they just want it cleaning.


Thats a real broad statement, maybe true to a certain extent for Carpet cleaning. For Pressure washing, It all depends on how well you sell your services plus the customers you target.

Mike Halliday

  • Posts: 11581
Re: Website advice
« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2013, 10:59:11 am »
Half our work is pressure washing & we are very good at selling our services, still we don't find domestic customers enquiring about health & safety.....actually I don't think I have had a single customer mention it.

What customers do you target that have H&S concerns?
Mike Halliday.  www.henryhalliday.co.uk

Re: Website advice
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2013, 11:09:12 am »
Half our work is pressure washing & we are very good at selling our services, still we don't find domestic customers enquiring about health & safety.....actually I don't think I have had a single customer mention it.

What customers do you target that have H&S concerns?

Mike, dont take this wrong I am not doubting you ability at selling your services, from your answer above customers don't mention it  - It's down to you to sell it - that's the point.