Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Doug Holloway on May 21, 2011, 02:09:48 pm
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Hi Guys
I am going to try to establish a blog which will become a public resource and hopefully lead to work for us.
Link is http://www.carpetcleaningworld.co.uk/blog
Please add your details and lets others know. If we also link websites we will hopefully find it ranking high enough to generate enquiries.
To join please send me your name and business name, plus website or email .
There will be no charge to join.
Cheers
Doug
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Good idea Doug, hope it goes well.
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Thanks Wynne.
It will be as good as we make it.
If we all make a little effort to join and create a useful resource we may find it creates quite a lot of enquiries.
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How about making it place that can also be used to talk about the Rug Doctor, Vax and other domestic appliances and the claims the manufacturers make!
There are plenty of review sites and the bad reviews can be freely used. It must be a huge market as there always seems to be a household super cleaner advertising somewhere on tele at the moment. The results these companies claim go unchallenged and once you've bought a Vax etc you're hardly likely to then fork out for a professional carpet cleaner and admit the machine you've just bought is rubbish!
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There are plenty of review sites and the bad reviews can be freely used. It must be a huge market as there always seems to be a household super cleaner advertising somewhere on tele at the moment. The results these companies claim go unchallenged and once you've bought a Vax etc you're hardly likely to then fork out for a professional carpet cleaner and admit the machine you've just bought is rubbish!
Alot of my clients are ex Vax/Bissle/Rug Doctor users ;D I see alot of Vax's in peoples homes when i'm cleaning.
A review site about off-the-shelf cleaning products and carpet machines etc is a good idea though.
Doug, great way to generate more pages ;) ;) wink wink
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count me in doug alan(swindon.....centre of the unknown universe)
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great idea du sent you mail
regards
Rich
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e-mail sent
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Hi Doug,
That's a very good idea. Could you flesh out exactly what you envisage the content of the blog to be to be. It has been suggested that it be used to counter the claims made by RD and Vanish etc, but wouldn't it be better to point it at the really central issue that confronts the carpet cleaning industry, why do 80% of the population never have their carpets cleaned by a professional? People use Rug Doctors in their droves, (they must do to justufy the cost on the TV ads) likewise Vanish Foam, so carpet cleaning is pretty much in the face of the British public, so why are they turning their backs on us? We need to address that issue and your Blog could be used for that purpose.
Just a thought.
Simon
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Hi Guys
I have adjusted the settings so that once you have had a comment approved you should then be able to post freely.
I have also remove the Aspinet key.
I want this to be a blog which contains useful info for the consumer and answers those questions we all get asked on a frequent basis.
If we can promote CC as a professoinal industry all the better.
I do not want it to be a forum, it is aimed at the consumer but will probably allow suppliers to make genuine offers to members, not greatest product ever type of comments.
I hope we can all help to build a useful resource for those seeking a professional clean and influence those who have not considered there is more to cleaning that spraying on a proprietry chemical.
Cheers
Doug
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whats the main reason for this blog? does anyone really care about consumer education. or is this blog a way to get our website ranked higher on google? linking and posting content is what people say is needed to got noticed by google
I've nothing against blogs or educating the public but if the aim of this website is seo of websites then let be honest so we can all work on it being the best blog going
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I think its a great idea and google will be very favourable in its rankings of it in time and who better to police it than doug? Well done Doug.
Pete
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I've got to say I'm not that blog savvy, how does it work??
if we find interesting information that could be useful to consumers do we post a link to it Eg; Whichs' report on consumer vacuum cleaners,( which really showed that Dysons are a load of crap)
or do we write our own information about subjects that we think consumers should know, then post it on the blog?
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Hi Guys
A good blog will help convey the message that top quality carpet cleaners can achieve an awful lot more than most of the public are aware of.
We have many good people who if they pull together can put forward a mine of useful info.
I would rather we wrote our own stuff although obviously links to other sites/articles could be useful.
I would also want it to be positive rather than saying a Rug Doctor is crap, say why a top end porty or TM with a high quality CC will give much better results.
Seo is not the main aim but if the blog was to rank well it would benefit all.
There are others who know more about this sort of thing than me, epecially Facebook etc and I am open to all constructive suggestions/assistance.
Cheers
Doug
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will still need some tough policing Doug. There will be a fine line between sales pitches and what is right for the consumer and i think that ensuring the consumer feels the latter then they will come back. As you say, social media will be the vehicle to drive viewing which is where you will need to get CCs on board to put on their walls on fb etc.
Pete
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Could I suggest the write up on Page 4 'Why use a professional carpet cleaner' would be better off on the front page!
We've heard loads of stories over the years about how carpets have been trashed by products such as Vanish, is this the place to tell the public? Or is that too negative?
Also if you carry on in its form at the moment an endless list of carpet cleaners plying there trade all over the country isn't going to work is it, who is going to read that?
If done properly it could be a useful resource, carry on as it is and its dead by the end of the week.
What is going to bring Joe Public to the Blog, how are they going to find it and what use is it to them when they get there?
Can anyone think of an interesting free download that can be put on the site, if there was an offer then at least we would have something to advertise on our FB rather than come and have a look at a blog on carpet cleaning!
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I hope it works well for all associated with it.
However, if you are going to go to the trouble of writing blogs, then surely they would be more beneficial added to your own sites, rather than adding them to a site with no seo, containing dozens of other carpet cleaners details, in the hope that it may generate enquiries.
I'm all for educating the public but the end result should be that it benefits my own business.
Not a criticism, just my observation.
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i see this blog idea going no where unfortunately. educating the public with a random blog? can't see it happening. if people have a good idea for a post they should put it up on their website and not someone else's as there is no gain for them. blogging is like those get rich quick ideas a few years back where people thought doing hardly anything would some how give great results. just putting up a free blog using a free template and getting some people to write a free article wont now get you more work.
customer read about 5 seconds of your website. you can write pages of content they just don't care. they'll choose if they want you or not in a few seconds and ring to book a clean. i can't see them being bothered to read about the wonderfully interesting world of carpet cleaning and why buying a £200 machine from comet wont do as good job as a £3k machine used by a professional or how your day.
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Thick as s.h.it what a blog will it generate me more revenue than Google
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As I understand it for bloging to work you need to post new articles linking your own website on a regular basis.
If I just post once its not going to help my site
If you are prolific like Ian Harper and already have a stock pile you could be well away
The argument ill arise if I post on a subject there may already be similar articles all probably lifted from other places on the net
So to be honest all though I welcome all ideas of help I cannot see how it will help my own site
By being used daily it might help the mother site
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Hi Guys
The usual mix of support and cynicism. :o
If you write something which you like there is nothing stopping you adding it to your own site as well as the blog.
The blog will link back to your site, providing you put it in your profile.
If we all dedicate 15 mins a week for say 6 months it would be intersting to see where we end up, you never know!!
Cheers
Doug
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mmmm some inevitable comments but some I'm afraid are ill thought out and very short term based. The point of this blog (as I see it) will be to provide the consumer with valuable info (not sales pitches) ie. how to remove certain stains, educate the public about the realities of Vanish etc and in the backround have a list of CCs that pertain to quality based values not trashing rug doctors and the like because alot of people use them and get good value from them (its in the very nature of this perception that we do not hear from these people). I believe its about building a platform (albeit very small) to reach a proportion of the gen public in a credible way. Who knows where it will lead but from little acorns.............
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from little acorns?
you end up with more squirrel turds. ;D ;D ;D
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I agree if we are doing it to create a positive image and educate the public about Carpet Cleaning etc I think that is excellent
I have noticed a conflict already with Truckmount Operators saying Truckmounts are best
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I agree if we are doing it to create a positive image and educate the public about Carpet Cleaning etc I think that is excellent
I have noticed a conflict already with Truckmount Operators saying Truckmounts are best
Well they have to, they have to get the work in to pay for their much larger running cost than us low-life porty boys.... ;D
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Judging by the comments posted on Doug's blog so far, I just don't see how that is going to enthuse or inform anyone. What this industry needs more than anything else is to find out why 80% of people never have their carpets cleaned on a regular basis.
So why not an on-line questionaire that asks the questions we all need to know the answers to and then try and think of imaginitive ways to get people to participate.
Simon
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The problem with that is, the very people you need the answers from will be the very people who will
never look at the blog and never search the internet for info on carpet cleaning, as they are just not
interested or have never thought about it ??? They will never say to themselves " I wonder why i
never have my carpets cleaned, lets have a look on the internet !"
Its a catch 22 situation, unless you come up with a smart way of contacting these ones through other
avenues, I guess thats why a lot of marketing companies still use on the street questionaires that
randomly pick up all sorts of people, at least they get some useful info they can use to tailor there
products or services, unfortunately with the internet there has to be a mild interest first before you can
get someone to look at these websites / blogs,
Thats just the way i see it anyhow :D
Regards
Steve
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I wasn't being cynical, I was trying to be constructive.
First and foremost why not all sit back and have a think what the site is about and what its objectives are, then construct the site around that.
For all intents and purposes carpet cleaners don't have a voice with the general public, I've been cleaning carpets for over 10 years and the NCCA means nothing to me let alone our customers. No doubt a good professional organisation but it seems to be stuck in the 70's.
CC ers needs a voice on the web, that is where our customers are and unless someone is actually looking to get their carpets cleaned and searching for a local cc then there is nothing.
There are enough people on here to get together and keep an eye out on a daily basis for threads such as these
http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/products-reviews-505/general-home-household-goods-542/162543-rug-doctor.html and reply in a professional manner and at the same time raise awareness of a professional body of carpet cleaners, there are plenty of sites like this one and their readership is huge, that is where we need to be, not tucked away on here or a blog moaning at each other and promoting ourselves to each other.
Steve with a bit of thought it is possible to reach those people, will take time and effort from everybody, but its possible. I wrote before that I don't think its a good idea to say 80% of people don't get their carpets cleaned, it makes it sound the 'norm' not to!
No conflict whatsoever Ian regarding the use of tm over porties, no idea what you've been reading and no point in bringing it here, you're detracting from what this blog is about and what its objectives are & how to achieve them.
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Hi Guys
Improving the image of the quality end of the cleaning industry i.e us, is never going to be easy and will be a gradual thing.
A good quality blog will help, it won't change things overnight.
It is of course much easier to write why something can't be done and it always will be!
Cheers
Doug
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I've been into this WP lark for over 3 years now and I think a lot of the criticisms are valid. However a blog owner has to do their own thing and if it's pulled in different directions you won't have the commitment to keep ploughing energy into it over the long haul.
Blogs may have a social element but they are not owned by the community, they are owned by the person who sets it up. Doug has written ezine articles in the past and has lots of knowledge that will make great posts but you will have to feed it consistently to become an aurthority site. This is where you recruit the help of guest bloggers to write articles or pay to outsource as the content must be original.
If I were in your shoes Doug I would do as you say, a quality site, great articles, videos, pictures and an appropriate theme or get one done by someone in Thesis or something. Only post company details in the stylie of an article followed by a bio and contact details.
Nationally you haven't got a cat in hells chance of ranking for carpet cleaning but there's a much more savvy way to get traffic and thats making all the PR agencies aware of it as an authority resource. Just be ready for when the phone rings and they want to pick your brains. Ultimately the idea is to use the media to promote it for you - ultimately on a national level. It's a proven model.
PR is a big subject but it's the way to go with this one if I were trying to achieve your aims.
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Steve,
I take your point.
But what if people added a section onto the the bottom of there leaflets (there are zillions of leaflets delivered every week that land on the doorsteps of people who have bever used CC's) and even websites.
If you never have your carpet cleaned tell us why? and then have a link to an online survey.
The results of that survey would benefit everybody because it would tell us why people don't use us and we could then use that information to market those people. Just think of the effect on the entire industry if we could increase the market by 5% - 10%.
Doug's idea may interest the existing market who are already to some extent or other sold on carpet cleaning, but surely the 80% of people who never buy carpet cleaning services should be the object of our endeavours.
Simon
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that above idea hasn't really got anything to do with a blog unless i'm mistaken? why not do it yourself and reap the benefits? I know this place is for sharing but something that valuable would be silly to share.
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I think you have to look at the big picture here and not just self interest.
The idea of a blog is to collaborate to make it work, but why collaborate just to speak to people who we already serve, why not collaborate and try to reach the vast majority of people we don't.
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it’s a good idea in theory but a blog (or any type of site) just anit going to cut mustard I’m afraid!
You need three things to get carpet cleaning in to the public eye and for it to become as normal/popular as any other "trade" (i use the term trade loosely) like a plumber for example.
1. Make it licensed! That’s right, just like a Plumber needs to be CORGI reg or a window cleaner needs a special license (think that might be just in Scotland though?) This will get rid of a large percentage of the chavs, splash n dash merchants out there. And make us come across a more of an expert/professional. Rather than "just a carpet cleaner".
But who is going to orgise that huge mission?? The NCCA? ha ha i think not. Infact everyone thats a member at the moment should quit thier membership then hopefully they might brighten up thier act.
2. A long running national TV, Radio and online multimedia (youtube, ITV Iplayer etc even FaceBook ads!) advertising campaigns promoting the importance of carpet cleaning! << Who's going to foot that bill though?
3. Product placement in films and TV. I.e. soaps, dramas etc. This alone would make a huge difference! Imagine a popular soap character that’s a carpet cleaner in Eastenders or Corrie!! << maybe we should all put some money together, find a script writer for said soaps and make him an offer he can’t refuse! :P
Tony
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If only their was a way to do points two and three for nothing ah Carpet Dawg.
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Well, if it was licened then there would be som form of annual fee associated. A large percentage of this fee would go to this form of advertising.
It'll never happen though, There just isn't necessary sklls or resources availble in this wee island of ours. Plus the workers, working for the "orgisation" needs thier share of the annual fee :-\ greedy gits.
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slightly off subject but wouldn't 2 &3 be a double edged sword? the more people aware of carpet cleaning the more who will consider it as a career choice..... so more people might consider having their carpets cleaned but there will be more of us trying to get the work :-\ :-\
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Your right Mike, but any form of making the pubic aware tactics and increasing the percentage of carpet cleaning users (the original thread subject) is going to create this problem.
But the flip side to this is there will be alot more work out there! Maybe.. lol
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slightly off subject but wouldn't 2 &3 be a double edged sword? the more people aware of carpet cleaning the more who will consider it as a career choice..... so more people might consider having their carpets cleaned but there will be more of us trying to get the work :-\ :-\
You think too much Mike.
Although it will never happen, if it did, you could say it takes years to learn the trade, you need expensive, professional equipment and it's hard work to get great results. That would put off fly by nights and impress potential customers.
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Like said earlier use PR, costs your time and a bit of balls.
Paid advertising is for mugs - I think I'm paraphrasing Donald Trump.
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PRweb.com is a good staring point but you need a great story, a great press release and a slo news day! Maybe piggy backig of a current news item. i.e. swine flu or Ryan Giggs... and relate it to "the importance of getting your carpet cleaned" regulary.
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PRweb.com is a good staring point but you need a great story, a great press release and a slo news day! Maybe piggy backig of a current news item. i.e. swine flu or Ryan Giggs... and relate it to "the importance of getting your carpet cleaned" regulary.
you mean like, how to remove semen stains off a very expensive carpet?
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yes, or a sofa ;D
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I think it would be a winged armchair, he tends to dribble up the wing
;D
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he's probably got a bench, he's used to cumming off a bench. ;D
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Thought Semen was a goalie :-\
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Passing comment often puts one in the cynical camp
If it is about promoting Carpet Cleaning that is getting to be a Trade Grouping Matter
The type of think NCCA and CLEAN should be doing
I remember Alltec planned a similar idea when they launched their ECo Clean Network
I think there are a couple of Articles that we were all meant to post on various blogs etc or were we to start one of our own
I have a couple of e books on bloging for profit perhaps I had better read them
Now Understanding them that a different Ball Game
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Hi guys
There's nothing wrong with a bit of cynicism but when it's all you have to give it's of no use.
How do you make carpet cleaning sexy, I suspect the only way to start with is the very grotty end of the market which is 'funny' and then tag on what can really be achieved.
I am going to take pics and videos as I go along my merry CC path and see what I get.
If a few of you contribute it will help and who knows where we might be in a year.
Cheers
Doug
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While I was out on my run this morning, this thread got me thinking.... To back the blog up, a small glossy magazine with carpet cleaning facts/tips and general advice aimed at prospective customers might be beneficial too. Perhaps we could debunk the claims of RD and Vanish without being too direct. (For obvious reasons) They could be available to all carpet cleaners to buy with their own logo, advertising on the front cover. (As with own label spotter bottles)
Perhaps someone like Mark at DP designs may be interested in producing the actual product, with some of the more experienced and respected carpet cleaners putting their advice and expertise out to the client....
Just a thought :)
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Nationally you haven't got a cat in hells chance of ranking for carpet cleaning but there's a much more savvy way to get traffic and thats making all the PR agencies aware of it as an authority resource. Just be ready for when the phone rings and they want to pick your brains. Ultimately the idea is to use the media to promote it for you - ultimately on a national level. It's a proven model.
PR is a big subject but it's the way to go with this one if I were trying to achieve your aims.
If Wynne is right then it appears to be an awful lot of work and effort to end up preaching to the converted. It just doesn't make any kind of sense to me to go to all of that trouble when there are 8 out of ten households who never have their carpets cleaned, who we could all stop ingorning and get stuck into converting some of them into loyal customers.
Simon
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Hi Guys
Well obviously I didn't expect all to show enthusiam but for those who are interested I am going to see what I can achieve.
Cheers
Doug
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come on doug, this "is" CIU
roll with the punches matey.
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Doug,
With Wordpress, you can have both blog posts and "static" pages.
Static pages could be decent articles on things like "what to do in an emergency" etc. Good helpful articles with no hard sell.
To help rank it will help to have 8 - 10 pages, including Privacy, Disclaimers etc.
To get the best out of it you will need a half a dozen "essential" Wordpress plug-ins installed as well. If you want any help with these, drop me an e mail to the "westmidlands" site in the signature.
I've also got a couple of neutral, grey themes that have been built for my afilliate sites. You are welcome to use them.
Garry
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Thanks Garry
I will be in touch
Derek I didn't mean it like that, just that I need to get on and make it happen!
Cheers
Doug
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Good for you Doug
All I was saying there is more to Bloging than just Bloging
Looks like Gary 22 is into it
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Hi Guys
I have put the 'Why use a Professional Carpet Cleaner' page as the front page of the blog.
Please feel free to add useful comments, remebering we are aiming this at consumers.
Cheers
Doug