Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mark Roberts on March 18, 2005, 06:48:48 pm
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Something I have been working on since Christmas, a dedicated carpet & upholstery cleaners directory.
You can have a sneak preview www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
As you can see, the interactive map is only working for devon, but all areas will be up by sunday, and the site will be in its new home - www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk.
Each area on the site will be built using html pages and will be optimised for search engines for each area. This is why yell etc does not feature in the rankings for area seaches on google(really annoying if you paid 300 odd quid). Ive seen many of these directories charging mental prices so have deceided upon £15 a year to be listed in mine. This will also include links to your website(if you have one, which will boast your ranking as well). I have no interest in making money from this, only to pay for the servers to keep it going.
Proof of formal training may also be required to be listed so this should keep the splash and dashers at bay! I know the networking thing has been mentioned lately, so maybe with this website will help in that cause as well.
All comments welcome, as I still have time to make changes ;)
Mark
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Mark R
I see my area is not taken so I will put my name forwards for this area!
(http://i159.exs.cx/img159/3391/map6hj.jpg)
Len
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Well done Mark looks very good
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Thats fantastic, good work :)
Paul
P.S, I'm on Cambridgeshire Suffolk border ;D ;D
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Cheers guys. :D
If you want use the contact form on there its all working. Obviously the first people to respond will be top of the listings. If there is anything you would like to see added just let me know.
Mark
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looks very good,have sent details.
Paul smith
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Well done Mark a good idea.
David Ware
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Congratulations!
This has taken a lot of work, simple, loads fast and looks verry proffesional.
This is what customers want.
If company details or links provide details of training and or testimonials, commercial customer list, this will give prospective customers confidence to buy.
I'm with this all the way! ;D
John
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Hey Mark, That looks brilliant nice work.
Have put my name forward.
Kevin
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Mark,
I have added my details and congrats on what looks like being a good site.
Cheers,
Doug
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Nice one Mark 8)
Quality site and idea.............have put my details onboard. ;)
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The link sends me to 123-reg.co.uk ???
But would like Northampton
Regards
Dave
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Dave
There are 2 links in the initial post, click on the word HERE on the line above the web site address, and this will take you to the site.
Hope that makes sense.
Richard
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BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
Well done Mark, excellent site.
It would be great if we could link the other threads of national coverage in some way!
Chris
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Ditto
Well done Mark, a lot of time and effort no doubt has gone into the project for which many should be grateful.
I am sure your name will crop up frequently at MK ;)
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Great work Mark.
The home page looks great, attractive to potential customers and very user friendly. Details have been sent, and I look forward to seeing it in action.
Just one little observation I'd make, as I know a couple of people who've been annoyed when using these sort of map-based links. Is there any way you can make the name of each county pop-up when scrolling over them. It's not too bad for the bigger ones oop north or down in the south-west, but when you get into the south east or northern home counties, they get a bit buched up, and it's frustrating thinking you've clicked on the right county only to find the page downloaded for the adjacent county.
Other than that, it's looking excellent.
Mark
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Mark R,
Submitted my details. Site looks really good. :)
Would agree with Mark@eco about names for counties if that could be done.
Regards.
Martin S
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Have sent you all my details, very good looking site,
Dave
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Well done Mark, it's a really good site.
I clicked on Lancashire but it didn't open another page. Is this a glitch or is it because no cc details are available? I've submitted mine and look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks.
Cheryl
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What, no N Ireland?
If you include my piece of dirt with my name on it then count me in too.
Mark
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Hi,
Thanks for the replies and your e-mails.
The name of each county pop-up when scrolling over them now works.
Mark your piece of dirt will be added soon.
Mark
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site looks great- we would definatly like to sign up :D
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Great initiative Mark, looks good. Count me in (details submitted)
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Well done Mark, I put something similar together for The Advantage Group of Carpet Cleaners in Western Australia.
http://www.agccwa.com/ no charge because we're a self help group & everyone contributes in some way.
Your site will do well :)
Cheers
Col Foster
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Have added my details Mark, Just what i have been waiting for, very well set out well done. :)
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I took a look today, is it up and running how do you pay.
On the negitive side before I realized I was a coward I registered with a Window Cleaning Web Site similiar to your idea So far I have not been asked to clean any windows.
What search engines are you high on if you put in Carpet Cleaner how high would your site come.
If you put in Carpet Cleaner Dorset etc would your site come up?
Ian
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Hi Ian,
A good question. Fill out the contact form and I will show you how to pay.
Search Engines.
The site is brand new. It wont be showing in the search engines just yet.
The site will be listed in all the major search engines soon. Google, yahoo etc.
Ive made the site quite unique, every page will be optimised for each area.
I currently look after about 7 other sites all of which have good rankings.
With my own site - A Fresherclean, last week I picked up 4 jobs from it.
When typing "carpet cleaning devon" into the following -
http://search.msn.co.uk/results.aspx?FORM=MSNH&CP=1252&q=carpet++cleaning+devon
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=carpet++cleaning++devon&sm=Yahoo%21+Search&fr=FP-tab-web-t&toggle=1
You will see my site at no1 on all.
It will take time to repeat this with ukcarpetcleaning but rest assured I wont be happy until its got good ranking for you guys. Some areas will be more difficult than others.
Thanks, Mark
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Hi Mark i recieved your invoice for £15 but you have not checked to see if i am trained etc etc. Are you just accepting anybody and how you going to police it???
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I will not be making the site into an elite club!
At the end of the day its my call to accept people. Plenty of e-mails have been sent out asking for details of training. There are a lot of great cleaners out there that have never had any training, do I deny someone like this? Or do I read through there postings on this site and decide that way?
On the front page of the site I urge the public to ask two questions -"After choosing a Cleaner always ask to see proof of formal training and make sure they are insured.
As yet no-one has been added to the site, there will be 1 huge update at the end of the month which will include everyone that has paid.
Mark
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Mark when people search for carpet cleaners in my area (unlike yours) they generalise by typing- carpet cleaners in sheffield, as in the north we tend to have big cities where you in Devon have smaller villages and tend to have to regionalise, so most people won't put cc in south yorkshire but will put the nearest city or large town ie Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley etc
Shaun
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Mark it was your words in the first posting that said proof of training would be needed?????
Am i to take it then £15 will gaurantee entry or am i being to selective and just let all in.................
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Hi Shaun
Replace the word devon with torquay and you will see my personal site is still there.
When adding companys to ukcarpetcleaning I will optimise individual pages for citys, because each page will only hold about 4 companys this will be possible. As you have said this is important, and will be what makes this site unique. Feedback from you guys on where you live is key. Some larger areas like yorkshire will have to be split up and optimised slightly different from other areas.
Mark
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Mark
You have my area marked as Northumberland but in fact its Tyne and Wear
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Tyne & Wear added Steve. ;)
Mark
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Mark,
Will post copies of training certs with cheque, for your records.
May be good idea to get copies on record from all, to back up YOUR ethos of 'trained technicians' for your site standard.
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Good site mark,,,, impressed
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Trained is a bit of a misnomer and yes I have more paperwork stating that I have a certificate of attendance!
But if anyone took time to read Mark’s first post 2nd to last paragraph MAY!
I think this a great idea.
Len
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hi mark
Good site I've submited my details
kev
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Hi,
I went on a Prochem couse in 1982 with Ron Tilley, but have long since lost any paper work.
First started cleaning carpets at M&S , Baker Street, 1971 and have had my own business for over 20 years.
Does that make me trained?
Cheers,
Doug
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Doug
After looking at your picture over the last few months, I've come to the conclusion that you must be Certified ;)
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
PS I'm not mad. I've got a certificate to prove it!
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Ken,
Years of rug sucking have taken their toll ;)
Cheers,
Doug
Maybe I shopuld be chained ,not trained.
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Doug if you want that you are on the wrong site well nearly, cleanitup does seam quite apt :o
Shaun
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Mark What an achievement! The world is a better place for movers and shakers like you. My name has been submitted.
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Doug,
Marks and Spencer let you loose on their Carpets without any training?
Then you were in the business ten years before you got any ?
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Ian,
I was employed by a company called Kestrel cleaning and was initially a bucket boy, vaccer,brusher ,raker.
Over the years I learnt from the older guys how to use the machines, afterall I was only 13 in '71.
Cheers,
Doug
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My introduction to carpets and floors was with Exclusive back in the late seventies I think the guys name was george that took me under he's wing I then worked for OCS doing night work.
kev
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only 13 in 71 ;D ;D ;D ;D
COME ON DOUG ::) ::) ::)
Dave
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I was only 13 in '71.
Cheers,
Doug
So was I! ;D
That summer I worked for my cousin's husband's contract cleaning firm and he had me on the wooden decking of Brittania Pier with a can of chewing gum freezer and a little hammer. B*****d. ;D
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When does the site go live?
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Hi Steve
The site is working www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
Everybody that has paid will be listed in 1 update at the end of month. Maybe sooner, depends on how many pay!
Mark
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Kev,
Exclusive was Tony Berry's lot, he went to same school as me.
Cheers,
Doug
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Hi Mark
Presumably we are able to change details/info at anytime?
Chris
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Chris,
You can use the contact form and I will change anything on your listing.
Mark
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Excellent, It was about time someone had the initiative to create a site like this....
I have forwarded all our company details
Cheers
Darren
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Mark, top work fella!!
Do you have a paypal account so people can pay online?
Alex
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Mark
Nice site, nobodyin my area, have sent you my details.
Paul
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Mark,
How do we pay you???
Paul
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Hi Mark
I see the area I cover still needs a owner so I will put my name forward for this but you need to change the names from Monmouthshire to Cardiff
and Glamorgan to Swansea
Regards Gavin
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Hi Mark,
Similar to Gavin, very minor point, could you change 'Buckingham' to read 'Buckinghamshire'?
Buckingham is the 'old' county town of Buckinghamshire. County town these days is Aylesbury.
You'll wish you'd never started by the time we've all finished fussin' over this and that. :)
Regards.
Martin
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Mark just done a google search for the site but nothing came up ???
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It wont yet, only submitted last week. Still building links and adding more content to make it easy to use. Search engines take time to index and build ranking.
Mark
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Cheers Mark just making sure you have got your finger on the pulse ;)
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Very good, first time I've seen this thread, sent my details to you.
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Hi Mark,
Hows it going with the search engine link to the website? I've typed in (google) ukcarpetcleaning and the sites first on the menu, but type in 'uk carpet cleaning' and it's nowhere to be seen.
Can this be remedied?
Thanks.
Cheryl
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Hi Mark,
Whats the latest on the search listings.
Still doesn't come up yet.........not rushing you ;D
John
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Hi,
The website is in google yahoo msn now and just this week every page has been indexed which is good as its so new. It wont race up to any number 1 spot yet, as you know it takes time and effort to get it up there. Ive been speaking to an renowned American seo chap about search engines lately and he confirmed that google is now placing penaltys on new websites(like mine) because of spammers. Its calles the sandbox effect. I wont bore you with the tech stuff, but to make things fair for everyone who has paid they will be kept in now for at least 2 years. This filter can last anywhere from 6-12 months.
I thought something had changed because my own personal site which is only 6 months old is being held back as well. I may let this american chap see what he can do.
In the meantime all I can do is keep doing the same things to it that has made my other 16 sites get to high rankings. I think £15 quid for 2 years is bargin.
Mark
google - http://www.google.com/search?q=www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
msn - http://search.msn.com/results.asp?q=www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
yahoo - http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
AOL http://search.aol.com/aolcom/search?query=www.ukcarpetcleaning.co.uk
Sandbox- http://www.topsitelistings.com/news/google-sandbox.php
(In case your interested !)
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I am a naught boy I did say I would join the site but due to time preasurs I did not pay.
But could I be so bold to ask who has got a cleaning job from the site
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Good man Mark, ;D
John
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Just to say i have had a few enquiries via this line so it is def working!
Well done and cheers for bringing this long overdue medium to fruition.
i raise a glass to you!
Cheers