[Simon Gerrard]

I notice a lot of you are listing multiple websites on your profiles, what's that all about?
Doesn't it cost a fortune to advertise each of them and isn't it a bit confusing for the customer to know who they area dealing with, or am I missing something glaringly obvious?

Simon

[Kev Loomes]

Its all about SEO. Because there are so many services that we offer its difficult to try and get the search engines to show them all - from one website. This is why there are different websites to get to the top.

Trying to get new clients is hard but once you have got them then you give them literature/business cards/letters etc etc with your company name website on them so that they will refer to that from then on.

Basically its not the be all and end all of it but to essentially get the phone to ring in the first place!

I could explain further but to be honest someone else can do that!

Kev

[prodry]

I have different websites for different towns/areas I cover. On most of them I have a local number.

People dont like to use a tradesman/service from another town. My sites are there to just give the impression I the local boy.

Have even had to take my Colchester United Stickers of my van as I go to Ipswich and Southend quite allot. 

[Simon Gerrard]

Why not just have an 0800 number on them and have done with it?

Simon

[sherco]

People like to see a local phone number, 0800 numbers dont work i have tried, local codes get the local work.

[Simon Gerrard]

Someone told me you have to have a links page and then start swapping links.
What's that all about then?
I know it has something to do with getting your site more recognised by the search engine but can someone tell me how that works, in idiots language, please?

Simon

[mark shannon]

Simon when search engines trawl  through the web they see links from other sites pointing at your site.

The more links pointing from INDUSTRY related sites the more important your site is deemed to be and the higher your site will rank.

[maxcarpets]

Nice site Simon.

[Simon Gerrard]

Thanks.

Simon

[Simon Gerrard]

Just going back to the multiple websites thing.
So you have a site for each town within your area but outside your STD code, yes?
I can see that. We advertise in the Wigan & St Helens Thomson Local but because Wigan & St Helens are big rugby rivals no one in St Helens will ring an 01942 (Wigan)  phone number because they don't like Wiganers, but won't feel too bad about us today because St Helens just beat us 46 - 10 (swine's)
So, we use an 0800 number but even so get next to nothing from St Helens but if we had a website called carpet-cleaning St Helens we would advertise it how, where?

Simon

[John Kelly]

Simon, best thing to do is find a telecom company who can provide you with virtual phone numbers. These are numbers which although having the dialing code of the area they are in, the calls come through to your number. This way you can advertise "offices" in any area you like. Ther are lots of companies, carpet cleaners included who advertise their services in multiple areas with seperate phone number but only one phone.
People like to deal with local companies and doing this can help maximise that potential for little cost.

[prodry]

So, we use an 0800 number but even so get next to nothing from St Helens but if we had a website called carpet-cleaning St Helens we would advertise it how, where?

Any advertising you did in st helens put a st helens area code and use paid for adverting with google. An area the size of st helens would only cost about £15-20 a month with google for number one spot.

You dont even need another domain. You could just have a sub site for other areas. ie www.gerrrads.co.uk/sthelenshome.html. So you could have a site exactly the same as you have now but when they click through on google via google they get the sub-site. Only difference is you personalise it to st helens with phone number and you wearing a Saints Jersey.