[Roy Harding]

How whould a website benefit me?

I have thought about one many times, in the past I have advertised in yellow pages and local press. And found it a total waste of money.

My experience with advertising is you end up with a job not anywhere near your round, hence it’s not worth bothering with.

I’m in my 25th year of window cleaning and have a large round all rural, as I will not clean any housing estates.

I’m extremely well known around the area, and get a lot of work through recommendation.

The only thing I can think of is online payments.

So how wood a website benefit me?

Roy


 

[Nathanael Jones]

I get at least 3 or 4 calls a week from my website,... and most of the custies are the type who I never meet, that never complain and that pay via paypal the night after the clean. The young professional internet searching type are always good custies!!

[windowwashers]

I too, pick up work online as do people on area pages on my site, I would not say it is vast amounts of work but the slow trickle of work more than pays for it's self with only one customer. A website will only work if it is high ranking on search engines and/or advertised offline.

So it is better to be on it and than not.

[Chris Galloway]

I myself have had a number of interest via the website. Its a place of checking out who you are - so always include information about your company, your back ground etc..

Nowadays people want to know who they are getting for their services.

You can also advertise more of your services via the website than you ever could advertising via YP for example. Plenty of pictures of before and after your services always go down a treat.

People can pay you online via your website too.

Most companies have a website nowadays and its easy to jump on the net and search for someone - i do it all the time, rather than flick through the yellow pages, if i could ever find it.

The better the website (not only design, but also information), obviously they have paid money on it, so are more likely are going to be a reputable company which is not going to disappear.

Its not only the young that do it, its also the professional types that dont have time in the evening, and do it at lunch at work or the older generation (like my mum) she uses the internet more than i do!

I wont pay for advertising online anymore like Yell.com, as my website can be found easily via a window cleaning search via google, which is how most get to see my webpage. The rest come by it via one of my flyers.

[Roy Harding]

The thing is I get loads of work, just yesterday £85 of new work done. And have just posted a quotation off to another large business.

Also last year turned down a job who were begging me to do it, and offered it to Ian Giles, probably a week’s work. I think the size put Ian off.

And had chance of one job 17k also, but turned it away, as we have so much work.

Having missed two days this week we have a big backload of work outstanding.

So I feel my profile is out there and high.

Roy

 

[DaveG]

I think in your case Roy you dont need one (unless you want to set up online payments)

I would say most people have a website as another means of advertising ....i personally am setting up a website at the moment to try and drum up some more work( by having it sign written on my van).

I too have put adverts around the place, to limited success, but a website is a great way of getting your name accross to the "masses"!!

But in your case you are already established 

[Ian Lancaster]

I would say that websites are a good way of getting your image 'out there', but even though we are top of Google in our area, we get very few direct enquiries from the website.  I know people look on our site because I use StatCounter and check most days - even allowing for the hits via CIU we still get about 100- 150 a week but I think people prefer to browse, then phone afterwards and when you ask 'how did you hear of us?' they say 'Yellow Pages' or 'saw your vans' etc.

[Roy Harding]

I think in your case Roy you dont need one (unless you want to set up online payments)


But in your case you are already established 

This is how I feel.

I would say that websites are a good way of getting your image 'out there', but even though we are top of Google in our area, we get very few direct enquiries from the website. I know people look on our site because I use StatCounter and check most days - even allowing for the hits via CIU we still get about 100- 150 a week but I think people prefer to browse, then phone afterwards and when you ask 'how did you hear of us?' they say 'Yellow Pages' or 'saw your vans' etc.

Ian do you take on line payments? and is there a charge for it.

Roy

[Ian Lancaster]

Roy,

I haven't got round to providing a facility via my site, but I looked into it and it seems the cost could be something like 1.5% of the sum paid.  I just ask custies if they would like to pay over the internet, and supply them with the bank account number and sort code, and before anyone starts shouting about security, every time you write a cheque it's got that information on it, so it's not exactly secret :

[Roy Harding]

Hi Ian

I have several customers that pay me that way, even one who lives in Australia.

Thing is if cheques are going to be fazed out, we need another option, for customers who are out.

Roy

[Sir Squeaky]

Cheques are only being phased out in shops.
They're still going to be around for things like this, as they're important for postal payments.

Not everyone's got internet access, or is prepared to pay over it either.

[matt]

The thing is I get loads of work, just yesterday £85 of new work done. And have just posted a quotation off to another large business.

Also last year turned down a job who were begging me to do it, and offered it to Ian Giles, probably a week’s work. I think the size put Ian off.

And had chance of one job 17k also, but turned it away, as we have so much work.

Having missed two days this week we have a big backload of work outstanding.

So I feel my profile is out there and high.

Roy

 

roy you really have no need for a website then, it will only bring you in random work

if its not broke etc etc

[Roy Harding]

The thing is I get loads of work, just yesterday £85 of new work done. And have just posted a quotation off to another large business.

Also last year turned down a job who were begging me to do it, and offered it to Ian Giles, probably a week’s work. I think the size put Ian off.

And had chance of one job 17k also, but turned it away, as we have so much work.

Having missed two days this week we have a big backload of work outstanding.

So I feel my profile is out there and high.

Roy

 

roy you really have no need for a website then, it will only bring you in random work

if its not broke etc etc

Matt

You are right, but every now and then, I think should I have one. Then the more I think of it, I just cant see it benefiting me.

If I was starting out, I would have one straight away. And as every one says get your profile out there.

Roy

[windowwashers]

Roy,

I haven't got round to providing a facility via my site, but I looked into it and it seems the cost could be something like 1.5% of the sum paid.  I just ask custies if they would like to pay over the internet, and supply them with the bank account number and sort code, and before anyone starts shouting about security, every time you write a cheque it's got that information on it, so it's not exactly secret :

I do the same Ian, now if there is a way I could intergrate that into my customers software that would be even better, more and more custoimers are paying online now, which is good it's quick charged less and dont have to wate time going to bank which is another plus point.

[windowwashers]

The thing is I get loads of work, just yesterday £85 of new work done. And have just posted a quotation off to another large business.

Also last year turned down a job who were begging me to do it, and offered it to Ian Giles, probably a week’s work. I think the size put Ian off.

And had chance of one job 17k also, but turned it away, as we have so much work.

Having missed two days this week we have a big backload of work outstanding.

So I feel my profile is out there and high.

Roy

 

roy you really have no need for a website then, it will only bring you in random work

if its not broke etc etc

Matt

You are right, but every now and then, I think should I have one. Then the more I think of it, I just cant see it benefiting me.

If I was starting out, I would have one straight away. And as every one says get your profile out there.

Roy

Thats a little like IBM saying the Internet was not going to work, long standing company that nearly went bust because they got it so wrong. (I know it is not the same but hopefully you see the point I am making.

You say your busy which is great, are you not looking for more work ?

[Sir Squeaky]

Roy really doesn't need it Ian.

Bill Gates, Sultan of Brunei, Roman Abramhovic, Roy Harding. Get the picture?

[Roy Harding]

Ian

I dont need the work, but allways take on better paying jobs. As you never know when someone will move or die etc.

We are at present working pretty much to our absolute limit, at present running £830 behind.

Dont get me wrong, I think the web has grate advantages and I use it all the time.

I paid for a full add with spick and span for ages not one job.

Roy

[Roy Harding]

Roy really doesn't need it Ian.

Bill Gates, Sultan of Brunei, Roman Abramhovic, Roy Harding. Get the picture?

Its you Chepstow boys coming up the road thats the problem 

Roy

[windowwashers]

Ian

I dont need the work, but allways take on better paying jobs. As you never know when someone will move or die etc.

We are at present working pretty much to our absolute limit, at present running £830 behind.

Dont get me wrong, I think the web as grate advantages and I use it all the time.

I paid for a full add with spick and span for ages not one job.

Roy

sounds odd, I get jobs from mine as do others round the country, i dont know about the spick and span nor will I comment, im on there free but thats it.

I pick and choose from my website what jobs I take on and which I pass on to others round my way, if you only want high end work then just aim at that, is what I would say.

[Tosh]

[Its you Chepstow boys coming up the road thats the problem 

Roy

I'm trying my best.