[groundhog]

I've always said I didn't need a website, but I recently changd my mind when I discovered that another window cleaner locally to me had used my business name and set up his own website. Therefore anyone looking for me on the internet gets his website and he gets the business that should have been mine!! 

What is the best way to set up a website, I have no knowledge on this at all and am a complete technophobe!! I tried to set up one with vistaprint, which is ok.. but I can't seem to find it at all with a google search! where as my competitors site appears in the top 3 of any local search for a window cleaner?    Would I be better off getting yell.com to make me a website or is there a better way to do it? 

Thankyou 

[MJHolmes]

I can help you mate tell me where you are and i can talk you through it

Matt

[MJHolmes]

The best way is design it your self and keep away from these free ones there limited to what you can do.

[H S and Son]

Groundhog if you havent a clue and your competition is a prime concern of yours Id pay someone like Nat to do it for you. Creating websites is easy and getting traffic to them is also easy and fending off competition isnt too hard but only if you know what you are doing.

[AJ]

Dont get yell to build it. They done our first site, what a c**k up.
I recently bought Serif webplus x4 and would recommend it to anyone. It costs £50 ish and with a bit of messing around can build a really good site.
Its basically drag n drop with site based seo built in. Take a look at our site, I built it with x4 in about two weeks from getting it.

[VSP Home Care]

Good advice there, get someone to do it all for you, especially if they are also on this site.  I'm not sure if your bothered but if you have a company name and have been trading as such legally for a period longer than this other person in the same area, then there maybe action you can take against him or at least request that he changes his company name.

If I was called John Microsoft and wanted to setup a software company called Microsoft and advertise it on the web you can imagine the problem    Clearly I would be taking the p 

Has this other person done exactly that to you?

[groundhog]

Good advice there, get someone to do it all for you, especially if they are also on this site.  I'm not sure if your bothered but if you have a company name and have been trading as such legally for a period longer than this other person in the same area, then there maybe action you can take against him or at least request that he changes his company name.

If I was called John Microsoft and wanted to setup a software company called Microsoft and advertise it on the web you can imagine the problem    Clearly I would be taking the p 

Has this other person done exactly that to you?

I don't think there is much I can do as I am just a sole trader and not a LTD company, and he hasn't called his business exactly the same as mine.. he has ended his with 'Window Cleaners' and mine ends Window Cleaning' I had noticed that my phone wasn't ringing very often for new business which I blamed on the recession, then a customer told me that she had recommended me to a friend and then found out that her friend looked me up on the internet and phoned this other guy thinking he was me!!!!!!    Thats why I have decided I now need a website to stop this from happening too often.

[groundhog]

I can help you mate tell me where you are and i can talk you through it

Matt

Thanks for the offer Matt, how much would it cost me to set up a good website?

[MJHolmes]

Ground Hog,,,,,,,,,Do you want me to design you one i did mine, and with no help.....im in the middle of re designing it now as the one i designed was quick just to get a presence i get 80% of my customers through my site as thats where people shop most of the time even for a window cleaner. look at it now and then come back in a weeks time and youll see the difference......its easy. I will help you if you want to.......

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

This may sound out of order.
A website will bring you more work BUT your first job is to sort out the 'problem' window cleaner using your business name to his advantage.
He obviously does a sh.. job and is losing customers and using your name to repace the lost ones.
I know before you all start, anyone can call themselves whatever they want but this sounds underhanded.
Where are you from groundhog?

[paul middleton]

Have a look at http://www.squarespace.com/tour/

[groundhog]

This may sound out of order.
A website will bring you more work BUT your first job is to sort out the 'problem' window cleaner using your business name to his advantage.
He obviously does a sh.. job and is losing customers and using your name to repace the lost ones.
I know before you all start, anyone can call themselves whatever they want but this sounds underhanded.
Where are you from groundhog?

Your right he has taken advantage of my good name to help build up his business, its well out of order in my opinion. But I don't really want to get involved in brawl with this guy, I want to try to get my own back in a more clever way, thats why I want to get myself a website that will attract customers back to me and away from his website. I also have a few other tricks up my sleeve, like offering any of his customers 3 Months free cleaning if they switch to my service, and I don't do anything for free normally but it would be worth it to get back some of my customers which he has stolen!! I just have to find out where these customers are, shouldn't be too difficult as I already have the address of one. I haven't met the guy yet, but I know what he looks like, and although I will try to rise above it I'm sure I won't be able to resist having a few words with him if I see him around!!

[groundhog]

Ground Hog,,,,,,,,,Do you want me to design you one i did mine, and with no help.....im in the middle of re designing it now as the one i designed was quick just to get a presence i get 80% of my customers through my site as thats where people shop most of the time even for a window cleaner. look at it now and then come back in a weeks time and youll see the difference......its easy. I will help you if you want to.......

Thanks for the offer of help, how do you get your website better presence? I've been trying and trying to get my cheapo site from vistaprint to be noticed, but even if I type in my business name on google it still dosn't come up in the search results!! 

I would definately be interested in getting some help!! Thanks 

[groundhog]

Dont get yell to build it. They done our first site, what a c**k up.
I recently bought Serif webplus x4 and would recommend it to anyone. It costs £50 ish and with a bit of messing around can build a really good site.
Its basically drag n drop with site based seo built in. Take a look at our site, I built it with x4 in about two weeks from getting it.

Thanks AJ your website looks great, I'm tempted to give the serif webplus a go. Is your site easy to find on google?

[groundhog]

Have a look at http://www.squarespace.com/tour/

Thanks Paul, it looks good.. have you used squarespace yourself?

[groundhog]

Groundhog if you havent a clue and your competition is a prime concern of yours Id pay someone like Nat to do it for you. Creating websites is easy and getting traffic to them is also easy and fending off competition isnt too hard but only if you know what you are doing.

Thats the problem, I don't know what I'm doing!! I think it would be well worth paying someone to do a good job, who is Nat?

[dazmond]

people like that need a good kicking!!cheeky barsteward!!!i thought about a website a few months ago and even designed my own and was faffing about the design etc etc.in the end i decided not to bother.

i have a sign written van/logo d uniform,business cards/leaflets etc and im well known and established in my area.

im starting to pick up more fascia/soffit/conny roof cleaning add ons as they are on my calling cards and van.mainly off existing customers.i dont need a website!!

if people want my services my customers pass my number on to them and they phone me!!(old fashioned i know!!!)works for me.

[bobby p]

register yourself on all the free sites such as FREEINDEX,QYPE, TOUCHLOCAL,yell etc and add your website in there and you will rise up all over the place

but i agree with the others ,go get that copycat guy first somehow.

[paul middleton]

Have a look at http://www.squarespace.com/tour/

Thanks Paul, it looks good.. have you used squarespace yourself?

No not yet but i will when i have time. As you get a free try and you have nothing to lose

[H S and Son]

Groundhog if you havent a clue and your competition is a prime concern of yours Id pay someone like Nat to do it for you. Creating websites is easy and getting traffic to them is also easy and fending off competition isnt too hard but only if you know what you are doing.

Thats the problem, I don't know what I'm doing!! I think it would be well worth paying someone to do a good job, who is Nat?

Nathanel Jones on here.

His website is here

http://www.avondhucleaning.com/