[ianharper]

Hi Guys

Well we are lucky today that our main marketing resource is the Internet.

Before we have had to ask what problems customers had to meet that demand. And that was only the prospects that we turned into customers. what about the ones that got away?

Our web stats page gives us the search terms that people have used to find our sites. normally we are not top on every search. or just lucky that our site has come up on the search results.

for example this month my top search term was "sour milk in carpets" god knows why my site came up but it did because my stats said so? anyway we can improve the position by writing an article on this term so next time we move up the results and improve our chance of terming this into a job.

Google and all search engines look for content that is the most relvent to the search term.

its our businesses job to meet peoples needs if we are to make it. these stats give us a much better chance than normal media.

 

Respectfully

Ian harper

[John Gregory]

You need to get out a bit more mate, How many of these : sour milk in carpets: Searchs did you convert to earning money. Customers use google just like Yell .com .   eg  carpet cleaner in Manchester

[Mike Halliday]

I agree with John someone will search carpet cleaner in '...........'

if they 'search sour milk in carpet' then all relevant pages will come up, but what if the searcher is in Scotland and you are in Wales how will this produce work for your company.

and if they search sour milk I would think they are looking for a DIY solution not a carpet cleaner.

Mike

[carpetguy]

I think you ar a bit ahead of yourself Ian and I have yet to find one person who searched the internet for carpet cleaning. I always ask . In a few years I'm sure things will change, but in spite of the negative posts recently on here about directories I think they still give the best return

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

I get 75% of my new work , excluding old customers, recco's etc, from the internet.

Lots of people search for carpet cleaners but if you do not have a web presence, then you are unlikely to be cleaning for these people.

I quoted for the sour milk lady, 80 Pounds to remove, haven't heard anything,  did you do it Ian ?

It's worth remembering that younger people are very adept at using search engines and older ones although slower to pick it up, are using the ineternet more and more.

It's a case of if your first search doesn't bring up useful answers then you adjust it.

e.g
Carpet Stain Removal......... a bit vague, so specify area, say Essex

Carpet Stain Removal Essex........more specific, but I'd like someone in my town

Carpet Stain Removal Southend........oh joy I've found www.1st4carpetcleaning.com  :

Cheers

Doug

[prodry]

I does make me laugh all those on here that say that that the internet doesn't work.. I get plenty of work from the internet. around 30%, this would be much higher if I didnt still rely on leaflets for 50% of my work.

Its like the old joke about the Jewish chap who prays to God every day, begging to win the lottery. God evetually gets feed up and tells him to meet him half way and buy a ticket.

You'r not going to get any work from the interent if you don't come up top on the search engines or your site is pants.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Doug do you quote over the internet or give them a telephone call?

How many enquiries do you get a week?

I got 3 last week, none the month before, and 50% leave no contact number, 1 enquiries said that they lived in a small terraced house and would like the lounge carpet cleaning approximately 8 metres by 8 metres!

Shaun

[ianharper]

guys

your web site stats give you the search term that people have used to find you.

believ it or not. your loss my friends.

we are in business to meet people needs, if that need is sour milk then thats it.

in fact, there where more hits on my site for that than "carpet cleaner basildon"

 All searches: All locations

Top search queries         Average top position
  1. clean offer         10
  2. cleaning in kent         8
  3. carpet cleaners essex         4
  4. carpet cleaning romford         10
  5. carpet essex         7
  6. microsplitters carpet cleaning         9
  7. carpet cleaning essex         3
  8. cleaners in kent         9
  9. "bone dry system"         17
10. ian harper         4
11. stain protection         4
12. "www carpet" right         7
13. carpet cleaning basildon         10
14. carpet cleaning network         3
15. essex carpet cleaning         4
16. cleaning offer         6
17. "air allergens"         7
18. harvey nickels         7
19. carpets kent         8
20. carpet offers         9

        
Top search query clicks         Average top position
  1. sour milk in carpets         14

there you go guys. The "average top position" is my sites position on the search page.

respectfully

Ian Harper

[Mike Halliday]

I do agree that the internet is the future, I was even going to start a thread about; 'anyone want to do me a website'

I want a carpetcleaner/website designer to do mine then they will have an idea of what I'm after.

any offers?

Mike

[ollie]

mike have you tried site wizard? you get a discount if you are NCCA. Apparently they do a lot of carpet cleaners sites.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Mike

Have a look at my website below , you may be interested if you do not want all the hassle of promoting your own site.

Cheers

Doug

[Mike Halliday]

Doug, more money than I want to spend,

all I want is a place to direct potential customers to find out further info on my company, I'll just put the web address on my leaflet & Van.

Mike

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Mike,

If you do not use the internet to direct customers to you then you waste it's potential.

I have switched most of my YP advertising to the internet.

Cheers

Doug

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Douglas are you avoiing my question?

Shaun

[Art]

Doug, more money than I want to spend,

all I want is a place to direct potential customers to find out further info on my company, I'll just put the web address on my leaflet & Van.

Mike

Mike, get a copy of serif webplus 10, it's around £30 off ebay. It's dead simple to build your own and then when you want to make changes you don't have to wait for a 3rd party to do them for you.

Arthur

[Robert Watson]

Hi Guys,

Arthur, you're right in a way. If Mike just wants to direct customers to his site form his van, etc and has a good eye for design. Yeah.
When you start getting into SEO (search engine optimization) it's a whole new ball game. There is so much to learn, unless that's your thing.
Pay someone to do it for you.

Some people spend time to save money. Other people spend money to save time.

Rab.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I think Dave Liohona uses his website like Mike wants to, just driving them to it for an infomercial.

Shaun

[lands]

Doug, more money than I want to spend,

all I want is a place to direct potential customers to find out further info on my company, I'll just put the web address on my leaflet & Van.

Mike

Mike, why don't you just look at few sites down south and copy (with permission). You might like mine you might like Neil's (Granger) can't speak for who would mind but I would'nt because your territory does'nt come close to me so what have I got to lose other than making another CC look slighlty more Pro which is a common goal that we should all look to.
Pete

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Shaun,

No I'm not avoiding your question.

I gets lots of enquiries via the internet which among other things has allowed me to be much more selective in terms of the type of work I take on.

The internet has changed my business, I now travel further but do higher priced jobs allowing me to get TM rates with a portable.

Of course there are strange enquiries but we all get these via YP etc but ,in general the internet enquiries are better than any others apart from recco's and old custy's.

I was very much a leaflet man , probably over 2 million but am now an internet man

I have said for several years the internet is the way to go and have put my money where my mouth is.

Like anything it takes time , effort and understanding.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Doug

[David_Annable]

Hi

Wasn't Mark Roberts UK offering to do websites ?

It was a while ago but worth a try.

Dave

PS How many of these website hits are CC ?