Boiler and central heating blog

[bengasman]

Have you ever read or followed a boiler and central heating blog?
If so, what are the specifice subjects you would be interested in? I have already covered all the options that I have on how to get free boiler repairs and/or free boiler installations.
It isn't always easy to figure out what people that are not engineers are looking to find out.
You can either post a subject you would like to see covered here, or click the email button on my website. If you find a subject in the blog section that you think can do with more info, you can also leave a comment there.

 

[arfurrrr]

I have a blog http://plumberleeds.blogspot.com/ , it is aimed at the end user . I`m not sure what the are after so i`m interested too .

 

[bengasman]

I have a blog....

What does hijacking mean?

 

[bengasman]

I have a blog....

What does hijacking mean?

Here is the original blog . . . Origninal Blog

 

[moggridgeplumbing]

Hi Ben,

I would love to know also what others want to know, as I'm sure my blog is only read by me

I'll read your blog.

 

[bengasman]

I would love to know also what others want to know, as I'm sure my blog is only read by me

I'm afraid you are probably right about the amount of people reading your blog. I looked at your homepage 3 times, and I can't find it.
I know I still need to adjust several pages, but my blog link is on most of my pages now and certainly on the homepage.
Where is yours?

 

[dcawkwell]

I would love to know also what others want to know, as I'm sure my blog is only read by me

I'm afraid you are probably right about the amount of people reading your blog. I looked at your homepage 3 times, and I can't find it.
I know I still need to adjust several pages, but my blog link is on most of my pages now and certainly on the homepage.
Where is yours?

If you place a small script on your homepage see www.gostats.com
You can trace the number of people visiting your website.
You will quickly decide websites are a waste of time for the plumber.
Fine put up a few pictures and details of your work and what you do.
But no-one will go there. I advertise quite a bit in the papers and people
don't even go to the website first before ringing. A few yes but very much in the minority.

 

[bengasman]

...You will quickly decide websites are a waste of time for the plumber....

I'd beg to differ. It is like advertising though: you need to offer something that is attractive to a particular type of buyer. The problem with most websites is that they offer anything and everything to do with gas, plumbing, and heating to anybody and everywhere, without standing out from the crowd with anything. No helpful information, not the best price in town, or the longest warranty, or the quietest boiler, or the prettiest fire.
If your website essentially says: "I am exactly the same as every other of the 500 plumbers in driving distance", people have no reason to call you.

 

[Agile]

The only people interested in plumbing and heating are plumbers and heating engineers!

The rest of the population are interested in soaps, football, X-Factor etc!

 

[moggridgeplumbing]

I have two blog sites. One under http://moggridgeplumbing.blogspot.com and one under wordpress.com - totally separate from my website. I keep them going for the linking back to my website, but they don't receive the traffic in comparison.


On my website I do have a link to my blog site, but not on every page. On average my website receives 10-20 views per day.

Blog site (and website) with video is the forward - if you can stop cringing at yourself.

I agree all websites are similar with the same info. What we all need to do is find our own 'unique selling point' and niche to rise above other sites. Still trying and testing.

 

[DeltaT2]

Nice one Ben, I look forward to reading your Blog when I get time.

 

[SamBerma]

Take a look at <a href="http://www.bermaxbvba.be">Bermaxbvb</a>

 

[SamBerma]

Take a look at http://www.bermaxbvba.be

 

[MJN]

[Edit: Apologies, it would appear that this oldish thread was brought to the top of the forum through a spam post from SamBerma so I didn't spot that the conversation had ceased. Given I've written it I'll keep my post anyway in case it's of any interest.]

...You will quickly decide websites are a waste of time for the plumber....

I'd beg to differ. It is like advertising though: you need to offer something that is attractive to a particular type of buyer.

I completely agree. I've got what is essentially a random page on my random website giving an overview of what's involved changing a diverter valve/diaphragm on a Worcester 24CDi and it receives around 100 visitors a day (the stats are here - it's the /house/boiler/* references) and several e-mails a week from people with suspected diverter valve problems and in many cases asking if I'm local to them to do the job!

If I was a plumber I'd probably produce articles such as this (e.g. how to clear a blocked drain, thaw a condensate pipe, etc) on my site - yes in some cases they might mean lost business for me but there's plenty of such info out there anyway for the DIYer anyway. The difference with me providing it is that it is an opportunity for me to sell the 'soft' qualities that many look for such as trustworthiness, helpfulness, knowledge etc and hence lead to bringing in the more complicated/niche (and profitable) work. Indeed, in the case of the diverter valve article it could illustrate the potential horrors of the task and hence lead directly to someone bringing me in to do the job if it suited geographically. That said, I would be careful not to come across as too scaremongering or desperate for custom - be completely honest and it'd pay dividends in my view.

Incidentally, if nothing else the visitors to this single page leads to £10/month revenue thanks to the Google Adsense programme. Sure, this time next year Rodney we won't be millionaires but it's better than a poke in the eye!

Mathew