Web developer here. Let me give some of my own "pro" advice back to the community
.
I've taken a look at the free e-guide [edit: I haven't read the guide, I've read the site which
sells the e-guide] and you would be probably better off ignoring its advice. It's complicated and better for someone with tangible goods to sell. Plus good IT skills. (and I think it's a bit spammy to link to your own paid for content here...)
Here are your options.
1. Pay a pro (isn't that what everyone 'round here recommends?
)
A basic site usually start around £250/500, then into the £1000s as you get more complicated. Start by looking for a local designer whose work you like. You may be able to get a logo done and a 3/4/5/ page website for a few hundred pounds. Ignore anyone who harps on about SEO and website marketing.
If you get a designer/developer who know their stuff you don't need to read further. Your business will look good and attract more customers.
It's also pointless to commission a site and then not do anything with it. If you were paying someone to market your business then you would push them, so do the same with your website i.e. mention it to everyone (a plasterer rang me earlier and did just this).
2. DIY
Like myself with my new house, you can do it yourself. If you know your limitations and what's available, then a DIY site can be a good choice. However, it's difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, and you could end up with a monstrosity. Plus you don't want to spend a month in front of a computer with a mess to show for it in the end.
There are loads (and I mean *loads*) of open source software projects to choose from which can give you an excellent site with loads of features etc; but, like me when presented with a blowtorch and some pipes, if you don't know what to do with them they're useless.
And notice I used 'web developer' in my opening sentence. I'm not much of a designer, and don't have 3 years of graphic design training + relevant experience to sell myself as such. I develop websites, and let the pros decide how they look.
3. Middle ground.
If you want a good online presence without spending, here's what I think.
Example: I've been looking for architects locally. I had many sites which would tell me their qualifications and vision for a better looking world, but all I wanted to do was look at pictures of their work to show the wife.
I/my OH is the kind of person you want to target. Yes, you may be working since the early 80s and learnt many trades, but if I/OH can't see what kind of work you do, it's going to waste.
So, start now by taking pictures of what you're doing each day, preferably before and after. Ask permission from the customer, just mention that they're for marketing purposes. Google some photography tutorials to get some quality in these shots. The after photos *have* to look better than the before ones
.
Go to wordpress.com and sign up for a free site. Wordpress is a hugely popular website software that lets you publish content easily and with little technical knowledge. Wordpress is primarily for blogs, but like a swiss army knife it can be used to power all kinds of sites. 10downingst.gov used to run on Wordpress (I think the tories rebuilt it though, shame).
After signing up, you need to create an About Me/Us Page. Pages are different from Posts in the wordpress world. If you're a one man band, don't try and bullshit with We and Us. Tell it like it is and get someone to take a nice pic of you in front of your van (or anything with your name contact details). People like seeing a person, and fell they can trust them much more if they've got a clean shaven and smiling gent looking at them as opposed to a two colour yellow pages ad. Put some of you history here and contact details. If you put your email, make sure you check it daily (I recommend google mail, easy to check on many mobiles). If you don't check your email daily, don't put it there.
Next, delete the Hello, World! post and write your own. Posts are like news. A wordpress site will alway show the most recent post automatically. If you haven't taken any pictures, then put something like 'welcome to my/our new site' etc, otherwise dive straight in and describe the job you worked on and post the before photos and then the after photos. Detail the work that you did, and how long it took, and the locality. A quote here by the customer would be good (and don't use "Mr P. of Tunbridge Wells". Use an initial with a full surname, it just looks fake otherwise).
Repeat everytime you've finished a job. Soon you'll have a portfolio of work online and slowly being indexed by google. If you mention your locality often enough, you'll start to score higher on google for "plumber in east cheam" etc (that's all SEO is, by the way, don't pay anyone £50/hr to tell you that).
The point here is that if/when someone finds your site, it's more than just a name and phone number. Customers will have a face to the name, and pictures of the work that's been completed (and people love noseing at other people's houses). If they like what they see it's more likely that they'll call you.
You can take this further by posting when you start a new job, or when you've solved a particularly unique problem. It all adds up to boost your google ranking, and to the housewife looking for someone to install a new bathroom you sound like an expert. It all depends on your time and how easy you find it all.
Wordpress is used by so many people you won't be the first to have problems, so you can google "how do I do * with wordpress" any time to find an answer.
You could leave it here, or take it further with social media i.e. Facebook & twitter.
If you already have a Fb accoutn then this will be a natural extension of your use of the site. If not, then you may need to push yourself to do this.
Bearing in mind that word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing, you can utilize Fb to do this for you, and you can actually see it happening.
First of all you need to create a Fb page. This is beyond the scope of this guide so
here you go. Get your OH, friends and family to 'Like' you on Fb. This will get the ball rolling, as it will appear in their Fb feeds, and their networks will see it.
When you're taking photos, mention to the customer that you're on Facebook and want to post the pictures there. Gauge their reaction. If it's good, then when you finish the job and have posted it on you Wordpress blog post a link on your page (you can actually switch from 'you' to use Fb as 'your page') and then share that link with them on Fb. Sharing this will get your business in the news stream of your customer's friends on FB. If you're lucky, he/she may even Like your link and perhaps comment on it. All of this creates a bigger buzz and gets your name out there.
This is just a short intro into Social Media Marketing, but if you already use them the I'm sure you can see where this can go. Personally, I'd try this with female customers, who're usually busier on Fb than the blokes. I know that If my wife saw, e.g. a nice before/after bathroom pic on her freind's FB that she would want that tradesman to do ours.
If you work with other contractors, don't forget to include them. It all looks good and creates a positive image.
Google can help you if you want to
go down this route further.
Phew!
So there's my intro to online marketing. I didn't intend to type for 20 minutes but I've had quite a bit out of this site, so it's nice to give back.
Questions are welcome.
steve
