Everything you'll need to know is included in their knowledge base.
Do you have a web developing program like FrontPage or anything? Don't worry if you don't...FTP is in the package.
I'll be glad to help.
If you do go with Host Department, please mention me as referring you (I'll email you the info if you choose this option.) as I will get a free month or something. TY.
That hosting site that Cools showed you sounds like a good deal for the money. For one thing, they aren't hosting their servers in some other country, but in the U.S.A. (Gotta watch out for that. I myself, got burned by a company a few years back who had their servers, and their corporate locale, in Costa Rica, and their tech support **sucked**! Raf got burned by them also, if I recall).
I have a web design business that I've been doing for the past 4-5 years. Here is my website: GAP Studio, and I can help you out on the frontend design and graphics work, including plugging in the video feeds/links as needed. I can also put in the keywords into the pages that the web spiders that Google and other search engines use to search for.
Check out my work and clients, and let me know what you think, and I think you can get a good website up and running. :)
I'll check it out. I am spending 2500.00 a year on advertizing. I want to cut that down substancially. I have been surveying my customer base ..asking them..how they get their service needs met and most said they look on the net first. Cost is a big factor. Make me smile Garth..how much savings?
I'll check it out. I am spending 2500.00 a year on advertizing. I want to cut that down substancially. I have been surveying my customer base ..asking them..how they get their service needs met and most said they look on the net first. Cost is a big factor. Make me smile Garth..how much savings?
Hills,
If your looking for basically what they call a 'brochure site', which is a site that gives information about your business, shows pics/illustrations of your products/services, response/ask for more information form page(s), contact info, stuff like that, depending on the number of pages made, I could do something like that for anywhere from $500 on up. A bit more if we use Flash animations/designs in the site. And we can negotiate and haggle the price, depending on what needs to be done. :)
Basically you provide me with the information/description of your company, your logo (I can design the logo for you if you wish for an extra $120 - $300 thereabouts, depending on complexity), product/service item details, and anything else that is needed to let folks know about your business. I then arrange the whole info onto an informative and professional looking website. And one thing about me, I try to make it looking as professional as I can (ie., no beginner looking pages where the loud colors clash, any broken links, blinking text, and where it looks like its straight out of the mid 90s. I mean, this _is_ my professional reputation we're talking about here, as well as _your_ business site. ) I then set up the keywords to be quite descriptive for the Google/Yahoo/other web crawlers and search bots and upload it. Plus I work with my clients so that they can see the stages of the work in progress, so that they get what they want.
Sound good so far? :)
P.S., Didn't you say that you were in the drywall/construction business?
Is a Web Site a Useful Advertising tool? I want to increase my residential account base. Are there key words or expressions that will get an interested prospect to my site? There are 126 Carpet Cleaners in Rochester. Not all have websites. Companies like Stanley Steamer. Coit, Servicemaster have them so how can I make sure that when someone out there in cyberspace wants carpet cleaning done or air ducts cleaned they will end up at my site?
the first person to say..JUST BELIEVE BIG !! I'll suck your hair off your head :unsure:
But seriously, keywords are one way of making your site more detectable and categorizeable to search engine web spiders. The text in your site will also be searchable by the spiders. Registering with as many search engines as possible helps to increase the search hits too.
Now this is from what I know about search engines and the like, tho' there are those who know a lot more than I do, and they can get it down to a science. Of course, they charge for their services as well.
Domain name is key, imo. For example, if your domain name is getsteamed.com, well who is gonna know what you're talking about? Type that into a search engine and it's like 2 million hits. :blink: Or if it's hillsbrocleaning.com, well that's kinda obvious...people are going to find the coffee makers. Or if it's carpetcleaning.com, that's a bit better, but you will be doing your competition more good than yourself.
Maybe something like rochestercarpetsandfloors.com. Something to make it automatically the first thing your target market customers think of...and make it simple for them...don't ever make customers think...'cause the first thing they think of is what they've heard on TV or the radio or seen in the paper or on billboards.
Next most important, imo, is to get your site listed with your local websites that advertise for local businesses. Like on the Chamber of Commerce's site. Or your city's site. Or a local web directory site.
Next would be to pay the money to have your web address listed with your telephone directory listing...both white pages and yellow pages.
Next, blanket your city with fliers pointing people to your web site. This is a cheap, cheap, cheap way to advertise...and has repeatedly been proven to be the most effective form of advertisement for small businesses. Nothing fancy, mind you. People get turned off by brochure type of advertising. Also, put some money into refrigerator magnets. People use these more than any other piece of advertising. It literally puts your business in their minds 24/7...and makes your business the easiest to find when they need what you have to offer.
Now you're gonna have to be ready for the onslaught when it hits.
The very most successful web sites that customers come to every time are the sites that have the ability to communicate quickly with the business, see all prices, print off coupons, make/change/cancel appointments on site, and pay on site.
Your web site should not just be an advertisement. It should be a satellite office of your business...where the customer service and available actions are just as good if not better than dealing with you face-to-face.
Reaching the electronic customer must include this aspect in your web site. It's not difficult to do at all, and is so convenient for both you and your customer that many people who go this route often end up not needing to do much of anything else because the word of mouth moves so swiftly. So long as your site is always customer oriented and services are always available.
Post hours of availability just as if this were an actual storefront. Make sure your cell phones are set to retrieve your emails. Set your email forms so that customers must leave a contact phone number. Whatever you need to do to make sure your customers are always in touch with you during business hours, this will make your web site stand out like no other.
Also, if you can hook up with a local charity and offer services for an auction fund-raiser or something, that makes your business THE business to turn to.
And lots of other little marketing gimmicks that really cost next to nothing compared to typical advertising avenues. These little gimmicks also make you stand out from the big guys.
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Sudo
Hills,
Just wait bro.. several people here are actually in the business, I believe. Garth comes to mind.
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CoolWaters
Best place for hosting imo: https://www.hostdepartment.com
Everything you'll need to know is included in their knowledge base.
Do you have a web developing program like FrontPage or anything? Don't worry if you don't...FTP is in the package.
I'll be glad to help.
If you do go with Host Department, please mention me as referring you (I'll email you the info if you choose this option.) as I will get a free month or something. TY.
Edited by CoolWatersLink to comment
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GarthP2000
Hillmeister,
That hosting site that Cools showed you sounds like a good deal for the money. For one thing, they aren't hosting their servers in some other country, but in the U.S.A. (Gotta watch out for that. I myself, got burned by a company a few years back who had their servers, and their corporate locale, in Costa Rica, and their tech support **sucked**! Raf got burned by them also, if I recall).
I have a web design business that I've been doing for the past 4-5 years. Here is my website: GAP Studio, and I can help you out on the frontend design and graphics work, including plugging in the video feeds/links as needed. I can also put in the keywords into the pages that the web spiders that Google and other search engines use to search for.
Check out my work and clients, and let me know what you think, and I think you can get a good website up and running. :)
Edited by GarthP2000Link to comment
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Hills Bro
Garth,
I'll check it out. I am spending 2500.00 a year on advertizing. I want to cut that down substancially. I have been surveying my customer base ..asking them..how they get their service needs met and most said they look on the net first. Cost is a big factor. Make me smile Garth..how much savings?
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watersedge
i have ms front page with my windows xp
maybe i could help
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GarthP2000
Hills,
If your looking for basically what they call a 'brochure site', which is a site that gives information about your business, shows pics/illustrations of your products/services, response/ask for more information form page(s), contact info, stuff like that, depending on the number of pages made, I could do something like that for anywhere from $500 on up. A bit more if we use Flash animations/designs in the site. And we can negotiate and haggle the price, depending on what needs to be done. :)
Basically you provide me with the information/description of your company, your logo (I can design the logo for you if you wish for an extra $120 - $300 thereabouts, depending on complexity), product/service item details, and anything else that is needed to let folks know about your business. I then arrange the whole info onto an informative and professional looking website. And one thing about me, I try to make it looking as professional as I can (ie., no beginner looking pages where the loud colors clash, any broken links, blinking text, and where it looks like its straight out of the mid 90s.
I mean, this _is_ my professional reputation we're talking about here, as well as _your_ business site. 
) I then set up the keywords to be quite descriptive for the Google/Yahoo/other web crawlers and search bots and upload it. Plus I work with my clients so that they can see the stages of the work in progress, so that they get what they want.
Sound good so far? :)
P.S., Didn't you say that you were in the drywall/construction business?
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excathedra
no can do
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moony3424
Garth
Just looked at your website. When did you move back to Huntsville? Looks like you were just a stone's throw away from where I used to work.
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Hills Bro
"drywall/construction business?"
________________
I'm Floored
hint: RUGSUCKER <_<
This isn't my exact van but a picture of one that looks just like it.
Commercial Carpet and Furniture Cleaning also Air Duct Cleaning
Garth, I'll hook up with you later...Monday or Tuesday...sounds good to me.
Thanks for your help. Just rememeber..I'm not a hammer an nail guy
realclean1@rochester.rr.com
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excathedra
we suck
;)
oh you asked for a web page not a slogan
sowwy
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dmiller
Rug-munchers!! :blink:
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GarthP2000
"We are Shagalistic with your shag rug, Bay-bee! Oh Y-e-a-h!"
((Looks like I better not quit my day job for coming up with jingles.
))
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Hills Bro
WANTED--- Your Opinion:
Is a Web Site a Useful Advertising tool? I want to increase my residential account base. Are there key words or expressions that will get an interested prospect to my site? There are 126 Carpet Cleaners in Rochester. Not all have websites. Companies like Stanley Steamer. Coit, Servicemaster have them so how can I make sure that when someone out there in cyberspace wants carpet cleaning done or air ducts cleaned they will end up at my site?
the first person to say..JUST BELIEVE BIG !! I'll suck your hair off your head :unsure:
Don't get Soaked Get Steamed !!! Hills
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GarthP2000
Just believe bi---errr, uhh, I mean, .... :D
But seriously, keywords are one way of making your site more detectable and categorizeable to search engine web spiders. The text in your site will also be searchable by the spiders. Registering with as many search engines as possible helps to increase the search hits too.
Now this is from what I know about search engines and the like, tho' there are those who know a lot more than I do, and they can get it down to a science. Of course, they charge for their services as well.
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CoolWaters
Domain name is key, imo. For example, if your domain name is getsteamed.com, well who is gonna know what you're talking about? Type that into a search engine and it's like 2 million hits. :blink: Or if it's hillsbrocleaning.com, well that's kinda obvious...people are going to find the coffee makers. Or if it's carpetcleaning.com, that's a bit better, but you will be doing your competition more good than yourself.
Maybe something like rochestercarpetsandfloors.com. Something to make it automatically the first thing your target market customers think of...and make it simple for them...don't ever make customers think...'cause the first thing they think of is what they've heard on TV or the radio or seen in the paper or on billboards.
Next most important, imo, is to get your site listed with your local websites that advertise for local businesses. Like on the Chamber of Commerce's site. Or your city's site. Or a local web directory site.
Next would be to pay the money to have your web address listed with your telephone directory listing...both white pages and yellow pages.
Next, blanket your city with fliers pointing people to your web site. This is a cheap, cheap, cheap way to advertise...and has repeatedly been proven to be the most effective form of advertisement for small businesses. Nothing fancy, mind you. People get turned off by brochure type of advertising. Also, put some money into refrigerator magnets. People use these more than any other piece of advertising. It literally puts your business in their minds 24/7...and makes your business the easiest to find when they need what you have to offer.
Now you're gonna have to be ready for the onslaught when it hits.
The very most successful web sites that customers come to every time are the sites that have the ability to communicate quickly with the business, see all prices, print off coupons, make/change/cancel appointments on site, and pay on site.
Your web site should not just be an advertisement. It should be a satellite office of your business...where the customer service and available actions are just as good if not better than dealing with you face-to-face.
Reaching the electronic customer must include this aspect in your web site. It's not difficult to do at all, and is so convenient for both you and your customer that many people who go this route often end up not needing to do much of anything else because the word of mouth moves so swiftly. So long as your site is always customer oriented and services are always available.
Post hours of availability just as if this were an actual storefront. Make sure your cell phones are set to retrieve your emails. Set your email forms so that customers must leave a contact phone number. Whatever you need to do to make sure your customers are always in touch with you during business hours, this will make your web site stand out like no other.
Also, if you can hook up with a local charity and offer services for an auction fund-raiser or something, that makes your business THE business to turn to.
And lots of other little marketing gimmicks that really cost next to nothing compared to typical advertising avenues. These little gimmicks also make you stand out from the big guys.
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CoolWaters
PS Make sure any fliers or other form of advertisements have coupons attached. People LOVE coupons...especially if they are for discounted services.
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pawtucket
google ads. When a search is done for carpet cleaners, your ad shows up on the right hand.
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