post your web link

[steve g]

I am needing to have a website built and frankly with all the options I don't have a clue what to do, mainly I want one for my water damage business. I am getting a pretty wide range in prices

1) post your link

2) if you don't mind me asking what did you pay for the site, PM me if you don't wanna say in public

3) how much has search engine optimization helped you.

4) any other ideas or suggestions are more than welcomed

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I am needing to have a website built and frankly with all the options I don't have a clue what to do, mainly I want one for my water damage business. I am getting a pretty wide range in prices

1) post your link

2) if you don't mind me asking what did you pay for the site, PM me if you don't wanna say in public

3) how much has search engine optimization helped you.

4) any other ideas or suggestions are more than welcomed

www.nwgogreenservices.com

I didnt set up the site, I think it was $50 a year for it. My web designer fell through because she left her husband and her life is a train wreck now. But the website is the future for a business so you should make that your big priority. When I look for a business I always go online and look.

You can post your biz in all the free listings online and I went to the local library and got a couple of books on SEO and other tips on getting good placement. I should have that more put together when I get my Mac computer next week.

If you want to DIY, there are some places that will range from $5 bucks to thousands. You can google the top ten DIY website builder, I believe yahoo was the top rated, plus they do SEO for you. I just watched a program about Google Ads and the pay as you click seems to be very popular. Google does give you the best results and Yahoo search engine is a JOKE IMO..

If you DIY just keep in mind who your target market it and simplicity is the key to a successful website. And also colors scheme play a hugh factor in overall appeal to women.

Majority of my work comes from referrals and little from the website, but you ar crazy if your business doesnt have its own website in this day and age.

 

[dgargan]

http://www.knoxclean.com

 

[-JB-]

no

 

[Newman]

Check out the board sponsors, Andrechelle. Good price, service and SEO. They built my site based on my printed materials I sent them.

http://www.normscarpetcleaning.com/

 

[Brad_Smith]

http://www.ultracarpetcare.com
A simple yahoo site. still need to add a couple pages and rework the rest. I get a few jobs a month. but i'm not in the most internet savvy area. I agree it's a must have for any business now and most business' of the future will die without one. It will be nice when the old media finally dies.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Check out the board sponsors, Andrechelle. Good price, service and SEO. They built my site based on my printed materials I sent them.

http://www.normscarpetcleaning.com/

Good choice if you have someone else do it.

 

[Jeremy]

www.brightworkclean.com and the one in my signature.....
Andrechelle does really nice work.

 

[steve g]

I have agreed to go with andrechelle, I will post my experience. once they said the site is up, it does come with some SEO, however it sounds like what I am really wanting is what she termed marketing my website, which understandably takes more work and more money. does anyone know exactly what this involves and how its done, the whole internet marketing thing has been a mystery to me. I like to understand what is happening.

whats made it more difficult for me is, everyone I have dealt with in the past has only given me their side of the story that fits WHAT THEY are selling, a couple years ago I got mixed up with yellowpages.com, they sold me advertising that only pulled up on the right of the search engine page, I was under the understanding it was coming up in the regular searches, I got totally ripped off as I can't think of one job I got off it. someone else is selling stuff that puts your site on google maps. I think I am finally heading in the right direction for what I am wanting. everything is going internet. I run a droid phone when I need something, much of the time I don't even go upstairs to my computer. I just wip out the droid, its at my fingertips, the way we do business is about to forever be changed in the next couple years with the advent of smart phones.

 

[Jim Williams]

I designed mine on yahoo site builder free of charge. It is a work in progress. I plan on adding testimonials and some action photos in the future. I get anywhere from 2-8 jobs a week from it. Not bad for someone who is puter illiterate.

I have separate sites for different areas I serve so that I am considered "local". All the areas I serve are really no more than 20 miles from home, but people like to support "local" businesses around here.

 

[steve frasier]

doing your own SEO is like the your customer renting the Rug Dr to replace you

 

[steve g]

doing your own SEO is like the your customer renting the Rug Dr to replace you

don't think I am suggesting doing that by any means, I just like to know how it works, I have never had someone really explain it to me, remember their explanation has always fit what THEY were selling.

 

[rcl1006]

try intuit.com it`s a free setup

 

[renegade_cowboy]

try intuit.com it`s a free setup

It use to be called Homestead. I used them and I didnt like any of the templets but its very easy to use.

Here is the top ten website builders.

http://www.websitebuilder-reviews.com/w ... uilder.php

 

[steve g]

you guys are awesome keep the advice coming.

 

[Motivated]

I am still working on this one. I would like to have customer comment section and some photos of before and after. I had a friend build this for me. It is the first one he ever made. He's a computer geek. I am currently using stock photos. I am going to change them out with actual jobs. But they work.

http://www.aquachemsolutions.com/

And this is my first post by the way. So hey everyone!

 

[steve g]

I am still working on this one. I would like to have customer comment section and some photos of before and after. I had a friend build this for me. It is the first one he ever made. He's a computer geek. I am currently using stock photos. I am going to change them out with actual jobs. But they work.

http://www.aquachemsolutions.com/

And this is my first post by the way. So hey everyone!

one thing I want is a site that works well with a smart phone as well a desktop, motivated, your site looks OK on my desk top, but looks pretty good on my moto droid, pretty mobile friendly.

 

[Jim Williams]

SEO is not really rocket science. Go to a book store and pick up a copy of SEO for Dummies. After reading this book I had my site coming up on top in no time at all. You just need your key words in your text and title tag and some links to your site and you're good to go. Also be sure and fill in your metatag info. such as the description.

Also doing pay per click will get your site recognized by search engines right away. Just bid low so you are not paying for alot of clicks but still maintaining a prescence.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I have seen some nice sites and some not so nice sites. I like this site because it has a nice flow and does a great job convincing the customer to pick up the phone and call. I think something like this might work for you or atleast you can get some ideas.

http://www.rugrunnercarpetcleaning.com/

 

[joe harper]

....................

 

[Ron Werner]

www.gethappy.ca

I had pages built on my old website, cost $500 + $100 trade in cleaning.
I bought MS Frontpage and added 20 pages
Then I bought Sitespinner and made the new front 5 pages , the Consumer Guide Link will take you to the old website.

In a website thread a while back I had discovered someone had copied some pages from my site word for word, didn't even ask or say thank you.

 

[captaincarpet]

www.DriesInMinutes.com

 

[Blue Monarch]

www.LincolnFloorCare.com

I know - don't make fun.

 

[alazo1]

I have seen some nice sites and some not so nice sites. I like this site because it has a nice flow and does a great job convincing the customer to pick up the phone and call. I think something like this might work for you or atleast you can get some ideas.

http://www.rugrunnercarpetcleaning.com/

Wow, I agree, that site has everything. Visually appealing, the offer, great message. I want that Mike dude to clean my carpet. and it's all in one page too. It loads beautifully too. Great use of flash, javascript, simple but very effective. Needs a little seo but no big deal. I'd want that person building my site.

Albert

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Also never steal or copy stuff from another companies website like pics or content and use it for your own that is a very bad idea. A local company here did it and got caught. Ooops......

 

[Steve Toburen]

I too hear good things about Andrechelle's work. Yeadon says she does good stuff and that works for me.

Island Boy
http://www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS Whatever floats your boat but I think for most of us it is insane to take the time to master web programming AND to do it right. The biggest problem is not the money you could have made cleaning carpets while you were putzing around with web development. (Which after having been involved in the SFS site is a lot more complex than you might think.) Instead, if your site looks like it was made by an amateur then people will think the same thing about your company. Web development is so very cheap in relationship to the return why would you not hire an expert?

Speaking of experts Big Billy shared a link to a great Web Marketing Check List right here ...

http://www.strategiesforsuccess.com/308 ... -checklist

 

[bmas]

www.mastrangeloscarpetcleaning.com
I paid $400 for it and the guy built to websites for me, www.bradmastrangelo.com He does a nice job and he is always there if you need help

 

[Royal Man]

http://www.**********************

I made it myself with Yahoo website builder.

So, it was free. 14 bucks a month to host.

Likely the highest ranking site in my area (250K)for most carpet cleaning related keywords.

Some searches my company comes up 3-11 times on page 1 of Google.

Working to get a couple more on page 1

 

[bonesheal]

Here's mine: http://www.fibercleanonline.com

I made it myself, & did the SEO myself. I spent about 2-3 not busy months working round the clock on figuring this stuff out. Finally, I'm at the bottom of the first page of Google, and getting some calls.

There are four parts of this, so make sure you know what you're paying for when you buy something.

1. Website design--making something that is visually appealing and a good sales tool.
2. Keyword research--there's no point in optimizing a page for keywords that nobody searches. Don't make assumptions, do the research (or pay to have it done).
3. On-page SEO--making your site say the right things for the search engines to find it for the keywords you want to rank for. Not the same thing as making it find you, that's
4. Off-page SEO--the search engines decide how important your site is by how the rest of the web regards it. If you look up the stats on the companies leading for your keywords, you will probably find that they have hundreds or thousands of "backlinks," references back to their site from other sites. This is very important. Somebody has to submit all of those backlinks. They count for more if they're on a page relevant to your keywords (like Mikeysboard). Also if they're on a page with page rank (or better, high page rank).

If you choose to do this yourself, you will spend a lot of time doing it. If you hire someone, it will cost money, but you may wind up with someone who knows what they're doing. I decided to do it myself because I already wasn't doing enough cc, but it has been a full-time job and I've been doing cc on the side.

 

[bonesheal]

Oh, and Harper, your site does kick ass. I would make one small suggestion--highlight your photo album. Make it the first place people will click with a bigger button, or title it "Before and Afters." Or put all the pics in thumbnail at the bottom of your page. They're great pictures, and most of the people who get to your site probably never see them.