Recommend me a website template, ideally free

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SFD

SFD

Free Member
Nov 2, 2008
1,275
436
  • #1
    My dad has a handyman business.

    He advertises in the local paper but gets very few calls.

    A lot of his work is referrals at the minute and I want to help him out with getting some new business.

    I have spoke to another handyman and he gets lots of work through his website.

    Can anyone recommend any good free templates which I could use to knock up a site.

    I have done html and php in the dim and distant past but would ideally like something quick and easy for the time being.

    Thanks a lot
     
    D

    Dawg

  • #3
    As Dave says, Wordpress is a good idea.
    In some Wordpress themes you even get an idea of what the developer was thinking when he wrote, (just for instance), the CSS:

    I didn't know that would work. Cool.:D

    The human touch blending well with the code..:)
     
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    C

    computaguy

  • #13
    Sunburn said:
    Makes me shudder the thoughts that a website could be simply 'knocked up'

    best of luck,

    PS. post us a link to the two websites once you finished.

    Regards

    Geoff
    Click to expand...

    Lets face it Geoff, a website can be knocked up quite easily if all you need to do is tell people what you do and who you are. Its only when things start gettig a bit more complex that a professional is needed.

    personally I would like to recognise this lad for wanting to support his dad in a difficult time. Most wouod be out with their mates enjoying themselves rather than buckling down and offering what support they can to their parents.

    Well done him, and I wish him and his efforts the very best of success.
     
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    brianabbott

    brianabbott

    Free Member
    Dec 8, 2007
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    13
    South Shields
    www.landandpropertysourcing.co.uk
  • #15
    This isn't free, but cheap and it is easy to create a site (drag and drop):

    http://www.blinkweb.com

    If you are just referring people to a site from offline advertising, as long as your site contains all of the necessary information about your business, there is no need to have anything fancy.

    I made my site using Blinkweb, take a look: http://www.mortgage-finance-uk.com

    Regards,
     
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    D

    DBMark

    Free Member
    May 7, 2008
    181
    33
    London
  • #16
    I want to help him out with getting some new business
    Click to expand...

    Apologies if you've already realised this, but if the aim is to get your father some new business, just setting up the website is only half the battle. The best website in the world is of no worth if no-one visits the site. What I'm saying is you need to look into the marketing and SEO side - luckily there are forums here where you can start your research. (Again - sorry if you've already done this)

    Good Luck!
     
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    D

    Dawg

  • #19
    roythehandyman said:
    I thought wordpress was just for Blogs ! Am I wrong?
    Click to expand...

    Wordpress can easily be used as a website, and is one of the easiest ways of getting a simple brochure type site up quickly and cheaply. On blogs the front/landing page is the dynamic page, updated with new postings as they are made. It is very easy to change the page order in Wordpress so that a static page is the front page as in a standard website. There are also good SEO advantages in using this method to get a simple site up. I know at least a dozen people who have done this, (mostly arty types with no money..:)).
    You can take Wordpress as far as you want: to a fully functioning ecommerce site, to a large indexed newspaper type reference site, (or leave it as a blog about your kitty), it's up to you.
     
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    R

    roythehandyman

    Free Member
    Dec 19, 2008
    310
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    swansea
  • #20
    Dawg said:
    Wordpress can easily be used as a website, and is one of the easiest ways of getting a simple brochure type site up quickly and cheaply. On blogs the front/landing page is the dynamic page, updated with new postings as they are made. It is very easy to change the page order in Wordpress so that a static page is the front page as in a standard website. There are also good SEO advantages in using this method to get a simple site up. I know at least a dozen people who have done this, (mostly arty types with no money..:)).
    You can take Wordpress as far as you want: to a fully functioning ecommerce site, to a large indexed newspaper type reference site, (or leave it as a blog about your kitty), it's up to you.
    Click to expand...
    I stand corrected. But dare I say the frontpage is so simple and has some fairly good templates built in. If the machine has office it most probebly has frontpage installed. The trouble with so many free templates is, You have to include a backlink to the site that you had it from.
     
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    E

    easycheapweb

  • #23
    If you are a small business and you just need a simple site, 4 pages and a map showing where you are, I'm looking for people to test-drive my form-based website system. I'll give you two years free if you try it for me. Contact me or search for my site - easycheapweb
     
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    SFD

    SFD

    Free Member
    Nov 2, 2008
    1,275
    436
  • #24
    SFD said:
    My dad has a handyman business.

    He advertises in the local paper but gets very few calls.

    A lot of his work is referrals at the minute and I want to help him out with getting some new business.

    I have spoke to another handyman and he gets lots of work through his website.

    Can anyone recommend any good free templates which I could use to knock up a site.

    I have done html and php in the dim and distant past but would ideally like something quick and easy for the time being.

    Thanks a lot
    Click to expand...

    Just to say thanks to everyone who helped me with this idea.

    I got cracking on this over the holidays and got something put together.

    My dad was a bit 'thanks, that's nice' it a not bothered kind of way.

    That was until last week when he got his first 2 jobs from the site. :)

    He then bothered to write some copy for the prices page which I had been waiting over 2 weeks for :rolleyes:

    The site lists 1st on google for 'rochdale handyman' and just moved up from 6th to 4th for 'handyman rochdale' I'm going to work on this to get both to the top.

    I think the total cost was ~£20 and the first 2 jobs have been quite large decorating jobs so it has paid for itself already.

    Thanks again for everybody's help.

    The site, if you fancy a nosey is Handyman Rochdale

    All the copy currently on there is just stuff I came up with. I know my dad wants to change and add a couple of things but we'll see if this ever happens.:)
     
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    computaguy

  • #25
    My dad was a bit 'thanks, that's nice' it a not bothered kind of way.
    Click to expand...

    Hey get used to it... lots of people seem to have the same attitude until results start coming in. Took a look at the site and to be honest, for something that you have put together so quickly I think it is really good.

    I like thefact that it is simple, easy to navigate and lets you have guide prices within a few minutes of landing on the home page. The three click rule is in place here (any information relevant to the visitor's enquiry must be available within three mouse clicks or they will look elsewhere!).

    I have only two, quite minor, observations. Underneath the "Handyman in Rochdale" heading the sale points look more like links. Perhaps changing the "|" symbol for something like a bullet?

    Also I wonder whether introducing the handyman by name would make him seem more accessible to the user straight from the off?

    In any case... great result. Congratulations!
     
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    V

    voiceswf

  • #27
    Hi,

    That's a damn good job ;) I agree with Computaguy, the navigation is simple. Well done.

    Your Dad must be proud of what you've done here for your Family.

    Just wondering, what do you do for a living, yourself?

    Kind Regards,

    Voiceswf
     
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    SFD

    SFD

    Free Member
    Nov 2, 2008
    1,275
    436
  • #28
    Thanks for the comments guys.

    computaguy - I think you are right with regards to the '|' marks, I'll change them. I may also look at introducing my dad, maybe put a picture of him and his van on the site.

    voiceswf said:
    Hi,

    Just wondering, what do you do for a living, yourself?
    Click to expand...

    I sell shop fittings, shop counters etc www.shopfitdirect.co.uk
     
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