Growing A Business

[J Arnold]

People looking at your services wont be looking on FB, Twitter etc for them. They will look online and check out your website. What you offer is not a chump change transaction, Its big money so your website needs to show you can look after people's money (ie what your offering).

 

[vmibrass]

You are self employed and you want your business growing well. First you note that good market relationship and good communication will help you for business success. If you have a website and you don't do anything with it then you regularly update your work on website it can help you and also online marketing will help you use facebook, twitter, g+, linkedin and update your completed project on it.

 

[namesweb]

Oh no! We had better tell the millions of people who have built their own websites they need a developer.

Just out of curiosity, especially seeing as I've pretty much synonymised your username to equal "you're website is rubbish and needs re-doing" (albeit in very paraphrased) - would you able to provide any examples of what the right website for this sector looks like? Might help shape the op's view of what a good converting website actually looks like?

I'm about to build my ecom website (and without taking over the thread) I'd be interested to see some examples too... The temptation is to go for a themeforest template but I've read you saying elsewhere those are pointless too...

Many thanks

EDIT: In all fairness your website is a treasure trove of info that will certainly come in handy - so that's very much appreciated! However, any links for actual examples that maybe use wordpress or templates one can purchase would still be welcome - I sometimes get the impression that in order for the website to be perfect it must be built from scratch, and custom to the business, and stock solutions won't work without significant tinkering. Is there a reason why nav bars are consistent across all themes? Are they all doomed to fail (as an example)?

 

[fisicx]

There are no good examples - I can't find any that are any good.

People don't want plans, what they want is an extension or a new house or whatever. The plan is just the means to the end. So the site needs to focus on the goal not the journey.

This means lots of before and after images and the plan to show what you get for your money. Add descriptions of the project and a contact form and the phone number and that's the main part of the site done.

Add some pricing info, T&C, testimonials and so on and that's the rest done.

Wrap the whole thing in a simple theme/layout and wait for the phone to ring.

As always, it's the content that sells the service. As long as the layout works and doesn't get in the way of the content people don't even register the styling.

In your case an ecomm website should focus on the products. Make them the absolute focus of everything. Look how Amazon does it. The header is a thin strip at the top of the page and most of this is the search box. One you have found a product everything is designed to lead you to the checkout. Now stop back and look at the page again - there is almost no bling, all you have is the product and the upsell.

Forget the theme, it doesn't matter. You can choose pretty much anyone you like and it will do the job. All the matters to your visitors is the product or service they require.

 

[estwig]

There are no good examples - I can't find any that are any good.

People don't want plans, what they want is an extension or a new house or whatever. The plan is just the means to the end. So the site needs to focus on the goal not the journey.

This means lots of before and after images and the plan to show what you get for your money. Add descriptions of the project and a contact form and the phone number and that's the main part of the site done.

Add some pricing info, T&C, testimonials and so on and that's the rest done.

Doesn't work.

People get confused and think you are a builder, or offer some kind of design and build service. To get enquiries from people who want plans drawn up for an extension or loft conversion, you have to be very clear that is exactly what you offer. Your marketing, logo, website and overall image has to be tight and very focused.

Before and after pictures just muddy the water.

It's not about the goal, or even the journey, you need to sell the start of a journey, that with proper plans will head in the right direction from the very beginning.

Don't beat yourself up about being wrong, I've been doing this for over twenty years and my biggest headache, is when I commission a new marketing guy or website designer. Educating them to the type of client and work required is very difficult, once they have it we are off, but getting them to that point is a struggle.

 

[fisicx]

To get enquiries from people who want plans drawn up for an extension or loft conversion, you have to be very clear that is exactly what you offer. Your marketing, logo, website and overall image has to be tight and very focused.

Yes. But before and after pictures are the hook. The homepage tells the visitor what you do, the project pages shown the results.

 

[estwig]

Yes. But before and after pictures are the hook. The homepage tells the visitor what you do, the project pages shown the results.

If you're selling the services of a builder then yes, but it's not the services of a builder that are being offered.

The results are a set of plans for a house extension, that is what the punter should be looking for if they come to my site, not a house extension.

I used to get really perplexed at why you marketing guys found it so difficult to grasp the concept. Now I'm just used to the fact you guys really really struggle with this.

 

[fisicx]

You misunderstand me. Of course they are selling plans and that is the focus of the site. But those plans should relate to the building works. So for example they have a page for a second story on a garage with the image of the result and the plan they did. People relate to images so show them what the plan is for. A sort of with this (the plan) you get this (the extension).

But if he was targeting builders and surveyors then I agree before and after pictures are pointless. If he is targeting Mr and Mrs Miggins in Godalming then show what the plan is for and back it up with the testimonial from Jerry and Margo about the superb service they received.

 

[fisicx]

To add to the above, many people can't convert the orthographic view on the plans to what they would see bolted on the side of their house. You don't even need a photo, a 3D rendition will do the job. PBD is not just doing the plans, he is designing the extension/conversion/whatever. That's what he is selling on his homepage. If you are designing an extension then people will want to see what has been designed.

 

[estwig]

No fisicx you are wrong, very wrong. As there is no financial incentive for me to spend a lot of time, as it usually does when dealing with marketing guys, to explain why. I am going to have to love you and leave you.

 

[fisicx]

He is not selling building plans. He is selling building design:

Homepage: "Polstar Building Design can help you design your home extension".

Services page: "...project is for POLSTAR BUILDING DESIGN to meet you at your property and discuss with you all the possibilities for your requirements."

That's why he needs the imagery. If he was just doing the drawings then you would be 100% on the money. But he isn't. He designs the extension and does out all the planning applications and submissions.

 

[estwig]

He is not selling building plans. He is selling building design:

Homepage: "Polstar Building Design can help you design your home extension".

Services page: "...project is for POLSTAR BUILDING DESIGN to meet you at your property and discuss with you all the possibilities for your requirements."

That's why he needs the imagery. If he was just doing the drawings then you would be 100% on the money. But he isn't. He designs the extension and does out all the planning applications and submissions.

This is exactly what I have been doing for over 5 years now, previous to that I offered a design & build service and before that I built to other people's plans.

This is my game and one I know extremely well. Your marketing approach is wrong.

 

[fisicx]

In which I stand corrected. Ignore my posts everyone 'cos I'm talking bollox (again).

 

[estwig]

In which I stand corrected. Ignore my posts everyone 'cos I'm talking bollox (again).

Don't be like that, you're not talking b*ll*cks.

You're just doing the same as every other marketer and trying to market the service I and others like me offer. The same way you would market a tradesmen or builder. Which is completely the wrong approach for too many reasons to go into here.