Will a website bring deluge of unwanted sales calls ?

[jonthepain]

go daddy is a huge ripoff

imho

[Mgardner]

I was paying 24 a month for say 7 years and couldn`t change pics, .....GoDaddy offered like 8 bucks a month,then domain for X amount. Search engine optimizer another 40 a year. If I thought there was something better out there I`d be checking it out. Didn`t have 500 bucks to have a local guy to build the site.... Had a hell of a time getting my domain back from the guy that registered it to Godaddy after I shut my site down 5 years ago. He had me go in and register it to me ,the rightful owner ,IM PRESUMING. So I`m stuck with them ,because I don`t have time to do all that ,just want a decent site .Thanks for the info and I`m definately wanting the simple route.

[ELS Landscape]

Originally Posted by jonthepain

go daddy is a huge ripoff

imho

Depends on the product you are buying.
I get domains and certs from them.

[tonygreek]

Originally Posted by Mgardner

Someone metioned they thought website was as good as direct mail . Wow ,if that`s the case I can expect a lot of work from this "search engine maximizer" ??

I would dial your expectations waaaay back, both with any comparison to "direct touch" mailings and the impact of GoDaddy "Search Engine Visibility Tool".

Direct Mail puts your message into the hands of the homeowners you want it to. With a web site, you're casting a wider net.

GoDaddy's upsell of the Search Engine Visibility Tool to you is just that. A high-margin upsell. Unless they've made some changes to their plan, which I will go out on a limb and doubt, it does little more than you can easily glean from posts in this forum. It's not so much a service as it is a roadmap for the work you need to do, regardless of whether it's via them or not.

[ELS Landscape]

There is no doubt direct mail when done properly is most effective for driving sales but it also not cheap.

Typically, when someone contacts me via my website, they are looking for my service and perhaps have already decided to purchase from me. Websites do not drive sales, they are a good place to pre-close sales to someone seeking a product or service.

[ELS Landscape]

On and back on the topic. When I get a call from someone trying to tell me that they can increase my ranking, my typical retort is you found me.

But you are not first page on xyz term they say, and I will often say that I am on local searches and that is all that matters. I am not a national company offering services or selling products nation wide.

That is the good thing about being a landscaper when optimizing the website. We are only worried about our locality.

[tonygreek]

Originally Posted by ELS Landscape

There is no doubt direct mail when done properly is most effective for driving sales but it also not cheap.

I was speaking directly to the point of a "website being as good as direct mail" and the expectations the OP seems to have.

Typically, when someone contacts me via my website, they are looking for my service and perhaps have already decided to purchase from me. Websites do not drive sales, they are a good place to pre-close sales to someone seeking a product or service.

I think you've managed to confuse me on this one. Is this a statement re: your own situation or your overall observation of the effectiveness lawn care websites in general? As I read it, you're saying that you use your site more as a brochure that people have already been directed to, as opposed to one that they find while searching for a lawn and landscape service (which would then make it a lead and sales driver).

[ELS Landscape]

Originally Posted by tonygreek

I was speaking directly to the point of a "website being as good as direct mail" and the expectations the OP seems to have.


I think you've managed to confuse me on this one. Is this a statement re: your own situation or your overall observation of the effectiveness lawn care websites in general? As I read it, you're saying that you use your site more as a brochure that people have already been directed to, as opposed to one that they find while searching for a lawn and landscape service (which would then make it a lead and sales driver).

I was not debating what you said to the OP I was adding my two cents.

To clarify the second half,

You can not measure ROI of a website like you can direct marketing.

When you mail you do so to an area or list with a hard count of exposure and then calculate the calls and close rates.

On a web page, when people do call my close rate is almost 100% because they have reviewed the page and decided to use me.

While I can look at webstats and use google analytics to measure traffic. This is still not the same metric because those impressions are based on people searching for a product or service. Everyone you mail a post card to is not in the market where people searching are in the market.

It is kind of like the old news paper vs yellow pages.

[ELS Landscape]

Driving sales is an attempt to create a market through advertisment.

I am not driving sales with my website, I am collecting people seeking my services.

Sometimes advertisement is about branding as well. Many sucessful companies still advertise even when people already know about their products. I know good and well where the Mc Donalds and Subway and all the restaurants are in my community. I drive past dozens of the same brand each day, yet they still put up commercials on TV.


The website does not do that. I either have to optimize it so when people look for my services they can find me.
Alternatively, I can pay for those search terms
or I could pay to have my website advertised on facebook.


The interesting thing I am seeing on facebook as well as google ad's is that key words I use in Facebook will drive the ad's that I see on the left. If I research something those cookies follow me to other websites and I will see related ad's on other pages.

It also happens here to some extent. But lets say if this were face book. The ad's on the right now would be about fast food and perhaps even the companies I mentioned. That is driving sales.

[Mgardner]

I bought the website "tonight" and they have templates of course. After being down so long this winter Iv`e had time to get to know my way around it a little better. I can change info daily ,pics.... by logging in. Years ago I had a guy hot it. If I needed any pertinent info changed it would take weeks and hours out of my schedule. But this has been a good discussion and lays a roadmap that I may have been reluctant ,where now more assured this will be a good thing. When the site is posted at my vendor`s showroom ,on biz cards , on the side of the truck and maybe trailer`s too, I can actually see where people can go there and check out my work and .... Another option is a 1x1 " thumnail add in directories with the website address. Then potential customer can see all about it . This all for what, a hundred fifty a year? I used to pay 300 plus a month for too long ,then we got covered up with referrals. Got completly out of yellow pages . I suck at web stuff but GoDaddy seems simple to do and cost effective. They have to be somewhat good if they have a NASCAR , and can kick up millions on adds. Each time I call them I do get a person, no hassles.