Open Association of Landscape Industries
Websites. Yes or No
I ve been thinking of getting a website up and running for some time now. Just wondered what other people thought of them. Do they work for us or not, all opinions welcome.
Replies to This Discussion
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Claire Brown on -
A web presence - yes
a website, maybe, but only depending
A static website where you don't add anything to it from month to month, then no.
Getting your name and address on the web by adding to discussions (in a meaning full and considered way) as on this forum is great. - Have you tried googleling your self to see where you come up (and if every thing that comes up is complimentary?)
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Permalink Reply by Ian Howes on -
Googled both, Ian Howes and Howes Garden Services:
Ian howes
Facebook
Linkedin
Howes Garden Services
the local web
yell.com
agriculture.zibb
linkedin
moreuk
kellysearch
Claire Brown said:A web presence - yes
a website, maybe, but only depending
A static website where you don't add anything to it from month to month, then no.
Getting your name and address on the web by adding to discussions (in a meaning full and considered way) as on this forum is great. - Have you tried googleling your self to see where you come up (and if every thing that comes up is complimentary?)
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Permalink Reply by Keith Barker on -
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: a website is like a shop window, open 24/7, available to anyone around the globe. Obviously you will only be interested in reaching potential customers in your local area, so once your website is up and running you should look at making it attractive to local people via tailoring keywords throughout your site to the likely search terms used by your local target audience (aka SEO).
Also, like a shop window you should change the display or people will start to ignore it.
Once you have a website, enter the web address into web directories free of charge, and add them to your bio details on this forum. There are people on here you seem to plug their website in every post they make, which has the twin effects of boosting their listings in the major search engines and rubbing certain people up the wrong way!
The website doesn't have to be huge, it could consist of a couple of pages. Just make sure it contains enough info to explain to potential customers who you are, where you work, what you do and what your unique selling point is, and include some representative photos. Include contact phone and email and maybe some customer testimonials.
(apologies for any weird spelling, this iPod has a rather strange built in predictive text module which sometimes chucks random words in)
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Dan Frazer Gardening on -
I have gained a few good regular clients from my website and the fact I am top of google results for 'gardener local town' for at least 3 local towns. I would highly recommend you set up a good one and keep using it.
Feel free to have a look at www.danfrazergardening.co.uk
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Permalink Reply by Fenlandphil on -
It works for us seriousgardener try some business link courses on websites (they're free at the moment) and pick peoples brains on here. There are a lot of bright knowledgeable people on here willing to help and advise about content.
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Permalink Reply by Jez Wardman on -
Yes
I am now getting most of my new enquiries from my website and don't need to do much other advertising.
Just in the last week I have picked up over a £1000 of hedging work so it will easily repay the cost of any investment.I did everything myself and it only costs a few pounds to keep running.
Feel free to have a look www.hedgesandlawns.co.uk
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Permalink Reply by Dave Sewell on -
Ian,
A few interesting points and some good advice.
Obviously the answer to the question is a resounding 'yes'. All of my clients will have looked at our website before contacting us, even when we've been recommended by a designer.
I don't agree with Claire about a static website. Any site that promotes your business in the right way is worth having. People don't keep visiting your site for months on end before making a decision to contact you so your traffic is likely to be new visitors. They don't know that you haven't changed your site for a few months.
I also think it unwise to put your business address on the site. It's an easy way for thieves to find out where you store your kit. It's also unnecessary. When was the last time a client wrote to anybody here with an initial enquiry? It's always and email or the phone.
Keith, the people on here who 'plug their website in every post they make' are actually showing readers of their posts who they are, what they really can do (which is important unless you happily believe everything you read) and gives an insight into their businesses. In fact everything that a website should be doing. It's unfortunate if this rubs people up the wrong way but I would suggest, with respect, that these people try to get over themselves.
Dave
ww.the-gardenmakers.co.uk
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Permalink Reply by Keith Barker on
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Dave,
I don't object if people sign off their forum messages with a URL, like you did. The kind of thing which I do object to is when people post answers to questions in the forum which just read like a press release.
But anyway, that's my opinion, and I don't want what was an aside to detract from the original question about websites.
Re your comment about business addresses: as a potential customer I would wonder what a company has to hide if I went to their site and there was no trading address. The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, which covers a lot more than e-commerce, stipulate that you should include a geographical address - info here.
And for limited companies, The Companies Act 2006 stipulates a company should list its company registration number, place of registration, and registered office address on its website, or face a fine. This applies to email footer information as well.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gary RK on -
My understanding of the Business Names Act 1985 is there is no legal case defining the extent to which the Act applies regarding trading name and address being a mandatory website requirement as these concepts (websites, domain names etc) where not catered for.
However, it seems it would apply in full to any e-commerce enabled site (because that could be said to be a "place of business"), ie if your web site is 'static' and you do not enter into a 'contract' then you don't need to specify.
The CA2006 Act, has an ammendment that from 01/01/2007, that all websites must show company name and a requirement to display it's REGISTERED company number & address (not always the same as trading address) for Ltd Companies.
So as Dave suggests one might decide not to broadcast a location if you are a Ltd Co.
For a Sole Trader, I assume you would have to display your trading name or T/AS AND address....
However, I think an offical follow-up in the current climate would be unlikely and then only a slap on the wrist. Maybe worth it for restful night knowing nobody is going to do your Unit/Yard etc over...
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Permalink Reply by Dave Sewell on
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Keith,
Guilty. (as you've no doubt looked!) To be fair I'm halfway through creating a new site for the business and have included all legals in the new one but for anybody with a site you've made a very good point.
On the address front I think The EC Directive covers e-commerce sites or sites with the ability to earn revenues from advertising etc but not a site like ours. However you're absolutly right about the LTD Co info. This is one reason why our accountants office is our company registered address.
I suspect that in the future this sort of thing will be more tightly regulated so this was an excellent point to raise.
Dave
www.the-gardenmakers.co.uk
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Permalink Reply by chris nangle on -
hi Ian
I now get 90% of my work from my websites i run the sites with google adwords this seems to bring more lots of work all over europe.
I think people of all ages now use the web as a first choice tool for finding services products ext .
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Goss on -
From my point of view it's better to have one than not but no need to spend a lot of money .....
Tip your toe in the water with MS Office live - easy peasy to get a free n respectable web site up and running and free hosting to boot - also help with optimization etc. I personally think that a lot of sites especially for one man gardening business's are way over the top. I think the average time spent looking is 30 secs so that doesn't give much time to show off those all singing and dancing pages many of which read like autobiography's.......... !
I do a lot of business myself on the net and find bloated sites that load slowly where it's hard to find relevant infomation quickly a pain in the ass . I just look somewhere else. Probably they appeal to the designer's creative urges and ego but not to the prospective buyers .
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