Business advertising and the internet

[Steve Bullman]

that service will be offered here shortly marko

[Frimsley]

A few late thoughts...

 

If you have the time and you really have the skills, build your own site. It's fun if you like that sort of thing. But it probably won't save you money if you start costing your time in. But more importantly, be honest with yourself about your skills. Building a website requires a combination of graphic design, technical and marketing skills. This is not a personal blog, not a bit of fun, it's the public face of your business. And to be honest, there are an awful lot of sites out there that look homemade and nasty. And I don't exclude my own from that - I've probably got a more technical background than most here; I write clean, valid code, but I'm no designer. I host sites, I do functional development of sites, but if a client wants design that gets subbed out to a graphic designer.

 

Joomla: Well, content management systems in general first. I'm a big fan. If you need a simple brochure site that you are never going to change, probably overkill. But changing content on your website should be something you routinely do, and using a CMS makes it a lot easier. It will help keep a consistent design throughout your site, it will allow you to change content without you having to learn HTML/XHTML/CSS etc (your an arborist - not a programmer - concentrate on what you're good at). Joomla is not the only CMS about. Drupal and Xoops are also popular. Personally, I tend to use Exponent. They all work. They can all be customised to give a particular look to your site. So my recommendation - get a designer to design the basic concept for the site. Get a programmer to port the design to a decent CMS. Then enter the content and do the ongoing maintenance yourself.

[mdvaden]

Next time you get a new yellow pages delivered just take a look what is put out for the recycling collection the following week.... tons and tons of paper directories still in their vacuum sealed wrapper!!!. Whether we like it or not people are using the internet as the first port of call for finding the contact details even for businesses that they are familiar with.

 

I long since stopped paying for any newspaper ads, paper flyers or paper based "directories" as I suspect most go straight into the bin and the cost is astronomical compared to the web.

 

I do however pay (very very small sums) for weblinks on the sensible "on topic" directories which give me two benefits - 1) Conventional business leads and 2) an increased google ranking for my own website as the crawlers see high ranking 'on topic' websites are linking to my pages.

 

That's true.

 

I think some companies need to be in one phone directory, but many companies may not. What bugged me locally, was when several companies started to distribute phone books - Yellow Page books here - increasing the likelihood that homeowners only have a 50 / 50 chance of going to a book. 33 percent if there are 3 different books. In our home, we keep one and toss away the other ones right away.

 

On the other hand, whether a website ranks high in search results, or is merely in place because the URL is on the business brochures, it has a 100% chance of being found.

 

And in our area where most homes have internet, the computer beats finding a company hands down, over looking in a phone directory. Computers are rarely misplaced. Phone books are often misplaced.

 

You can change your phone number or information every single day on a website if you want to. But once a phone directory is printed, you are stuck with what's in print. If there is a mistake, it cannot be fixed for at least a year.

 

A website does not to be listed in one of the pitiful phone directory supplements that includes all the mistakes or omissions.

[Theocus]

It would be interesting to see how many people will be keeping with the Yellow pages this year, obviously some people will be cutting back on spending and some may have the "you got to be in it to win it" attitude. I have never used the yellow pages and am toying with the idea, truthfully i never use it, but do we need it?

So whos keeping with the book/yell.com this year?

[Steve Bullman]

not me, i scaled down last year, this year im cancelling them both, waste of money IMO

[Tom D]

I'm still in but with the same small ad i had last year, I do get a few jobs from it each year but not many. Internet has been very good for me this year, but there are 3 0r 4 other tree surgeons on page 1 as well so I always end up quoting against the same guys where as a lead from a referal will usualy be a streight job with no opposition. I think the best advertising is doing a great job for a good price and being knowledgeable, polite and helpful whilst doing it. One referal is worth three yellow pages / internet inquirys.

[Mesterh]

I'll be staying in the yellow pages. Would have gone under years ago if we didnt advertise there tbh.

 

Must be about 70-80% of our domestic comes from it.

[Johny Walker]

not me, i scaled down last year, this year im cancelling them both, waste of money IMO

 

waste off effing money too many adverts took both adverts out this time but stuck with yell.com see how that fairs

[Steve Bullman]

strange how it works for some and not others

[Johny Walker]

I'll be staying in the yellow pages. Would have gone under years ago if we didnt advertise there tbh.

 

Must be about 70-80% of our domestic comes from it.

 

sorry to say i find 70-80% off work from yp hard to take in have you done a survey on this ?

Edited January 4, 2009 by Johny Walker