The only reason I would consider a website would be to boost business. Personally, I don't look for a business in my town online, I look in the Yellow pages. But I notice many of you have sites and I would like to know if they pay for themselves, and how time consuming are they?
Thanks!
Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :
Mine was fairly time consuming ... but hobbies are like that ... something to keep the brain going during the winter months. As an employee of another company I don't really use mine to sell anything (mainly a hobby) but it has paid for itself for about the next ten years just from the here and there client that I'm not even looking for. Now ... my day jobs website isn't really even up (bosses offer no input) but it's still worth it (IMO) just to have email listed on brochures/cards/etc. as xxx@pierrepont.com
Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
I work for someone else also. We use it to enhance our marketing, if we get a call from someone wanting to know what we do, we send them marketing material, but we also refer them to out website, so they don't have to wait, we need "presence" on the internet for our kind of work, a small shop can do the same, but I think it is still used the same way ours is, we have recieved work from it, but it's hard to say that it has paid for itself that way, but I think it has paid for itself in that it enhances our marketing. www.huntdesign.com Rick
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
in marketing seminars i speak at and attend we give the following adivice.
Make it as easy as possible for any one to contact you. There is a small percentage of customers who do not / cannot contact you at your convenience, or just want some info and hate going through hoops to get it. Some just want info and know you are busy hence do not wish to bother you for a simple request.
That is why many use emails, websites, and fax machines as an alternative point of contact.
There are some free very basic autoresponder programs available that will autorespond to email filtered for your specific needs. (you do not want a company response going out to aunt jane).
It works. I recieve several contacts in this manner myslef..
Posted by Jeff Bailey (Member # 1975) on :
Rick Summed it up well. a website creates a fast, and wonderful vehicle with which to deliver images, and details about what your business can do for people. The cost is for a quality website is far less than what it would cost you to print, and deliver the same amount of media to a potential client. The other advantage of a website is that it can be changed, and adapted so easily. If you wish to add an image of a project that turned out great to your online portfolio, it can be done in seconds. Printed material has it's place still, but it is very stagnant, and obviously can not change until you go to press again.
Cost is not nearly as much as some people make it out to be. I'd research some web design businesses ( I do it on the side, as do many letterheads) and check with your ISP to see what they provide for hosting. Id avoid free hosting services all together ( remember, nothing is ever free) as they usually force your site to be accompanied by annoying pop up messages, or banners that do not pertain to your site. For less than ten bucks a month you can have your site hosted somewhere on a reliable server, thirty five or so per year to register your domain name ( keep it simple, and to the point. If your business name is Ace Signs, then www.acesigns.com is the logical choice).
Good luck with your venture!
[ August 24, 2002, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Jeff Bailey ]
Posted by Bob Burns (Member # 268) on :
I had a pretty nice website about 2 years ago.....didnt make me a nickel, so I eventually let it go. But just a few months ago, I was clued into freeservers, where you can get a free website. I can always deal with "FREE"! It allows me to say "I'm on the web" to perspective customers. They never seem to take the time to look at it, but they're always impressed that you're "on the web". It's kind of an "IN" thing, I guess. I've gotten ONE job off this FREE website, which is more thsan I can say about the last website I had. Since I'm always busy enough, I don't really concern myself too much about any of it. Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
My web site is my online brochure. I'm not concerned with surfers... and it doesn't matter to me how many hits I may get.
But the site is a valuable asset when it comes to a giving my potential customers a place to see what we've done in a classy way.
I would never consider 'free' websites for my business... the popups advertising other peoples stuff aren't professional in my opinion. I want the customer to see my portfolio in a clean non-distracting way.
My site has paid for itself many times over.
But we tend to deal with fewer clients and larger ticket jobs than most shops... so it only takes a few.
-dan
Posted by John Smith (Member # 1308) on :
Time Consuming??? Just how time consuming is your ad in the yellow pages?? My shop business is 99.9% website generated. It is 4 years old and is in dire need of an overhaul. The website is WORLD WIDE advertising and works for you 24-7-365. I will admit that it takes some time to get situated within the search engines. But, once it does, it will be available to millions and millions (my favorite saying from Carl Sagan) of folks world wide. I have shipped signs from Calif. to New York from Puerto Rico to Canada to Japan. The best part is that you can pick and choose the jobs you want and either refer the rest to Amy or just say "sorry, I can't help you" and life goes on. - - - - Just my dos centavos - - - -
[ August 24, 2002, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: John Smith ]
Posted by Arthur Vanson (Member # 2855) on :
Has to be worth it I would have thought. Each of mine costs no more than £30 ($40?) a year to run (250Mb per month bandwidth limit). The software to compile the sites cost me $30 then another $30 for the latest update. I already had the necessary graphics software, as I'm sure everyone involved in signs and design will have. Time investment? initially huge, but in the main, great fun and another opportunity to learn skills useful to youself and friends. Plus, it's a bit like making love to a beautiful woman! – well, perhaps not – but it is a bit like fishing, you just cast your bait and wait for a bite. There are some really big ones out there.
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
I think both the question and answers ly in the fact that you are on another persons website asking if its all worth it. I would like to know what other information media thingie at this time in the year 2002 has so many persons buying computers and getting online so they can look up whatever it is thats on this planet that may be of interest to them. Just checking the answers and where they are from, tells me that it is worth the time and energy.
My website is also a free one, and has been up since 96' and does exactly what I built it for!
Hope this helps....
Posted by Chuey (Member # 2112) on :
myself, i hate any site(read: will leave)that has popups. one of these days i may even finish my site, that is if i don't decide to completely redo it AGAIN. i don't know if it is because my design skills are sub par or if its just that i seem to rarely be happy with my work. thanks, chuey www.liquisigns.com Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
I set-up mine to be a way to post a sign proof to allow a customer who has already paid their deposit to approve a drawing without driving to my shop. emailing graphics still has somewhat less predictable results, & 4 years ago that seemed even more true, so I put up the site. It has also allowed me to advertise the domain on cards, letterhead, vehicle & the decals I stick on signs. I agree that often this adds some credability to prospective clients even if they never log on. I knew from the start that my clientel, being primarily local, would not seek me out on-line, but to my surprise I aquired a few very profitable jobs from corporate name change projects where an agency was coordinating subbing out work in several states, & I got the call because I came up on their search.
As for the site paying for itself, I did the bulk of the work myself & wouldn't want to admit how many hours I spent if I even knew, but one day I got a long distance call for $6,000 worth of cubicle signs I had shown on my site. They were an architectural product I had got from a mainland vendor, but I was able to make a quick 3 grand, and with that, I would say my site has definantly paid for itself.
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
David, my web site is my only form of advertising and it has worked for me to the point of unbelievable! Whoever I speak to, in person, on the phone or online, I send them to my site. Now they can "see". Try to explain something that is in your head to some else.................the same thing does Not end up in their head! I update my site all the time. One popular page is the "Job in Progress" page. When I have a job in progres, the customer can look at it every few days and see it being produced. They LOVE it!!!! In my case Web Site = $$$$$$
Tony
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
David, my web site is my only form of advertising and it has worked for me to the point of unbelievable! Whoever I speak to, in person, on the phone or online, I send them to my site. Now they can "see". Try to explain something that is in your head to some else.................the same thing does Not end up in their head! I update my site all the time. One popular page is the "Job in Progress" page. When I have a job in progres, the customer can look at it every few days and see it being produced. They LOVE it!!!! In my case Web Site = $$$$$$
Tony
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
David,
It's definitely worth it. The folks who say it's not, don't know how to make it work.
My site gets about 2,000 visitors per day, a number that I don't think any storefront could ever achieve nor would they want to (they'd never get anything done). The custom aspect of what I offer keeps most of those visitors from inquiring (they still tell their friends about it). Online customers are lazy, they'll buy it all up on impulse if they don't have to think about it much but since it's a custom item and takes "effort" they just pass it on by. The people that *do* take the time to email (I get up to 200 emails per day) are *serious* customers that really want to get something done. Some days I don't get any email at all which is fine cause then I can catch up.
I've also found that more of these people are less concerned with the price as long as it looks awesome. That might have something to do with the fact I target jetskiers/racers and car/truck people - more money than sense. Posted by Robert Thomas (Member # 1356) on :
Ace, I once worked at Ace Advertising. I would definitly recommend trying it. I did mine in CorelDRAW and e-mailed the pages to a hosting service. They only charged me for the for the registration and a monthly fee. I just use it so far as an online portfolio for potential customers. Later you can build it and add on to target online sales. An out of town customer may find you in the search engines. Cheers
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