Been behind the 8 ball here lately in getting up to speed on this and I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the time and money for my business to move forward with an online presence. Now, hear me out here, we are an old mom and pop firm of over 30 years in the same location, lots of return clients etc. but to make ends meet we have to work out of area at times. I've started a Google Business page, as well as a Facebook page, but I'm wondering about a website and some of these "business finder" services such as Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor. Seems like a lot of coin to put up for the area I work in (rural, mainly return clientele, etc.), but the younger part of me feels this needs to be done or I'm missing out. If I go the website route, I will be the only surveyor within 30 miles that has one (lol), but I find it quite frustrating when my business isn't listed on Yahoo or Google searches in towns I've worked in virtually my entire life! Which makes me wonder if that's due to a lack of a website etc. Anyhow, just thought I'd put a feeler out before I shell out some coin for a website. I can get one pretty cheap, but it's a low function one compared to some I see. How far do you take it too? Do you do Twitter, Facebook etc. or just a website? Do the "business finder" sites really work? Thanks for your time! Happy measuring!
Send your message to Wendell. https://harnessweb.com
He will be able to answer your question and provide insight. 😎
Who do you want to spend time with educating them as to whether or not you can provide the service they might need for the dollar range they can live with within an acceptable time? How do you make that time fit within your available time?
A web site doesn't need to be fancy, it needs to tell people who you are, what you do, and most importantly how to contact you. The most important thing these days is that if someone Googles "Surveyor Yourtown USA" yours is the first name that pops up. This, of course, costs $$$.
It depends entirely, in my opinion, on the type of clients you want. If you intend to attract everyone who might need your services then you need a website and a Yellow Page ad, but the downside is you will get calls from people who will say, in one sentence, "I need a survey of my lot and how much will it cost."
My specialty is commercial clients who come to me via a referral from existing clients, title companies, brokers, and attorneys so I have never been in the phone book and I'd erase my presence from Google if I could.
I think every business should have a website. Even small mom and pop type businesses. These days many would see it as a reflection on the business itself. I don't see the website as being just for price shoppers but more of a business card. Also if you have a domain name and your email goes to yourname@whatever.com it looks really professional rather than abc@gmail.com etc.
If you have a google plus page and a mobile first website built on a bootstrap template, your website will go very close to the top of the list on google. It is very cheap to get a website these days. I learned html and built my own from a bootstrap template.
A contact form on the website can also be used to filter price shoppers.
hlbennettpls, post: 401698, member: 10049 wrote: Been behind the 8 ball here lately in getting up to speed on this and I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the time and money for my business to move forward with an online presence. Now, hear me out here, we are an old mom and pop firm of over 30 years in the same location, lots of return clients etc. but to make ends meet we have to work out of area at times. I've started a Google Business page, as well as a Facebook page, but I'm wondering about a website and some of these "business finder" services such as Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor. Seems like a lot of coin to put up for the area I work in (rural, mainly return clientele, etc.), but the younger part of me feels this needs to be done or I'm missing out. If I go the website route, I will be the only surveyor within 30 miles that has one (lol), but I find it quite frustrating when my business isn't listed on Yahoo or Google searches in towns I've worked in virtually my entire life! Which makes me wonder if that's due to a lack of a website etc. Anyhow, just thought I'd put a feeler out before I shell out some coin for a website. I can get one pretty cheap, but it's a low function one compared to some I see. How far do you take it too? Do you do Twitter, Facebook etc. or just a website? Do the "business finder" sites really work? Thanks for your time! Happy measuring!
I agree totally with fl/ga, contact Wendell, he won't steer you wrong!
Totalsurv, post: 401720, member: 8202 wrote: I think every business should have a website. Even small mom and pop type businesses. These days many would see it as a reflection on the business itself. I don't see the website as being just for price shoppers but more of a business card. Also if you have a domain name and your email goes to yourname@whatever.com it looks really professional rather than abc@gmail.com etc.
If you have a google plus page and a mobile first website built on a bootstrap template, your website will go very close to the top of the list on google. It is very cheap to get a website these days. I learned html and built my own from a bootstrap template.
A contact form on the website can also be used to filter price shoppers.
Although I don't have or need a website for all the reasons listed by Mr. Small, I think the time is coming. As the faces of my clients get younger, or more appropriately my client's employees, I believe I will need to fulfill their expectations if nothing else.
Steve
As others have said, you probably don't want the kind of client a website that trolls for any and all price shoppers. You do want a web presence that helps people find you in cases like these:
- "His name was Bruce, he works out of his home in Tucson, can't remember his last name but he did great work. Yea, find him. That's your man."
- I've got this paper copy of an old ALTA from 1992 by Bruce Small, PLS. I need an update on it and it's probably going to be best, quickest, and least expensive to have Mr. Small do it. Is he still in business in the area?
There is nothing you can do to filter people once your site gets on Google. My other hat is chair of a fire district and I get so many calls from people wanting Rural Metro, so they search Tanque Verde fire
Mark Mayer, post: 401867, member: 424 wrote: As others have said, you probably don't want the kind of client a website that trolls for any and all price shoppers. You do want a web presence that helps people find you in cases like these:
- "His name was Bruce, he works out of his home in Tucson, can't remember his last name but he did great work. Yea, find him. That's your man."
- I've got this paper copy of an old ALTA from 1992 by Bruce Small, PLS. I need an update on it and it's probably going to be best, quickest, and least expensive to have Mr. Small do it. Is he still in business in the area?
Good point, and that is one of the reasons I'm best friends with all of the title officers in town. They all know me and they all know how to reach me, so they can and do steer those clients back to me.
Often we verify shipping address by looking at the web site. And for first time credit, we look at the domain registration dates. (In fact the last two successful fraud activities here would have been immediately obvious by looking at the 3-day old domain registrations.)
We have a lot of customers who don't have websites, but as a supplier I find them valuable to deliver equipment.
So it is not just your customers who use them.
That said, for years we paid extra to keep our business out of the Yellow Pages. Back when we were selling maps by the semi-truck load, we could not afford to have folks walking in to purchase a single quadrangle. So I certainly get that too.
sjc1989, post: 401743, member: 6718 wrote: Although I don't have or need a website for all the reasons listed by Mr. Small, I think the time is coming. As the faces of my clients get younger, or more appropriately my client's employees, I believe I will need to fulfill their expectations if nothing else.
Steve
Correct, anybody under about 40 these days is going to be looking you up electronically and you almost need a website to be legit in their eyes, and for goodness sakes it better not look like you did it yourself and it better be mobile friendly and very responsive!
SHG
Hey, I just happen to know a guy.... an Oregon Web Guy.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.
For a number of years new clients have found me from a Google search.
Many were to far away over 3hrs travel for a small parcel.
Mark Silver, post: 401924, member: 1087 wrote: That said, for years we paid extra to keep our business out of the Yellow Pages.
When I owned and operated my own surveying business in a nearby small town, I kept getting pestered to buy into the local yellow pages (the actual published book). I repeatedly said no, never paid a dime to them. Then I got a copy of the yellow pages delivered to my door and I was in there anyway. Here I am 11 years later, and I still get phone calls to this day originating from that book.
A Harris, post: 401948, member: 81 wrote: For a number of years new clients have found me from a Google search.
Many were to far away over 3hrs travel for a small parcel.
Do you have any statement on the website like:
"For individual residential parcels, we handle the communities of blah-blah-blah. For multiple or commercial parcels, we work in some-larger-area."
or would it make sense to add one? I know it's not a hard-and-fast rule on how far you would travel.
I personally think you need an online presence including a website. I don't know how many times a week I need a phone number to call a business and I pull out my phone and "google" their name to get the number.
I would not do the HomeAdvisor thing. It didn't work out at all for us.
mkennedy, post: 401952, member: 7183 wrote: Do you have any statement on the website like:For individual residential parcels, we handle the communities of blah-blah-blah. For multiple or commercial parcels, we work in some-larger-area."
or would it make sense to add one? I know it's not a hard-and-fast rule on how far you would travel.
I do not have a website
Apparently I can be found by a Google search of surveyors in certain parts of Texas
I have some repeat clients some 2hrs away.
When the client insists and the numbers are there, I am happy to travel.
When a possible client really needs someone they can go to the office more often and closer, I am also glad to refer them to the right surveyor for their needs.
