web site bringing no business

[SafeGasInstall]

Is checkatrade that good ?

 

[cr0ft]

Works very well for me but do be mindful of checking how many competitors are on it already in your local area. From my experience on there people tend to go for the person with the most feedback on it. If a local competitor is very far ahead of you in terms of feedback be prepared for a long time without many calls. Also if you have, say, 20 competitors on their already then it may not be a great investment for you (or them). Like everything, there is only so much work to go round.

I am the only plumber on there for the Lincoln area and thus it works well for me. Would it be worth it for a competitor to join up? Probably not tbh because I've built up loads of good feedback on me so they are unlikely to get many/any calls.

Once/if you have the best feedback then the calls come in. This is my experience of them.

It costs around £600 a year which isn't small money but imo would be infinitely better than your website. In fact, I would guarantee that Checkatrade will direct more traffic to your website than any SEO will on a new site.

One final word of warning, Checkatrade works much better down South as they do most of their advertising there. They do sponsor some popular programs on TV though, Cowboy Builders being the main one.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Web sites promise the earth , but in reality deliver very little in terms of new business unless you spend a lot of time and money on it. Google look for many different criteria to be fulfilled that will help with with natural listings, but to get the very best you will need to constantly i.e monthly get new content, appearance etc this will help with natural listings and google ad words. It costs money to run a website and time. Dont go for the sponsored listings nobody looks at them, I know cos I have spent money on them and it did not generate a single bit of business.
TBH I think they are a waste of money.

 

[PlumbersMate]

Web sites promise the earth , but in reality deliver very little in terms of new business unless you spend a lot of time and money on it. Google look for many different criteria to be fulfilled that will help with with natural listings, but to get the very best you will need to constantly i.e monthly get new content, appearance etc this will help with natural listings and google ad words. It costs money to run a website and time. Dont go for the sponsored listings nobody looks at them, I know cos I have spent money on them and it did not generate a single bit of business.
TBH I think they are a waste of money.

Disagree, sponsored ad last Xmas brought me loads of work, around 5+ calls a day sometimes, not cheap though

 

[Deleted member 32524]

@plumbersmate. Ok, well it was a total flop for me. wonder why? I was advertising on the net in the quieter june, jul & aug time though. Nothing off it at all.

 

[JCplumb]

I get a few jobs a week off my website, if I turn Adwords on I get a few per day.
Most of my work these last few months has come from landlords I have on my books who first got in touch with me because of the website.
Get it right and it's worth it IMO.

 

[PlumbersMate]

@plumbersmate. Ok, well it was a total flop for me. wonder why? I was advertising on the net in the quieter june, jul & aug time though. Nothing off it at all.

What area are you? Genuinely worked so well for me but also get a lot of click from sales people too which will of course cost a bomb

 

[cr0ft]

Around my area Google prospects are normally very poor leads. All want at least 3 quotes and tend to shop on price as there's nothing else to differentiate you from all the other plumbers on Google really.

Even though I get a few calls through Google as a result of my website other advertising works much better for me tbh.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

I am in Glasgow. Thought it would have worked, but it was rubbish. I am finding that getting new customers in is costing me more than ever. Local paper brings in low value work mostly and Advertising in the bigger papers seems to be more expensive with more of the same low value jobs.
Eco deal etc really kicking me at the minute. Probably till 2015.

 

[erpkid]

so we moved out of london to a village near Northampton and I had new website build and its number 1 on page 1 when you serch for a :

plumber in northampton ,

but I dont get any calls at all , had one call back in the summer and I earned £40 out of it .......

any views welcome ,web address is below ......

Plumber in Northampton Boiler Breakdown Service installation Repairs


do you get any business from websites ?

Tidy looking site :smile: If someone was making their buying decision on website then this is excellent. I think a lot of people still ask their friends and family as unfortunately we tend to be "tarred" with the rip off brush not helped by increasing cynicism about the internet. As others have said this should be part of your marketing but on it's own will not solely drive your business.

 

[EPH]

Stan, whereabouts exactly are you?

I spent about 20 years near there and did my training in Kettering.

I think work there is generally quiet to be honest, small company I worked for a few years which is well established is just about ticking over to be honest. It's a lot of small communities rather than a big town so I can imagine being new to the area it would be difficult to make an impression.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I am in Hackelton just opposite the primary school . I am not sure what is going on but It does seem that people round here dont have much budget (speaking to staff and kingsley bathrooms and plumbing supply and Plumb centre ) .
I have gone back to redesign my London web site as I dont think I will be able to fit new boilers for £200 (told by staff at plumb centre) and making a living .
I am happy to be going back for business in London .

I am happy to give a hand to anyone as long as I get paid the correct wages . Any one ?

 

[EPH]

I wouldn't take to much notice of Plumb Center staff if I were you. I've been from there over 10 years now but I know the rates are better than that for private installs.

Some of the lads who I know that I was in college with are struggling to be honest it seems, ones just started working for a company called Tingedene (?) and the money's ok.

Ill have an ask around for you though.

 

[TBServices]

Sorry to hear you're having difficulty with work Stan.

Unfortunately I have no suggestions for you as the only advertising I do is through yell.com. Brought me a fair bit.

Just looked at checkatrade, nearest other to me is 9 miles away. Wondering if it might be worth a punt. How does advertising with them work?

Have you tried putting yourself on freeindex Stan?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I wouldn't take to much notice of Plumb Center staff if I were you. I've been from there over 10 years now but I know the rates are better than that for private installs.

Some of the lads who I know that I was in college with are struggling to be honest it seems, ones just started working for a company called Tingedene (?) and the money's ok.

Ill have an ask around for you though.

At the end of summer I was really busy fitted 10 boilers and the local Plumb centre rep called me and ask to meet me in person . I was really surprised and he told me back then that big companies with staff of more then 5 are struggling to fit 2 boilers per month .....
So he was thinking that I have managed to sell 10 WB boilers to customers and he wanted to know how I have done it ...(him thinking that I was working in Northampton ) as this brand here is not popular at all for some reason . I was told all local plumbers are fitting Ideal boilers and some other cheap boilers .
Thank you for your help .
I have never heard of this company , but then I dont know anyone round here at all ......

I did speak to a plumber once at plumb centre and he ask me if I was looking for some extra work as he had too much them days ...... I said sure bring it on .....then he mentioned £120 ........and I just wished him lovely day ......then he said well this is not london mate what are you expecting .....I then mentioned that I am good worker and I know what I am doing +fully tooled up+van and insurance and I will not be looking to earn someone a good profit If I dont get my self anything near/or £200 per day ....
When I moved here some one from the forum that is from near hear did say will give me some work , I think his name was Paul but I am not sure as it was over 6 months ago ....I did speak to him over the phone invited him to have a paint and get to know me in person so we can have a chat about him giving me some work .....but then he never called back , I called him once and on the second time left him a voice mail but he never got back to me.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Sorry to hear you're having difficulty with work Stan.

Unfortunately I have no suggestions for you as the only advertising I do is through yell.com. Brought me a fair bit.

Just looked at checkatrade, nearest other to me is 9 miles away. Wondering if it might be worth a punt. How does advertising with them work?

Have you tried putting yourself on freeindex Stan?

No Tom , I have not register with any of them companies tbh , and I dont know how it works .....

 

[Rickster123]

Sorry stan I'm being thick. Are you living in Northampton but looking to work back in London? What part of London mate?

 

[EPH]

99% of my installs are Worcester and were fitting about 27 in the next 3 months. When I was there it was whatever was on offer in Plumb Center or one of the independent retailers.

Loads of C&M Brittony went in for landlords, I can't imagine any are still working now, but they did take us out to France on the beer!

As far as I know the building trade is on its backside there so hats bound to have a knock on effect, £120 a day isn't amazing.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Adam I have been going back in London ever since I have moved out of London . I have been everywhere to be honest and I am doing a gas run and a boiler service tomorrow in Wandsworth again . My work is mainly in Ruislip West London ....But then I have been in the north and north west of london .
I am happy to go back to London every day as I do understand that this is where the work is , but here is the place in Hackelton for my boy to go to primary school for the next 6 years

 

[TBServices]

Free index is a free listings site, where the customer writes a description of what they want doing. Then the lead gets emailed/text to a select group of advertisers who then decide whether or not to follow up on the lead.

Yell.com cost me £150 per year and has brought me at least 4k worth of work, if not more.

 

[Rickster123]

There's a load of boiler changes going on in slough and Staines if you are interested mate? I can have a word at work if you want. Easy swaps, prices aren't life changing but its steady money.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

london is only 45min drive on M1 which for me is not a big deal , however yes it does makes me tired but when I am working for my self I can finish work at 3pm and be in the van by 3:45pm and happy get home by 5pm (if there is not a accident on M1 )

 

[SafeGasInstall]

99% of my installs are Worcester and were fitting about 27 in the next 3 months. When I was there it was whatever was on offer in Plumb Center or one of the independent retailers.

Loads of C&M Brittony went in for landlords, I can't imagine any are still working now, but they did take us out to France on the beer!

As far as I know the building trade is on its backside there so hats bound to have a knock on effect, £120 a day isn't amazing.

you have work booked up for the next 3 months up front !!!

That is amazing !!!

Well done

 

[tamz]

45 minutes to find the van! Where do you park it Stan? Milton Keynes :lol:

 

[SafeGasInstall]

There's a load of boiler changes going on in slough and Staines if you are interested mate? I can have a word at work if you want. Easy swaps, prices aren't life changing but its steady money.

Cheers Adam , I will let you know about that contract !! Much appreciated it !
I thought you were never liking foreigners ?