Web site usefulness

[Rex Mann]

I have been re-thinking my website. Not the design, but the productivity or effectiveness of it. Six years ago, no paver companies had a website in Phoenix. Now everyone has a site. Back in the day, prospects were impressed to see we had a website. And, it helped get a lot of revenue for our business. Now we may be perceived as "just another company with a flashy website". Therefore, we are trying to create a unique website, which will showcase our experince, inform our visitors and ultimately influence their decsion making process. How to accomplish this task.. Not so much be design but, by allowing visitors to link to social media that is topical to our industry or company. By connecting to the popular social media sites out there, we can let our prospects' peers influence them in their decision making process. In doing this, we are creating a brand for our company. Remember, branding is not the same as advertising. We are trying to make the website visit memorable. Of course, we hope to generate sales from these changes. But, we also want the visitors to take the information back to their choice of social internet sites and pass it on within their network.

Anyone doing this? in house or contracted out.

http://PaversInstalled.Com

[Mbella]

Rex, what social media are your visitors able to link to?

[Rex Mann]

I have not linked any social media as of yet. The big 4 are face book, my space. youtube and twitter. Then many more that are under the radar. I want to link to 3 of the big 4 and a couple that are under the radar.

Peace.

http://PaversInstalled.Com

[stoneguy]

My site will be including a twitter link. The site will be ready by the end of February. I will post a link here. The thing that I am most impressed by is the "Estimate Request" form. It appears on all the pages and once the customer clicks send it sends my Blackberry a message that says "New Lead". This way I can call them within seconds of posting there request.

[joeymaze]

Hey Stone guy,
Thats great that you will be getting your site up and running. The most important thing to do though is make sure it is optimized so people will find it. Especially important in your area(Chicagoland). The competition has to be fierce there.

[stoneguy]

WOW...Joey you nailed it. Fierce is exactly what it is. It is brutal. Why do you think I choose not to display my logo and what my company name is here in the forum. I am afraid my comp is watching. :spy: I will post a link here with my site though once it is complete.

[joeymaze]

Cool look forward to it!

[MuirView Design]

WOW...Joey you nailed it. Fierce is exactly what it is. It is brutal. Why do you think I choose not to display my logo and what my company name is here in the forum. I am afraid my comp is watching. :spy: I will post a link here with my site though once it is complete.

Yeah, I think Southeast PA has to be some of the thickest competition for landscaping/hardscaping in the country, but I don't find the need to hide behind aliases or fake names....and I know for a fact that I compete in the same market with at least a dozen guys on this forum. I think in the end those that set themselves apart will shine regardless. I'd say in our business, more than half the guys stay as far away from computers as they can and I'd say only about 10% or less are surfing forums doing research every night. Hanging around places like this will only make you better....hopefully this is a place everyone can feel at ease and be themselves.

Another thing I might add, by just being myself, a lot of guys whom I've met on these and similar forums have turned out to be great friends and even though we may technically compete in the same market, I feel we've always got each others backs. If I were worried about guys "spying" on me, I would never have been able to surround myself with good quality people who are in the same business and go through the same struggles. It makes you feel a part of something a little bigger and makes a lonely business a little less lonely.

[stoneguy]

Since late October last year we have been re-developing our company. The website is almost complete. I was planing on posting my info here once complete. We have been in business for many year and it was time for a face lift. Pardon me for waiting until my change is complete, did want to appear half-assed.

True, this site is full of people trying to better themselves and the industry.

[MuirView Design]

No worries Stoneguy. Looking forward to seeing the site as I am working out a total redo of mine as well. My point earlier was just to suggest everyone be comfortable enough in the forum to feel like they can be themselves. If you've been on some of the other forums out there, I think you'll find this to be the most professional, but yet brutally honest of them all. I can say without question that this site, and the guys on here, have made me into a better and more well rounded professional hardscaper.

[Rex Mann]

Still working on implementing the social media sites and my
website. Reading a good book on the SM topic.
"Social Media Bible". Lots of great insight and ideas.
Now I just need the time to finish my plan and put
into place.

Peace,

Rex Mann
http://paversinstalled.com