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  Ashley Meredith October 17, 2013 at 10:03am

  My business is a one man band and I have a website, its had over 3000 views but never goten any work from it. Might shut it down next year. I advertise on gumtree and free index and other sites like those, and have goten a handful of work from them. If your one man band I wouldnt bother with the website but if you have the money try it, if your a small business I would try getting a website going and see how it goes.
  Ashley M
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  Cheltenham Garden Maintenance October 17, 2013 at 10:06am

  That's my kind of thinking it sound s like a good idea but can't see how it would bring in business, where have you advertised to get work?
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  Ashley Meredith October 17, 2013 at 10:14am

  
  
  Marcus The Gardner said:

  That's my kind of thinking it sound s like a good idea but can't see how it would bring in business, where have you advertised to get work?

  Well as its just me I post leaflets around the local areas when work dies down, local shops, I have a sign writen van, stick a board out where you work. Free advertising sites like Free index and gumtree, word of mouth is were I get most of my work as im the 'local lad' who everyone trusts.

  Ashley M
• PRO

  Brian www.mibservices.co.uk October 17, 2013 at 10:18am

  A website is essential for any sized business. It doesnt cost a lot of money. Vistaprint do them for £20.00 a month. Any business without a web presence these days is making a big mistake imo. It takes time to build them up and get ranked on google etc but thats what winter is for.

  Ashley if your not getting work from your site it cant be saying the right things for your market. 3000 hits is a fair hit rate, worth maybe looking at revamping it ??.

  Also get FB working for you, it costs nothing but your time and can be good for domestic garden work.

  Some kind of digital presence is paramount these days. Newspaper ads work for the older generation and word of mouth, but for the 20 - 40 year old customer, they would use their smart phones to look for anything needing done around the home and garden.
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  Dan Frazer Gardening October 17, 2013 at 12:05pm

  Marcus, you say you can't see how a website can bring in business... really?

  To clarify, someone goes to google and types 'gardener in Leeds', if your name pops up they are likely to call you. THAT'S how it can bring in business!
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  Cheltenham Garden Maintenance October 17, 2013 at 12:51pm

  I understand that but against the cost, another £20 a month as a new starter. I struggle to balance the benefits when I don't have much income
  
  Dan Frazer Gardening said:

  Marcus, you say you can't see how a website can bring in business... really?

  To clarify, someone goes to google and types 'gardener in Leeds', if your name pops up they are likely to call you. THAT'S how it can bring in business!
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  Dan Frazer Gardening October 17, 2013 at 3:13pm

  You can get hosting for less than £5 a month! I pay £20 hosting and £10 domain name per year, no other charges as I did the website myself (and I am NOT a computer/web/design expert). If you get ONE fortnightly job from it you'll have got sufficient payback.
• PRO

  Craig McGinty October 17, 2013 at 4:45pm

  As Brain said;

  Some kind of digital presence is paramount these days. Newspaper ads work for the older generation and word of mouth, but for the 20 - 40 year old customer, they would use their smart phones to look for anything needing done around the home and garden.

  That is your future customers who are more than willing to pass on a recommendation via email, Facebook, online forums, but only if they actually have a website address to place in the message.

  Google offer a free website building option, which can have a normal .com or .co.uk domain name,
  more here:

  http://www.google.com/sites/help/intl/en/overview.html
• PRO

  Stuart @ Eco Garden Maintenance October 17, 2013 at 5:50pm

  I made my site through the free GBBO (google and BT). Cheap as chips as it uses google sites - might be different now. All i pay is £3 per year for the domain name.

  It got off to a slow start but now i am getting quite a few good enquiries through it. Yell (Hibu) free business listing is the only other online advertising that brings me any work. My LJN blogs do rank quite highly for certain things which just goes to show the power of LJN - use it.

  By the way I am a one man band.
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  Richard Boyd October 17, 2013 at 8:29pm

  Really easy way to work out if you should have a website.
  
  Are you prepared to make sure it ranks or will you just use it to back up your off line marketing?
  
  If no to both don't bother. Why?
  
  1. If it can't be see in the results you've wasted your time/money
  2. If it is there but does not add to your credibility that's a waste of time.
  
  Why you should it is in your control, which is important. You can develop over a period of time, think of it as a never ending brochure.
  
  I could go on but they are the basic rational to think about.