How to make your website effective

Essentially your new website is a profile all about you and your company. How to make it effective? Friendly & Nice - It is the personal information that helps you stand out as open and honest. You will find this repeated a number of times in the text that follows. This is so important that I have put a reference to it in nearly all the following parts, just in case some of you decide to read only one part, it is guaranteed that you get the message! In the old days when customers had the choice of a few names in the phone book to choose from everyone was equal and it was down to how you dealt with the customers when they called you that either resulted in more work or not. Clearly if someone called when you were stressed or busy they would not have received as good a customer experience as if they called when you were celebrating something good! By taking time to write a good profile you can ensure that the customer experience you provide is always agreeable. I promise you this is the best way to win work. If the customer feels confident about you before they even call you they are much more likely to buy from you and this affinity with the customer reduces the likelihood of this relationship deteriorating during the work making complaints and problems far less likely. A stress free job in a friendly environment is so much more productive!

About us. Write a little history about how and when you started your business. What type of jobs you like doing best, how your business has grown or just how you enjoy what you do. Above all give them an idea of why you are in business.

Description. Detail about what you do and who you are. Give an idea of how big your company is, is it just you or do you have a number of people in your company. What is your key to success. Why do you like doing what you do. It is the personal information that helps our users stand out as open and honest. Imagine you are writing the profile for your granny to read ;) many business books, especially those focussing on the psychology of marketing are adamant that people always buy people rather than services or products. That is why the tools we provide within your website help you focus on delivering that personal touch.

Gallery. Here is your chance to impress. Upload pictures of your best work. Let your customers see exactly how good you are at delivering the dream. This backs up what you have said in your description and about us sections. You really are the one for the job when you can show the quality of your work in pictures as well as words.

Testimonials - Got some previous customers that thought you were really good? Ask some of them if they would be willing to write a couple of complementary lines about you then include these in your testimonials section along with the first name of the person who wrote them and the town they are in.

References. Obvious really, but be sure to include the names and location of anyone who has agreed to provide references for you. Do not include their contact details here as we don't want them to be swamped with calls! If customers want to take up references then you can give them the contact details as necessary. I suggest that is not before you have quoted for their job!

Trade association memberships. These help customers believe that you are trustworthy and reliable. If you are a member of any trade association then mention it here. If you are not and you leave it blank then the section will not appear on your page. There is nothing worse than empty sections!

Type of work usually done. If you're a construction company then list Bathrooms, kitchens, extensions, loft conversions, or if you're a Gardener then perhaps list Landscaping or maintenance. Whatever it is that you do most, include it here. If a customer sees that you have listed the type of job they have they are far more likely to choose you to do theirs!

Your terms and conditions of business. We recommend that if you have them you should certainly take the time to upload them. It gives you a more professional look and reduces the chances of any misunderstanding between you and the customer later.