Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello,

     My website launched in August, and I received LOADS of great advice when I last posted.   The website is called www.JobSiteJoe.com, and its designed to help connect homeowners in need of home and garden estimates with local professionals in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.   Its key feature:  "Joe`s Estimator" where a Homeowner uploads an "estimate request" with their first name, phone number, email address, city, job category, time to call, job details, etc.  I`ve had plenty of press/media exposure in the local area and continue to have average traffic to the site (never enough of course).  

      Thanks to the advice I got last time, I`m on AM and FM radio and even have some short TV commercials on HGTV and another channel. 

     My goal is to get the website to the next level -- self-sustainment, where more homeowners and businesses are regularly drawn to the site.  I already try to foster return interest:  I upload home repair/improvement interest stories on the site daily, and I have an "Ask a Joe" technical question bulletin board which receives modest traffic.  I`ve also tried an online giveaway, but now I`m looking for something more interactive which will make people want to visit the site throughout the day.   There are 1.6 million people in the Hampton Roads area, and plenty of construction / remodeling / landscaping to facilitate online discussion, exhange, ideas, etc.   

      Similar to StartUpNation.com, I`d like for JobSiteJoe.com to become the online area venue for local homeowners and handymen to flock to, meet, communicate via, network, help others, etc -- A vibrant Hampton Roads H&G forum.  

      Would appreciate any advice you may have to help me take this to the next level!  Thank you!

Mike

   

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Michael Crockett Founder www.JobSiteJoe.com "Find a Pro at JobSiteJoe.com" Hampton Roads Virginia

Sustained traffic is good, but the only problem I would think you have would be that instead of people telling their friends about the site, they might tell their friends about the actual person that ended up doing their work. 

The challenge with a local community is that they might think it would be easier to network face to face etc. 

One way you could promote it locally is go to community events/expos and have boths or ads there.  There are probably renovation type events in your area that might be of interest.


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Smart Capitalist | Coffee Shop Funding | Tyler Weaver Personal Blog

"Jellynet,"

Great points, and yes, there are definitely homearama or home and garden events here which I plan on getting involved in.   Also, the face to face thing will definitely happen as you mentioned, but I hope the website will continue to help small businesses and homeowners meet (it already has many times over).  

While AngiesList.com helps homeowners get the biz rep on a plumbing company, for example, JobSiteJoe (primarily) helps homeowners get actual phone calls or emails from companies (and more than one estimate). 

Thanks very much for you advice!  

Sincerely,

Mike 

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Michael Crockett Founder www.JobSiteJoe.com "Find a Pro at JobSiteJoe.com" Hampton Roads Virginia

An awful lot of people listen to talk radio these days. From what I understand, limited though it is, the ad rates aren`t that expensive for AM radio....are they?

I can see that when someone gets a contractor-handyman, they`d then refer that person directly to their friends. But if you have a never-ending presence on the talk shows, just a 15-30 second commercial, I`m thinking you`d likely continue to get new visitors. Somewhere along the line, there`d be a crossover point.

The crossover would be when too many jobs were coming to individual contractors, in which case the new customer would "have to" go to the Web site to put up the request. Right? I`m not sure what this crossover point is called in formal terms, but it seems to me that you`ll want to bring a flood of customers to the site, provide good service, make the experience satisfying, and then people will "make a note" and come back later when they need more work.

CraigL,

     Thanks for the info, and yes, I`m a big fan of AM radio for advertising.   Your comments are thought-provoking, especially the part about the cross-over point.

Here`s my basic challenge:

1.  Increase traffic to the site via targeted or out-of-the-box marketing/ads

2.  Build a community environment that brings people back because it`s both fun and interesting

~ Mike

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Michael Crockett Founder www.JobSiteJoe.com "Find a Pro at JobSiteJoe.com" Hampton Roads Virginia

Hi Mike,

Mike I like your site and ideas.

Mike have you thought of purchasing online forum software for you site. This way site visitors can join and become members.

Then members could have live access to questions competitions promotions etc. through the forum.

See the software to do this http://www.phpfox.com/index.php

See example of software working http://www.bizpreneur.com/signup.php?refer=rexiedexie

 

 

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Regards Michael Clayton (rexiedexie)

My Affiliate Articles & Web Page Traffic

Rexidexie,

     Have not considered this, but I`ll definitely check it out!  Sounds interesting.

Thanks!

Mike

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Michael Crockett Founder www.JobSiteJoe.com "Find a Pro at JobSiteJoe.com" Hampton Roads Virginia

What makes a site "fun and interesting?" Are you looking for an entertainer? If you`re a nightclub and want to bring in more people, you hire a band or comedian. Can you do that on a Web site? LOL!

Think about it: a Web site isn`t all that different from a nightclub, really. You can drive traffic to the site with seearch lights, advertising, signs, promos, gimmicks, and so on and so on and so on. So what?

So you get 1,000 people there the opening night, or some other secondary opening night. Then what?

People have lots of ideas about how to get visitors to view a site. So too, people have plenty of marketing ideas to get people to visit a restaurant, nightclub, or store. But it all boils down to what those people find when they arrive.

You might consider a rating system for the local handymen? How does anyone know if someone`s good at what they do? Word of mouth. Isn`t that what eBay did, originally, by having a rating system? The downside is grudges, and weighted averages where a single bad rating produces an "apparent" problem that doesn`t actually exist.

But a forum? About what? And why would anyone care if they can turn on "This Old House" and every other clone?

I don`t go to Portillo`s for the entertainment. I go for the high-quality burgers, Italian sausage, and hot dogs. If I want entertainment, I can go to Hooter`s. The thing is I don`t much go to Hooter`s, but I sure do go to Portillo`s a lot! And if I can`t afford the price, I miss it. I wait until I can afford it again, then I`m right back there, lined up for my really good burger!