Avoid Having a Bad Website

In this day and age, you must have a website. Most consumers are going to search for your services through a search engine before they ever communicate with you directly. If you don't have a website, you may lose a potential customer to a competitor who does. On top of that, a website can be a direct line of communication between you and a potential customer.

Maybe you think creating a website will be too hard, or too expensive. It doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Dozens of companies have stepped forward to make website creation easier and more affordable. If you can set up an answering machine, you can learn how to edit your website yourself, too.

According to the non-profit organization SCORE, "Just 51% of small businesses have websites". You read that right. Nearly half of all small businesses in the United States DO NOT have a website.

Some business owners think they don't need a website because they are a local business.  However, 97% of consumers search online for products & services, and more than half of searches are local. People will (or won't) find your business online before they ever go (or don't go) to your business. Bottom line, you need a website.

Not having a website is probably one of the biggest mistakes a business can make. Second to that is having a bad website. One of the first things that a potential customer does when needing a product or service is research the various businesses online.  

Customers typically want to know 3 things about a business:

1. credibility
2. pricing
3. contact information

By not having a website at all, their first impression might be that the business is fly-by-night. A similar impression is made if the business has a bad website. Customers want to hire professionals, so when they find that a business has a bad or unprofessional website, it gives them the impression that the business is also unprofessional.

Tip: Do you have a compelling headline to get a website viewer's attention?

A bad website might also have additional pitfalls that irritate the customer, such as:

• No useful information about products or services offered.
• Slow page loads web pages should load in less than 1 second.
• Unintuitive or broken navigation if the navigation does not work properly, customers will leave the website really quickly.
• Malware on pages websites these days are constantly being hacked and infected with malware. Malware placed on websites then further infects visitor pc's.
• Out-of-date information.
• Broken links/pages not found.
• Website errors.

So how does one go about creating a great website and avoiding the pitfalls? The simplest and most affordable way (and things we teach at WindowCleaningBusinessCoach.com) is to:

1. Choose a managed website platform that automatically takes care of the nitty gritty website tasks for you and which is optimized for the search engines. For a small monthly fee, they provide most - if not all - of the web services and functionality that a business might need for their website, such as: anti-hacker protection, content management, e-commerce (online and mobile payments), email marketing, social media integration, website and email hosting.
2. Choose a top website developer with a track record for developing websites for window cleaning businesses.  

Your window cleaning website should include things like:

1. Your company's Unique Selling Proposition. What makes you different?
2. Before and after photos/videos of your work - a picture is worth a thousand words.
3. List services and provide as much detail about each service as possible.
4. List the areas that you serve and hours of operation.
5. Testimonials from customers.
6. Contact information and social media icons should be easily accessible.
7. A "frequently asked questions" page.
8. If you have any awards or accreditations, add those to the website footer.
9. The navigation should be intuitive, easily accessible, and be no more than "2 clicks" to get to content.
10. Include proof of liability insurance this puts customers' minds at ease, knowing that you have insurance should something go wrong.  
11. Compelling headline to get viewer's attention vs. just a logo.

The right managed website developer will bring great value to your business. My website has dominated the window cleaning market in Charlotte NC for the past several years, constantly ranking in the top 3 positions in the search engines. Not sure which way to turn with your marketing?

Whenever you're ready, here are a couple of ways I can help you...

1. Join My MILLION DOLLAR Facebook Group for Window Cleaners & Pressure Washers (you must be in the business). Go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/milliondollarwashers
2. Get a "Scale" Strategy Session. If you want some 1 on 1 help, we can jump on the phone for a free call and brainstorm and determine what is missing, broken, and needed in your business and walk you through the strategies to get you pointed in the right direction. Just click here: Calendly.com/Jim DuBois/20-minute
3. Get the 250 page crash course > My Book: How To Build A Dream Window Cleaning (Pressure Washing) Business In Record Time. Click HERE for more info. 

...and while you're at it:


Jim DuBois is founder of Squeegee Pros, Inc. out of Mooresville, NC. He is the creator of WindowWashingWealth.com, which specializes in aggressive marketing tactics, the importance of internal company systems, and how to dominate your window cleaning marketplace. All things a serial window cleaning entrepreneur should know to build a huge business. Visit the site for a Free marketing report.