ruff84 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I am just starting in the business and decided I would make my self a website. I doubt it will bring in a lot of customers, but i figured if the decision maker is trying to decide between me and another guy and I have a website and the other vendor doesn't I might seem more professional and they might choose my service. It might not help at all but for roughly $25.00 a year I figured i would give it a try. Am i getting ahead of my self? Kind of difficult for me starting out how to word everything and decide how everything should go. I may have to search around and look at other peoples websites for ideas. Should i put a full product list and prices on it? (with wording like *prices subject to change) Any helpful hints? I am wanting to get this site done by Thursday night so I can get them on my fliers and start pounding on doors on Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I have a website it never really gets any traffic but does give you some "credibility" and i have had customers get pitched for amusements then look at the side and become interested in coffee and other services I offer. I think it is a good tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruff84 Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 So how is it vending coffee? I wouldn't mind getting into that as well and could see it being pretty profitable. What do you have to do to service them? How much does a decent used machine run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I've got one that I mainly use to show potential locations what the machines look like at other locations, and have an area that shows what machines that are available to be placed immediately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 So how is it vending coffee? I wouldn't mind getting into that as well and could see it being pretty profitable. What do you have to do to service them? How much does a decent used machine run? i dont run coffee machines i just do coffee service, OCS, you wont make a killing but its a nice bit of gravy on top of a location you already have. its nice for hotel accounts you can make real decent money however now with the internet a lot are just ordering themselves from the suppliers so its hard to get them a good deal. the thing is you invoice on net 30 so you arent getting cash in hand but if its a legit business you wont have any probs getting paid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I am just starting in the business and decided I would make my self a website. I doubt it will bring in a lot of customers, but i figured if the decision maker is trying to decide between me and another guy and I have a website and the other vendor doesn't I might seem more professional and they might choose my service. It might not help at all but for roughly $25.00 a year I figured i would give it a try. Am i getting ahead of my self? Kind of difficult for me starting out how to word everything and decide how everything should go. I may have to search around and look at other peoples websites for ideas. Should i put a full product list and prices on it? (with wording like *prices subject to change) Any helpful hints? I am wanting to get this site done by Thursday night so I can get them on my fliers and start pounding on doors on Friday. Some sort of web presence is needed in this day and age. Lots of folks around here have website links in their signature lines. Do a google search for vending companies in your area, look them all over and use whatever ideas seem to work best for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I have a website--I created it myself with wordpress. It's admittedly a very basic, straightforward site, but to your original point--I think a professional image (and likely first impression) could very well mean the difference to a potential location or other company I'm looking to work with. My site personifies an image of a company I hope is strong and able to grow in the future. It was my intention to convey confidence and an overall polished and professional image. I'm from the perspective that there is no company too small to have an online presence, and with self publishing/online management tools offering small businesses with so many resources, many of them for free or very little capital investment, I think it's an extremely good idea to have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 someone help me make one! i cant get it right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I'd be happy to help. What do you need the site to do--anything special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 wow thanx! i want a simple one that if someone types in vending locally ill be there. just maybe like 5 pages. kinda like midstates, its pretty cool. i would want it to say .com tho. i tried one and they put like a stupid banana template and i couldnt do much just copy an image. midstate told me to go to google sites but heres his site midstatevending.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Send me an email--we'll set something up! cloudfoods.co/contact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKK Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 email sent on ur website, u can also text me at 915-920-7445 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Got your email! I'm going to take a look at the sites you mentioned above and I'll have some questions for you shortly (in email)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I just sent an email with more detailed information, but wanted to also reply publicly in case anyone else was thinking of creating a website for their small business. Either way you go, setting up a small business website is ultimately pretty easy--I would not hire someone to do this for me from Craigslist or anywhere else and pay more than a couple hundred bucks for something very simple. For very small operations (particularly operations without even a small budget), I'd recommend something like Google Sites. Learn more about these at sites.google.com. The URL for your site, using Google Sites, will be something like "sites.google.com/yournamehere" If you want your own domain and a more professional look and feel, I think the cheapest option would be around $4-5 a month-- depending on the website hosting you want. There are lots and lots of great hosting options out there--the ones I've had very good experiences with: HostGator and Dreamhost. If you decide to go with this option, I'm happy to help you configure your server, install Wordpress and otherwise set up your site with a professional template. If Google Sites is sufficient for what you need--it looks like the set up and everything involved with this option is pretty straightforward and easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Can I use my own domain with Google Sites? Yes you can. It just means needing to create a "CNAME" record, which most registrar companies (like GoDaddy) allows you to do freely. Here's some information from Google on how to do this: http://support.google.com/sites/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=99448 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reel Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Mission Vending, I agree with you, web presence is essential these days and lots of potential customers would rather look online in preference to picking up a telephone book. Having a website is one thing, however having it marketed properly is something else. I now have a website and i pay a company to perform seo ( search engine optimisation) on an ongoing basis, and now i have recently ramped that up to include lead generation. Building a website is the cheap part, its having the ongoing seo and lead generation done by professional is where the real cost is. I expect to be on the first page of google in the near future and i personally know that being on the first page does generate a lot of leads A friend of mine is on the front page and he does have leads coming on a consistent basis, sso yes i beleive its worthwhile.............interesting to see what others say.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Is anyone using Adwords as well as paying for seo to generate traffic to there website's? We find using Adwords to be very successful but that maybe because our market is not as competitive as it is in other area's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Mission Vending, I agree with you, web presence is essential these days and lots of potential customers would rather look online in preference to picking up a telephone book. Having a website is one thing, however having it marketed properly is something else. I now have a website and i pay a company to perform seo ( search engine optimisation) on an ongoing basis, and now i have recently ramped that up to include lead generation. Building a website is the cheap part, its having the ongoing seo and lead generation done by professional is where the real cost is. I expect to be on the first page of google in the near future and i personally know that being on the first page does generate a lot of leads A friend of mine is on the front page and he does have leads coming on a consistent basis, sso yes i beleive its worthwhile.............interesting to see what others say.. Totally agree. I personally don't do much with SEO simply because I'm pretty much maxed out in what I can do right now and am not actively looking for new accounts. That said, it seems I've got another location agreement to sign on Tuesday with a new account that found me through my chamber of commerce affiliation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruff84 Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 So I just finished putting together my first website, wasn't to difficult but it isn't anything special either. check it out and give me some feedback on what to change, what to remove, or add. http://www.4rvending.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Check the link--I can't get it to open on my browser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruff84 Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Yeah, i think it takes about an hour for it to become active. I guess i was too anxious. lol I will post back when it's up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Found this article on Vending Times and thought of everyone on this thread. http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=69A2EA91CD294807B9034B310C30F42C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Found this article on Vending Times and thought of everyone on this thread. http://www.vendingti...9034B310C30F42C Thanks for the link cloudfoods.. another site people maybe interested in is http://www.vendcentral.com/vend-central/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruff84 Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Alright my sight is up, I have noticed a few things I would like to change. Anyone else see something that could be changed for the better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 I think it's a good start. My suggestions for improvement would depend on what you plan on using the site for, and what you need it to do. From reading the "services and products" page, it appears the primary reason for the site is to provide potential locations with some more information about your service and reassurance as to the credibility of your company. If this is the case, I would consider a different background image. From the perspective of a business owner that is considering contacting your company to provide vending machines--I feel that the empty cans in the background highlights one of the negative aspects of vending. Perhaps use an image of full, non-opened product? Or somehow highlight some of the nicer machines you provide? Some images on the "services and products" page of the machines and product you offer might be nice, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.