iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Can you get a better marketing deal than this? And help the FF?

Started by Brucer, April 24, 2009, 10:21:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Brucer

I've never had to advertise before. For 3 years my main customer let me set up on his property, bought logs by the truckload, and had me saw them up for his timber framing business. I got as much of his business as I could handle.

Last winter he got stiffed by two major clients and has no money to buy logs, so now I'm on my own. I've got logs and land, but no business. I have to advertise over a large area because my tiny city is too small to support me with local business.

I decided to become one of Jeff's "Shameless Commerce Links". All I can say is, I'm in awe.

I contacted Jeff 5 days ago to tell him I wanted to do this. He asked me for some information, which I fired back to him ASAP. After that we exchanged a few e-mails as he asked for more details.

Yesterday at noon I received an e-mail from Jeff, sent via my newly created web page, asking me to have a look at it. Awesome! There's not one thing I would want to change. It's simple, elegant, and says exactly what I want potential customers to see. Jeff suggested that in a couple of days we would see if it was showing up on Google.

Couple of days?? SIX HOURS LATER my site was showing up on Google's first page. I'm not talking about searching for my business by name, either. I typed in some keywords about my product, plus my general region.

I don't think people appreciate the power of the Forestry Forum website. Because there is so much daily traffic, with multiple visits from a great many users, it ranks very high on search engines. It doesn't matter that the link to my page is tucked away in the corner of main Forestry Forum page. What matters is that when someone searches for my products and services in my little corner of the world, they are going to find me.

How much? For $180 per year I get a web page, designed by Jeff (or a link to an existing webpage) (who in my opinion does a far better job than a lot of highly paid web developers). I get a separate contact page that keeps my e-mail address out of sight where the spammers can't find it. And I get a really high ranking on Google searches. This took 4 days!

I get first rate advertising when I need it most, and I get to help the Forestry Forum weather the tough times as well. Does it get better than that?
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

woodmills1

James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Wildflower

Co-owner of The Forestry Forum.

woodmills1

James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Brucer

My son-in-law and I have been playing with Google to see what types of searches bring my page up near the top of the list. Some I'm a little surprised at, some are as I hoped.

One of the interesting ones is when I go looking for Timber-framers in my region. That's a useful search because I cater to timber-framers. Someone who wants a timber-frame built may come across my site and contact me. I can then refer them to one of the timber-framers in this area (who just happens to buy wood from me ;D ). Or they might well say, "Nope, he doesn't build timber-frames", and go on to find someone who does. But there's a chance they'll mention my service to the timber-framer they do select.

When I did this search, I found myself in #3 spot, ahead of a timber-framer that's been in business for years -- and who owns a sawmill. In other words, one of my competitors.

At the end of the day what matters, of course, is how much business I get from this web page. I have high hopes.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

TheWoodsman

2009 Wood-Mizer LT40HDG28, WM-DH4000 dry kiln, & lots of other great "toys"

I am the Woodsman, the four-wheelin', tree-farmin', custom-furniture-makin' descendant of Olaf "The Woodcutter" Ingjaldsson.

beenthere

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Brucer

Quote from: TheWoodsman on April 26, 2009, 02:41:50 PM
Do we get to checkout your site ?? :P
I was kinda hoping people would use a few clues from my post and then use Google to look for it.  ;)

In any case, beenthere's given us the link so I don't need to repeat it.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Fla._Deadheader


It's probably just me, but, I typed in Timber Frame British Colombia, and did not find your site in the first 10 pages of Google ???

  My search skills are VERY lacking  ::) ::) ::) ::) ??? ??? ???
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Jeff

Google is pretty fickle. Being in costa rica you might get total different results then in the states. In fact I would bet on it, but I'm not getting the site in a search right now either. Don't know whats up with that, but I've learned that when it comes to google and search returns, never think you have it figured out.

Tammy gets different results on her computer then I get on mine because she visits different sites then me.  Plus, new sites on google will sometimes appear and disappear at random for the first few weeks. I think they call it the sandbox effect or something. You never know how something is going to list until it does.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Fla._Deadheader


  OK. As a ferinstance, I did this same search earlier, and only got 10 pages to show. This time, it had 19 and maybe more pages to look under. ???

  Just trying to understand the search stuff, IF that's possible.
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

beenthere

Just for info, I didn't find it in the first 11 pages of Google.

Maybe didn't give it the right stimulus...ah, that must be it in today's world.  ;D ;D ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Brucer

When I checked this out, I got highly variable results, depending exactly what I typed in. "Timberframers Kootenays" got me right up near the top of the first page. "Timber framer Kootenays" had me on the second page. Now I'm pages and pages back. Even the name of the business doesn't get me near the front.

Strangely enough, I'm getting links directly to the forestry forum on some of my searches. I'm also starting to show up on Wood-Mizer's site.

My goal was to get hits from people searching in the Kootenay region of BC -- that's a practical area for me to supply.

In any event, it's early days and I'm not too worried.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Jeff

Dead header broke it.  :D

You cant ever get to concerned about what google does as you have no control over it. Time will tell.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

DoubleD

Try to search with sawmilling timber frame BC  ;)

Davide  ;D
Wannabe a sawmiller

Jeff

One of them google things we aint meant to understand. Now its back and better then it was. Kootenay sawmill brought it up number one for me.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Fla._Deadheader


I understand it's all discretionary.

  What gets me is, on Craigslist, I can type in a specific word, and get a BUNCH of stuff that is not even remotely related to what I am searching for, and NOT get ANY of what I am searching for.  ::) ::) ??? ???

  And y'all wonder why I get lost on these computaters  ::) ::) ::) ;D ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Roxie

Say when

oldsaw

So many trees, so little money, even less time.

Stihl 066, Husky 262, Husky 350 (warmed over), Homelite Super XL, Homelite 150A

Brucer

I like it, too  :).

Credit for the design goes entirely to Jeff. I sent him some words and phrases that I wanted the search engine to hit on, plus my logo and 3 pictures (figuring he'd pick one of them). Quality of 2 of the pictures was not exactly terrific. I had no idea what he'd come up with, and I figured there'd be a little give and take before we got it "right".

What you see is what he did for me, straight out of the box, no alterations. Where Jeff got the panorama behind the business name, I don't know. Been meaning to ask him. He found a way to highlight my best photo and use the other two effectively.

Can you tell I'm pleased?  ;D ;D ;D

PS. I managed to read part of a book on Google before my son-in-law had to return it to the library. It seems that instead of using a few mainframe computers, they use a whole heck-of-a-lot of PC based servers. In fact, they have so many computing centres and they keep adding them so fast, no one can give an accurate count of how many they actually own/lease. I suspect it takes a while for new site rankings to sift through the whole system.


Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

WH_Conley

I'm pretty well pleased with this one too

http://www.stonehillhardwoods.com/

Come on Brucer, tell us what you really think. :D :D

Bill

oakiemac

Brucer, I agree 100% with what you said. If you have a business, in todays world you are making a mistake if you don't have a website. One of the best ways to get you site up on the search engines is to put it on the Forum. It amazes me that more people arent on the shameless link program but I guess that is less competition for me.
For example, I'm selling cherry and maple to a cabinet shop in MO, Poplar to a company in IN, and I've sold hardwoods to BC. All by people that have found me through the internet.
It truly is a small world anymore.
Mobile Demension sawmill, Bobcat 873 loader, 3 dry kilns and a long "to do" list.

Jeff

I think Oakimac was one of the first member sites I built. I think the very first was Paul_H's for Halray Logging, but when Paul sold the company the website wasn't needed any longer.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

I see we still have you number one for a hickory and oak search. :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Brucer

Quote from: WH_Conley on April 28, 2009, 12:35:12 AM
I'm pretty well pleased with this one too

http://www.stonehillhardwoods.com/


I sure like that one ;). That's one of the sites that convinced me that Jeff would be a good person to go to for this. I have some strong feelings about web design. As it happens, Jeff's designs meet all my personal criteria.

Stumpy's site convinced me that Jeff knew how to tweak google ratings.

Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Thank You Sponsors!