Has anyone considered creating a myspace page for their business? It could be in addition to or instead of a real web site.
We don’t have a real web site but I think I’m going to start a myspace. I already started it, I just have to start putting the info and pics on it when I get time. For now it’s set to private and says “under construction.” If I can’t get it to look professional I’ll abandon the whole thing.
What do you think people will think when they ask if we have a web site and I give them a myspace address? Cheap? Unprofessional?
I like the thought of myspace because I can change it and add pics whenever I want. I don’t have that kind of understanding to do that on a website and I don’t want to pay someone every time I want to make a change. And on the plus side myspace is free.
What do ya think?
Legal Disclaimer: The preceeding comments are for entertainment purposes only and are in no way to be construed as professional advice. The reader of these comments agrees to hold harmless the poster, EJCinc, from any and all claims that EJCinc offered professional advice, ideas, or comments to the reader that may or may not have resulted in the damage, injury, or death to the readers property or person.
Replies
Cheap & Unprofessional
Spring for your own site.
I'm with Toni.
Then again, I felt an AOL email addy for my business was cheap and unproffessional.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Edited 3/12/2008 12:26 pm ET by JDRHI
ej.... i don't have a web site.... but i do contemplate one now and then
i also contemplate my navel now and then... that hasn't changed either
any advertising is better than no advertising... sounds like tgny & jay are jealous 'cause they didn't think of it first... i know i am
i would guess the content will tell more about wether it's cheap and in bad taste than the location
go get 'em tiger... and post us a link so we can tell you what we really think about itMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I don't buy that, bad advertising can do harm to your business.
If you want to invoke professionalism, don't do something amateurish.
Myspace is a social networking site largely established and used by teenagers. I personally would never hire the services of someone who directed me there to view their work unless it was my nephew showing off projects from his HS class.For example in NYC there is this locksmith who leaves their cards and stickers everywhere. Everybody curses them and universally claim they will never use them.
A lot of teenagers, that's true.
Also a lot of thirty somethings on there too.
Like I said I'm not going to plaster the address all over. If someone happens to stumble upon it, great. If someone asks where they can see more about us, I'll mention it. Maybe I'll take their age into consideration before I do though.Legal Disclaimer: The preceeding comments are for entertainment purposes only and are in no way to be construed as professional advice. The reader of these comments agrees to hold harmless the poster, EJCinc, from any and all claims that EJCinc offered professional advice, ideas, or comments to the reader that may or may not have resulted in the damage, injury, or death to the readers property or person.
You've got two new "crushes".http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
It's set to private right now until I get some time to put all our info and pics on there.
Of course I'll have you guys check it out first and give me your opinions. You know you have to have your own page to be able to see pics on someone elses page? Better get started.
http://www.myspace.com/EmilChernickyAndSons
I don't plan on putting the address in any of our advertising. It's just something I think people will stumble onto, maybe? And when someone asks me if we have a website I can tell them to go there and check out our pics.Legal Disclaimer: The preceeding comments are for entertainment purposes only and are in no way to be construed as professional advice. The reader of these comments agrees to hold harmless the poster, EJCinc, from any and all claims that EJCinc offered professional advice, ideas, or comments to the reader that may or may not have resulted in the damage, injury, or death to the readers property or person.
well... i did get to see the video of Heidi Klum & Will Farrel... so it was a good tripMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Why would you think an AOL address was unprofessional? I have a hotmail address and think that is a little unpro. I'm looking into a new ISP and will change my email if I go with them.
There was just an article in Builder or Professional Builder one of those mags that said more builders are using these social networking sites to advertise.
Maybe facebook or linkedin would seem a little more professional??
I'm probably a bit younger than most on here and I see my generation using these sites more and more. But I sure don't want to look unprofessional to the old crowd with money.Legal Disclaimer: The preceeding comments are for entertainment purposes only and are in no way to be construed as professional advice. The reader of these comments agrees to hold harmless the poster, EJCinc, from any and all claims that EJCinc offered professional advice, ideas, or comments to the reader that may or may not have resulted in the damage, injury, or death to the readers property or person.
Why would you think an AOL address was unprofessional?
Same reason you feel "hotmail" is unpro I suppose. An AOL addy looks to me as though someone is using they're personal email address for business purposes. Like the guys who use they're home phone as a business # as well.
I don't visit myspace pages all too often. The few that I have seen, look childish and unprofessional. But even if you could build a professional looking page, I think that the stereotype would still be there. It is after all a social networking site....not professional networking.
I'm not terribly bullish on websites to begin with though. I realize the web is used more and more by folks for more and more reasons everyday. But personally, I don't see a whole lotta people using it to find their contractor. Most people I deal with prefer a local crew with ties to the immediate community. But that is also the type of client I look for and a selling point that I have incorporated.
The web is world wide. I, am not. So, to me, my efforts are better spent focusing on my target area.
The old sign in the front yard, will lead to more business referals than some fancy webpage ever could.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
The web is world wide. I, am not. (quote)Yeah, my old site was full of stuff and pretty well layed out, (even though I did it myself) Every inquiry I received was from another state or so far away that I couldn't righteously build a house there without a boatload of headaches. I gave up on the idea and just referred locals to it after the chit chat so they could get an idea of my work (something a picture folder could have done as well) overall....fun, but a waste of time when it comes to getting business.
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
My thought would be.......what would be on your business card
I had on mine http://www.jjwalters.com on the bottom after all the normal stuff
You'd have something like http://www.myspace/136254/ejclinic12h43.com
What do you think?
Websites are cheap if you make it yourself and there is plenty of software out there to use. I think My site averaged like 10.00 a month or less. Regardless of what you do don't expect to generate much business........word of mouth is all that really consistently works.
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
If your target market is teenage girls and guys showing off the latest tricked out ghetto rides, then myspace is fine.
But if you are looking to have a serious web presence for your business, then I'd suggest an actual web site. That way you can have your own domain (http://www.ejcinc.com or whatever suits you), plus the ability to have a mail account of your choosing, like [email protected]
Now, if you are looking for an easy way to post photos of projects, make updates to the site text, have an easy way to add new pages, etc. my suggestion would be to look into a content management system (CMS). That will do all that and a hundred times more. They are driven by a database and can be as simple or elaborate as you'd like. Need to manage a mailing list and send out a notice of a new property, recent bath remodel, or a spring special? Create a mailer, add some photos, and get it out to everyone on your client list. All from right within your site.
You can find products from Microsoft that will do this, but you'll pay dearly. I work with open source applications (meaning something other than Microsoft) where you can pick up the code for free or a very insignificant sum, and design away to my heart's content. Want something extremely powerful? Look into Joomla or Drupal. Want something a little friendlier, but with more limitations? Look at Wordpress. Any of those will allow you to do the basics of setting up a site and posting photos.
And, to answer your question, I would never consider a contractor for work on my house that had a myspace web site as their main presence.
Hope that's helpful.
Ej.....Roman is giving you good advice. Roman....you work with linux?
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
Yeah, Linux is all I do on the server side.When I started my company I was way too poor to afford anything from Bill Gates. And I saw the light about how much faster and flexible it is to have developers around the globe working to make a project better.Still haven't broken away to Linux or Mac for my laptop though :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
Linux is the boss. I just bought a new puter with Vista installed, but after I play with it for awhile, I'm goin back to Ubuntu.....much nicer.Gimp is free...and great. Open Office is free and better than Micro office.......etc. etc.....but what's with the games issue?
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
If you're going the free way, try something like Blogger from Google. Then it's (yourname).blogspot.com. Seems a little simpler. Also it would seem less of a stigma (to me anyway). Supports a lot of stuff as well, easy to post to if you're a Googler already, support for Google Analytics if you want to track visitors, etc.
Just my $.02
~TBone
I'm going to be blunt (because no one around here ever is)
A myspace page would be a waste of time and possibly detrimental to your business. As a customer, I would not want to see photos on a myspace page, I would assume I'm working with a teenager (no offense andyfew)
That goes the same with email addresses. You can get a dedicated web address for less than $100 a year. You don't have to have a website but you can still have an email address like:
ej @ ejcinc . com.
There are also software programs out there that are relatively easy to manage if you do want to create your own site (http://www.coffeecup.com).
Jump into the modern age and get a real website with real email addresses.
joe
What wasn't blunt with post #2.
I stand corrected.
Actually, I think you were blunt.
I think I was more poignant.
LOL. Thanks. The important thing is that we are both saying the same thing to the OP.
godaddy.com
register your domain name and get your email addresses out the wazoo.
Invest your time into your own website. Time is money, right.
Word of mouth is the best advertising and comes with some level of screening. But with a good website you can use it as a portfolio saving the expense of trifolds or what have you. and you can update it at will and not be stuck with outdated materials.
To keep my biz card less cluttered I refer people for samples of my work to the domain name included in my email address (vs. listing the web site and listing the email address.)
If you want to capture the myspace croud you can list your "real" website on your myspace page to direct those people to it. I would not use myspace as your only, or primary, web presence.
Well, no one else has mentioned it yet but above and beyond the other viewpoints, don't you have to have a Myspace account ot login and see other folks pages?
I don't know as I don't have a page but I do know many folks my age 30s and 40s that do. But for folks that didn't have a login, they probably are not going to go establish an account just to see your page.
Just my two cents of course
Mike
I think it's a bad idea. I understand your desire to easily switch pics but I think myspace is the wrong choice.
Another option might be a simple website that store picures. For instance, my son just sent me a link to an album that he created with his Picassa program. It's a step above myspace and it's probably relatively easy to link too from your main site. You could create countless folders there with all the pics you need to get your point across.
There are lots of ways to store pics on the net and make them available.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
I pay $288/yr for web hosting and 5 email addresses. I'm making at least one sale a month off my site ($200-$300 each time) and it's far from complete. It's also been invaluable as a reference tool for selling contracting jobs.
Plenty of guys around here to help you build your own site and I find doing that way more entertaining than fooling with myspace or facebook. But, I don't have a favorite color or rap singer either, so I may be biased.
http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
Funny,I was sure you were big into SnoopyDoggyDog.
I was sure you were big into SnoopyDoggyDog.
He's my favorite actor. http://grantlogan.net/
But you all knew that. I detailed it extensively in my blog.
these guys are jealous,i saw a major corp the other day had a my space.your just on the leading edge.
by the way if you talk to any girls,get there age ,we don't want to see you on 20/20.lol
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Hey, the Gov of NY's little sweetie has a MySpace page too. Want have a my business advertised right beside hers, bring in the big time spenders.
And if I read right didn't that bring in $85,000!
You probably get better info regarding this then I do here in Iowa so my numbers might be iffy.
Doug
Somehow I doubt you would be willing to provide the same service as she did for that 80K.
Hey, the Gov of NY's little sweetie has a MySpace page too.(quote)You wouldn't happen to know what it is would you? I'm curious as to what she has that can demand that kind of price.......just window shopping, you know....
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
ask and ye shall receive:
http://www.myspace.com/ninavenettaRegarding your comments about Asia in the other thread, the cost, appearance and frequency of what I saw in China recently sure paled in comparison to here....
Well..the govs a bigger fool than I thought......400.00 max for a rich guy even.You wait, she's a smart gal...pretty soon she'll join the long line of happy hookers who have gotten famous after being revealed cavorting with a rich and famous male idiot......
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet
Xaviera where are you now....
pretty soon she'll join the long line of happy hookers who have gotten famous after being revealed cavorting with a rich and famous male idiot......
guess who was the #1 selling/requested musician yesterday?
Doug
Your not looking at this from all the angles:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8D0E2ofoFQjust for research purposes
Barry E-Remodeler
I don't know man, for 4500.00 bucks I could buy me an entertainment center that would last a lot longer than the 10 or so seconds he spent using his.
You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.......Warren Buffet