Might have to call it a day...

[BradNaylor]

Steve,

I had found your website at the time I made my long reply; however I didn't know for sure that it was yours so didn't comment on it.

I think that we are now getting to the nub of your problem. No-one is finding your website when doing a search via Google!

I would be very surprised if you couldn't attract £40k worth of work a year from your local area (20 mile radius) from nothing more than a well optimised website. I guess that this would be enough to put you into profit as well as being pretty well all you could handle on your own.

The good news is that you can turn the tap on pretty well instantly. The first thing to do is to register with Google Maps.

https://www.google.com/accounts/Service ... n-GB&gl=GB

Simply follow the instructions and within a few days you will be appearing on Google searches in your area!

I would also pay for a weblink with Yell. Not only does this mean that people searching Yell can go straight to your website; it also enhances your Google visibility enormously.

My advice would be to ditch ALL your magazine advertising immediately. In 25 years of running retail furniture businesses I have wasted tens of thousands of pounds on glossy mag advertising. It is very expensive and it doesn't work!

As you have discovered.

I see that you are located on the main road between Leicester and Peterborough. Get a sign up. A big one, but keep it simple.

Ours just says 'Cabinet Makers Workshop. You draw it - we'll make it' and it works a treat. Stimulate peoples' curiosity and they will stop to see what is going on.

There is a load more you can do to get better results via your website but I've got to get to work now.

So have you!

:lol:

Cheers
Brad

 

[wizer]

Good advice as usual from Brad. Persevere with this, I'm sure things will work out.

Look for the thread on Search Engine Optimisation which Brad also offered lots of advice in.

The irony is your website is much nicer in appearance than Brads :twisted:

But it's not optimised for search engines, so it's a bit pointless.

Good luck and don't give up just yet.

 

[Digit]

By the way, Brad's bill is on its way to you for professional advise! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Stevie-Raw]

Thanks everyone, I haven't been able to see the wood for the trees (quite important if your a furnituremaker!). I clearly haven't put enough faith in the power of a website and as such from what you're saying its largely ineffective. I'm pleased you think the quality of my work is up there - other than friends and family I've had no unbaised opinions and i don't think thats helped my confidence in marketing myself.

I guess I owe it to myself to do all I can and all you have suggested before I throw in the towel.

Thanks once again for giving me some much needed advice and encouragement.
Steve

 

[matt]

Someone pleeeeeeeeeeease post a link to the web site... :roll:

 

[Stevie-Raw]

aww shucks well ok here it is..

www.steveboydfurniture.com

 

[matt]

The overall design, feel, and content of the site portrays you as the sort of person I would approach if I wanted to have a no obligation chat about getting a piece of furniture made.

So, as others have already commented, it sounds more like a case of exposure (or lack of).

Top priority:
I'd update the titles on your pages to include the areas where you think your customers are (and, in theory, are most likely to include in their searches). Also... mention bespoke hand-made joinery (in the title).

Then:
Also... add a meta description tag to your sites pages. That's the description that Google displays. If it's not there Google takes a sentence from the page. You could use a description that is most likely to get a customer to click through to your site (i.e. it's one thing being high in the search results, it's another to get someone's eye to settle on your link).

Also add some meta keywords. Google plays down the importance of keywords but if they're not there at all I think it kinda might detract (it's a small overhead to remove any doubt).

The other thought that crosses my mind, and something this forum should be able to help with, is some effective reciprocal links. From what I've read those with businesses tend to cover local areas - providing your not in direct competition by area and the service you're offering then it serves both parties to link to each other's sites and thus improve your sites "value and relevance" in Googles eyes.

Who looks after your site?

 

[Doctor]

Brad has mentioned it already, but to really bring in business it would help if you took on fitted furniture (if you already do it you need a few pictures of it)
Some people poo poo it, however think how many table commissions you would need to take on in comparision to say a £30,000 kitchen.
I do all aspects of the kitchen, appliances, granite, tiling etc but plenty just work on cabinetry only.

 

[JonnyD]

I agree with Brad and the Doc. Consider getting some images of hand built fiited furniture on there. Its considerbly easier getting a customer to part with 10K and upwards for some kitchen cabinets than it is getting a 10K order for a dining room table and chairs. I struggled like you when I set up on my own trying to get freestanding furniture commisions and as soon as I got into fitted furniture and a bit of bespoke joinery things got a lot easier financially. It may not be the way you want to develop your business but it is worth considering it.

Jon

 

[marcus]

Hi Steve,

Your site looks wonderful, nice furniture!

However...

It's worth realising that the vast majority of people out there genuinely don't give a s**t about hand-cut dovetails or hand planed surfaces. Sad but true. They also couldn't care less that you work alone or about your dog What people generally want is something that matches their taste, is not too expensive and is designed and fitted with the minimum of inconvenience. If you need to make a living from wood quickly then in the short term you will HAVE to take more account of what is important to normal (ie non-woody!) people, and address what they actually want, rather than what you want to do for them.

There are people out there who do care about true old fashioned craftsmanship, and are prepared to pay the very large premium it costs to make things to that standard but they are few and far between. I have worked for a few of them and it's a real pleasure. There are a few more who are willing to be persuaded with good salesmanship! But to make a living from the sort of work you describe on the home page is very, very, very hard.... I live in hope that it is possible, and after three years trying get the sense that it can be done - but it takes a LONG TIME, loads of commitment, and sacrifice in other areas of ones life!

For what it's worth I keep my website to attract the sort of work I <i>want</i> to do (keep the dream alive!) and advertise locally that I am available for more mundane work.....

Cheers,

Marcus

 

[Stevie-Raw]

A friend did the website for me along with the photos. My gallery needs updating as I have more examples of work to display and its clear from the constructive feedback you've all given that I need to address several areas to make it more effective.

So as of tomorrow I'm downing tools and putting my marketing hat on. Website will be revamped as soon as my mates back from his hols, Google map has been sorted and yell.com tomorrow.

I've been in the workshop today putting a final coat of oil on japanesey style elm bench ( for myself of course!) and just looking at all the stuff I've accumulated over the last 18months I reckon its got to be easier and more fulfilling to try and make this thing work than to give up now. So thats it - a decision has been made.

Thankyou all
Steve

 

[Kazsub]

Hi,

Just read this thread with interest, there has been some fantastic advice put forward and just thought I'd make a wee suggestion too.
I started my business up 18 months ago too, had a web site done and optimised for search engines which bought me a few jobs and kept me ticking over quite nicely. Recently, following a friends suggestion, I started speculatively emailing magazine editors about my work - doing my own PR really and, I have been lucky enough to have had a small write up published this month in a national magazine and have another being published june time. The one thats already out had brought me a load of enquiries from all over the country and I'm starting to get really busy and, best of all, for free.
If there is anything you have done that is perhaps a little out of the ordinary, something a features writer can get an angle on its got to be worth a go. It will take a little time but, its more than well worth it.

David

 

[BradNaylor]

I reckon its got to be easier and more fulfilling to try and make this thing work than to give up now. So thats it - a decision has been made.

Thankyou all
Steve

Well done Steve!

When you've got an order book with three months worth of work in it give me and the Doc a ring and we'll come and have a beer with you.

You must be about half-way between us.

ccasion5:

Cheers
Brad

 

[jlawrence]

You might as well have meta tags in as they don't do any harm. But, they aren't what Google show in their descriptions regardless of what people will tell you.
Targetting a website is the wrong way of thinking of things - you target on a page by page basis. Start by thinking on what your prospective clients will be searching for, then design a page specifically for that search.
There's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't have two (or more) websites. One will be (perhaps) as the current one - showing what work you'd really like to do - and another one optimised for what people are more likely to buy/commision.

Trying to explain this sort of stuff to someone outside of the SEO/IT field isn't always the easiest of things to do. However, many woodworking sites aren't optimised in any way so you could quite quickly rise up the search engines.
One thing that stands out (to me) and will make a difference is don't use generic names in your urls. Use the name of the item - especially for the gallery stuff.
Each page in your website needs to have an action - ie what are YOU wanting the visitor to do on that page. Even if it is just an obvious contact button if you're interested in this sort of product.
When you're looking at your website try to forget about the fact that you know woodworking. Try and think in terms of someone looking to purchase, then target the site towards what you'd expect to see.

 

[Stevie-Raw]

If I get to that stage Brad the beers will most certainly be on me!

Cheers
Steve

 

[dexter]

Hi Steve,
You'Ve had some cracking advice from the members on here. I`ve looked at your site and have to agree with Moz on the comments he made about it being scripted in the third person. It was as if someone was talking about you in the pub to his mate. Back in your previous life i`m sure you must have been interviewed for posts or may have even been the interviewer. In the interview it should center around `Me`. `I did this` `I did that` `I can do this and that`
You could say that a web site search by a potential customer is the first stage of the interview and people want to hear from the horses mouth what it can do.
Don't give up, there are a lot of people here that can help.

Dex

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Steve,

I wish you all the best with your venture. As already stated, there's some great advice been posted (and mentally logged!!)

I've got a feeling I sent you one of my brochures in the post on my most recent marketing spree. I hope you filed it under "W" for woodturner rather than in the round file :lol:

all the best,

Richard

 

[Jenx]

Read through the thread with great interest...
Good luck to you Steve, ....
Brilliant 'balance' between Brad & Doc's input ... thats worth that beer once you've broke the back of it. :wink:
From the 'human empathy' perspective alone, you fella's deserve a mighty pat on the back... there's still a lot 'right' with the world when you see guys really trying to help someone out with detailed advice and experienced guidance. A-1 stuff there, boys. :wink:

All the very best to you Steve, and hopefully it'll work out for you ...

Like Paul Chapman noted... get your link to your website into your profile so it shows up here ... you just never know where the next job will come from. :wink:
Miss no opportunities.. grab them all.
Good luck to you Bud..

 

[crazylilting]

Through experience virtually all cabinetmakers know that all hardware could be bought from 1 or 2 companies.
This is a tough industry and the only way you will make any money is to ensure there is sufficent work coming in (need a business mind) and that that work is done quickly and efficently (experience).

This just isn't true. I've been woodworking over twenty years but not in this country. It is always a struggle for me to find anything in this country. Which two companies are you talking about?

I find the UK completely perplexing. Canada has a land mass of at least 10 times the UK with half as many people yet i was able to head down to the home depot and buy almost anything without special order and be competitive. Here in the UK we have 64 million people in such a tiny space and we have nothing to compare.

Something has gone very wrong in this country but people are so used to being screwed over and not being served that no one has a clue it could be any different.

I have been in business for almost two years here. I have never seen such a state of affairs before in my life. When i show up at peoples houses they are all ready defensive and apprehensive. A quick look about gives the reason. They've been left with shotty workmanship and don't know if the next guy is going to do the same.

I haven't made anything in the last two years, but am building a business. The secret is low over head, a supportive spouse, great workmanship, good communication, word of mouth will do the rest but it takes time. I'm in year two and was just getting some where and wham! Someone stole £3000 worth of tools out of the car right outside the house.

As for getting rid of your tools OP (original poster) good luck. There are many businesses going under and tools are very cheap right now. That's how i'm outfitting my business. I wait for a good deal then i buy. Like i said keep over head low.

 

[jlawrence]

Crazylifting, there reason many people have been left with shoddy workmanship is because they're unwilling to pay for good work. It's not just limited to this industry I think it is across the board.
9/10 you get what you pay for in this world and if you want good stuff you have to pay for it.