do ya or don't ya

[Tony Segale]

Have a question for you all....

Do you or dont' have a website?
Would you or wouldn't you still have one?
Does it bring more sales? is that what your looking for?
Or do you use it for an online portfolio only? info only?
Is it worth spending the large funds for, or do you have a friend who put it together?

When I can't keep up with all the referral work, why do I even pose such a question?

[Raymond Chapman]

That's a good question. I'm anxious to hear the answers, also.

I don't have one yet, but someone is always asking what type of work we do and they want to see a website or brochure. They are expensive (I know, a relative term) but seem to be profitable for others. Dan Antonelli has been after me for ages to do a site for me, but I just haven't done anything yet.

And I would like to do something myself, but have no idea even how to begin.

We are staying busy, but know that we could be more selective and expand our high end jobs with more exposure.

Thanks for asking the question for me.

[Doug Bernhardt]

I have a site and it does act as a portfolio more than anything....it is also a good first introduction to what I'm trying to and do.... doing. (try and say that 10 times fast)...also, a friend of mine did it for me and I would never have spent big bucks on one. It isn't really a sales tool as much as a great brochure.
www.bernhardtsigns.ca
Having said that, I know a guy up this way that does almost everything in his sign business over the internet...receives orders and payments and works from a farm no one ever sees. He has a sort of mail order thing going and almost everything is off the shelf.

[John Studden]

I now have a Web-site, mainly for the Gold Leaf side of things, to try to promote the type of work I would rather be doing more of. It was put together by a friend of mine, I have no idea what it might have cost ordinarily? I think it is a good sales tool/brochure, as Doug stated.
Take a look sometime johnstudden.com

[Dan Sawatzky]

We have a website and definitely feel it's worth the time and effort.

While we do get hits and enquiries from folks surfing I'm not much worried about that. I certainly don't track the number of hits.

I see our web page as a virtual portfolio for the most part and send people there regularly. Our business card and truck lettering does the same.

I designed the look and layout of the site, my son-in-law Phoenix did the posting of it on the web. As he works with me daily, it was done as part of his regular job, keeping the cost pretty reasonable.

Our web site allows us to present our company in exactly the manner we wish to be seen. It showcases exactly the kind of work we WANT to sell and it does a good and effective job.

The website has allowed us to give our customers (and prosepctive customers) a good idea of what we do and the processes involved. I have referred customers from across the continent and around the world there to give a better understanding of our product. It has brought back many, many times its investment. We try to keep it current and revamp it every 18 months or so to keep it fresh.

-grampa dan

Dan Sawatzky
www.imaginationcorporation.com

[Dan Sawatzky]

oops... double post.

[joe crumley]

It took about a year of hand wringing, and confusion. I looked at dozens of sign web sites which only added to the anxiety.

Finally, I called Mark Fair and asked for his assistance with a web design and concept. A couple of days later he had the basic concept finished. Within a week I was up and running. I can't say enough about how helpful he was in guiding me through the process, and how powerful the ad has been for my business.

I use my display ad only to show telephone callers what we do. This qualifies so many of them and saves lots of time. That's just about all I do with it, and it really works. Customers can get a feel for my kind of work and if they come by or call back, I've saved a great deal of time.

Please let me be clear: This is only my way of doing business, I'm not suggesting this is any kind of model for others to follow.


Joe
www.normansignco.com

Joe

[Larry White]

I made a glass sign for a friend as a filler project down at Rick's one year, the guy said, let me make you a website. ...I didn't even know he did that sort of thing. I figured as a freebee, what the heck...it seemed like the next logical step. He did a nice job. (http://www.organicwebdesign.com) I mainly viewed it as an online portfolio to share my work with my fellow sign artists and create a bit more exposure for the craft. I've got a few commissions from having the site, but haven't sold any of the one's I have listed for sale. I guess they're a bit expensive, but that's just all relative anyway. I'd rather enjoy my art than look at the money anyway. ...Still waiting for that designer doing a victorian house to law office conversion who wants some period artwork. Or the person who loves the stuff and will buy whatever I make . I'll keep making glass signs, 'cause that's what I like to do.

...Somebody will probably get all of 'em at a storage locker default auction someday...

[vance galliher]

My site has been up a year or so and is primarily used as a portfolio. Since I don't advertise in anything, it works great when a referral calls and I can simply have them go to my site to see the type of work I do. If they are interested,.... they call back. I had been thinking about having a site for some time, and a friend of a friend who designs sites partime called to see if I would be interested in working with her. I did the design and layout and she put it all together for a couple hundered dollars ( I was her third website project). The only yearly cost to me is a domain name renewal for $17.95.......I see it as a good thing......... http://www.vancegallihersigns.com

[Roderick Treece]

My web sit started out as a way to share all the old photos I inherited from my dad.
www.ghostownsigns.com
I made that one myself.It was a huge undertaking as I knew zero about doing it.
Then I thought I needed one for my sign company so I made www.studiozerosigns.com and it serves as an on line portfolio which works great for that.At this point I would love to have orders coming in online but my BIG mistake was not using KEY WORDS and putting any thing in what is calls frames.I am told to get traffic you need the shearh engines to see you.That means pay per click or key word heavy.
I am working with a freind now to start a new site.We only have one page up now but it will have lots of text with key works for the shearch engines and photos of course.
www.customglasssigns.com
I am slowly moving eeverthing over to Bluerazor ,It seem like a pretty
good price.
Good luck
Roderick