New website

hampshirebabe

Hi, sorry if this is in the wrong place, or if its been covered somewhere else, I've searched but cant find what I'm after.
I need a website for my driving school, but cheap, I'm only parttime, so cant pay lots for advertising. If I did one myself, like from here, http://www.doyourownsite.co.uk/ for £2.99 a month, is it going to be any good, or as easy as they say? Would it get the right hits, some of the more expensive companies who make them say theirs is better because it'll be higher on google.
This looks a bargain, would this be much easier for a bit more? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150579908994&ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT
Thanks
Mary

JuniorDesigner

Mary,

You can find a lot of good DIY sites for free these day's. If you follow my profile you will find where I did mine, it was very easy to use and quick.

You can add shopping carts etc and can also have your own domain name if you wish.

Hope this helps!

johnnyboyrebel

JuniorDesigner wrote: »

and can also have your own domain name if you wish.

I'd say this is pretty much a given. Anyone with a https://www.moonfruit.drivingschool.com type address is not very likely to get a lot of work!

Trinitrotoluene

Mary,

What is your budget? I have done professional site design work and SEO work in the past so I can give you a few pointers (these are just my opinion).

1) You have to consider your market which is clearly going to be 17-24 ish year olds. These types of people who are looking for driving schools are going to be searching for them on the internet so a web presence for your type of business is important if not critical

2) You are never going to rank properly on search engines by doing your own site so don't even try

3) The image that you initially display to your customers is key - a properly designed site will give your customer much more confidence in enquiring/having lessons through your driving school

4) For advertising I would suggest using Google Adwords to target ads to people who have searched for things like:

"hampshire driving schools"
"driving lessons hampshire"

etc

This is not something you want to cheap out on if this is your business. With the right "strategy" in place you could see a massive increase in demand in customers. Good luck!

johnnyboyrebel

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

You are never going to rank properly on search engines by doing your own site so don't even try

Not sure how you got that opinion, please elaborate.

Trinitrotoluene

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

Not sure how you got that opinion, please elaborate.

Simple the technical challenges that you need to prepare and code for for good SEO are never going to be met by someone who has no coding/web design knowledge.

bingo_bango

Trinitrotoluene wrote: »

Simple the technical challenges that you need to prepare and code for for good SEO are never going to be met by someone who has no coding/web design knowledge.

I run my own site. I am currently at the top of page 1 for my 3 main search terms on Google. I know what the coding and web design requirements are and how to implement them.

What you originally stated was not the same as the quote above, so I agree with JBR for questioning the former statement. If you are going to give an answer here, especially such a condescending one, then at least have the decency to qualify it.

hampshirebabe

Thanks, I've started another thread because i didn't get much response here, about google adwords, https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3159060
But in reply to the above, my budget is small, I'm only very part time, so dont want a big ad campaign, and I'm the only female automatic instructor round here, so i just need to get my name around. I mostly teach young mums, older ladies and women who dont speak much english, so definately not your usual student types, who aren't automaticaly going to search google first. I want a website so that if someone sees my car, or an ad in a newsagent and haven't got a pen on them, they can just remember the name and look for it. Personally if I was looking for a driving instructor, or plumber, electrician ect, I wouldn't google Hampshire, I'd put in Fareham, or even my postcode, and as I cover quite a large area, I couldn't put it all in a web address.
So any suggestions about the best way to do a cheap but effective website would be very gratefuly recieved.
Cheers

johnnyboyrebel

hampshirebabe wrote: »

Thanks, I've started another thread because i didn't get much response here, about google adwords, https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3159060
But in reply to the above, my budget is small, I'm only very part time, so dont want a big ad campaign, and I'm the only female automatic instructor round here, so i just need to get my name around. I mostly teach young mums, older ladies and women who dont speak much english, so definately not your usual student types, who aren't automaticaly going to search google first. I want a website so that if someone sees my car, or an ad in a newsagent and haven't got a pen on them, they can just remember the name and look for it. Personally if I was looking for a driving instructor, or plumber, electrician ect, I wouldn't google Hampshire, I'd put in Fareham, or even my postcode, and as I cover quite a large area, I couldn't put it all in a web address.
So any suggestions about the best way to do a cheap but effective website would be very gratefuly recieved.
Cheers

Yeah, we all went a bit off track there sorry...

It simply depends on your budget. A lot of companies would charge maybe £500 but that would be ripping you off. I would imagine your site would be fairly basic (as far as all the bells and whistles go as you don't need all that) I would get in touch with a freelance designer who would probably do it for a lot less than you think.

PM me if you want a freelance designer recommendation.

Trinitrotoluene

bingo_bango wrote: »

What you originally stated was not the same as the quote above, so I agree with JBR for questioning the former statement. If you are going to give an answer here, especially such a condescending one, then at least have the decency to qualify it.

Well no the quote above was in the context of someone who has no web design experience so is perfectly valid.

I am not being condescending I am simply being truthful. With no knowledge ranking well in search results for popular queries is next to impossible.

bingo_bango

Lol....context is key TNT. That's the point I was making about your initial statement. I understand that you were directing your response to OP, but that isn't how such things read on a public forum!

FWIW, I actually agree with the points you've made, and it is daunting for the uninitiated to even try to understand it never mind be successful at implementation. I'm not sure I would advise throwing money at Adwords until OP had a basic grasp of SEO though.