cbscreative
08-23-2008, 09:48 PM
I thought about adding this to the Worst Web Sites thread, but it probably is best as a separate discussion.
So what is it like in your area? I am amazed and apalled at how pathetic it is where I live, even though it is a major metropoiltan market. I have an older home, which I prefer for the character, but when seeking home improvement services, the majority of local providers are seriously lacking in providing a web presence that even comes close to siezing a wide open opportunity.
The web sites in my area are lame at best, and as a general rule, just plain suck. They really deserve the honor of being featured on Web Pages That Suck (http://www.websitesthatsuck.com), so if the owner of that site is looking for material, the home improvement companies in west Michigan are ripe for the picking.
It makes me wonder, what are these people thinking? Some of them have great products and service. Are the profit margins so tight that they can't afford to represent themselves better on the Internet? Or are they just so naive that they believe they can continue to survive with outdated marketing practices?
Maybe it's because I live in an area where the old ways still work and the majority of providers are still stuck in outdated thinking. It's also just as likely that if someone were to update their marketing, they could squash the local competition before they ever even knew what hit them.
So, have you sought home improvement? If so, how is your area for Internet resources? Are they as out of touch as where I live and expect you to shop like it were still 1985? If this problem is truly epidemic, maybe this thread should be under a category for wide open business opportunities.
As an added note, I know we have members here like Mak and SteveB that understand what I am getting at, so they are different. But in my area, the majority seem to have their head firmly planted in a very dark place. On the one hand, I have a bartering opportunity. On the other, the best providers are harder to find so those that "get it" may win even if their quality is lower. That's a real shame.
So what is it like in your area? I am amazed and apalled at how pathetic it is where I live, even though it is a major metropoiltan market. I have an older home, which I prefer for the character, but when seeking home improvement services, the majority of local providers are seriously lacking in providing a web presence that even comes close to siezing a wide open opportunity.
The web sites in my area are lame at best, and as a general rule, just plain suck. They really deserve the honor of being featured on Web Pages That Suck (http://www.websitesthatsuck.com), so if the owner of that site is looking for material, the home improvement companies in west Michigan are ripe for the picking.
It makes me wonder, what are these people thinking? Some of them have great products and service. Are the profit margins so tight that they can't afford to represent themselves better on the Internet? Or are they just so naive that they believe they can continue to survive with outdated marketing practices?
Maybe it's because I live in an area where the old ways still work and the majority of providers are still stuck in outdated thinking. It's also just as likely that if someone were to update their marketing, they could squash the local competition before they ever even knew what hit them.
So, have you sought home improvement? If so, how is your area for Internet resources? Are they as out of touch as where I live and expect you to shop like it were still 1985? If this problem is truly epidemic, maybe this thread should be under a category for wide open business opportunities.
As an added note, I know we have members here like Mak and SteveB that understand what I am getting at, so they are different. But in my area, the majority seem to have their head firmly planted in a very dark place. On the one hand, I have a bartering opportunity. On the other, the best providers are harder to find so those that "get it" may win even if their quality is lower. That's a real shame.