Website - How To & Why

[bzmommy]

Great thread! I am excited to read these responses. There are some great sites listed above! I have been thinking about my marketing strategy and although it has worked well so far, I need to stay on top of it. IMO it is so important to have web presence, like your daycare is all over page 1 of google when some searches daycare and "your town". Besides referrals, google is my #1 source of calls for daycare. I have a free website through webs.com I created a few years ago. I also recently bought a domain name from namecheap.com and started building my site using wordpress and have it hosted by godaddy.com. When I created my first site, I got listed in google local (local bus map), I put my x-street, phone and website. I also got listed in local yahoo and bing as a business (all free). I registered with over 20 daycare listing services, online yellowpages, merchant circle, yelp, etc. If you google daycare in my town I come up in several different listings but the first page of google and the first 2 slots are mine. I have been lazy though and and have not updated or relisted some of them.
I don't put my rates or my contract on the web. I don't need my competitors seeing my rates or stealing my forms. Also, I hate it when the first question people have is 'how much do you charge'. That's another topic though

Spring is when the phone starts ringing and although I am full now, I get all the contact info, hours needed, email address of anyone that calls. Then I give them the numbers of a few daycare providers in the area and Resource and Referral's number. If I have an opening, I send out an email (for the ones I seemed to click with on the phone) saying I am scheduling interviews.
I have had call backs from friends of those people that need care - just another way to get the word out.

[Michael]

frugalmama4 PM'd me some good questions regarding the creation of a website. I asked if I could post it here and she agreed:

Ok Michael

Here are things I’m looking for in a website; I will start looking into the freebies you recommend this weekend. Thanks for all the help!


1. I want to be able to have printable documents (word and/or pdf form)

You can always link to them in your website. Most computers will just open them in their respective programs. The link will look something like this: www.YourDaycareExample.com/document.pdf

As long as you upload the file to your website, everyone will be able to access it through the link.

2. Be able to upload pictures (and delete when out dated)

Most turn-key websites you can do this.

3. Want to have a contact me section...that forward emails to my business email.

Most turn-key websites you can do this.

4. Tabs for different sections.

Most turn-key websites you can do this.

5. Maybe a small blog and/or FAQ section

Not sure about the blog. But you can start a free blog at www.blogspot.com and link to it from your tabs links. FAQ section is like any other page. You can create whatever content you want and make them different pages.

6. Parent only section with password access.

Wordpress would allow for password only pages. That is an advanced website though.

These are some sites I found…that if I could I would just add my name. ::

http://www.childcarebytori.com/ (My favorite, she’s a mbr here too)

This name is registered at GoDaddy. This may be a simple template that GoDaddy supplies but you most likely will be paying GoDaddy to host the website.

http://www.buildingblockshomedaycare.com/handbook.html

I love that you can click on the sub-title for the section in the handbook; and it automatically moves.

This is a Wordpress website that was created years ago. I use wordpress on a lot of sites like www.daycare.com/nannyde

This is a more advanced site/server which you can eventually get into at some point. Lets keep it simple for your first go around.

http://www.greengateearlylearning.com/ (member also)

Just beautiful!

I looked into the site and this is where they have it created and hosted:

Designed using Intuit website templates. Create a website today

As you can see…I am not a computer person at all.::::

But you will need to be internet savvy in the future. Consider this your 1st grade internet class.

[Kiki Unleased]

Getting My New Website At the Top of Google Search

Michael, I need some help here, I consider myself partially saavy with web sites, but I know you are more than saavy!

I just got done with my site, but it's not showing up in Google. I'm assuming my keywords, or something is not set right in it. I'm not really sure actually. It's set up through Weebly, but I have it pointing to the domain I own.

Anyway, the site is, http://www.crayonsandjuiceboxes.com/ but I'd really like it to pop up when people Google my day cares name. What am I doing wrong here?!

[Michael]

Are you selling crayons and juice boxes? Your domain name has relevance to the search word. A great but boring name would be MiamiDaycare.com. KWIM?

I will take a look at your site later and let you know what I see. Where are you located?

[Michael]

Michael, I need some help here, I consider myself partially saavy with web sites, but I know your are more than saavy!

I just got done with my site, but it's not showing up in Google. I'm assuming my keywords, or something is not set right in it. I'm not really sure actually. It's set up through Weebly, but I have it pointing to the domain I own.

Anyway, the site is, http://www.crayonsandjuiceboxes.com/ but I'd really like it to pop up when people Google my day cares name. What am I doing wrong here?!

Ok, at first glance of your website you are lacking a couple things. First, you need a paragraph about your facility and your location on the home page. Google likes content.

Place in the things that people would search for when looking for daycare like childcare, daycare, drop in, policy, playground, backyard; you know the things people search for.

Second; your Title says nothing about you being a daycare or childcare in what city? Looks like you are selling crayons and juice boxes. Google does not see that you are a daycare in your town. If someone searches for" daycare Kaysville", your title and domain name fail at those two main search algorithms. While you have your city name in your META KEYWORDS, Google no longer uses them for search terms.

Your domain name and title should be "Crayons and Juice Boxes Daycare - Kaysville, Utah" CrayonsAndJuiceBoxesDaycare.com

Start with these. It will take weeks to months to start getting your listing further up the listings.

[Countrygal]

OK, my website is up, and I'm at the point of purchasing a domain name (Michael recommends GoDaddy- but I'm computer UNsavvy and have no idea how to connect it. I have found a place on wix where I can connect it for over 4 dollars a month, but I really don't want to do that. Do I connect it through GoDaddy some way? Is that what you are saying about "pointing it to"??? Anyone know exactly how to do this, because I DID do this once, but it was like 15 years ago..... I don't think my experience is any longer applicable.

If anyone wants to check out my website, here it is.... http://cpltskeeter.wix.com/kids-place-daycare

AND MICHAEL.... how do I get picked up on search engines? How often do they update their info? And how do I add tags to my webpage?

Also, thanks for the info on what to put in my domain name, Michael! That REALLY helps!

[Countrygal]

Update - I did find some info on wix - things like using a "title" on your homepage and matching the words to what you think people will search for = for ex, your town and the word "daycare". Also, repeating it on your homepage 3X and having at least 500 words on your homepage. I didn't do that. I went for eye appeal, which I guess is wrong. I set it up the way I like web pages.

Anyway, they talked about titling your picture on your homepage with the same catch phrases. I changed all of this, and they said it still may take months to be picked up by the search engines. They also said search engines don't use tags any more very much. Never did find how to do those anyway. But they probably aren't going to tell me how to link it to my domain name without paying them for the priviledge.

[Michael]

OK, my website is up, and I'm at the point of purchasing a domain name (Michael recommends GoDaddy- but I'm computer UNsavvy and have no idea how to connect it. I have found a place on wix where I can connect it for over 4 dollars a month, but I really don't want to do that. Do I connect it through GoDaddy some way? Is that what you are saying about "pointing it to"??? Anyone know exactly how to do this, because I DID do this once, but it was like 15 years ago..... I don't think my experience is any longer applicable.

If anyone wants to check out my website, here it is.... http://cpltskeeter.wix.com/kids-place-daycare

AND MICHAEL.... how do I get picked up on search engines? How often do they update their info? And how do I add tags to my webpage?

Also, thanks for the info on what to put in my domain name, Michael! That REALLY helps!

If wix allows you to add META TAGS you can add them but what really matters in SEO (search engine optimization) is your domain name words (MiamiDaycare.com) and the searchable words in your website TITLE and content. They should all coalesce in their logic. Having a name like LiliesAndLollipopsFuntime.com will NOT help you find parents looking for daycare.

Also, I notice many of you using FLASH websites. While these may look flashy they will NOT WORK IN iPAD, iPHONES and anything Apple!! That's a big deal.

You can save the $4 a month by using your domain name tools in your Godaddy account.

To FORWARD your website URL to your DOMAIN NAME at GoDaddy:

Once logged into your account, hover your mouse over the DOMAINS green button at the top left bar. You wil see MANAGEMENT >DOMAIN MANAGEMENT, click on that.

Click on your DOMAIN NAME listed in your registered domains area. At the top area you will see icons and one that looks like an arrow pointing right that reads FORWARD. Hover your mouse over it and click on that FORWARD DOMAIN.

In the next pop-up window click on EDIT and past your wix.com URL. Also click on the UPDATE MY DNS SETTINGS.

Click OK and your done. Give it several hours to propagate (network resolve).

[Countrygal]

Thank you, Michael. What exactly IS a flash website? I'm pretty sure my entire front page would be considered flash, and probably the revolving pictures? Do I have to start over using a different template or can I just take those elements out and redo the front page and put in a single picture? Is the "glow" feature that I used considered flash? Oooooh, I think the way the website switches pages is flash as well, isn't it? I need a whole new template?

[Michael]

Thank you, Michael. What exactly IS a flash website? I'm pretty sure my entire front page would be considered flash, and probably the revolving pictures? Do I have to start over using a different template or can I just take those elements out and redo the front page and put in a single picture? Is the "glow" feature that I used considered flash? Oooooh, I think the way the website switches pages is flash as well, isn't it? I need a whole new template?

See if they have non-flash templates.

Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash

[coolconfidentme]

Ok, I've decided to go with a website, but as I've said in other posts, I really don't know what to do.

Please post what you've found to be the best way to do it.

What do you find important to put in your website, what do you feel is best left out? Do you have a section for daily updates on what the kids are doing?

Do you put in lots of pics of your daycare area - inside and out?

Do you go to other websites and steal their ideas (JUST KIDDING)?

Do you buy the domain name (is that the right thing) from Google for $10 a year?

Details, details, details..............

I just have a FaceBook page. It's free, user friendly & I don't have time to maintain a webpage too. Here's mine:

https://www.facebook.com/AToZzzsChildcare

[Holiday Park]

Coolconfident,
I love the idea of a facebook page !
So do you get enough exposure with doing that? I am tinking if I do s FB page, I can link it in my craigslist ads. I used to use a freewebs site for a website. And I lived in a home that was 800 sw ft less, with only our 3rms , the hall, TINY living room , kitchen. And for some reason I had no trouble getting cliets compared to know. It was very small but cozy.
We moved into this MUCH bigger house with a living room, den, dining room. And its still 3 bedrooms but they are twice as big. And a garage we didnt have. It looks massive in size viewing from the street, compared to the house. It looks much nicer on the inside, like we have a lot more $, ( but we don't) . Im using the huge den (20x 12/14ft) as the play room, and dining room as nap room . So I have been wondering if people were being turned off or intimidated by how much nicer it looks, or if its just we live in a different location ( A existing client actually kept using me after the move, we r closer to her now) , or Im not advettising on craigslist every week and not using the website anymore . If the website was really the only reason I want to get into that, or doing FB . One thing different I had been not been doing since we moved was use forms&contracts. At our other house, I was even able to get last week care deposits. (I am now planning a new handbook&contracts)

[CozyHome]

I live in Ontario, Canada, but my website is on freewebs.com and I love it. I have lots of info on there and lots of pictures. A good friend gave me the best advise possible after I wrote my website. She said that I had all the facts on there but my warm peronality wasn't showing so I rewrote it so that it was very different.

So when anybody asks me to critique their website that's my advice too thanks to my friend. Make sure your personality shines through and leave the details and the contract policies to the interview and contract signing phase.

[Auntie'sHouse]

website and facebook

After reading all of the info about websites I decided to create one on my own....1st time. I must have republished it 22 times in 2 weeks. I asked family and friends to check it out and clearly they didnt even bother to read any of it because I myself found errors in it. I guess only parents actually looking for daycare will actually read it...smh! I was so excited about it I pressed the publish button right away. I keep finding new things to add to it. The response I kept getting was that it was too long. I did shorten it but then remembered parents who are looking for daycare WILL read it. I went with godaddy for the domain name which i was also told was way long. I figured parents can remember 4 words. So my site is godaddy. It cost $40, domain included for the year. It doesnt give you fun things to put on your site like animated objects or anything. So my site is bright....and thats it I guess. Please check it out and tell me what you think. Im still tweaking it though. Thanks

https://www.auntieshousehomedaycare.com

https://www.facebook.com/auntieshousehomedaycare

[Michael]

After reading all of the info about websites I decided to create one on my own....1st time. I must have republished it 22 times in 2 weeks. I asked family and friends to check it out and clearly they didnt even bother to read any of it because I myself found errors in it. I guess only parents actually looking for daycare will actually read it...smh! I was so excited about it I pressed the publish button right away. I keep finding new things to add to it. The response I kept getting was that it was too long. I did shorten it but then remembered parents who are looking for daycare WILL read it. I went with godaddy for the domain name which i was also told was way long. I figured parents can remember 4 words. So my site is godaddy. It cost $40, domain included for the year. It doesnt give you fun things to put on your site like animated objects or anything. So my site is bright....and thats it I guess. Please check it out and tell me what you think. Im still tweaking it though. Thanks

https://www.auntieshousehomedaycare.com

www.facebook.com/auntieshousehomedaycare

Welcome to the virtual world. You've bought and created your first privately owned virtual property with an address! That's a big step, and you will advance in your knowledge and understanding of how to make it better and more marketable over time.

I like what I've seen so far but I am looking at it from my iPhone and the template will look different then from a desktop. I will check it out later and have more feedback.

I was excited back when I started my first website back in 1995 and have been ever since.

Just today a friend that I have known my whole life just put up her website. Years ago I registered her last name knowing that someday she would need it. She asked for it last year and created her new business on it and is branding the name. Check it out. www.Lividini.com