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Campground In Florida - Hard Time Getting Customers

lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
edited May 2009 in Website Critique
Hello, I have created my own webpages because I have no budget for advertising.  If anyone can give me some suggestions on getting my webpage out their on the search engines, I would be greatly appreciated.  I am a Fish Camp - Campground that offers Cabin Rentals, RV Sites, Tent Sites & Permanent RV sites for Live-Ins or a discounted Yearly Rate.  I also am the only Fish Camp with Cured Wild Shiners we catch ourselves and we also catch grass shrimp ourselves.  We sell these items in our bait shop along with crickets, worms and minnows.  I am about to go out of business if I can`t get customers here.  I have no one in my cabins and no RVs right now in April.  No reservations either until January for a cabin.  Thank you for any suggestions of things I can change or put in my html to instruct search engines to find me better.  Thank you. Leola in Florida on Lake Istokpoga

Comments

  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Yes I am sorry, I did what I so did not want to do, forgot my webpage.  www.geocities.com/offhwy621 I am so sorry.
  • BizOptimizerBizOptimizer subscriber Posts: 1
    I`ve kayaked in that area - it is beautiful - bald eagles, deer, hogs, gators and such.  Have you tried contacting - maybe sponsoring an event for:

    Kayak clubs and shops in Florida - including kayak fishing clubs - most of them love camping.
    Scouts -
    Maybe a co-sponsored event with one of those team-building retreat groups/companies.

    Maybe hosting a father`s day event for the fathers that like fishing?  I`d be thinking of groups and going after them.  Make a list of your selling points - and tell me what *I* the customer am getting that I want - relaxing day - beautiful scenery - thousands of fish - whatever it is.  Are you a great place for family reunions?  When you build your sales presentation - I`d transfer it to your web page.  When you get them there be sure to have plenty of extra products (tours and such) so you capture more of their money while they are there.
     
    Good luck,
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    Hello, I have created my own webpages because I have no budget for advertising.  If anyone can give me some suggestions on getting my webpage out their on the search engines, I would be greatly appreciated.  I am a Fish Camp - Campground that offers Cabin Rentals, RV Sites, Tent Sites & Permanent RV sites for Live-Ins or a discounted Yearly Rate.  I also am the only Fish Camp with Cured Wild Shiners we catch ourselves and we also catch grass shrimp ourselves.  We sell these items in our bait shop along with crickets, worms and minnows.  I am about to go out of business if I can`t get customers here.  I have no one in my cabins and no RVs right now in April.  No reservations either until January for a cabin.  Thank you for any suggestions of things I can change or put in my html to instruct search engines to find me better.  Thank you. Leola in Florida on Lake Istokpoga

     
    Leola,
     
    Because you use geocities and do not have your own domain name you will have a every hard time getting found in search engines.
     
    However, as noted in the prior post, you may see better/faster results (bookings) from some more traditional advertising. Fliers in sports shops, motels in the area, local weekly newspaper...etc.
     
    ~Roland
    vwebworld4/22/2009 10:43 AM
  • WeblineWebline subscriber Posts: 13 Bronze Level Member
    There is practically nothing as far as SEO; unique titles, descriptions, image alt tags, or anything onsite to help search engines take notice of you. Have you tried camping directories to list your site in?
    The site itself doesn`t sell me on anything. The images are too small to be effective. The only real information you give is your rates, so the only message I get from you is how much money you want from me to stay there. Sell me on your services, attractions, location, activities, etc. Make what you offer me your primary focus and content, not how much you are going to charge me
  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Thank you Ed, Thank you for your advice, I have had reunions, bachelor parties and families.  We did start accepting animals again, that might help. 
     
    Thanks Roland, yea, geocities is hard to get out their, I did just set up a new one yesterday www.fish.netne.net and we`ll see how that goes.  I have no budget for advertising so all I can do is free weblistings.  I know the saying you have to spend money to make money, but their just isn`t even a penny that can be spent at this time. 
     
    Thanks M Hall, I will take your suggestion and do that.  I thought the more info the better, that would get people to contact me because they will see just how much cheaper the nightly stay is here.  Thanks Leola
  • VideographyVideography subscriber Posts: 401 Silver Level Member
    "Thanks Roland, yea, geocities is hard to get out their, I did just set up a new one yesterday www.fish.netne.net
    and we`ll see how that goes.  I have no budget for advertising so all I
    can do is free weblistings.  I know the saying you have to spend money
    to make money, but their just isn`t even a penny that can be spent at
    this time."
    But you *still* don`t have a domain and you will not be well served by search engines.  You can register a domain name for your business for less than ten$ at many registrars.  (Personally, I use GoDaddy.com for all of mine.)  Web hosting is available for $6 or less per month.  A couple of cups of coffee or a carton of smokes if this incentivises you to quit.
  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks WebMissy, will do that when I check them in.  Yea, I am planning on putting out a coupon on marketplace so that would have been good, I could have sent my customers that coupon to get them back.  I did take the advice and cleared out my prices and made my pictures bigger, take another look if you would like.
    I will check out godaddy.com it is just hard to think of a domain name that I can use and tell people.  Don`t smoke and make my own coffee but I see what you are getting at.  I will seriously check them out.  Thanks again everyone has really helped me.  I did get a drive-in RV yesterday and they stayed 1 night with a dog.  Thanks again everyone. Leola
  • WeblineWebline subscriber Posts: 13 Bronze Level Member
    Geocities will be shutting down later this year, so you will need to decide if you want to keep your site, and plan on moving it in the future.
  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks Missy, now that we are taking animals again, I will start listing in those places. 
     
    Thanks M. Hall, yea, just found out yesterday when I went to geocities that they were shutting down.  Not sure what to do.  Really can`t afford a web page when it is monthly charge.  I think I will just have to stick with my freebies for now.  Merchant Circle seems to be getting quite a few hits.  http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/ ... 3-465-5241 I know it is long, but that`s what I have for now. 
     
    Thanks again everyone, you all have given me much info and can`t explain in words but I really do appreciate all of your suggestions. 
     
    Thank You
    Leola
  • nevadasculnevadascul subscriber Posts: 3 Member
    Hi all,
     
    This might sound strange, but I get a publication called Rural Life. It`s put out by the local power co-op.  This publication runs ads at a very reasonable rate.  You might also try writing an article for American Profile.  This publication is an insert in a lot of newspapers around the country.  Also try the local chamber of commerce to see what help they can offer.  Most areas like yours also have local publications that do stories on local businesses.  You might write and article for them. 
  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Thank you S. Patrick Culshaw, will look into that.  Leola
  • WeblineWebline subscriber Posts: 13 Bronze Level Member
    Right now with GoDaddy, you can get 3 months of hosting and a domain name ( 1 yr registration ) for about $17, with the option to extend your hosting every month.
  • lakeistokpogalakeistokpoga subscriber Posts: 1
    Thanks M Hall, it is so confusing, I took a break yesterday but have been all over the web today and am so confused.  The best I got so far is $9.95 to do my domain for 1 year and $25 for a year of web hosting.  So I am covered for $35 for a whole year.  Sounds good.  Thanks again.  Leola
  • sipmarketingsipmarketing subscriber Posts: 3
    You need to get this website on your own domain like suggested before. You don`t need a budget to start learning SEO for yourself. If you read a little bit each night and start implementing what you learn diligently you will be good!
  • VideographyVideography subscriber Posts: 401 Silver Level Member
    Go to Godaddy.com, use their "smart" domain name search to find a
    domain name with one or two of your keywords - how you want people to
    find you in Google.  Pay the $10 for a year`s registration and the
    minimum for a year of hosting.  Alternately, you could use their free
    hosting that puts ads at the top of your page while you develop your
    content then upgrade to a paid hosting to get rid of the competing ads.
    There`s a lot of free or low-cost tools that you can use to develop
    your site.  Personally I like WYSIWYG Web Builder, I think it was $35,
    mostly because I like the UI over any of the other tools I tried.
    If you have to eat beans and rice for a week to pay for it, you must
    have your own domain name and web page loaded with text descriptions
    and good photos of what`s great about your location.  Campers are not
    likely to find your business without an internet presence.
    BTW - just doing about five-minutes of research on your facility uncovered this site:
     http://www.lakelubbers.com/lake-istokpoga-184/
    The site is inviting people like you to add your facility to their lakes information.  Links from sites like this are how you rise in the Google search levels.
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