Slowly Slowy

[Robster 0]

I recently cobbled together a website with the help of vokf and i expected a call every now and then and a few email enquiries a week .

 

my idea was slowly build up my business at a rate i can cope with not spend a fortune as i felt too many enquiries and i wouldn't be able to manage them as professionally as i would have liked.

 

I have a dedicated land line and i get at least 6 calls a day for booking enquiries and about another 5 from people trying to sell me something i am now registered with the tps so that should subside after a month.

 

i get on average two on line enquiry forms a day and 1 email sent direct

 

my site has a availability/ calender so they can see if i am booked but many enquire still when i am booked up. argggh!

 

I have residency work on Thursdays, Fridays and once a month Saturdays and Sunday afternoons ..when i set up my site i had only the Thursday so was looking for more function work

 

so i went from famine and now its feast ...

 

I am replying to all enquiries and getting the bookings i can between my dates already booked but to be honest most of my dj mates who i know are pub dj's and part timers and are not up to doing the gigs i am throwing away, I just can't be in two places at once.

 

I need to find good honest reliable Disco and karaoke hosts who i can recommend who will cover my area of Tameside and some of Stockport , the way i am looking at is not passing the DJ any details of the customer as that is just wrong and against the law but in my reply emails of.. sorry i am booked but you could try "X " as i have heard he or she is a good DJ etc and with telephone conversations again i would recommend someone if i knew they were good.. Thats the point finding someone good for functions

 

I don't want anything in return just that you are reliable and turn up and make the client happy , I don't want to recommend any one i am not sure of as i feel that would damage my reputation.

 

If anyone here wishes to chat more PM me.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Robster

[MintyDave 0]

Nothing but good news there Rob, I know its been said before but well done to you and Jason. Have you considered dropping a residency for more favourable private work, that pays more. Its a gamble i know but its a way forward.

 

Just a thought

 

Dave

[vokf 0]

Thanks Rob :Thumbup: - but I'm sure your approach is also winning you work. It's no good having a flashy site if you can't back it up with good service.

 

As someone who is very down from problems at the Day job at the moment, reading that you're doing well is very encouraging.

 

I can't easily go full-time, even if I had the work.

I have my children on alternate weekends, and whilst I take the odd kids party (Kay was my Roadie on the last gig), I would struggle on that.

 

So, I would need a fairly well paid business, with DJing topping up the income - at least for the next 5 years or so.

 

Anyway - looking forward to meeting people!

[Liscio 0]

Sounds good Rob, had a good look at your site and it seems to cover all of the bases!

 

My only point to raise, I noted on your booking Calender a holiday and also your address on the contact page, do you really think thats a good idea?

 

HTH

 

J

[DJMickeyk 0]

Rob

 

Would be very interested to know what you are doing in terms of marketing your site, the reaction sounds amazing. I've just set up mine, and Google doesn't even find it yet, how do people find your site? Do you have alot of links with venues etc? I was an awful lot busier a few years ago, working every weekend and turning alot of work away, but I'm finding the going tough lately, If you wouldn't mind sharing any tips you may have I'd be grateful, I know you said before that you get alot of work through word of mouth also.

[Robster 0]

 

Jason sorry to hear your day job is getting to you , we have all been there mate ... but it wont be long till the Birmingham drink a thon lol ...all this good news for me is down to you and karma will come your way i am sure ..i will be buying you a few thats for sure

 

Sounds good Rob, had a good look at your site and it seems to cover all of the bases!

 

My only point to raise, I noted on your booking Calender a holiday and also your address on the contact page, do you really think thats a good idea?

 

HTH

 

J

 

not a problem

 

i have family living here all the time we are like the Waltons lol

 

i also believe it may be a uk legal requirement in putting an address on a commercial web site but many dont!, i don't have anything to hide from people coming around to my house and i think it shows you are not a fly by night operator.

 

 

DJMickeyk

I think my half hearted stumbling on and gaffa tape approach to SEO has helped i saw a massive change when i altered page names

 

I believe google looks at the page name and then searches the page for content thats related to the page name .

because of the way i have laid it out every page has http://www.robstar.co.uk/mobile-disco/ then the page title if i had put mobiledisco and not mobile-disco i wouldnt get as high as i believe google sees - as a space so the words mobile and disco are on the page title of every page then the content has keywords , i am going to improve this and do pages for individual towns and a wedding page.

 

I have joined almost every free directory and on every forum where it is allowed i have put my signature with a web link to the site if i put mobile disco denton in google i am fairly high or top and if i put mobile disco karaoke denton im almost every listing on the page lol all this was free, I spent ages looking at where everyone else in my area had listings if i put in search criteria in google and if it was a free listing i added mine.

 

My site is basic and could do with looking better and it is still early days but for my market low to middle end i think its not too flash to put people off and not too basic to look really amateurish.

 

Most of my work is word of mouth and recommendations i think what is also happening is my friends and acquaintances have said when asked oh my mate does djin he has a website now and they are finding me that way too.

 

BUT my point was not about my website its about me turning a few gigs down and needing a good reliable DJ in my area i can send customers too

 

Minty you question is one that i am constantly considering ! ..Have you considered dropping a residency for more favourable private work, that pays more. Its a gamble i know but its a way forward. yes but i will do that on a yearly basis so from 2011 if i am still getting the numbers of enquiries i will drop the once a month Saturday and probably the Friday as this is a private area of the forum i also have because the demand is high been putting up the prices of my quotations as i am not desperate for work and testing the waters with a small price increase in what i would normally charge.

 

BUT i digress again my point was not about my website its about me turning a few gigs down and needing a good reliable DJ in my area i can send customers to so if your one please pm me

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

 

[MintyDave 0]

 

 

BUT i digress again my point was not about my website its about me turning a few gigs down and needing a good reliable DJ in my area i can send customers to so if your one please pm me

 

Rob

 

Stick a post in the gig request work offered area, bit more focused then

 

Regards

Dave

[Robster 0]

Stick a post in the gig request work offered area, bit more focused then

 

Regards

Dave

 

I would like to get to know the DJ first a few coffees or such and a chat after a PM was my idea and i wouldn't want to pass on stuff without knowing a bit more about the DJ ... that's why i have not put posts in gigs offered also i don't want to pass details to the DJ.. i would like to pass them to the customer for the customer to take up. Recommendations from a peer do mean a customer is more likely to book.

 

All it is a no strings recommendation to the customer so i could hand on heart say i am busy but X i have heard is really good and every one i have passed on has said they are good. Now they don't have to be cheap DJ's just that they can cover my area and do karaoke and Disco well and be reliable and legal.

 

It would seem no one on DJU in my area does Karaoke and Disco as i have had 0 PM'S i will post a broad post in gigs offered but i wanted to sound out here as that area is visible to non members and the public.