Does Your Dry Cleaning Business Need a Website?

By Eric Shafer

Today, building a website is about building your reputation. When customers are looking for a service provider like a dry cleaner or tailor, they will first search for local options. From there, they will peruse the online profiles of the businesses nearest to them and likely make their decision based on the information they find. A well-put-together website will build credibility with your potential customers and encourage them to choose you over the competition.

The Stats

According to Vendasta, 85% of contemporary customers do online research before purchasing a product or service. Moreover, 86% of people would pay higher rates for services from a company with positive reviews. Unfortunately, 41% said that something they found in an online search made them decide not to do business with a certain company. That being said, your online profile matters — and if you don’t have one, that matters too. By choosing to put off creating a website or social media presence, you are losing out on every single customer that prefers to search online when shopping around. Also, according to the Economic Forum, more than 25% of a company’s market value is directly attributable to its reputation. Without that online reputation, you’re foregoing a ton of business and decreasing your business’s value, so if you don’t have a website, it’s time to get started immediately.

The Basics

While websites are easy to create, they do take a little bit of time to complete. In the meantime, you can opt for creating a Facebook page to help make your dry cleaning business more visible in online searches. This will also allow you to post status updates about holiday closures or special promotions. However, social media ranks your business based on how many “likes” and “followers” you have. In this way, it’s often more difficult to maintain a successful presence via Facebook than through a website because you are at the mercy of Facebook’s algorithms.

Choose Your Website Builder

Now it’s time to create your dry cleaning website. There is no need to hire a backend engineer or professional agency since there are so many “no-code” website builders available. These tools are built for business owners just like you and are intended to be quick and easy to use. Many of these tools are also free, like Wix, WordPress, Weebly, and Squarespace. These website builders allow you to choose from a variety of website templates and go from there. You can scroll through and find the option that “looks” like the website you want to have. From there, it’s just a matter of replacing the stock images in the template’s skeleton with your own photos and text. Think of it like building a PowerPoint with your website pages just stacking on top of each other like slides. Adding animations, buttons, and special features is often as easy as it is to add them in any Microsoft Office program, and there are tons of helpful online tutorials to get you going.

Purchase Your Domain

Even if you use a free website builder, the one thing you’ll have to purchase is your “Domain Name.” This is your URL or “website name.” For example, “cometcleaners.com/” and “tidedrycleanerstx.com/” are both examples of domains. If your preferred option is not available in a “.com” format, you can usually choose a “.org” or “.net” for the same price. Domains are like property, and you’ll have to renew your lease every year, but it should be a small expense that brings in a ton of business.

Create a Home Page

Your home page is typically the first page that customers will see when they search your URL. This can be as simple as one image with your brand’s name that customers then click on to access the next page, or it can be filled with all your pricing, contact info, and lists of services. The important thing is that you understand that this is just the first page your customers see. It should provide them with clear options for how to get to what they’re looking for. You can then build a page for each option and link these pages to phrases like “About” or “List of Services” on your homepage. If this sounds complicated, don’t worry. It’s much easier in practice, and illustrative videos are often the easiest way to learn how to create these features. Remember that no one builds their website in one day, and even basic designs will require about a week if you can only work on it in the evening.

Customize Your About & List of Services

These sections are the most important parts of your website. Your “About” page is a space for you to let your company’s personality shine through and an easy way to win over customers. It’s also a space where you can show off a little. Make sure to include info about the history of your business, any new machines or practices you’ve implemented, as well as any training you’ve received. It can be great to include a team photo here, too. Your list of services should include all your rates, timeframes, and special services. The clearer and more streamlined these appear, the more likely potential customers will choose you over a competitor. Remember, the purpose of your dry cleaning website is to build your reputation. So an elegant website design and a detailed list of services will show visitors that you can do the job.

How to Get Customers to Look at Your Dry Cleaning Website

The adage “Build it, and they will come” is not necessarily true. You need to give local shoppers a helpful reminder to visit your website once it’s up and running. Grocery store advertising is an effective way to get in front of potential customers and plant a need for your services. That way, as soon as customers realize they need to find a dry cleaner, they’ll think back to your supermarket advertisement and search for your business online. IndoorMedia offers Grocery Store Receipt Advertising, so your ad can go home in the pocket of every single shopper. With about 20,000 people visiting every grocery store in this country each week, that’s a huge consumer pool you should be reaching. Plus, by printing your coupon on the back of grocery store register tape, you save on advertising printing costs and can sit back and relax while your business is recommended to local, qualified consumers. With thousands of new impressions gained every few hours, your website is sure to start getting a ton of new hits, all thanks to the profitable, proven supermarket advertisement.

Tags: Coupon Advertising , Online Advertising

By Talitha Turkin On February 17, 2022

Receipt Marketing: How to Unleash the Power of Your Receipt

Ah, the receipt. Every day, billions of transactions are completed, and millions of receipts are issued. But receipts ca...

Tags: Coupon Advertising

By Eric Shafer On January 31, 2022

6 Steps to Writing a Winning Real Estate Ad

Advertisements are everywhere - online, on TV, on the side of the road, in our mailbox, and so on. If done effectively, ...

Tags: Online Advertising , Real Estate Advertising

By IndoorMedia Marketing On January 26, 2022

14 Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

No marketing firm? No problem. Even inexperienced marketers can use effective marketing strategies without spending a do...

Tags: Advertising 101 , Online Advertising

IM In The Know

At IndoorMedia, we believe our blog can help business owners make profitable advertising decisions. Subscribe to our blog to stay in the know!

OUR ADVERTISING PROGRAMS

OUR ADVERTISING PROGRAMS

DRIVE TRAFFIC

Brand Recognition

BRAND RECOGNITION

Drive Repeat Purchases

DRIVE REPEAT PURCHASES

National Programs

NATIONAL PROGRAMS

Digital Services