Thoughts on facebook, twitter...

[Stytooner]

Hey guys.
I am about ready to upload a new website in a few days. Basically just using an off the shelf template. This will update all my code since it has been there for some time now.
It has been in dire need of this for years as well.
Anyway, this template I'm using has links to Facebook, twitter and a few other social networks places that I never have been to.
I know basically what they are, but are they the future? I received an email from 80/20 today and it had something related to Facebook in there.
I know other businesses use those places, but how much value could t provide?
I was just going to omit those references in the templates. Now, not so certain that is the right choice.
Any thoughts welcome.
Thanks Guys and Gals.

[pelligrini]

I see those facebook and other links on everything lately. I never use them. I've heard some news stories recently about friend lists, email and marketing on Facebook. I'm sure they will be even more popular in the future.

I'm not sure how big of a part they would play in your business. I would assume that every little bit helps. I hate seeing them plastered all over every website and item. Some folks must be using them though.

[Black wallnut]

I see lots of commerce pages on FB. I'm a fan of some. I'm seeing this a not only the 'thing' now but also an important facet of any marketing plan for the future. However with you serving a niche market I'm not sure it will do much for you but a cost/benefit analysis how can you lose. The traffic in this site may not be driving your sales as it once did.

[vaking]

A lot depends on what your target audience is. If you are in business selling Kellogg's frosted flakes and your target audiences are kids - you want to be on Facebook and Tweeter.
If you are in business of selling tractors and riding mowers - being there will not help you sell. If you are in business of selling Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMO) to large financial companies - being on Facebook will hurt you.

[radhak]

You should not ignore it; rather, you should embrace it. They are the future, or at least the next future will spring from them.

Create your id on FB, Twitter, and all those places (should be the same id), and hopefully the name you want is still available in all of them. If not, make something close enough, but unique. Then use them, at least the FB part, if not the Twitter.

I say that to you as a business owner, to any business owner. These can generate a type of sale you'd not see otherwise : eg, a wife desperate to get something different as a gift, or a kid for a father. Of course this will mean you'd need to put some content on your FB profile, but it could be a very simple page. But the bottom line is, you will end up getting known to a whole lot of woodworkers that did not know you before.

The idea is, these are free advert sites, you don't have to pay much (or anything) to get word-of-mouth going, and you create new clientele.

All with the caveat of course that you want more business and can handle it.

Just so I am clear - I am not on any of that, and miss out on updates from friends and family because of that; but then, I don't have a business to run...

[tommyt654]

I think if you are catering to the x-gen up then go ahead, they spend more time on these dumb things than anyone I know, and they wonder why our kids are dumb?

[Stytooner]

Thanks, Guys.
I did look around and finally setup a page on Facebook.
Figured it couldn't hurt.
I doubt I'll do the tweet.

The new website is geared more toward being able to see it well on other media. That isn't my main reason for the update, but nice that it is included in the design and layout.

My cell phone makes and receives calls. The occasional text from my son. Thats all I need a phone to do. It does other stuff too, just don't use it.

Business has steadily increased for me since day one. Not that it would have been noticeable by looking at the lead times though. They have always been too long for my liking.

I have been outsourcing half of the splitter and riving knife making lately. I was not able to find the .090" thickness steel locally. All the boat builders in Mobile and Pensacola just do not use that. Not cold rolled. They do use Hot dipped, but that isn't suitable.

Finally found a source willing to ship sheets to me at a reasonable cost, so I will be adding a cnc plasma cutter to our lineup.

We are getting some stock built up, but mainly for ones that just don't sell often.

Business is good, but could always be better meaning if I could decrease any leadtimes, that would be a big plus.

Thanks again, guys.

[chopnhack]

Lee, why are your lead times holding back your business? Is it suppliers unable to get product to you timely, fabrication time, assembly?

[Stytooner]

It is a lot more complicated than one might think.
It seems logical to me that guys don't like to wait for items when they order them online. I don't. With less lead time, more might be inclined to order.
I don't want to talk bad about my suppliers. Most are fantastic. The mistakes that do occur are just part of doing business. It has impacted lead times a few times though. Also why I want to plasma cut here now.

I hired my son full time about 2 1/2 years ago and while lead time was shortened quickly, it began stretching back out due to increased orders when lead times were lower. He actually gets vacation. I don't get one of those.
Of course we live close to the beach so some may argue that point.

The newer design takes less time to build, but equals out in hardware. My small shop is really too small for both of us to work in, so I have nearly completed a larger shop that will house all the cnc machines as well as those that are SG specific. I want to keep the small shop and revert it back to a wood working shop only. This involves some duplicates of machinery needed in both shops. Been massing those up.
Soon as the weather cools a bit, we'll get the new one finished up and start moving the rest of the machinery into it.
Once that is done and I get the new plasma cutting here, we should see less lead time.
This is the busiest time of year for us between now and the end of Feb. Best get rolling.

This business has always operated in the black and that is why I haven't went bigger with loans etc. The pace has been smooth growing, so less risk really.

It is a niche market. While it has surpassed by far any possible expectations I ever had about it, I will not get rich from it. It is a job and all you guys are my boss. I am very thankful for it especially since the economy was so bad recently.

[radhak]

Lee,
Great, now you are on FB! You don't need to maintain a presence on Twitter or any other, for now. But I do advise you to register your FB id on Twitter and whatever others that catches your eye, at the very least you'd protect your name by blocking other 'enterprising' personalities from taking over or squatting there. Just in case.

Best of luck.

[atgcpaul]

Lee,
Great, now you are on FB! You don't need to maintain a presence on Twitter or any other, for now. But I do advise you to register your FB id on Twitter and whatever others that catches your eye, at the very least you'd protect your name by blocking other 'enterprising' personalities from taking over or squatting there. Just in case.

Best of luck.

That is an excellent idea! I need to protect my rep. I'm going to go sign up ASAP

I wonder if people will start hoarding FB IDs like people did with website names and then start selling those names back.

[Cochese]

Page views are page views, no matter how you get them.

I just signed up my shop on FB and Twitter, and have been trying to get the word out. Page views have dramatically increased with Twitter, when I use a hashtag that will get people's attention.

I don't have anything to sell, it's just a blog about my hobby. But hopefully in five years I will be at the point of selling a few things and my presence will be cemented.

[Stytooner]

Thanks, Guys.
I did sign up on twitter as well.
I can see some usage for that already.
That is once I had any followers.
I have many people wanting to know when the overhead mounting brackets and related stuff will be available. The drawings have been at my plasma guys for about 5 weeks or so now, so should be soon.
I could tweet when they were ready. Good for any new accessory or product release as well.
These have always sold by word of mouth basically so more free press is very cool.

[JoeyGee]

Might want to jump now onto Google+. I know it's still in beta, but it's really not catching fire like I thougt it would. Still wouldn't hurt to reserve your name there as well.

[Stytooner]

Thanks for all the help guys.
Finally got the site updated and uploaded. Give it a look if interested.
Would like to hear any feedback.
It is not quite finished yet, but much closer than it has been.
I am running a 10% discount for awhile that isn't on there yet.
I still have more videos and instructional material to include.
Thanks.