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June 26, 2008 ( PowerHomeBiz
) - Ireland --
I'm a huge advocate of having a website and blog to support
your day care business. My website was born at the same time as my day care
and I have benefited from a lot of business that otherwise might not have
found me. They might have overlooked my service in favor of a bigger,
better, faster, shinier, more centrally located day care.
(news continued below))
People were impressed with my website; with the pictures, information and
'glimpse inside' that it offered. They liked the beautiful setting, the
family run element and our montessori program. They felt like they knew us
already thanks to the 'personal touch' effect of the website.
Having an online presence has many advantages in terms of marketing and
simply communicating with current and potential clients. A professional
website is worth considering and is not difficult to create or maintain. A
vibrant, regularly updated site and blog can sell your business better than
anything else. Make sure it is easily navigable and well stocked with
information about you and your business.
Granted it took a few months of work submitting my site to online
business directories and ensuring I had all my meta tags and keywords up to
speed but ultimately it was worth it. My day care almost always shows up in
the first few listings for any search for child care in my area (oftentimes
for nationwide searches).
Pictures of your day care should abound, both interior and exterior -
nice bright shots of your playrooms and playgrounds. Parents love to see
concise details of essential policies, fees and
curriculum - so they know what to expect. You can include downloads of
your day care contract and
parent handbook - the more information you provide the less questions
they're going to have.
Having a blog associated with your site is a lovely idea and keeps both
present and future clients updated and involved. I just recently revamped my
site adding a blog (I use wordpress and highly recommend it) and am already
reaping the rewards and hearing lots of nice feedback. Consider having a
staff page with pictures and mini biographies of your carers (even it it's
just you). People love that personal touch and feel that you are less of a
stranger to them.
Fiona Lohrenz drew on her 10 years experience of running a day
care to found ChildCareOnly.com and produce a 'How to Start a Day Care
Business' DVD guide:
www.startchildcare.com
Fiona can be reached at her website:
http://www.childcareonly.com
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