What the heck is S.E.O?

Search engine optimisation is a mystery to me or more accurately a misery. OK we got a web-site and that seems to do what it is supposed to do. But I dread it every time the phone rings and some slick sales man says “I can make your web-site get better ranking for so much £££££”

I just hear the same old tune from these guys “how can you get business without good placing on Google or Yahoo?” So off I go to our Tec guy Mark who did our web-site and say “should I spend cash for page ranking? They say this! They say that!” Simple fact is we already get good placement on Google (page 5) and Yahoo (page 1) with our chosen keywords. I just could not get my head around all this jargon. Finally he sat me down and explained what SEO really means in an easy to understand way.

Most sites already have good S.E.O. (Search Engine Optimisation) which means that Google, Yahoo or any search engine for that matter index sites, based on content, interest and links ranking them accordingly to what people are actually searching for. Throwing cash at it won’t necessarily get you better rankings and in some cases will even harm your position in those listings.

If you really want a higher placement concentrate your efforts on getting links into your site from other subject related sites or spend your money on an add words or pay-per-click campaign on Google or such alike, which will get you targeted hits and increase your web presence.

Caught in a web

It a funny thing, writing these posts. I find myself going over and over them for days on end sometimes. Checking the spelling and tidying up the wording and even then I just seem to find something else that needs to be put right, though its probably fine the way it is. It’s a bit like cleaning I suppose no matter how much you do there always feels like you could do something more.

Which makes it all the more puzzling to me when I found myself chatting to a woman as I did on Monday who told me that the cleaner she has does not like cobwebs “you see” she said to me “my husband and I cant understand how this cobweb in our kitchen has been there for weeks and weeks” What could I say its not one of our cleaners, perhaps her cleaner has just not noticed it or does not keep looking to do that little bit more.

Sometimes I feel that you must go that little bit further or go that extra mile if you want to do a good job. It might mean taking longer or doing more, but quite often its just a question of doing the job right in the first place which will save a lot of work in the long run.

I am in business and my business is not about meeting our customers expectations it is about exceeding them! Which I hope that by doing a little more, taking the time to care and adding a few minor details and fine touches means that none of our customers will ever have cobwebs in their kitchen.

I help people!….that’s what I do

I bumped into an old friend recently who I have not seen for ages and before I could say a word they said “so what are you doing these days?”. I responded “Oh I’m running a cleaning business!” but I knew as soon as I said it that was mistake…

Yes I run a cleaning business but I don’t do it for the money! I don’t do it for an easy life! or job security! Its defiantly not stress free. I mean running a business is about hard work, long hours, and one demand after another as well as not knowing where the next penny is coming from but I love it! It has given me a sense of freedom and liberation, but that does come at a price.

Business I have learned is not about money, or power, or control, or being the boss, or any of the things I used to think it was about. It is about people, It is about doing the job right, It is about caring, it is about service but mostly it is about…….Trust.

However my friend made me think and I started to ask myself, Why do I do it? It did not take me long to realise. That the simple answer is that I like to help people. I have always liked to look after others in one way or another, even my housing management job was all about helping others but my life had just got so busy that I could not keep up with the housework. Having a cleaner myself had a definite impact on the way I lived my life and showed me some very real benefits that I could offer others.

Running my cleaning business allows me to help people to save money, hassle and time. We can all make money but none of us can make a single second of time and if having a cleaner cleaning your home lets you do more with your time as well as having a better quality of life then I have helped someone special, because that is what I really do…I help People!

My time to relax

Finding time to relax is sometimes very difficult as it often feels that life just does not stand still. What with all the commitments that our modern lives throws at us such as the kids, work and running a home it's a wonder that we have time to do anything. A I was so very busy I needed to find more time and getting a cleaner seemed the perfect solution with the added bonus of not having to do the housework.

However when I needed a cleaner I soon realized how hard it was to find good reliable domestic help and DKM Domestic services became a reality as a result of my own personal experiences. Setting up and running a small business is hard enough but I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with a fantastic team of experts as well as the unwavering support of friends and family.

We can all clean but the business of cleaning is not as easy as some might think as it requires knowledge, skill and understanding. My aim is to produce results that far exceed the expectations of our customers and to make each customer feel valued as individuals. This blog was suggested to me as a way to relax at work. A place that I can think, store and develop my thoughts and ideas and continue to make improvements with running my business. It is here we discuss the subject of cleaning in general which I hope you will find both helpful and useful.

dkm cleaning website

Developing a business in the modern world does require a huge amout of new skils that I just did not have the time to learn. I mean just setting up a business and with the day to day running it is hard enough but having to learn web design, marketing, accounts and payroll to list but a few made my head spin but having a web-site is paramount in the modern business world and fortunately I knew just the person to ask about getting a web site presence.

I know an artist who has developed his own
website as well as helping others with their's. Mark is a fantastic artist whoes work I greatly admire as it is very unusual.After seeing his website http://www.mjo-art.com/ I knew he had all the skills and tools necessary to creat really fantastic looking websites.With this in mind we asked him if he would design ours. I think the results speak for themselves. We feel not only is it very visually pleasing to look at it is also very professional and he was able to do it at a very reasonable price. http://www.dkm-cleaning.co.uk Please take the time to have a look at it and I think you would also agree what a spectacular website it is. If you feel Mark could help you with designing your website please feel free to contact him which you can do throug his website or just email him on emancipated1@hotmail.co.uk .

The numerous benefits of having a cleaner

I recently was reviewing some of the testimonials that we have received and was struck by this particular one as is highlighted some of the very real and positive benefits of the services that we offer. Mark is a busy man with 2 kids who has a number of small business interests and very little time to keep pace with every thing he has going on in his life. This is what he had to say about why having a cleaner is such a good thing in his life.

"I have a cleaner who does two hours each Friday, the house is cleaner and tidier which helps me to keep it that way with much less effort and as a result I am able to save up to five hours of my valuable time each week. whenever I walk in I feel relaxed and happy. The house always looks fantastic and smells great. Its the little details that delight me the most. I also found that getting in a cleaner has really surprised me in a number of different ways that I had not expected not only is this an efficient use of my time allowing me to pursue other interests but I also feel it promotes good health, reduces stress, saves money and promotes a relaxed lifestyle"

Mark has raised a number of benefits in his testimonial but here are a few more some of which you may not have thought of.

• Gives you time to pamper yourself
• Save money on cleaning products
• Creates good lasting habits
• Promotes motivation,self esteem, personal confidence
• Reduces dust [ a must for people with breathing difficulties]
• Promotes good time management
• Allows you to be in control of the housework
• Having a cleaner helps you feel supported with the housework
• Frees up your time for family and friends
• Allows you to pursue other interests and hobbies
• Cost affective
• A cleaner environment always impresses quests and visitors
• and lastly makes you feel happier and more content

We think that these numerous positive benefits far outstrip the physical cost of having a cleaner which allows us the opportunity to help far more people like Mark save time,money and hassle in their daily lives.