Connect is an element of the London Stone Landscape Specialist Scheme that's proving invaluable to many of our members. It gives you a shopfront to advertise yourself to potential clients and partners.
When putting the schemem together, we thought hard about what exactly you'd need Connect to do. Here's what we came up with:
A description of you, your company and your work? Check.
Your Connect page gives you up to 500 characters to tell potential customers what you offer, how you specialise, and about your experience. Or anything else you think they should know!
Show pictures of your best work? Check.
Upload up to five images to showcase your best projects and show your versatility. You can choose which picture you'd like as your main portfolio image. All images can be enlarged when viewing your profile, so potential customers have an even better view of what you can do. We don't even ask that the pictures show our products, though they must, of course, show your own work.
Contact details and links straight to your website and social media? Check.
The clear layout means that customers don't have to hunt for a link to your website or email address and can click straight through to the pages you have on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram. Unlike some websites, though, we only give space to social media links if you've got them, so your page maintains a professional image.
At-a-glance list of trade association memberships? Check.
If you belong to any of the seven trade associations listed, customers will be able to see that at a glance. Again, for a professional page-look, without empty categories, if you don't tick any, that section doesn't appear.
At-a-glance list of your stone experience? Check.
Let potential clients and partners know where your experience lies by ticking the stone categories that you've worked with. We've created a clear layout that makes it easy for potential clients to compare profiles.
Changeable details? Check.
If ever you want to update your pictures, rewrite your description, change your trade association listing or adjust your stone experience, just email the new photos or details to us and we'll get straight on to it. That way, you can make sure that your Connect profile is always displaying your most up-to-date information and company image.
Helping customers find you
If you're still not convinced, we can assure you that we receive enquiries every week from homeowners who are looking for reliable trade professionals. Creating a platform to connect you and them was really a no-brainer, especially as we know that one of the most time-consuming parts of running a business is finding new customers. With Connect, homeowners simply enter their postcode and type of trade professional they need, to bring up a list of the 10 nearest to their location. Immediately, you're one step closer to getting their business, with your information and images at their fingertips.
In addition, Connect profiles are indexed by Google, meaning that your information is more visible when potential clients are using the Google search engine and not just on the London Stone website itself
Connect is a great addition to your marketing position and, as ever, if you think of features you think should be added, then we'd love to hear from you.
Why not check out the companies that have already joined in your area by entering your own postcode? As a thank-you for joining, we donate £10 split between gardening charities Perennial and Greenfingers for every company that signs up to Trade Club!).