That fancy portfolio website I built was a total waste of time

I spent like 3 months and $400 building this slick portfolio site with animations and all that jazz. Thought it would land me more clients for my cleaning business website side thing. You know what actually worked? A simple Instagram page where I posted before and after photos of messy kitchens. Got 5 inquiries in one week after I tagged the local moms group. The fancy site got maybe 2 hits in 6 months. Now I tell everyone starting out to just use a free platform and focus on real photos not fancy code. Has anyone else dumped money into a tool that totally flopped compared to something basic?

4 comments

4 Comments

betty_wells26d ago

Oh yeah, I feel you on that. That thing about "it still looks professional when someone googles you" is true for some people, but for a cleaning business, clients barely even look at websites anymore. They just want to see real results from regular people, not a fancy page with loading animations. I wasted money on a similar setup for my handyman side gig, and what actually got me calls was a simple Facebook page with cell phone pics of jobs I did that week. @the_harper has a point about looking legit, but basic and free works way better for local service work than anything flashy. Just keep it simple and show what you actually do.

vera_lewis223d ago

Nah, gotta disagree hard here. A Facebook page with phone pics might get you some calls but it also screams amateur hour. When someone's deciding between you and another cleaner, a basic but clean website with a proper domain makes you look like you've been around for years, not like you're just some guy with a mop and a phone. Plus, Google actually ranks websites higher than social media pages for local searches, so you're literally hiding from customers who type "cleaners near me" into the search bar. And what happens when Facebook changes their algorithm or your account gets hacked? You lose everything. A simple one page site with your contact info and a gallery costs like 50 bucks a year and gives you full control. It's not about being flashy, it's about looking legit enough that people trust you with their house keys.

tara64226d ago

Betty_wells called it right. Flashy sites are overrated when real pics of your actual work do more for you.

the_harper26d ago

Maybe it's not that deep though. A fancy site still looks professional when someone does google you, right?