Why I believe Gig Salad is worthless

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Does the website matter? One of the things I am deadset against something called Word Press. Totally turned off from it. Had it since 2009 to 2015. It was horrible. I can't be convinced otherwise. Won't use it ever again. In one of my other ventures, outside of being a DJ, I built a website for a model train club that has launched that club into having stellar attendance and recruiting records, business for them was up 85% in 6 month's time. I was hoping for the same kind of success with that platform I'm building my new site with. The last site I had and will likely be letting go of was on Wix. Before that was Word Press. Right now because the numbers are so good for that other website I made, I was wanting to see if what I did there would carry over. if it doesn't after this, I am going back to paper ads in the local papers and carrier pigeons smoke signal kind of things. my site presently has not had any modifications. No SEO has been done so it needs to be known right now I expect nothing from it. I don't even have google analytics programmed into it, so as far as the internet is concerned, it's not there. I understand that. It is being built. it is in the rough right now. The old site did have all of that and it even tracked and listed on the first page of the search but no one called me from it.
I'm not going to throw all my eggs in one basket when it comes to websites or advertising. These things have been a tremendous let down for me in the past. I just don't understand why when everyone says it's supposed to work and doesn't. I get really frustrated with it all. Just like walking back into a burning building. but I digress, Everybody uses what they like. Please understand, I'm in no rush. It's been this long waiting longer isn't mattering for me. If I get a gig, I get a gig,if I don't I don't. Like I said, it's not do or die for me. I don't have plans on being like Mark Ferrell over night.
Now, Off to my NYE Gig . I'm not the only DJ in the building either tonight. But we're not dancing during my show we are bowling. They are dancing with the other guy of whom I don't know. Had to drive an hour back west to get this one

I'm curious why you had such a bad experience on Wordpress. My current site is built on it, and I find it unbelievably simple to use. But, I know there are alternatives out there.

Having a website in modern day business is pretty important, in my opinion. But, you need to think of it like a phone line. Paying for a phone line doesn't make the phone ring. If you aren't doing anything to drive traffic to your site, it won't do a thing for you.

As close as we are location wise (I live in Fairfax) I have no idea what number of events are happening in the central corridor of Virginia. I work down there very infrequently. Are there gigs happening around you and you're not getting calls, or do you think that there isn't much work happening in the areas you want to work? Those are very different problems to have.
 
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I'm curious why you had such a bad experience on Wordpress. My current site is built on it, and I find it unbelievably simple to use. But, I know there are alternatives out there.

Having a website in modern day business is pretty important, in my opinion. But, you need to think of it like a phone line. Paying for a phone line doesn't make the phone ring. If you aren't doing anything to drive traffic to your site, it won't do a thing for you.

As close as we are location wise (I live in Fairfax) I have no idea what number of events are happening in the central corridor of Virginia. I work down there very infrequently. Are there gigs happening around you and you're not getting calls, or do you think that there isn't much work happening in the areas you want to work? Those are very different problems to have.

I used wordpress for a while. It was fine until you start trying to tweak things. I gets to be a PITA quickly. It also happens be targeted a lot for attacks. I ditched it and don't regret that decision.
 
Does the website matter? One of the things I am deadset against something called Word Press. Totally turned off from it. Had it since 2009 to 2015. It was horrible. I can't be convinced otherwise.

Why? What turned you off Word Press?


outside of being a DJ, I built a website for a model train club that has launched that club into having stellar attendance and recruiting records, business for them was up 85% in 6 month's time. I was hoping for the same kind of success with that platform I'm building my new site with
.

What else did they do to draw numbers? Generally putting a website up alone doesn't cause a mass draw


The last site I had and will likely be letting go of was on Wix. Before that was Word Press. Right now because the numbers are so good for that other website I made, I was wanting to see if what I did there would carry over.

What does one have to do with the other? Where you build your site and where you host it have nothing at all to do with how often it's found online. Some may have better SEO tools than others but for the most part there is very little or any difference

my site presently has not had any modifications. No SEO has been done so it needs to be known right now I expect nothing from it. I don't even have google analytics programmed into it,

I think we may have found your problem.......

The old site did have all of that and it even tracked and listed on the first page of the search but no one called me from it.

So then that's where you have to ask why? If you are on the first page and not getting contacted the website design company and the hosting provider aren't the problem
 
The whole thing is in a transitional state right now and is updating. Right now I've built a whole new site and it is currently offline because it's not yet set up with the DNS. My bad experiences with WordPress, well they were not satisfactory and a substantial amount of time was wasted on empty promises. The website was lame and un- updatable. I still have no desire to go back to it. It caused people's computers to freeze and or get stuck so that you would have to reboot your computer. I hated it and wasn't able to get support or anything. People told me to get a professional company and I was using one (alledgedly) A lot of time was lost with that. I've looked at the present offerings of it and don't really like it. Still had troubles with it on an entirely new system. People tell me to be the stand out. I'm standing out. I'm tired of the frustration and the aggravation. I will be using something else. I gave Word Press 6 years. I gave Wix one , I am trying something else now. As of today, it's in a mid-transfer. All that stuff the analytics, the SEO all that will be set up for the new site. I have a history of not going with the flow just because that's what everybody else does.
 
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To add to what Ross was saying,


#1, you need to be doing gigs. I'd call every dj company in your area and network with them. Promote yourself through your social media network. Network with other vendors. Network with anyone. Give a business card to everyone you meet, especially anyone you pay money to.

#2 have a basic website, don't worry about making it perfect.

#3, learn how to sell. Read every sales book you can get your hands on. Read them more than once. You'll still need to perfect your own style, but these books will help you learn best practices to apply to your style, like listening, not telling. The most common sales mistake I see people make is they talk to much. I call it diarrhea of the mouth. The most successful sales people are the best listeners. A lot of this was said in other posts. If you get just 1 nugget that you like from a book, it will be the best investment in time and money you ever made. I've been reading sales books for 25 years and still find something useful in every book I read.

When my people come back from a meeting, they know I'm going to ask them details about what the client was looking for.

Work on your appearance. As superficial as it sounds, people will judge you on your appearance. If you are missing teeth and it's obvious, work on getting those fixed. You don't need to be a super model, but don't give them reasons to pre-judge you. Don't use that an an excuse not to sell now, but make it a goal.
 
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I used wordpress for a while. It was fine until you start trying to tweak things. I gets to be a PITA quickly. It also happens be targeted a lot for attacks. I ditched it and don't regret that decision.
What are you using now for your website ?
 
I joined Gig Salad sometime last year, and Ive have received two inquiry's from that site, one was for a kids Bday party, which I booked as it was two miles from house for 2 hours( I dont want to do kids parties, but she wanted to go with DJ that said he would do for free because he needed the practice), the mom ended up canceling a few days later( said the daughter had changed her mind and didnt want a pool party) . But I did the booking off of GS so I didnt pay anything on that.

And the lead I have received from GS was to provide dinner music for seniors , another one that was within 5 miles of me. I had to decline that one for a few different reasons.

I dont see this site getting mention , but I joined Eventective, another lead generating site, you pay for credits to gain access to clients contact info, all the other info is posted, $2.50 a credit, so far I have spent $5 to contact two brides, and I am 0-2 so far, I heard back from one, with the, "thanks for the info, will be discussing this with my fiance" and haven't heard back from the second one.
 
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I am pretty sure you have mentioned it before.

Yea, I'd actually re-created everything on WebSiteBuilder.com and was happy with the new site until I gave them control of my domain name (big mistake). The only reason I'd looked to change is that SS is a bit more limited on how you can present the layout. Overall though, SS is fantastic, especially for people like me that muck up ANY kind of graphic design.
 
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Yea, I'd actually re-created everything on WebSiteBuilder.com and was happy with the new site until I gave them control of my domain name (big mistake). The only reason I'd looked to change is that SS is a bit more limited on how you can present the layout. Overall though, SS is fantastic, especially for people like me that muck up ANY kind of graphic design.
I am good at mucking things up too, so it might be a good fit for me as well, I am doing a year trail using WP( as Big Dan suggested) so when the year is up I think I will give SS a look and see if it might be a better fit for me. But all that is mute as I still havent gotten my site up on WP :dontknow:
 
I am good at mucking things up too, so it might be a good fit for me as well, I am doing a year trail using WP( as Big Dan suggested) so when the year is up I think I will give SS a look and see if it might be a better fit for me. But all that is mute as I still havent gotten my site up on WP :dontknow:

Tilt. If WP is proving hard to configure (and it can be), why are you fighting to stay that route? Try SS, or wix.com, etc. They all will let you build a freebie version and you'll have something that's operational, in about 30 minutes. I think the time I built a full site out for Mix it took me about 15 minutes.
 
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I like tire kickers.
Probably because I don't get THAT many calls that I need to weed out the bad ones.
I would rather have someone call me to inquire about my prices.
First of all, it shows me that they are calling because they are interested in me first, and price second.
Plus, if they call, and I find out their price is not the same as mine...
at least I have them on the phone, so I have a chance to discuss value and price.
If they see your prices posted, and don't like them...they never call...and I never get the chance to talk about it.
"Better to have haggled and lost, than to have never haggled at all...."
(I'm paraphrasing a bit)
 
I like tire kickers.
Probably because I don't get THAT many calls that I need to weed out the bad ones.
I would rather have someone call me to inquire about my prices.
First of all, it shows me that they are calling because they are interested in me first, and price second.
Plus, if they call, and I find out their price is not the same as mine...
at least I have them on the phone, so I have a chance to discuss value and price.
If they see your prices posted, and don't like them...they never call...and I never get the chance to talk about it.
"Better to have haggled and lost, than to have never haggled at all...."
(I'm paraphrasing a bit)


"Better to have haggled and lost, than to have never haggled at all" ...I LOVE THAT LINE!

Spoken like a true salesman! HAHA

I agree. If they are calling, they are 80% there! That shows there are interested enough to take the time to pick up the phone and call you.

I would LOVE it if my phone was ringing off the hook and I was readily available to pick it up and start conversing with customers. I'm in the ZONE if that were the case. ...Emails is more like the current playing field though. I just try to respond as fast as I can, and as thoroughly as I can.
 
Tilt. If WP is proving hard to configure (and it can be), why are you fighting to stay that route? Try SS, or wix.com, etc. They all will let you build a freebie version and you'll have something that's operational, in about 30 minutes. I think the time I built a full site out for Mix it took me about 15 minutes.
I might of made it sound worse than it is, the only thing I am fighting if you will is finding a suitable theme that I like, right now, that is my only issue at the moment.
 
"Better to have haggled and lost, than to have never haggled at all" ...I LOVE THAT LINE!

Spoken like a true salesman! HAHA

I agree. If they are calling, they are 80% there! That shows there are interested enough to take the time to pick up the phone and call you.

I would LOVE it if my phone was ringing off the hook and I was readily available to pick it up and start conversing with customers. I'm in the ZONE if that were the case. ...Emails is more like the current playing field though. I just try to respond as fast as I can, and as thoroughly as I can.

I see a big increase in Email the last few years but especially this year I think it's maybe 2 weddings I've booked off the phone this year. For other events the phone is still king

I take a different approach with Email. I NEVER answer right away it's always at least a couple of hours. The email most of the bookings comes in on doesn't go to my phone but I always check it 3 times minimum a day. The reason I don't respond right away is I never want to leave the impression that I'm not busy. I also never respond to an email on a Saturday night

Some may find this approach foolhardy but it has worked for me so far
 
I NEVER answer right away it's always at least a couple of hours. I never want to leave the impression that I'm not busy.

I agree that if you appear too desperate, it could work against you.
Not only that, if they DO become a client, they will expect an IMMEDIATE response every time they contact you.