Hi All,

 

My girlfriend and I have wanted to move away from our home city for a few years now.

We're both in our mid-twenties and have no children or mortgage to set us back so moving soon feels like a good time. We're in a good situation financially to move and she can transfer within her job easily enough to almost any large city however, my web design company is based where we currently live and this is what i feel is causing the problem.

 

I have great local clients and they would be the second people I inform (after my family of course) that i would be moving. My worry is that i would have to build my website up again from scratch to appeal to a new set of keywords and to eventually gain clients in the city i move to. From experience in growing my business where I currently am, getting to page one took me around 10 months to do and then a further 2 months to get into the top 5. I'd really like to not have to spend the same amount of time targeting a new set of keywords in order to pick-up and move my entire business.

 

Is there a way I can harness the power and quality of the website that i have built and 'move' it relatively easily to a new city before I move physically without loosing my current ranking for my home city and therefore loosing potential business leading up to the move?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or alternatives?

Am i just dreaming or can these sorts of things be done?

 

I'm really interested to know your thoughts and suggestions.

 

Many thanks in advance,

-Jack

I talk from experience here.

I've moved in the last year from London to Norfolk and then to Scotland. All my old regular clients are still my clients and i've had a fair few from my new area also.

 

I changed nothing on my website until fairly recently, however i did let my Facebook/Twitter followers know.

 

Maybe consider a transfer period where you target both areas and gradually phase out the old location over time.

I talk from experience here.

I've moved in the last year from London to Norfolk and then to Scotland. All my old regular clients are still my clients and i've had a fair few from my new area also.

 

I changed nothing on my website until fairly recently, however i did let my Facebook/Twitter followers know.

 

Maybe consider a transfer period where you target both areas and gradually phase out the old location over time.

 

Hi Mike,

Thanks, that's very helpful.

 

One reason for moving is the potential for more clients is about 3 times higher in the target city we're looking to move to as opposed where we currently are.

I'm not sure i could rely on 'old' business or even new clients from my home city whilst I set up in a new city to live off of.

 

I have time to target clients in a new city now before we move (which might be a year away yet) and we think we know where we're going, it's just knowing the best way to do it.

What's your target City?

What's the locations you're moving from and too. It makes all the difference.

What's your target City?

 

I'm sort of reluctant to say too much as I don't want any potential clients to be put off hiring my business if they were to Google me. It actually wouldn't affect my ability to work with them in the slightest as I can drive / rail places.

 

 

I can tell you it's not London and it's in the South of the UK, not too far from where I am but far enough for my website to potentially need work to accommodate the move.

 

 

Do you need that to say what you were going to?

 

 

I can tell you it's not London and it's in the South of the UK...

 

Gonna be brightonmike's new best friend?

Gonna be brightonmike's new best friend?

 

No, lol. It's not Brighton

Bognor Regis?

if it's anywhere in Cornwall I'm jealous

if it's anywhere in Cornwall I'm jealous

 

Ha! All good guesses but no.

 

Anything else to add?

Edited March 12, 201214 yr by jackmcconnell

if it's anywhere in Cornwall I'm jealous

 

Me too!

 

Anyway, yes a move of your life is always going to be hard but in the long run it should be fruitful. Regarding the original question. If you've got a good list of local clients then keep in touch with them during the move and just reassure them that you won't be disappearing.

Might be worth removing any talk of location from your site altogether for the time being. If people want to know where you're based they'll see your previous works and make assumptions based on that. Once you tell them where you're based they'll think that it's fine because you done work for these other companies from that distance.

 

Not so much 'lying' more 'twisting the truth a tad'

Southampton? Bournemouth? Portsmouth? Poole? Worthing? Newhaven? Littlehampton? Chichester?

Southampton? Bournemouth? Portsmouth? Poole? Worthing? Newhaven? Littlehampton? Chichester?

 

 

Nope.

City regardless, what do you suggest?

Do you drive? As driving may ease the transition too, as you'd still be able to, fairly, easily still see your old clients.

No, lol. It's not Brighton

 

 

I woulda said, blooming expensive here to live.

Ha! All good guesses but no.

 

Anything else to add?

 

I have moved a couple of times over last few years, that's where having a virtual office arrangement has been beneficial for me as it keeps home and work affairs seperate and the move hasn't really affected business.

 

In fact, I'm moving again myself next month and can't wait.

Do you drive? As driving may ease the transition too, as you'd still be able to, fairly, easily still see your old clients.

 

I can, yes. Train is also an option, i suppose.

 

It's more the SEO front i'm concerned about. Worth putting together a new site specifically for that market or just slowly adapt my own to fit?

I have moved a couple of times over last few years, that's where having a virtual office arrangement has been beneficial for me as it keeps home and work affairs seperate and the move hasn't really affected business.

 

In fact, I'm moving again myself next month and can't wait.

 

Ah i see. Tell me more!

I haven't used one before but have worked with people that have.

Ah i see. Tell me more!

I haven't used one before but have worked with people that have.

 

Just chose the nearest one to me and they handle all my mail and will even take my calls if I wished.

 

I built up a bit of rapor with them so they also let me leave some business cards and I use their facilities to meet clients (on the rare occassion they want to chat face to face) or otherwise meet at Starbucks!

 

Not that expensive