Living up to a company motto on service calls can be hard enough, but to swear by it on the Web as well poses a whole other challenge. Donnelly's, a plumbing, heating and cooling company based in Lansdale, Pa., has carried its "Better, Faster, Cleaner" company creed online with a highly organized Web site (www.donnelly-mw.com) that lets users quickly skip between pages highlighting plumbing and residential services, plus frequently asked questions and monthly customer reminders.

One reason company owner Marty Donnelly's Web site is so accomplished is the full-time attention it receives. All of the marketing support he sought from a hired firm eventually evolved into marketing director Jill Sevareid leaving the agency and joining Donnelly's team as a part-time independent consultant. Now, Sevareid directly handles all the company's marketing, keeping a keen eye on strategy.

"When using a Web site for informational purposes, you need to keep track of how people are using the site and what kind of feedback you can get," Sevareid says. "You don't want to put $5,000 into a Web site and earn $200 worth of business."

One of the site's big and bright flashing messages, proclaiming "CALL US - WE ANSWER OUR PHONES," might blind users to the fact that what they see before them is the end product of extensive planning. For instance, the site specifically is designed using the company's colors, blue and green. Also, the site has been placed on a Yellow Pages search engine so that it's easy for people who live in the counties Donnelly's services to pull up the address.

Sevareid has targeted the company's audience and balanced the site with both its interests and Donnelly's. Donnelly gives top billing on its home page to its Spotless Guarantee and involvement in the Community First Program. For customers, a monthly reminder posted on the site helps jog the memory about common maintenance tips that are easy to forget - and for which they might want to call Donnelly's for service, such as having the heating system checked and cleaned. The site also offers two products for sale - a carbon monoxide alarm and an electrostatic air cleaner.

"These are two popular things we are promoting," Sevareid said. "Our future goal is they can order these products from us right over the Web."

Donnelly's, which also specializes in water treatment and bathroom remodeling, posts some photos and details about these additional services, although the site does not necessarily attempt to clinch customers with the information.

"We do get some business through the site from people inquiring about various services," Sevareid says. "But having a Web site - it's an image thing - it shows that you're with it."

Links

• Donnelly's