A rogue builder who tricked homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has today (20th July) been jailed for fraud. Dennis Pickerden, 46, ran a number of building companies in north-east Lincolnshire. He developed a sophisticated scam to convince his victims to part with over a quarter of a
A large majority of tradespeople are not getting the most out of their websites, and could be missing out on possible new business opportunities, according to a new study. IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest online and mail order supplier of ironmongery products to the trade, analysed the websites of 240 trade
A rogue builder who tricked homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has today (20th July) been jailed for fraud. Dennis Pickerden, 46, ran a number of building companies in north-east Lincolnshire. He developed a sophisticated scam to convince his victims to part with over a quarter of a million pounds in total. Pickerden approached potential customers by cold-calling or visiting their homes. Homeowners were provided with references, portfolios of work and even DVDs to convince them he was reliable and trustworthy. Then extremely low quotes were given so they entered into a contract. Pickerden undertook a variety of projects including extensions, loft conversions and paving driveways. Work would get underway, but before long problems would arise, progress would slow, and clients would be asked to make further payments. Eventually he would ensure that there was a major disagreement and walk off the job leaving work unfinished and often in a dangerous state. Many victims lost their life savings and their homes. Several were so distressed by their experiences they have been left with long-term health issues including depression and stress. Pickerden pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading at an earlier hearing, and was today sentenced to six years and nine months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court. Arslan Khan of the CPS said: “Dennis Pickerden started building projects with no intention of ever finishing them. The work his companies undertook was shoddy and often dangerous. He repeated the same fraud over and over again, deliberately abusing homeowners’ trust. “His victims were left out of pocket. Some have lost their homes and others have serious health conditions that will need long-term treatment. “Pickerden’s offending was carefully planned and so extensive that prosecutors were able to show that it amounted to serious fraud. I hope today’s sentence will provide some sense of justice to those whose lives he affected.”
A large majority of tradespeople are not getting the most out of their websites, and could be missing out on possible new business opportunities, according to a new study. IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest online and mail order supplier of ironmongery products to the trade, analysed the websites of 240 trade companies from across the UK, including those of builders, joiners, shop fitters and construction firms. The research found that 56% of the websites analysed contained content that had been duplicated across the site or had appeared elsewhere on the internet, therefore reducing the website’s search visibility. On average, construction firms were most likely to be making this mistake with 62% of this sector including copied content on their websites. The study also revealed that 33% of the websites investigated failed to include a call-to-action, which means they are reducing the opportunities for potential customers to contact them or make an enquiry. Of all the websites analysed, those in the carpentry sector (80%) were most likely to include a contact form or enquiry box, whereas construction firm websites were least likely to have one (42%). Using a quality content management system (CMS) to power a website helps businesses to manage a website and its content easily, as well as improve site maintenance. But only 45.5% of trade companies have a CMS system in place. And only 10% of the websites contained blog posts, which are useful for displaying business news and examples of their great work to customers. Wayne Lysaght-Mason, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “When it comes to promoting a business and bringing in new customers, having a well designed and easy-to-use website can really help to boost visibility. “However our research reveals that the majority of tradespeople are still not investing in a quality website to help attract new or existing customers, with many not even having a call to action or using duplicated content. “Duplicated content on a website reduces its search engine visibility because the search engine does not know which version of the content is more valuable. As a result, the website will be pushed further down the search rankings, reducing the chances of customers finding the company. And if people can’t find them or can’t contact them, they are likely to take their custom elsewhere. “Websites are a valuable tool for businesses to shout about the great work they are doing so tradespeople should be reviewing their website’s content regularly, and utilising blogs and case study sections to showcase their work to potential customers. Those that invest in creating a good website or begin to do so will have a greater advantage when it comes to gaining more custom and increasing brand awareness.” To help tradespeople wanting to learn how digital marketing can grow their business, IronmongeryDirect has created a downloadable guide with some basic tips to support both novices and those already investing in promoting their business online. The guide offers advice on how to build a high quality website and making the site more search engine friendly, as well as the importance of including calls-to-action so customers can get in touch easily. It also includes information on how business owners can save hundreds of pounds on marketing activities. For more information and to access the digital marketing guides, visit http://www.IronmongeryDirect.com/toolbox