New Website

[SonomaJoe]

The site still need a little tinkering, thoughts anyone??

www.washpluslaundry.com

[STOUT]

JW;
Very impressive.

[BMWHD3060]

I agree very nice web site.

[MamaLaundry]

Wow, Jw...extremely impressive.

The site is clean, easy to read and informative.

The Wi-Fi notice on the top is in the perfect spot.

I'm curious if you created this or outsourced it.

It's fabulous! Great job!

[Sudds]

Excellent website. Best Laundromat website I've seen by far. Clearly, someone took the time and did an outstanding job with that.

Very clean looking stores btw. Thanks for sharing.

[dreng]

May I ask the technology you used for setting up your free wi-fi access. I've been interested in doing the same but I don't have the slightest idea on where to begin.

thanks.

[surfflite]

Ok, I bought a MAC the other day and tonight I discovered iWEB. So here is my website I built in a couple of hours of fooling with it. Let me know what you think. I also have the option to get a domain name and publish to that name.

http://web.me.com/surfflite/NORTH_TREKELL_LAUNDRY_CENTER

[SonomaJoe]

May I ask the technology you used for setting up your free wi-fi access. I've been interested in doing the same but I don't have the slightest idea on where to begin.

I have local hi speed DSL (Sonic). As for the router, my Internet provider recommended a Meraki router (www.meraki.com). I can monitor usage from the web, have the splash page be the Wash Plus website, block or white list users, or charge $$ for the service. It also allows me to setup parallel networks (private, public) so I can have as much of the bandwidth as needed

[hiddenviewmat]

Great looking website - easy to use and lots of info. What did you use to build it?

Kori

[SonomaJoe]

Site design and creation was handled by i9 Creative.
I also took it one step further (a step that most people don’t do) and had keyword research done, by a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) person, to make sure the website is talking directly to people who are searching on Google. A very simple example is having one of the top search terms "laundry" in the web address "washpluslaundry". I expect this to help in delivering top ranking in Google, Yahoo and Bing.

If anyone has other specific questions, just send an email @ washplus@sonic.net

Thanks again!

[Super Clean]

I have local hi speed DSL (Sonic). As for the router, my Internet provider recommended a Meraki router (www.meraki.com). I can monitor usage from the web, have the splash page be the Wash Plus website, block or white list users, or charge $$ for the service. It also allows me to setup parallel networks (private, public) so I can have as much of the bandwidth as needed

How did you get your splash page or what did u do to get a splash page I should say when ppl log on to your internet?

[SonomaJoe]

The router has advanced options that allow me to put in a web address

[Super Clean]

What router did you go with? My router just crapped out anywase so its time for a new one.

[PaulP]

Dude! Great website. I just met with my web-deisgner friend and am getting mine redone. Then I saw yours...the bar has been raised, lol.

[James2011]

Paul, you like Jesus, me too, glad to meet you...

[PaulP]

You got it, dude! It's all about Him!

[SonomaJoe]

What router did you go with? My router just crapped out anywase so its time for a new one.

http://meraki.com/products_services/access_points/indoor/

[CanCanCase]

http://meraki.com/products_services/access_points/indoor/

I'm looking at those too... Can't get ahold of their sales department until after the long holiday weekend.

Do you block non-laundry users from freeloading on your WiFi? My mat is within radio range (even at lower power settings) of a DairyQueen, medical office, 22 unit apartment and several large parking lots (I know, great location, right?)

I'm not looking to charge for WiFi service where a user gets a splash page and must enter payment information to proceed. I'm wondering if the "serial number" on a customer's EasyCard or LaundryCard could be used as an "access code"...

Granted, A resident of the apartment could easily do one load of laundry to get the card, take it home and log in to the WiFi without any problem, but at least they're MY customer using the service and not some kid with an iPhone spending money at the Dairy Queen and not with me.

Despite a Batchellor's degree in Comp Sci & Engineering, I'm now WAY out of my league...

Nice website, BTW! It's fitting that a business designed to do laundry should have such a CLEAN and uncluttered website!

-Case (Or maybe I could claim my name was Ronald Reagan to lend more credibility to my posts? :p )

[SonomaJoe]

Mr Regan,
Meraki has really bad phone customer support. They will drive you to the website (after you have spent endless amount of time on the phone)

As for customers needing to put in their easycard #, that is not possible. The system will only accept Credit Cards or Paypal.

As for free access, that is personal opinion. It would be great if internet access would be another income stream (like vending) for the laundromat, but it is not.
Personally, I think of the free WiFi as a marketing expense, & believe I am getting a very good return on my investment. It is another way I differentiate my Laundromat (also EasyCard) in a small town with too many Laundromats. Everything added together seems to be working, today is black friday for that store (vs 2008)!

Joel

[CanCanCase]

Sorry... The Ronald Reagan thing was a frienly jab at Larry and his name obsession... "Case" is my name and tends to get my attention much more quickly. ;-)

I dislike the "please see our website" method of sales and support. Thanks for the heads up. As for providing free WiFi- yes, it's a marketing expense that I'm choosing to make. With iPhones so prevalent these days, however, unless the general public is blocked out or has another free option, that traffic from the public will quickly bring a network to it's knees... Then legitemate customers won't have access to the very benefit that was established for them in the first place.

As far as accepting the EasyCard... When I buy a coffee in many local stores, a code is printed on my receipt. That code can be used at the WiFi login for x minutes of free access. I'm not looking to debit the EasyCard value for net access... Rather I want to give anyone with a valid EasyCard number access while restricting those who don't have one.

Is your statement that the Meraki system can't do that a statement of your personal experience, or do you know for fact that the Meraki cloud won't perform the task? In otherwords, is the lack of capability a function of your individual installation or a function of the bac end processing lacking the feature?

Thanks!

- Case

Mr Regan,
Meraki has really bad phone customer support. They will drive you to the website (after you have spent endless amount of time on the phone)

As for customers needing to put in their easycard #, that is not possible. The system will only accept Credit Cards or Paypal.

As for free access, that is personal opinion. It would be great if internet access would be another income stream (like vending) for the laundromat, but it is not.
Personally, I think of the free WiFi as a marketing expense, & believe I am getting a very good return on my investment. It is another way I differentiate my Laundromat (also EasyCard) in a small town with too many Laundromats. Everything added together seems to be working, today is black friday for that store (vs 2008)!

Joel

[SonomaJoe]

Case,

I searched the help boards of the Meraki site on my previous reply. It would seem the payment system would need to communicate with the meraki cloud software to produce code for the router to accept. I'm sure the system does not have that ability, but its a great idea

[Duane]

D-Link did make a DSA-3100 and DSA-3200 router that does what you are looking to do. However they are no longer made or supported. If you can find one at a reasonable cost it might work for you.

I have the DSA-3200 and can control who does and doesn't use the service. It is setup with an id and password that are posted inside the store. You can also block MAC addresses if needed and a whole lot more.

You could also get a printer that when a button is pushed it would print out a unique ID and password good for xx amount of minutes.

Nice products, just not made or supported any longer.

Duane.

[mmurra]

I paid a guy to do mine. I added a video from a recent Comcast TV commercial. Mark www.adrianimagecenter.com