Start here
Most of what follows is about three things: a name of your own, an email on it, and a Google listing that is actually filled in. Everything else on this page hangs off those.
If you would rather see where you stand before reading any of it, the free check takes about twenty seconds and costs nothing.
Still stuck?
Nothing here is a trick question and none of it is written to catch you out. If the answer you need is missing, say so — the list gets longer every time somebody asks something we had not thought of.
The questions
we actually get
How much does it cost?
Two ways to buy. One-off: the domain is £39.99, your Google profile is £29.99, both together with the email set up is £59.99, and £99.99 gets you all of that plus the one-page site. Or £24.99 a month, rolling, which covers the lot and keeps it maintained — or £249 for the year, which is two months cheaper but is a 12-month commitment paid up front. The mailbox is £4.99 a month on top of any one-off package, and included in the monthly plan.
Is there a setup fee on the monthly plan?
No. £24.99 a month, starting the day you sign up. There is no joining fee, no minimum term and no exit fee.
Is there a cheaper option if I pay for the year?
Yes, and it is a commitment rather than a discount on the same deal. £249 covers twelve months — two months free against paying monthly — but it is a 12-month contract, paid up front, and unused months are not refunded if you leave early. If you want to be able to walk away at any point, take the monthly.
What is the difference between the one-off packages and the monthly plan?
One-off, we set it up and hand it over — it is yours and nothing more is owed except the £4.99 mailbox. Monthly, we set the same things up and then keep them current: the Google post, the review chasing, the photos, the changes when you ring, and someone to answer when it breaks.
Do I own it, or do you?
You do. The domain is registered in your name, the Google profile is claimed under your account, and the mailbox is yours. If you never speak to us again, none of it stops working.
What happens if I cancel?
You keep the domain, the mailbox and the Google profile, because they were always in your name. What stops is the looking-after — the monthly post, the review chasing and the changes. If you are on the monthly plan the one-page site is hosted by us, so that would need moving or stopping.
Am I tied into a contract?
On the monthly plan, no — it is rolling and you can cancel any time. On the yearly plan, yes: £249 buys twelve months, it is a 12-month commitment paid up front, and there is no refund for months you do not use. That is the trade for the two months free.
How long does it take?
Days, not months. The domain and the mailbox are usually live the same day. Google's own verification is the slow part and it is out of anyone's hands — sometimes hours, sometimes a fortnight, depending on how they choose to verify you.
What do you need from me to start?
Your business name, the postcode you work from and your trade. For the Google profile we also need your phone number, your hours and the area you cover. That is usually a five-minute conversation.
Do I have to touch any technical settings?
No. We set up the DNS and the mailbox as part of it — you never touch a nameserver. The only thing you do yourself is put the mailbox into your phone, and there is a step-by-step page for that.
What if the name I want has gone?
Type it into the free checker on the homepage and you will see straight away, live from the registrar, including the endings that have already been taken. Add your town and trade and it will suggest names that are still free.
Which domain endings do you register?
.co.uk and .uk mostly, and .com or .org where they make sense. Prices are quoted live from the registrar before you buy, so what you see is what it costs.
Is the £39.99 domain price for ever?
It covers the first year, registered in your name. Domains renew annually and the renewal is whatever the registrar charges at the time. On the monthly plan the renewal is included.
Can I pay for the mailbox yearly?
Yes. £49.90 for the year instead of £4.99 a month, which is two months free. Same trade as the yearly plan: it is a 12-month commitment paid up front and unused months are not refunded if you leave early. The monthly one is rolling and you can stop it whenever you like.
Why does a business email matter? I have a Gmail.
One in three people distrust a quote from a free email address. hello@yourname.co.uk costs £4.99 a month and it is the cheapest credibility you will ever buy. It is the same inbox on the same phone — only the address changes.
Will my email land in the inbox or the spam folder?
The inbox. The records that decide that — SPF, DKIM and DMARC — are set up properly as part of it, which is the bit most cheap mailboxes skip. We test it against Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365 before handing it over.
Can I keep my existing email address?
If it is on a domain you own, yes. If it is a Gmail or Hotmail address, you keep it as it is — we add the business one alongside, and most people forward one into the other for a while.
I already have a Facebook page. Is that not enough?
It is a start, and it is not yours. It does not come up when somebody searches "roofer near me", it does not give you an email address, and Facebook can change or close it without asking you.
What actually is a Google Business Profile?
The listing with your name, stars, hours and a Directions button that appears in the little map box at the top of Google. For most trades it brings in more work than a website does, and it is free — what you are paying us for is setting it up properly and keeping it current.
I already have a Google listing. Can you still help?
Usually yes, and usually it is half empty. Most listings we see are missing the service list, the area covered, the hours, or the photos. Run the free check on the homepage and it will tell you what is missing before you spend anything.
Can you guarantee me page one?
No, and nobody honest can. Google decides. What we can do is make sure every signal it reads about you is complete and correct, which is the whole of what is in your control.
Will you write fake reviews for me?
No. It is against Google's rules and it gets listings suspended. What we do is chase the real ones — asking your actual customers at the point they are happiest, which is the only method that works twice.
What is the one-page site, exactly?
Five sections, written from your real Google listing and your real reviews: who you are, what you do, where you cover, what people say, and how to reach you. One page because a tradesman does not need nine, and nine is how they end up out of date.
Can I have more than one page?
Ring us. Most people do not need it, but if you have several distinct services worth their own page, we will tell you honestly whether it is worth doing.
Do you do the photos?
We use yours. Photos of your own finished work beat anything from a stock library, and Google can tell the difference. If you have nothing usable we will tell you what to take on your phone — it is not a studio job.
What is the free check on the homepage?
Type your business name and postcode and it looks up what Google actually holds about you, then scores it and names what is missing. It is free, there is no card and no sign-up, and if we cannot find you it says so rather than inventing a score.
What if the free check cannot find my business?
Then it tells you that, and scores nothing. A business Google has never heard of is a real finding and we would rather say it plainly than paint a nought that looks like a verdict.
Do you work outside Essex?
Yes. We are in Southend-on-Sea and most of our customers are in Essex, but none of the work needs us to be local to you. Everything is done remotely and you can ring.
Who actually answers if I ring or email?
A person, and usually the same person. WinCustomers is small. There is no ticket queue and no offshore support desk.
Who is behind WinCustomers?
WinCustomers is a trading name of Outstanding Group Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17437281, registered office 6 Nelson Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1EF.
How do I pay, and is it secure?
By card through Stripe, which handles the payment on its own pages. We never see or store your card number.
What do you do with my details?
Only what we need to do the job and to contact you about it. We do not sell data to anybody. The full detail, including how to ask us to delete it, is on the privacy page.
I have a question that is not here.
Email hello@wincustomers.co.uk or use the form on the homepage. If it is a fair question we will add it to this page.