Best way to sell websites to clients?

14 years ago

So, just to clarify and make this a little easier to understand....

You want to start a web design business... you don't have web design experience, and you don't even know the basic wordpress themes, and you want to start out using email only to attract clients for your new business idea. Right?

Why do you want to start this business again? Because people say it's profitable or what?

Your price point is awful, no business that appreciates quality, is going to use you. Also, you're working against yourself. In business, you either succeed or you fail... if you're picky about what to do to get clients, and you don't have deep pockets to advertise, you will fail.

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iAmNameLess 14 years ago

Originally Posted by TheBlogger

You don't need lots of money to succeed in business if that's what you're saying?

Yeah, you need money in business, that is the point of a business. If you don't have money you don't have a business. Am I wrong?

What I was mainly saying, is if you want to be picky about how you get clients, then you need deep pockets. Starting a business, you need to be prepared to leave your comfort zone... if you don't then you need to PAY for the luxury.
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kenmichaels 14 years ago

Originally Posted by iAmNameLess

Your price point is awful, no business that appreciates quality, is going to use you. .

We all know i am ALWAYS preaching to charge more.... and i always will ( sorry john d )

However i believe there is one place a $99 price point makes sense ...
That would be on the consumer level.

I think family style, personal passion, weddings , fam trees, or focus blogs / boards / ect would sell like hot cakes from 99 - 299

word press is perfectly suitable for that, and the sale would be pretty easy
for a newbies to acquire, as they would not need to pitch anything technical

all they would have to do is stick to the emotional hot buttons
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- mogawk 14 years ago
  
  You're not going to be able to sell potential clients anything without some examples of previous work you've done.
  
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  kenmichaels 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by mogawk
  
  You're not going to be able to sell potential clients anything without some examples of previous work you've done.
  
  THAT, is just not true.
  
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  Baadier Sydow 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by kenmichaels
  
  THAT, is just not true.
  
  I couldnt agree more, sell them on the value and if you are confident enough and cant answer all their questions they will trust your ability to get things done.
  
  At the OP, perhaps starting with the mobile website pitch is an easier option initially. Just target sites without mobile sites and pitch them. You can keep on learning as you go along.
  
  Good luck
  
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  Baadier Sydow
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  Jason Kanigan 13 years ago
  
  And we're dredging up a dead thread from 2012 because...?
  
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abelamorales

14 years ago

Jennifer,

The best advice I can give you is to first begin learning about web development and standard practices. You do not have to be an expert in web development and SEO, but know enough to convey yourself as a professional when you are speaking to your clients. Make sure you begin building a team of professionals that you can outsource your SEO and web development projects to.

You also need to be a product of the product -- Get yourself a website that is attractive. Learn about what others are doing to build a list of potential clients. Also, make sure you have money to market your business.

Business is tough, however if there's one thing I have learned is that those who quit don't succeed, those who are persistent and determined do. You don't have to be an expert in everything, but have an eye for attention to detail and a great leader.

Thanks

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citygirl

14 years ago

Thanks for the responses! I do want to clarify that I do know Wordpress, and how to set up sites, that's no issue. And I am working on putting together my own site. I've built Wordpress IM sites in the past, but not offline buisness sites.

But I really just wanted a good simple model to at least start off with. That way I could have a much nicer protfolio to begin with.

Thanks

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spesialis

14 years ago

Approach female related businesses in your area. For example, the one who sell wedding cakes.

Come to the store, tell the manager you'll build their site for free. They only need to pay domain + hosting (charge $49/month).

Ask them to take pictures of every single cake in there, also the photos of interior and front of the store.

Grab a decent WP theme, build the site. It will take you few hours the most.

You just got yourself a first client and a first portfolio. Your confidence will boost tremendously.

The client will ask for revisions or changes, they always do. Tell them that to do that, you need to charge them $99-$299, instead of a free website.

If they bite, outsource the design work.

Ask them a reference, if they have friends/family which owns a business, ask them if they need a website.

Repeat until 5 clients. Now charge $499 per site.

After 10 clients, raise the rate to $1200/site.

There are literally hundreds if not thousands female related businesses in your city.

If the first store reject you, go to another store. There's no "fail" in this method, there's only "I haven't got any client yet, I'll try again tomorrow."

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FritzBarnes

14 years ago

Originally Posted by spesialis

Approach female related businesses in your area. For example, the one who sell wedding cakes.

Come to the store, tell the manager you'll build their site for free. They only need to pay domain + hosting (charge $49/month).

Ask them to take pictures of every single cake in there, also the photos of interior and front of the store.

Grab a decent WP theme, build the site. It will take you few hours the most.

You just got yourself a first client and a first portfolio. Your confidence will boost tremendously.

The client will ask for revisions or changes, they always do. Tell them that to do that, you need to charge them $99-$299, instead of a free website.

If they bite, outsource the design work.

Ask them a reference, if they have friends/family which owns a business, ask them if they need a website.

Repeat until 5 clients. Now charge $499 per site.

After 10 clients, raise the rate to $1200/site.

There are literally hundreds if not thousands female related businesses in your city.

If the first store reject you, go to another store. There's no "fail" in this method, there's only "I haven't got any client yet, I'll try again tomorrow."

Great answer. :-)

Thanks

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Sander Zaydman

14 years ago

Keep it simple... Give the business owners a choice of 3 different plans: Platinum, Gold, Silver. Ask them for an initial upfront for the website and then monthly retainer every month to cover your costs.

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nfb1204

14 years ago

Is there a risk of pricing too low? I've tried several different price points with mine and can't get the phones to ring I end up resenting the clients when I do super low deals as they don't respect your time and effort. I

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AndrewCavanagh

13 years ago

Originally Posted by nfb1204

Is there a risk of pricing too low? I've tried several different price points with mine and can't get the phones to ring I end up resenting the clients when I do super low deals as they don't respect your time and effort. I

Yes pricing too low is a REALLY bad way of doing business.

If you're not getting better prices you need to look at:

# Your own confidence in your abilities and what you
believe businesses will pay (it's usually a whole lot more
than what you think).

# Your mindset and processes for working with businesses.

If you're just focused on making them a simple website then
your work isn't worth a whole lot.

But if you focus on adding some strategies that can bring in
real sales for them suddenly your work has a tangible dollar
value and you can charge based on that.

Even if a strategy you implement brings in just $100 a week
in extra profits that's over $5,000 a year.

# Your process of talking to prospects. Are you building
rapport? Are you asking questions about their business and
listening so you can suggest solutions that they perceive
will deal with their real problems?

# Your ability to establish the potential dollar value with
your prospects. Many people drop the ball on this. The
most common reason people don't get paid substantial
fees is because they don't effectively establish the
value of their service.

You're not doing anyone any favors by selling too cheap.

You don't give yourself the time or the incentive to really
help a client when you're not making good money and
you don't make enough so that you can have a good
life yourself.

Everyone loses.

The reverse is also true.

When you charge premium fees you can take the time to make
sure you deliver huge value beyond what you're charging and
you get to live a good life.

Everyone wins.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh