What to do now?

[Layox]

Hi,


I have recently set up this business that provides a number of different solutions. I am looking to build my client base so i can get more and more recommendations coming through the door, i do not believe in advertising however i have thought of providing people with a chance to save up money in hope they will recommend me to business for next year.

However trying to tell people they can have a content managed website with a full graphic design and up to 15 pages plus a lot more for under £1000. People think there must be a catch because a solution like this can cost up to £3,000.

Any ideas on how i can approach people?

CC

[evilonion]

you do not believe in advertising?

[Layox]

No only because i worked within the telesales industry for 5 years, from speaking to business owners they always told me 95% of their work comes from recommendation. So i plan to build my business on that. I have gained 2 clients so far but how many do i really need before my business can live on recommendation?

If you could suggest some free ways of advertising that would be very helpful?

CC

[evilonion]

hard to recommend anything when you dont say what the business is....

[Layox]

Sorry Layox provides

Web design / Web Development / Email marketing / Facebook Apps / iPhone Apps

CC

[Astaroth]

So, effectively what you are predominately creating is advertisements for your clients? But you don't believe in advertising? How can you manufacture and sell a product that you fundamentally dont believe in?

[Layox]

These are tangible products, i am talking about advertising where you pay money and you got told you will get a ROI of 50% however there is no certain guarantee and at the end you are left with nothing

[edmondscommerce]

when you are starting out, you have to do some push marketing to get the ball rollling.. its the only way to get business which can then go on to give you referalls...

When I started out, I picked a very specific niche and got in touch with people who would be interested in that niche. I quickly filled up my schedule with work and since then have branched out.

I reckon it took about 6 months of that before I started to get referral business and people actually calling me rather than the other way around. These days we do very little outbound marketing

[FireFleur]

Again I will echo the wise sentiments of EdmondsCommerce, you have to do some promotion to get the ball rolling.

Set a budget, and think of the most efficient way to use the budget.

[Layox]

Thank you to both of you for your replies they are defiantly more helpful,

I am in a little bit of a predicament

I am trying to win new business client by offering a very high discount to start building my portfolio and gain recommendation.

However by doing this i am not generating decent profit which is what i could use to spend on advertising my brand. I promised myself i would work hard, spend as little as i can to build for the first year.

Is there any cost affective ways you 2 have found with a good ROI?

CC

[FireFleur]

Offering discounts is not that great a way to do it.

Better to build your own portfolio up, than to do it on the cheap just to build a portfolio. If you go into too low, then you will often be recommended as the cheap person.

So, invest in a portfolio is a good idea, get some business cards, use the telephone, send some letters, and perhaps send some emails as long as they are solicited.

You can use recruitment agents as well. Everything should start picking up in the New Year, perhaps apart from property, if my crystal ball is working.

[edmondscommerce]

discounting is a terrible idea, you will starve yourself of cashflow and ultimately spell your own doom before you have even started...

we see way too many people starting out offering to work for next to nothing. they never last.

[edmondscommerce]

:) looks like me and FF are like minds on this issue

[FireFleur]

Eddy and I have synced, mind melded :)

[Layox]

Ok i did think of this (thats why i explained to my clients i will do there work for a discount on the basis they didn't mention the price to prospective clients) however my products are at the top end of the market. I sell full CMS , graphic design, live chat function plus more and i do not want clients who only want a "cheap website." However it is all well and good saying i can do this but prospective clients always ask to see references of my work is where i lose out.

I am in the middle of doing 2 projects this will really help as they are both very happy. But i want to get to the stage of recommendations coming through without marketing or advertising.

CC

[evilonion]

the 'cheap' websites are regular and will pay the bills, the nice big fancy sites that you can go to town on tend to be very rare when you are self employed.

I dont run a studio etc, i just work freelance as a secondary income. I aim my skillset at small business and other self employed people, for example, i offer cheap ecommerce solutions with a set of templates i have already built... same goes for my web design, and i also offer photo retouching services to a few local photographers and modelling agencies.

I have a degree in design, and would love nothing more than to have a nice big site i can get my teeth into and add some design flair, but sadly in my world its the small sites with £100 here and there that are generating the higher income.

Im going to be running google ad campaigns for my work as well as other avenues like facebook pages and so on.

why dont you be more specific with your skills and run an ad campaign using free vouchers from google? lots of them about, £50 free voucher might bring in some business, always worth a shot. be specific though... dont start one with 'web design uk' etc

[edmondscommerce]

if you want to work for free, find a charity that has a rubbish site and build them an awesome one

[dunerider]

But i want to get to the stage of recommendations coming through without marketing or advertising. this takes time to build up, you have to grow your business in the first instance in order to have sufficient happy cutomers recommending you.

In the early days you have to find your clients ....

and yes discounting is self destruction

[evilonion]

buy 5 domains, build 5 fake websites you now have a portfolio.

[streetslocal]

Or maybe offer some very high discounts to members on this site on the basis they are featured in your portfolio and people will snap your hands off and saves the fake portfolio:D

[Successful Selling]

I am in a little bit of a predicament

I am trying to win new business client by offering a very high discount to start building my portfolio and gain recommendation.

However by doing this i am not generating decent profit............
Is there any cost affective ways you 2 have found with a good ROI?

CCYes.

People buy for many different reasons. The price is only one.

What you need to do is find a USP (unique selling point). Put differently; what do you do that makes your business unique and what makes it stand out from the crowd?

Although a large majority of people may say they buy soley on the price, if you question them in more detail I recon most actually buy for another reason.

Think of it this way; You may be cheap, but if someone comes along and undercuts you, what do you do then?

[gman]

Advertising.........

[RJS]

I'm amazed that the percentage of business you mentioned would just come from recommendations. It depends on what business you're in really I guess? I'd certainly not rely on on recommendations when starting a new business. If it were me, I'd hit the phones / SEO side of things, build a value statement and get the company name out there - e.g. "our company is able to save X% over and above the competition due to the unique way our solutions work" etc. What you say sounds good so why wait for a recommendation? Get out there and sell it.