Looking for the best ways to advertise and promote our startup that offers free web design services to small businesses

[Click And Bolt]

Hi All,

We are a new start-up that provides web design and hosting services. Our target market are small businesses, start-ups, shops, clubs, and societies who want simple, professional static websites of 1-5 pages. The type of people who want a web presence to showcase their business with an about page, contact page, gallery, etc, but will not need their website changing once it is set up. As an initial drive to get customers we are looking to provide the design and setup of websites free to our customers providing they sign up for web hosting with us.

Just need a bit of advice as to the best methods to get the word out there to our target audience, we have a fairly limited marketing budget. I was curious as to what methods people use to market their business, and which methods work the best. So far we have tried some targeted cold phone calls (based on contact information found in Google Maps), possibly also looking to run some adverts within a local paper.

Any ideas/thoughts would be welcome.

 

[fisicx]

Hi @Click And Bolt and welcome to UKBF.

Your target market is way too wide. It covers almost everyone.

Narrow the focus and specialise in just one niche. Become the expert in sports club website or whatever and market directly, on social media, on Google, sports forums any anywhere else your chosen niche frequent.

The problem you have is the size of the competition. Why for example would a startup want to pay you when they can get a site almost for free on godaddy or ionos?

There is plenty of work out there, but there are lots of others all chasing the same leads.

It’s why I stopped building websites and now just do plugins. Far more lucrative.

 

[Ian J]

What an unusual name you have picked as many will associate "bolt" with running away

 

[Mark T Jones]

Free is a tougher sell than many imagine. It comes with sub texts of either inferior quality or of a hidden catch.

You gave slightly addressed.this by explaining the trade-off,but I suspect you will still struggle to attract decent clients - and to sensibly manage expect.

In line with @fisicx, I'd personally start by identifying a niche and promoting a benefit relevant to them. Free can be a negotiating tool rather that a headline offer

 

[fisicx]

The type of people who want a web presence to showcase their business with an about page, contact page, gallery, etc, but will not need their website changing once it is set up.

This is a huge stumbling block. I doubt there will be many businesses or clubs that will want an unchanging static site.

For example, a club will want to publicise events, a business post about special offers, a start up post about success stories and so on.

Any organisation will grow and change over time and their website will need to do the same.

The fact you are using wordpress with Divi shouldn't limit anyone from editing their own site.

PS: none of your templates work. I wanted to test the booking function but nothing happened.

 

[Click And Bolt]

This is a huge stumbling block. I doubt there will be many businesses or clubs that will want an unchanging static site.

For example, a club will want to publicise events, a business post about special offers, a start up post about success stories and so on.

Any organisation will grow and change over time and their website will need to do the same.

The fact you are using wordpress with Divi shouldn't limit anyone from editing their own site.

PS: none of your templates work. I wanted to test the booking function but nothing happened.

Thanks Fisicx, I can see your point about picking a niche, and will look into that. As for the ability to change their website, we can give them access to do that if they want, which is fair enough. Final point is I appreciate you taking time to check the site, I will make it clear on my website that those templates were there just to show different style options rather than actually be functional.

 

[Click And Bolt]

Free is a tougher sell than many imagine. It comes with sub texts of either inferior quality or of a hidden catch.

You gave slightly addressed.this by explaining the trade-off,but I suspect you will still struggle to attract decent clients - and to sensibly manage expect.

In line with @fisicx, I'd personally start by identifying a niche and promoting a benefit relevant to them. Free can be a negotiating tool rather that a headline offer

Thanks Mark, you made some valid points, especially regarding the message that the word free can convey.

 

[fisicx]

Final point is I appreciate you taking time to check the site, I will make it clear on my website that those templates were there just to show different style options rather than actually be functional.

They do need to be functional. I can get any number of cheap templates from envato. All their demos work. If I want a low cost website I’d probably use one of those themes rather than the ones you have on your site.

But go niche, create some stunning demos and dominate the search results. Not going to be easy but it will bring in traffic.

Or do a wp-multisite and offer site management. That way you get regular income for little effort.

The other consideration is potential clients are notoriously bad at providing content. Which means you could get a site set up and be waiting months for the words and pictures. I had one client many moons ago that took 6 months to send me their logo.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

websites free to our customers providing they sign up for web hosting with us.

Please be very careful on this approach - lots of your competition do this, especially promoting on SM/FB. The hook is great, but if you are not clear on the deal from the start. What is especially annoying is the 'DM us for pricing' - I always recommend people to avoid people doing this.

Why did you choose this route rather than 'free domain & hosting with every website'?

 

[Click And Bolt]

Please be very careful on this approach - lots of your competition do this, especially promoting on SM/FB. The hook is great, but if you are not clear on the deal from the start. What is especially annoying is the 'DM us for pricing' - I always recommend people to avoid people doing this.

Why did you choose this route rather than 'free domain & hosting with every website'?

Thanks Paul, Not started any advertising yet and should say none of these ideas are set in stone, which is why I was looking for feedback, but I totally agree with you that transparency is important in any offer.

 

[Click And Bolt]

They do need to be functional. I can get any number of cheap templates from envato. All their demos work. If I want a low cost website I’d probably use one of those themes rather than the ones you have on your site.

But go niche, create some stunning demos and dominate the search results. Not going to be easy but it will bring in traffic.

Or do a wp-multisite and offer site management. That way you get regular income for little effort.

The other consideration is potential clients are notoriously bad at providing content. Which means you could get a site set up and be waiting months for the words and pictures. I had one client many moons ago that took 6 months to send me their logo.

I think your comment 'But go niche, create some stunning demos and dominate the search results. Not going to be easy but it will bring in traffic.' is one I will take on board. Cheers.

 

[fisicx]

I've done some work with a chap in the UK who has built hundreds of sites for churches in the USA.

He has a very simple theme (not Divi, not ever Divi) and a bunch of plugins and features specific to churches. One of them is a prayer request. The congregation upload their request and it's read out on sunday. A really simple plugin but has earned him a load of dollars.

And other design company has got a strong foothold in websites for infant schools.

In all these cases it's not the website/theme. It's the value added. Custom plugins and functions that are specific to the target client.

 

[UKSBD]

I very much doubt that the type of people who want a free website aren't going to be happy paying £240 a yeat to host it.