Generating Business - Web Design

[scottlpool2003]

I'm all set up, registered and have an appointment with the bank manager on Tuesday to open the business account and see what help is available from them.

At the moment, I am paying lead companies £29 for web design leads but it really isn't working too well. In the meantime I am working on SEO trying to get ranked in the search engines.

Is there anything else I should be doing to drum up some business?

It's just me at the moment and I am new to business so everything is a learning curve.

Any advise is welcomed.

 

[serasan]

You will have to implement an advertising and promotion campaign.

Leaflets, cold calling on the phone to local business. You can not just hope that a high listing on Google will make it for you.

Good luck.

 

[scottlpool2003]

You will have to implement an advertising and promotion campaign.

Leaflets, cold calling on the phone to local business. You can not just hope that a high listing on Google will make it for you.

Good luck.

High ranking in Google will make the business rocket though? 1.5 million searches per month in the UK for "Web Design"

I've found that cold calling selling web design doesn't convert very well. I've tried different approaches, offering free analysis's and quotes but the turnaround is about 1-2000 so being on my own it's too much time and effort for very little return.

Is there any particular approach over the phone that may work?

 

[Fresco_Creative]

I'm all set up, registered and have an appointment with the bank manager on Tuesday to open the business account and see what help is available from them.

At the moment, I am paying lead companies £29 for web design leads but it really isn't working too well. In the meantime I am working on SEO trying to get ranked in the search engines.

Is there anything else I should be doing to drum up some business?

It's just me at the moment and I am new to business so everything is a learning curve.

Any advise is welcomed.

Market, market, market

Networking, twitter, facebook, linkedin, forums, adverts

It sounds like the leads you are buying aren't the right ones for you. Really you need to go back to the drawing board and get a strategy in place.

Also, DO NOT market yourself on price, market yourself on what you have done or quality.

I would also recommend you put a contact number on your website. Not being rude, but the alarm bells ring when I can't see a phone number. This is only advice. I wish you well and feel free to pm me as I was in your position 12 months ago.

 

[Connexions]

I echo what Fresco says above.

Alot of the online marketing you should be doing may feel like a waste of time, but its all about getting your name out there. Even small jobs can snowball into something better.

You will find that online marketing takes awhile to show that its working. Months will pass until you see the rewards.

 

[Deleted member 106254]

The chances of you actually ranking #1 for "web design" in Google are pretty slim though. "web design [your location]" would be a more realistic goal.
Cold calling is a horrible way to advertise a web design business, you'll just get the brush off unless you're lucky enough to ring a company at the exact moment they're thinking about getting a website. I've found over the last 9 years in business that the best way to get more clients is word of mouth from existing customers.

 

[scottlpool2003]

The chances of you actually ranking #1 for "web design" in Google are pretty slim though. "web design [your location]" would be a more realistic goal.
Cold calling is a horrible way to advertise a web design business, you'll just get the brush off unless you're lucky enough to ring a company at the exact moment they're thinking about getting a website. I've found over the last 9 years in business that the best way to get more clients is word of mouth from existing customers.

I'm ranking for the following keywords:

Web Design Manchester
Web Design Wigan
Web Design UK
Web Design
eCommerce
Content Management

Some are local, regional, national and worldwide. Obviously the bigger keywords are a long-term goal.

I definitely agree with the cold calling. What I've been thinking of doing is scrapping the cold-calling off and emailing the companies offering a free analysis of their website. Word of mouth will work but it's getting those first 50 or so clients which would give me a huge boost. I've no doubt that once I've got a bigger portfolio I'll have no problem.

Thanks for your advise.

 

[Experienced IT guy]

Any advise is welcomed.

The last place I can remember seeing a add for Web design that I recall was in the loo at a pub I visited. Stategically placed you are sure someone will read your flyer for 30secs to a couple of minutes depending on pressure and interest.

I'd also search on your locals town names and go down page rank a 10-15 pages looking for naffer sites and cold call them...sort of reverse google...

 

[Deleted member 61074]

Local business networking often works, go to all the networking events you can find in Wigan, you'll be surprised how many people are disgruntled with their current provider.

 

[simonswords]

Get out there and hustle. As an example of what I mean, read this:

http://thestartupfoundry.com/2011/0...o-anything-hustle-for-everything-youre-worth/

For example you could offer to do some free/very cheap web design for UKBFers but do that only on the basis that if they like the work you do they'll post about it on UKBF.

SEO is great as a long term strategy but don't rely on it to build your business in the short term.

 

[deadly dan]

although unconventional you could offer a free service on twitter and social sites to say the 1st ten who get in touch. just offer something really basic and something you good at. sure you wont get any money but you will spur some interest and it gets the business to think about you when they want more work done. then the $$ type smiley face can be you.

my Idea came from some american SEO boffin whos name escapes me. but a wee freebie is a good way to start anything.

 

[fisicx]

I'm ranking for the following keywords:

Web Design Manchester.

Where? Not in top 100 you aren't!

The absolute best thing you can get is the referral. Do a good job for your clients and they will pass your name on.

I did one job a few years back for under £200. The referral work from that one project has brought in thousands of pounds.

 

[bookyourselfsolid]

one of the first thing you need to do is to work out the lifetime value of the client. Once you know what this figure is you can work out how much you can afford to spend accumulating them.

Acquiring new clients and marketing is probably the most important part of any business, and yet it is often left as an after thought. Without marketing and attracting the leads you will have nobody to offer your products and services to.

What I would suggest you do is look for a centre of influence for whom you can design a FREE top quality website and use them for referrals to people they know. Speculate to accumulate, although this sounds like you're giving something away your actually investing time and energy into a referral system.

This does work, but choose carefully. Don't just give these away to freebie seekers, make sure they know this is a business transaction. Approach the company or person you're doing it for And explain that you can make a vast improvement on the present website, explain to them if you were to do it for free would they be prepared to introduce you to their colleagues that you could also help. Make sure they understand you not to offer free websites to everybody just to (them) the centre of influence.

Obviously, the website you're designing must be huge improvement on what they already have. Or maybe, you can design a lead generating mini site which are very popular when I'm trying to hawk a new centre of influence.

Alternatively, seek someone like myself or similar that works in the small business marketing sector who can help you get leads. Obviously they want something in return but if you already have clients may be you can offer them existing clients as leads.

I read what you said about telemarketing but honestly it is still one of the best ways to get new business. If you hate telemarketing pay someone to do it or hire someone.

Are you set up to capture e-mail addresses or physical addresses and keep them in a sales funnel? If you like I don't mind running my eye over your site to see if you can make it more aggressive in capturing leads.

I hope this is helpful to you.

ED

 

[deadly dan]

I don't enjoy your website. It is very pretty but I am not ejoying navigating it in the slightest some useit.com articles could be some time well invested for you.

Also how many businesses will be prepared to payout £999/month for your top of the range SEO program, I admit I am not a big designer but I tailor my prices to my clients and try and give them as fair a price as possible. I make money by charging for maintaining and and improving the site.

 

[scottlpool2003]

I don't enjoy your website. It is very pretty but I am not ejoying navigating it in the slightest some useit.com articles could be some time well invested for you.

Also how many businesses will be prepared to payout £999/month for your top of the range SEO program, I admit I am not a big designer but I tailor my prices to my clients and try and give them as fair a price as possible. I make money by charging for maintaining and and improving the site.

Hi, thanks for your observations they are duly noted as are all comments & suggestions.

Your comments on the navigation are helpful and it's definitely something I will look into. Looking at Google Analytics, it seems the average user does not have any difficulties navigating the website, and they appear to like what they see because the bounce rate is 8% and the average user spends 5 minutes on the website. I might introduce a 'simplify' button for people who struggle.

The prices, however, are clearly stated as average prices. As you know, each project is different and will entail different items. I have found that either way can be the wrong way. Having prices makes the user feel like they won't be over charged, but having prices can also make the user walk away due to the pricing not being in their budget-range. It's the same the other way around, if I don't put prices on, the user feels like they could be over-charged but also the user could feel like we're using a personal & adaptable approach.

 

[deadly dan]

I am a big fanboy of navigation usability etc. used to not care about it too much until I encountered some bad examples about it. but at the same time you have to show off your skills as a designer.

 

[outdoorman24]

Is there any particular approach over the phone that may work?

?
Maybe try targeting certain industries and specialising in hotels for example or tradesmen

 

[holmewoodorg]

?
Maybe try targeting certain industries and specialising in hotels for example or tradesmen

Look at the best - in terms of making money. Look at BT customer street

 

[Deleted member 88701]

I think it looks too similar to http:// www. eluneart .com.

Go unique!

 

[holmewoodorg]

I'm all set up, registered and have an appointment with the bank manager on Tuesday to open the business account and see what help is available from them.

At the moment, I am paying lead companies £29 for web design leads but it really isn't working too well. In the meantime I am working on SEO trying to get ranked in the search engines.

Is there anything else I should be doing to drum up some business?

It's just me at the moment and I am new to business so everything is a learning curve.

Any advise is welcomed.

Follow the best like myself I run a community magazine and shortly bringing out a community magazine. You do web design/design you can do that. Then simply walk round businesses saying I am community web designer and we have a site at domain name (backed up with a community flyer) then get ad revenue or get design or web design work. I do. No brainer if you think outside of the box. Sadly not many people do.

 

[ebevington]

This thread has been pretty useful, thanks.

I have recently set up a design business online and I am also in the process of finding clients. I found that joining local forums is a good start.

 

[alanmack]

I'm all set up, registered and have an appointment with the bank manager on Tuesday to open the business account and see what help is available from them.

At the moment, I am paying lead companies £29 for web design leads but it really isn't working too well. In the meantime I am working on SEO trying to get ranked in the search engines.

Is there anything else I should be doing to drum up some business?

It's just me at the moment and I am new to business so everything is a learning curve.

Any advise is welcomed.

Hi

Sorry to be nosey...but you don't say where you are based in your profile.

It would be a useful reference for offering you the advice your looking for and also for networking.

I myself am based out of Liverpool.

Best Regards.
Alan.

 

[ebevington]

Hi

Sorry to be nosey...but you don't say where you are based in your profile.

It would be a useful reference for offering you the advice your looking for and also for networking.

I myself am based out of Liverpool.

Best Regards.
Alan.

I am based just out of Liverpool also ^^

Emma

 

[alanmack]

I am based just out of Liverpool also ^^

Emma

Hi Emma

Yes I see your at Southport...I know it well..!!

If you need any help with anything, give us a shout .

Happy to help out.

Alan.

 

[Arsh4d]

I'm all set up, registered and have an appointment with the bank manager on Tuesday to open the business account and see what help is available from them.

At the moment, I am paying lead companies £29 for web design leads but it really isn't working too well. In the meantime I am working on SEO trying to get ranked in the search engines.

Is there anything else I should be doing to drum up some business?

It's just me at the moment and I am new to business so everything is a learning curve.

Any advise is welcomed.

Try and get in a part time worker few days a week to come in and help with cold calling.