How to get Web Design and SEO clients?

[Roberthughes]

Hello everyone,

My company is looking to expand and i need some advice as to how we might get new business for our web design and SEO company.

Our USP's are:

- Provide a personable service, providing results not just statistics!
- Cheaper than most of the competition for SEO & Web Design
- Every website and SEO campaign tailered to individual company
- Amazing results from SEO (stats & case studies to proove it)
- Very quick turn around time for static and eCommerce websites

So, as shown above there are many strengths to our business and myself, along with my partner are very customer focused as we understand the importance of referrals. (and giving someone what they pay for!)

However, as a company we are relatively small, and have not been around for a long time. We cannot rely on SEO to get business for some time yet. We are looking at the following ways to get business:

• Email lists we would like to use in an email shot campaign, with follow up phone calls.

• Contacting graphic design companies, web designers etc who do not offer SEO, and offer them a ‘referral percentage’ for referring work to us

• Find companies on Google who do not have websites and phone them to sell them a website package

• I have been looking for a 'commission based' salesmen to do the legwork while i concentrate on where to find the work. However, Im having a very hard time finding one!

Does anyone know of any techniques I can use to find a good salesmen? Also does anyone have in mind any other routes we can use for advertising. Our budget is very small initially.

I look forward to your responses.

Many Thanks,

Rob

 

[fisicx]

What's wrong with paying for advertising? PPC, banners, posters in bustops, magazines, newspapers, small ads, flyers, newsagent windows, local radio...

There are loads of opportunities to promote your business.

BTW, your USP's are the same a zillions of others in the same business.

 

[Christine Hough]

I would contact all your previous customers offer them a free review.

If all is hunky dory ask for referrals
If all is not do your best to sort it out.
You may also get commissions to upgrade sites you have done before.

 

[SpencyCWS]

When I first start my SEO / Web Design company (although it was SEO in those days), I had a couple of clients, delivered results and then word of mouth took over.

We still get recommendations all the time.

So, make sure you are talking to your clients and give them the reason to shout to others.

Also, try local business clubs and networking events.

Go out and speak to people, show them how good you are, give information away for free.

Also do some PPC , it works, it works for any industry.

It wont just happen, you need to work day and night, keep pushing and pushing and if you keep doing well, people hear about you.

Go and do presentations like we do RE SEO for local groups, business clubs, FSB, what ever, people LOVE free information and you do get work from it, if not direct work.

 

[mobyme]

A typical post from someone who thinks that because they can do something reasonably well they can make a business out of it.
Doing the "nuts & bolts" stuff is the easy bit; finding the clients is the hard bit until you are reasonably established.
I doubt that you will find a commission based salesperson who knows their stuff simply because it would be virtually impossible for them to make it pay; put yourself in their position representing a company that no one has ever heard of who can only hope to attack a mature market based on price which means the rewards are going to be small and they get landed with all the overhead.
Get yourself registered with all of the freelance sites and bid on all the projects that are within your capability and build yourself a portfolio; use all of the methods that Fisicx has already mentioned to promote yourselves and finally put yourself about. What's the worst that can happen, people can say "No"; well if your serious about your business you're going to have to get used to that.

 

[Roberthughes]

Thank you for all getting back to me, I greatly appreciate your advice.

Fiscx - We will concentrate on those avenues as mentioned but it would take some considerable investement, so will need to take things slowly with advertsing costs. However, in terms of having the same USP's as many others in the industry this is not true. Yes, there are some who are competitive on price and offer a good service but a majority are overpriced, and have quite simply got too comfortable. Il give you a statistic. Out of 20 quotations for the design of a website in my local area, we were on par with the cheapest (if not cheaper). Some of the quotes were up to 8 times more expensive and our turn around time was much quicker. This is without even going into the SEO side of it, which is where we specialise. Especially in this industry, people are just too comfortable and do not realise that there are people in places such as India who can do a better job, at an 1/8 of the price!

SpencyCWS - Theres some really good points there, our next step is going to be these networking events. We are in contact with WENTA (offshoot of business link) to try and offer our services and advice to new start ups in the local community. This would go hand in hand with the networking events.

Mobyme - Yes, it is true that the 'nuts and bolts' are the easier part. But to hell if you do not set that up right you are going nowhere fast! As you rightly stated though it is all about determination. Although so called 'cold calling' is not the nicest job, it simply has to be done. I think the best way to approach this with my partner and myself is to set targets, and have a set minimum amount of calls per day so we have something to stick to. Ideally it would be perfect to have a salesmen but as stated this is not going to be easy. Having said that the commission is certainly there. For instance our last SEO contract was for £1000 per month. Now if i offer a salesmen 10% of every sale. Their income would be £100 per month from one single sale. Get 10 sales and youve got a steady income there, not to mention the opportunity to earn even more.


Regards,

Rob

 

[RedEvo]

A typical post from someone who thinks that because they can do something reasonably well they can make a business out of it.

That's got to be a cue to mention the E-Myth

Couldn't agree more with this statement, this point is missed by so many.

d