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...... How to Start a Web Design Home Business
Posted 03-29-2010 at 04:52 PM by Paul Barrs
By Paul Barrs
So you want to work from home running a website design business. Good for you. But before we begin this article, we have to ask and answer a few qualifying questions…
1. Do you know a little about Web Design?
2. Do you have some experience in the area?
3. Do you have your own website?
4. Have you at least done some work on ‘one’ other person’s website?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then I suggest that you go back a few steps and do what’s required to then be able to answer “yes”.
With that out of the way, what’s next?
[Sidebar: For the purposes of this article to keep it ‘brief’, I’m going to put a lot of it in bullet points, giving you a step by step guide to follow.]
Let’s say that you’ve got all the above qualities; the first thing I need you to realise is that the principles of running a Website Design Business from home are just the same as they are running them from an office. In order to get set up, you’ll need your computer, I also suggest a fax (yes, because some businesses still use them), you’ll need both a land line phone and a mobile phone. These are the basics for ANY home based business.
However, in getting started with Web Design, the first thing you need to do is find prospective clients. The best paying customers out there for web design are small business owners, you know the ones, shops or agencies that provide or sell service in the ‘traditional sense with (here’s the key)… a shop front.
Why? Because these people know the value of advertising and if they’re running a shop front, chances are that advertising is already a part of their monthly budget – websites fall into that same category.
How do we find prospective customers? Easy. We look for businesses that have rubbish websites. But… how to find them?
1. Start with your local Online directory sites. You’ll soon enough see that many small business websites have been put together following a mish-mash template is mass production form.
2. Pick up your local Yellow Pages phone book. Many businesses also list their websites as a part of their display adds (and these are great people because you KNOW that they’re already spending money).
3. Join a local chamber group or similar small business networking club. Get to know the people, get to know their businesses.
4. Do a search in your favourite search engine for your “locality name” + a target industry (i.e. Sydney + Baby wear)
There are many more options, but these will get you started quickly.
Notice also that each of these options are targeting small business people who already *have* a website. That’s because when you’re starting out, you don’t’ want to be chasing NEW business, you want to chase RE-NEW business.
That simply means that you’re going to get started (and build your reputation in the local business market) by doing current Website ‘upgrades’… not new Website “design”.
And that’s the key to your business.
You’ll find that there are literally hundreds of websites belonging to local business owners in your area (or an area nearby) that were built in years past and haven’t been touched since. These are cream for your crop – and all you’re going to do it contact eh business owner and offer to help them ‘fix it up’.
How?
1. Send them an eMail introducing yourself.
2. Give them at least one or two compliments about their site.
3. The give them (free of charge) at least half a dozen tips to improve their site.
4. You can also throw in a video of their site and make suggestions on the fly.
5. Offer to help them “get it fixed up’” at a very reasonable fee for service.
6. Close the deal using whatever follow up contact methods *they* prefer (I.e. phone, fax, eMail etc).
7. Keep in mind that a ‘handshake agreement’ is sufficient. You don’t want to scare the crap out of them first time you meet.
8. Do the work.
9. Say thank you.
Then… get ready to make some REAL MONEY
How – Follow them up and begin to plug in some marketing stuff. Remember, al you’ve done so far is an “upgrade”; you’ve taken their previously crap looking website and copied the content into a newer, fresher, modern website template. This is only a day or twos work which is why you only charge a very REASONABLE service fee.
But once that’s done you offer to do them a complete marketing analysis of their online presence – this includes everything that you can think of in relation to search engine marketing, Adwords click campaigns, sales copy, autoresponder follow up, free trial product download, joint ventures, affiliate program etc. etc. etc.
Can you see where I’m going with this? The list goes on and goes on. Do it right and build a solid relationship with the customer and you will find that you can turn the 2-day upgrade into a 6-month project that pays solid income (real cash) each and every month.
And to finish up, here’s the key…
If you can do this for one business… you can do it one hundred.
THAT’S how you start and run a web design business from home.
Paul Barrs has been teaching Online Business Success since July 2000. His books, DVD's and audio programs have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people in over 70 countries. This month he is offering his incredibly popular audio program titled, "Getting Started Online (Again!)" as a free gift to visitors at PaulBarrs.com. We highly recommend that you grab it now while you can.
So you want to work from home running a website design business. Good for you. But before we begin this article, we have to ask and answer a few qualifying questions…
1. Do you know a little about Web Design?
2. Do you have some experience in the area?
3. Do you have your own website?
4. Have you at least done some work on ‘one’ other person’s website?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then I suggest that you go back a few steps and do what’s required to then be able to answer “yes”.
With that out of the way, what’s next?
[Sidebar: For the purposes of this article to keep it ‘brief’, I’m going to put a lot of it in bullet points, giving you a step by step guide to follow.]
Let’s say that you’ve got all the above qualities; the first thing I need you to realise is that the principles of running a Website Design Business from home are just the same as they are running them from an office. In order to get set up, you’ll need your computer, I also suggest a fax (yes, because some businesses still use them), you’ll need both a land line phone and a mobile phone. These are the basics for ANY home based business.
However, in getting started with Web Design, the first thing you need to do is find prospective clients. The best paying customers out there for web design are small business owners, you know the ones, shops or agencies that provide or sell service in the ‘traditional sense with (here’s the key)… a shop front.
Why? Because these people know the value of advertising and if they’re running a shop front, chances are that advertising is already a part of their monthly budget – websites fall into that same category.
How do we find prospective customers? Easy. We look for businesses that have rubbish websites. But… how to find them?
1. Start with your local Online directory sites. You’ll soon enough see that many small business websites have been put together following a mish-mash template is mass production form.
2. Pick up your local Yellow Pages phone book. Many businesses also list their websites as a part of their display adds (and these are great people because you KNOW that they’re already spending money).
3. Join a local chamber group or similar small business networking club. Get to know the people, get to know their businesses.
4. Do a search in your favourite search engine for your “locality name” + a target industry (i.e. Sydney + Baby wear)
There are many more options, but these will get you started quickly.
Notice also that each of these options are targeting small business people who already *have* a website. That’s because when you’re starting out, you don’t’ want to be chasing NEW business, you want to chase RE-NEW business.
That simply means that you’re going to get started (and build your reputation in the local business market) by doing current Website ‘upgrades’… not new Website “design”.
And that’s the key to your business.
You’ll find that there are literally hundreds of websites belonging to local business owners in your area (or an area nearby) that were built in years past and haven’t been touched since. These are cream for your crop – and all you’re going to do it contact eh business owner and offer to help them ‘fix it up’.
How?
1. Send them an eMail introducing yourself.
2. Give them at least one or two compliments about their site.
3. The give them (free of charge) at least half a dozen tips to improve their site.
4. You can also throw in a video of their site and make suggestions on the fly.
5. Offer to help them “get it fixed up’” at a very reasonable fee for service.
6. Close the deal using whatever follow up contact methods *they* prefer (I.e. phone, fax, eMail etc).
7. Keep in mind that a ‘handshake agreement’ is sufficient. You don’t want to scare the crap out of them first time you meet.
8. Do the work.
9. Say thank you.
Then… get ready to make some REAL MONEY
How – Follow them up and begin to plug in some marketing stuff. Remember, al you’ve done so far is an “upgrade”; you’ve taken their previously crap looking website and copied the content into a newer, fresher, modern website template. This is only a day or twos work which is why you only charge a very REASONABLE service fee.
But once that’s done you offer to do them a complete marketing analysis of their online presence – this includes everything that you can think of in relation to search engine marketing, Adwords click campaigns, sales copy, autoresponder follow up, free trial product download, joint ventures, affiliate program etc. etc. etc.
Can you see where I’m going with this? The list goes on and goes on. Do it right and build a solid relationship with the customer and you will find that you can turn the 2-day upgrade into a 6-month project that pays solid income (real cash) each and every month.
And to finish up, here’s the key…
If you can do this for one business… you can do it one hundred.
THAT’S how you start and run a web design business from home.
============================================
Paul Barrs has been teaching Online Business Success since July 2000. His books, DVD's and audio programs have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people in over 70 countries. This month he is offering his incredibly popular audio program titled, "Getting Started Online (Again!)" as a free gift to visitors at PaulBarrs.com. We highly recommend that you grab it now while you can.
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