What's a Good Freebie to Offer to Offline Clients?

7 replies
I've developed a format for a useful report that explains their local competition and the need to improve or enhance their web presence, but that's more of a free bonus for signing into my autoresponder/email series.

I'm thinking I need to offer a free one time service to establish credibility but can't decide on something that is a) fairly easy to do or outsource, b) has a high perceived value, and c) isn't something with such a true instrinsic value as to deny me a source of potential income later on in the process.

I thought about an article or a press release, but I'm not sure the potential client realizes the value, and I even thought about showing them how to claim their listing in google local, but that is something that I should be paid for early on in the relationship.

Perhaps a local or national business directory listing?
#clients #freebie #good #offer #offline
  • Profile picture of the author thaismr
    I think your idea of giving them a national business directory listing is good.

    If you told us more about your paid services it would be easier to help with more ideas. I noticed it relates to their web presence, but do you build the sites? SEO? Manages the sites? Manages their adwords ads? All of that / some of that / and more?
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  • Justin Brooks of sitefling.com (I have a lot of respect for this guy - shares a lot of EXCELLENT material for free), explained a technique that he used to rope in clients for his old web design business.

    He had an ebook on how to get new customers using SEO made into a PRINTED book. More like a booklet because it was only 30 or 40 pages or something. Then he handed them out for free instead of business cards to people he had conversations with at business networking events.

    Then he waited a few days - giving the receipients the opportunity to have a read through the book and conclude that he was obviously an SEO guru of some kind - and called them to offer them a website design/SEO work deal.

    I don't remember all of the rest of the details of it. But I know it worked really well for him in terms of picking up new work on spec. He ended up moving on from the website design stuff because he had so much work it was eating into his personal time...

    Good luck!


    Andrea, the English Webmistress
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  • Profile picture of the author chrisnegro
    I would do a coutesy website review of THEIR website and use Camtasia Video. When you send them the link to your video of you talking it impresses the socks off of them especially when you flip back and forth to different pages. The definately know you are the real deal as very few people know how to do this kind of thing.

    Plus...you took the time and did it for free. Definately, good will and would be more apt to give you business down the line.

    Hope this helps you,

    Chris Negro
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  • Profile picture of the author imamrktr
    Chris came up with a great idea. The personal video analysis would be exceptional and have a high perceived value and quickly position you as an expert in the field.

    You might find you have an influx of new work...:-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Kieron
    It is also probably worth mentioning that always show them how you can save them money while not only making them money as well as stroking their ego's by getting them page 1 listings. Their is also a nice trick which I used when first starting out, first I would get the client, then do all the work as required and when that was all done and dusted I would send an email with the results to competing businesses in the area. Got lots of good business from that :-)

    These days I do the same stuff but focusing on SEO Services then when I get the client I send an in-depth competitors report to the first clients top 3 competitors which they provide me with prior to analyzing there existing site. This method has seen conversion rates of better than 80%, don't get me wrong it sounds like a big number but it really is not, there are after all only 24 hours in a day:-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Preben Frenning
    Why would you want to work for free for them instead of positioning yourself as an expert immediately, and rather have them "Qualify" for working with you?

    I used to think about freebies at first myself, but someone told me it would seem way more professional, as well as it will be easier to charge properly afterwards, if you get paid immediately.
    I'd rather back it up with some superstrong guarantees, making it still seem like a no-brainer, even though it's not free. (Think percieved value of a free report vs. a high-ticket ebook)

    At least I think it will be a more long-term business plan., as well as more profitable.

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  • Profile picture of the author BlazingSwitch
    I am doing something very similar not only for some of my online consulting clients, but locally in regards to web hosting.

    Those little freebies do open up some doors for you. Keep up the work!
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