A penny for your thoughts?

26 replies
Hi Warriors,

I am web developer and I live in a town of about 40,000 people. With no real established web design company in my town I feel there is an opportunity for me to exploit this and get my name out to local business owners.

I have done some research into my competition and I have found that there are only two web based companies in my town that offer web development services. These websites are some what outdated and are hardly monetised at all. I reckon if I monetise my own website with the right keywords and SEO methods I can crush my opportunity and hopefully bring some work in.

I am currently thinking of a domain that will go along the lines of: webdesignmytown.com (where it says "mytown", my real town will go there).

The keywords used on my website will also be the same as my domain. Anyway, that's a brief background behind my idea but my question is:

"If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"

web design mytown?
web development mytown?
mytown website creation?

There can be loads of different variations but what would you search?

I ask you this to get a brief insight of how people think when they want to find something.

Thanks for your time.
#penny #thoughts
  • Profile picture of the author Owen Smith
    I would include your town name within your domain.

    You need to ask yourself some questions, how many shops are in your town.

    Are the population mainly old people or young or middle aged, you will be aiming at the middle aged.

    A good tip I have is buy a website e.g. LearnSelfDefenceNow.com, build it up and then offer it to a karate company and tell them the brilliant stats its already having, if they can see the website already made for them and established they will pounce on it.

    You also need to ask why your competition are not trading anymore, is it because there is no trade.

    Regards
    Owen
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    • Profile picture of the author Dustin Bow
      Originally Posted by Owen Smith View Post

      A good tip I have is buy a website e.g. LearnSelfDefenceNow.com, build it up and then offer it to a karate company and tell them the brilliant stats its already having, if they can see the website already made for them and established they will pounce on it.
      This is a good tip.

      One addition - make sure this is for a company that has a few competitors in your area.

      If you bring this to your town's only jewelry store and he's not buying - you're out time and money.
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    • Profile picture of the author DubDubDubDot
      You won't get very far relying on internet advertising for your clients. Expect to make a modest investment in local newspaper advertising and event sponsorships. The biggest thing in local web design is just getting your name out there and eventually word of mouth kicks in, though that is a process that can take years.

      I wouldn't put your town in the domain in this particular case unless the town has some "big city power" from there being no larger towns within a reasonable distance.

      Originally Posted by Owen Smith View Post

      A good tip I have is buy a website e.g. LearnSelfDefenceNow.com, build it up and then offer it to a karate company and tell them the brilliant stats its already having, if they can see the website already made for them and established they will pounce on it.
      Since this is a thread about local sales, I have to strongly disagree in that regard. Cheng's Karate, whose client base is mostly kids, probably doesn't care about a site with X number of visitors from all over the world since that doesn't bring him more kids to teach in his small town.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan UK
    The town has a few industrial estates and a local shopping centre, so I do feel there are people out there who would like a website. The town has a good mixture of ages but mostly 20-50 year olds.

    I may contact the website owners and ask about prices and whether they have been busy.

    That it also a very good tip regarding building a website then selling it. But it has the risk that I may waste my time if I can't sell it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Owen Smith
      You will be able to sell it, if the content is good enough. I mean you can go through yell.com and check for karakte or martialarts type clubs. A good 20 calls will guarantee a sale I am sure. Also, do not invest much time into the website, just let it run with basic SEO a small karate company does not want to rank in google, they just want a nice flashy website to feel proud and professional about.

      So do not go into SEO jargon, just tell them it means moms and dads can have a look at the facilities etc on the website before they send their children there.

      Originally Posted by Ryan UK View Post

      The town has a few industrial estates and a local shopping centre, so I do feel there are people out there who would like a website. The town has a good mixture of ages but mostly 20-50 year olds.

      I may contact the website owners and ask about prices and whether they have been busy.

      That it also a very good tip regarding building a website then selling it. But it has the risk that I may waste my time if I can't sell it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan UK
    Thanks for the feedback Owen. But back to my OP.

    "If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"

    Cheers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      • Profile picture of the author Ryan UK
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        Why would I want a local web design company? Honestly, it wouldn't occur to me at all ... :confused:
        1. Your a business owner and require an online presence?

        2. You want someone local to meet in person to discuss ideas?

        I am aiming my business to people who aren't involved in IM. Offline businesses who need to enter the world of the internet.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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          • Profile picture of the author Ryan UK
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            I am, and I do ... but why is that a reason to want a local website designer?



            Conceivably, I suppose. It would never occur to me that a website designer's going to be a local person that I'd expect to meet physically, to be honest. But I dare say some people might like that(?). I wish you well with it, anyway.
            I currently work for a web development company in another town and they always meet the client. And when I say business, I mean a physical one (with their own offices/buildings/warehouses). There are alot of businesses in my town without a web presence so that's why I see a gap in the market.
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          • Profile picture of the author 1960Texan
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            I am, and I do ... but why is that a reason to want a local website designer?... It would never occur to me that a website designer's going to be a local person that I'd expect to meet physically, to be honest. But I dare say some people might like that(?). I wish you well with it, anyway.
            As an old dude (just turned 50 a few weeks ago) let me throw in my two cents...The longer you've been in a brick and mortar type business, the more you learn to size people up by having a face to face chat with them. It's funny what hiring the wrong person a few times will do to improve your chances of hiring the right one. I bring this up because the typical business owner in need of a website is going to at least be in their late thirties, but probably in their forties or fifties, and have an inherent mistrust of new technology. Those business owners in their twenties and thirties have pretty much grown up with the Internet, and have less of a problem hiring a web design service regardless of the respective locations.

            Will
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    • Profile picture of the author Owen Smith
      I would either type, web design or web development and may include the name of my area.

      Usually people include the name of their country!

      Originally Posted by Ryan UK View Post

      Thanks for the feedback Owen. But back to my OP.

      "If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"

      Cheers.
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  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    here is my penny or is it yours your paying me ?

    go into the google keyword tool and answer your own question as to what people are typing into the system.
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  • Profile picture of the author EagleImagery
    Originally Posted by Ryan UK View Post

    "If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"
    I'd type in: "web designer" (then possibly, "UK").

    Location doesn't matter.

    I'd then ask around on forums for people's recommendations.
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  • Profile picture of the author keith115
    Hi Ryan what about "mytown" web solutions ?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
    I think its difficult to ask people a question like this when they know what they are talking about, (if that makes sense).

    Maybe your best best would be to actually do a survey within your town and ask them what type of thing they would type in to look for what your asking. You need to be in the mindset of your prospective customers.

    Kim
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      • Profile picture of the author EagleImagery
        People have got to get themselves out of the "must be local" mindset. Fine for a plumber or carpenter but web design? Come on - there are hundreds of thousands of web designers out there so they are only limiting their choice (and possible outcomes) by going local.
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      • Profile picture of the author BigDaddys101
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It does make sense. I realised only after posting that I was speaking knowing a little about the internet, whereas perhaps some "local businesses" who don't might actually assume there's some advantage to having a local website designer. My comment may have been inappropriate for that reason.

        Alexa,
        I am glad you corrected yourself.

        But I wanted to add my two cents.

        Being a web developer and a business owner, almost every call I get is for a local web designer. These people seem to like doing business on a personal level, especially when this kind of money is involved. Yes a bigger part of the development can be outsourced to India to help keep cost down, especially when specialized application development is required. But in the end they still want to talk to some one in person about what they do and do not like. These guys consider them selves to be professional and wish to be treated as such.

        So yes being a LOCAL developer is a huge part of this business and IMO can often help you land high end, higher paying jobs
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        • Profile picture of the author Ryan UK
          Originally Posted by BigDaddys101 View Post

          Alexa,
          I am glad you corrected yourself.

          But I wanted to add my two cents.

          Being a web developer and a business owner, almost every call I get is for a local web designer. These people seem to like doing business on a personal level, especially when this kind of money is involved. Yes a bigger part of the development can be outsourced to India to help keep cost down, especially when specialized application development is required. But in the end they still want to talk to some one in person about what they do and do not like. These guys consider them selves to be professional and wish to be treated as such.

          So yes being a LOCAL developer is a huge part of this business and IMO can often help you land high end, higher paying jobs
          Thank you for your input BigDaddy.

          I feel as though I was being misunderstood. I think it's a good idea to establish yourself locally. I already have a few clients in other parts of the world and I felt there was potential if I marketed myself locally. In my opinion, I would prefer to meet a web developer before handing money over to them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gemsy40
    Hi Ryan, whenever I'm looking for a service provider I usually do a search for a company within the Birmingham area, I would put "webdesign Birmingham" into Google, but then Birmingham does cover a large area. I would not search though for the specific area of Birmingham I live in as I feel this would limit my results. Saying that I don't think it would hurt you putting you're area in the domain name so those that might search for that specific area would hopefully come across your website first.
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  • I kind of feel like this is a loaded question, why would you assume that people are looking for an online presence? Or in your case more specifically a web designer?My half a cent (my opinion is actually worth less but I rounded up) on the topic is maybe you shouldn't assume that people are just bursting at the seems with money that they can't wait to spend on a web designer/online presence (sorry that sounds harsher then i wanted it too).

    As a local business owner I would ask myself what are the benefits of having a website for MY business? If I were in your shoes I would want to be able to tell people how my service can benefit their specific needs (clearly this will differ from business to business). Now on one hand you could actively seek out local businesses (instead of letting them find you via the internet) where you could act as more of a consultant/educator in the online area. This approach has the benifit of allowing you to research their business model ahead of time and place you in a position where you could say I can do A, B, and C for your business. You can also construct a website to show them so that way they have a better idea of what your offering them. The website wouldn't even have to be live. It could just be something that is functional. Some business owners might find it more appealing that someone is coming to them to explain these benifits personally (at least from a trust standpoint). I would prefer to do business with a person who came to me versus a webpage and a phonecall.

    I'm sure that when an IM person thinks of webdesign on online presence all kinds of ideas come to mind like SEO ranking in the SERPS and conversion rates, but for a local business owner a website might just be something they can utilize to improve their day to day business it doesn't have to be the #1 google ranking for The Best Los Angeles Florists or some such nonsense. And besides would you want to explain all that SEO stuff to a client, I know I wouldn't.

    Original question: "If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"

    My non-answer: I wouldn't, I'd ask a friend.

    Your Job: Be the guy/gal who designed my friends website. Word of mouth rocks the house yo!
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    • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
      I speak from experience (in my own town of course), but I find that many businesses would love to have a web presence, they are often put off by the prohibatively high expense quoted to them by some firms. Remember there are a lot of smaller businesses out there who can't afford the several thousand £/$ they are expected to pay for a small website.

      I challenge anyone to walk down their local high street etc and check out the smaller businesses armed with their porfolio of designs. (It's what I did once) and see if they would like an online presence. (They may have one already but many won't).

      You can build a 3-4 page website for peanuts, (remember your a marketer), it's the backend you're mostly interested in. You then host it for them and they pay you to maintain it. (I've got a couple of hairdressers and my accountant I'm doing this for). Get a few businesses on board, you're laughing all the way to the bank.

      I used XSP to build my clients websites which makes it even easier. Just outsource the design if you don't do graphics

      Cheers
      Kim

      Originally Posted by untouchable_newbness View Post

      I kind of feel like this is a loaded question, why would you assume that people are looking for an online presence? Or in your case more specifically a web designer?My half a cent (my opinion is actually worth less but I rounded up) on the topic is maybe you shouldn't assume that people are just bursting at the seems with money that they can't wait to spend on a web designer/online presence (sorry that sounds harsher then i wanted it too).

      As a local business owner I would ask myself what are the benefits of having a website for MY business? If I were in your shoes I would want to be able to tell people how my service can benefit their specific needs (clearly this will differ from business to business). Now on one hand you could actively seek out local businesses (instead of letting them find you via the internet) where you could act as more of a consultant/educator in the online area. This approach has the benifit of allowing you to research their business model ahead of time and place you in a position where you could say I can do A, B, and C for your business. You can also construct a website to show them so that way they have a better idea of what your offering them. The website wouldn't even have to be live. It could just be something that is functional. Some business owners might find it more appealing that someone is coming to them to explain these benifits personally (at least from a trust standpoint). I would prefer to do business with a person who came to me versus a webpage and a phonecall.

      I'm sure that when an IM person thinks of webdesign on online presence all kinds of ideas come to mind like SEO ranking in the SERPS and conversion rates, but for a local business owner a website might just be something they can utilize to improve their day to day business it doesn't have to be the #1 google ranking for The Best Los Angeles Florists or some such nonsense. And besides would you want to explain all that SEO stuff to a client, I know I wouldn't.

      Original question: "If you are a local business owner with no online presence, what would you type into Google to find a local web design company?"

      My non-answer: I wouldn't, I'd ask a friend.

      Your Job: Be the guy/gal who designed my friends website. Word of mouth rocks the house yo!
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    I agree with untouchable_newbness.

    You are approaching this from the wrong end
    The business model you were describing and planning (for yourself) is commonly known around here as the "off-line" marketing/cash-cow/whatever. [search for it]

    You want to help brick and mortar businesses to have or improve their online presence. In that case, according to those in this business, forget YOUR own website and marketing it online. Go actively as a real person to the business owners and sell yourself, sell your services.

    I know, for a web developer who likes to sit in front of his computer this might be a tough requirement...
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  • Profile picture of the author 1960Texan
    By the way, when I read the title of this thread I groaned, thinking it was someone offering to buy 1000 word, high quality articles.

    Will
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  • Profile picture of the author Anthony J Namata
    Hi,

    I'd say your town should be included in your web content. Better yet, with only 40,000 inhabitants in your town (wish I were in your place) I wouldn't even bother to optimize THAT much. Just run a classified ad in local newspapers, regularly, with your URL in your ad. That should generate all the traffic you need and then some.

    Best of luck,

    Anthony
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