Here's a tactic i used successfully to get offline webdesign clients - including my sales letter!

[MarkWrites]

Nice method in the opening post and great tips and insight all through the thread. Can be adapted to many types of businesses offering many services as a number of price levels.

[TimCastleman]

Mike -

You are correct about business owners being use to pay high fees. Where I live a decent sized yellow page ad will run you several hundred dollars a month, radio & TV the same. Not to mention if they use or do any direct mail they are use to paying much more.

I understand where you are coming from with online pricing. Here $97 seems like a lot but guys like Frank K sell out their 2k courses. The key to me is finding HVT's. That is the term I learned in the military and it stands for high value targets. Basically when we were on missions we would be told of several HVT's and if we saw one to divert and go after them.

Lucky for me they never walked into my supply shop so I never had an issue ;-)

Anyway, I only go after HVT's - people who charge a lot for their services - auto repair, laser eye care centers, doc's, etc. Why? Because they charge a lot so I can charge a lot. Seems to simple? That is how I like it.

To put it another way - if you charge 3,000 for an auto repair think you're going to bitch about paying $300 to make $3000? 10 to 1 return on your investment - I'll take that.

As far as your questions - for $300 they get hosting, access to me, an autoresponder email catcher thingie ;-). IF they want emails to go out to their members it's more. Want something else - sure but it cost.

The only one limiting you is you.

Tim

[timmykins]

Hi,

This thread seems to be changing route slightly, in that everyone is focusing on pricing, and how much offline business owners are willing to "invest" in online services.

In my own experience, if you can proove you know your onions and provide a decent return on their investment, then pricing isn't an issue. True story...

When I first started in the offline niche, I secured a client who was skeptical, and to be honest I undercharged to get the work. I also only charged a one-time fee (hadn't crossed my mind to charge monthly at that time). But as the work I did on providing the client with a website that ranked well for multiple search phrase and started bringing him clients, he actually got the proof that he was looking for. A couple of month later and him gaining new clients, he actually offered to pay me a monthly retainer...He saw a return on his investment and wants to keep it that way!

And not only is he very happy with his own return on investment he is marketing my services for me by telling others about how well his website is doing, even in the current economic climate.

My point is, if you can proove that this works and can bring new clients to local businesses, reasonable pricing isn't too much of an issue!

Tim

[mikecowles]

Originally Posted by LMC

It would be interesting to see your ROI on this method.

Meaning, hours spent building the site, from a designer point of view, to make a header and turn a wordpress blog into something unique, it would take me 3 hours.

That is $240 worth of my time.

If I received a 1 in 10 conversion, I've done 27 hours of work, $2,160 worth of my time.

All that for the $120 with the 50% rebate, and $20/M for hosting and maintence.

I think you see where I am going with this.

This is a great method, but how can you make it more efficient?
Also, if the business does not have a website, you should BUY their domain name.

This gives them another reason to work with you and only you. Otherwise they get some crappy, www.mynewbusinessonline.com with some other designer instead of www.mynewbusiness.com

Hi LMC,

It should literally take you one minute to create a wordpress blog. Also to change the theme (which would definitely add value) should take about 3 minutes. I made a short video demonstrating how to change a wordpress theme at Free Tools & Tips Videos.

If you look at it this way, you can create ten to twenty sites in an hour and see what happens!

~Mike Cowles. <><

[Micheal Perkins]

Originally Posted by TimCastleman

Mike -

The key to me is finding HVT's. That is the term I learned in the military and it stands for high value targets. Basically when we were on missions we would be told of several HVT's and if we saw one to divert and go after them.

Lucky for me they never walked into my supply shop so I never had an issue ;-)

I'm ending up off topic with this post, but I was in the Marine Corps, so I knew what you meant.

Reminded me of when we got boots in fresh from boot camp. We would send them all over the place looking for a box of "grid squares," of course there was no such thing.

[Jimnopks]

Great post Chris,

I too am thinking like Michael that $79 a month is fairly high let alone $300 a month.

Chris, you are only charging the Hookers $29.

What are you doing extra for the nail salon that you are not doing for the hookers.

And Tim, What are you doing to warrant $300 a month.

And to Meleody, you say you charge even more, Same quetion.

Does everyone agree, that Paypal is the way to collect monthly?

Jim

[Jimnopks]

I read your answer what a client get for $300 Tim, Thanks,

I watched your video Mike on changing themes and have a question.

beings each business is diffent, like nail salon, barber shop etc, why not use the same theme for them all?

Jim

[AaronSnider]

Chris, I love the post, but how am I supposed to plagarize your letter if its in picture format? =)

[ChrisByrns]

Originally Posted by Jimnopks

Chris, you are only charging the Hookers $29.

What are you doing extra for the nail salon that you are not doing for the hookers.

There's simply more work involved: Those small companies need more pages, the h**kers only really need one static splash page and that's it.

Plus, i usually throw in a (simple but nevertheless pro-looking) logo for the companies that doesn't already have one.

And while i'm at it, i also do some basic keyword research (and construct a matching title tag). The ladies don't need all that, they're happy with a simple one-pager.

[ChrisByrns]

Originally Posted by AaronSnider

Chris, I love the post, but how am I supposed to plagarize your letter if its in picture format? =)

Yawn.. ..MS Word or openoffice, do you know about them? Alternatively, you could just print out my low-res picture and on the backside of the sheet write: "To see the high resolution version of my sales letter, please visit my website".

[AaronSnider]

i'm just playin bro, this is a great idea and I did borrow your letter as a template, I rewrote the letter in myown words and am sending it to potential clients today.

Instead of building web sites for new clients I am offering them an upgraded listing in my directory at Sacramento Family Dentist|Sacramento Family Dentist. Little different application, but your post inspired me.

Thanx for your help man, from those of us that did use the info and may not have said anything.

Aaron