Website builders: do you offer a free draft design?

I tried this a few times but didn't see much of a difference in conversion rates. I like to offer a money-back guarantee instead, which will allow them a refund if they don't like the site. I ask for 50% upfront to make sure they're not wasting my time and deliver a high quality product so they don't even think about asking for a refund. This serves to make sure the buyers are serious but gives them a sense of security that helps close the deal.

No. They get 3 revisions but we do a lot of talking and checking so they're almost always happy with the first version.

Something else to remember: who's the expert here?

I wouldn't want to clog up my pipeline and my time with tire-kickers.

As an agency we position ourselves to attract a certain type of client. A client that accepts our specialist knowledge and has the resources to pay.

We are an integrated marketing agency (with a very rare speciality) so we have no interest in just being your web designer we want control of the sales process.

One of the reasons we expanded into webdesign is because web designers suck.

Almost without exception they come from a coding or graphic design background and ultimately end up creating pritty baubels for customers.

Ask a web designer why they've done something on a website and they can't give you an answer. For example:

Why have you used a three column design design instead of two or one?

Or

Why are to social icons at the top of the website?

Generally this is because they are bothered about the athestic.

Another reason is that in today's society anybody can call themselves a web designer.

I've seen people use free WordPress themes as 'proof' they are a web designer.

It's important to separate yourself from the spotty teenagers and charletens otherwise you are on a race to the bottom.

I really think that part of our success is that we've differentiated ourselves from web designers.

We are not a web design agency but marketing specialists.

As a result it's really important to us to understand the clients business and what they want the site to do.

A plumber will have little interest in an e-commerce solution. More suitable will be a one page site with a call me now button which is mobile enabled (alongside local seo).

Through the consulation process our advisor and the client create a wireframe for the site. The frame includes basic graphics,logos etc.

It takes next to no time doing this with a graphics package and some templates.

At the end of the initial consultation the client is shown a wireframe mock up of their site. This works really well for us.

By using this method we've managed to:

• increase conversion rate (both overall and first time sales)
• speed up turn around time
• almost eliminate revisions

Because the client has been involved in the creation of the site and can see something tangible then closing the sale becomes much easier.

I would imagine that creating a draft site would be the worst of all worlds. You'd lack either the client input or the imedicacy of the sale.

If this is coming up regularly then I would advise you look at your pitch. It sounds like you are putting doubt in the prospects mind.

I'm quite a cheeky salesman (in a humouress way) so if someone asked me the same I'd asked them for a free sample of their work 'sure you can have a draft website just come around and fix my leaky tap'

A good portfolio and strong testimonials would also help.

Not real web designers, anyway

Unless it's part of your marketing effort - don't waste so much time giving out free draft to someone who is not your client yet.

Instead, work on your portfolio. If your prospect like what you did to other business, they will interested to find out what you can make to theirs.

Free 15 min consultation, then yes but a free website draft and not knowing if they will buy is a bad use of time. You will take maybe 30mins to an hour doing that.

If you must do it, make sure you qualify properly and find out why they would even allow you to do it. If you get good signals then maybe even as a refundable deposit for a 10th of the charge and then get to work.

Free can be bad in the marketing services world.

Something to think about...

Everything around us is visual. There is a reason YouTube is as used as it is, People like to see things. Integrate personalization in the presentation, and often it becomes a game changer.

Websites by default are visual. Calling on the phone and saying hey I can make you a website that does this and that is one thing - leading a prospect to a personalized "presentation" site is a totally different thing. In Real Estate there are cues that indicate interest in a property... web design is no different. The moment a prospect starts asking, can we change this or that... indicates interest, and cues the ability to maybe push a soft close effort.

A visual presentation of a site mach up can be more than just a visual representation of your work - there can be a fair amount of phycology at play. When you are talking to a business owner - his / her pride and joy is THAT business. They more than likely have everything on the line. Every day is sink or swim.

IF you can identify and present that business in a web page format that meets or exceeds the owners ideals and expectations, you will stand a chance at closing the deal. If you throw up crap... well your not going to get to far with the process.

Like any other presentation, be it cold calling mass e-mail face to face etc its not the method that fails,it is how the method is executed.

Draft design DOES work, if executed correctly.

So would it make sense to target a certain industry (so that they have the same basic needs for a site), make a few generic mockups and use those to show clients?

You couldn't do this with wildly different niches, but if you stuck to one niche, it might work?

Just a thought.

I did initially...... I don't anymore.

Why?

Once you offer your time and expertise without any charge, your status nosedives in the prospect's mind. You don't value your time and expertise. Why should they?

Do the top Divorce Attorneys give away "free consultations?" Do the top Orthopedic Surgeons give away "free exams?" No.... and..... No.

I think the best way is to sell "Roadmaps" as Brennan Dunn advocates in his "Double Your Freelancing" program. If they don't have a "small amount" to invest in a "Roadmap," they don't have the money to fund the entire project.