What could I offer this business?

5 replies
Hey guys,

This restaurant is right across the street from my office. I started craving them on the way to work today, so, I am going to go over there to alleviate my addiction today. Anyway, we were wanting to look at the menu, and, took forever in finding it. In my opinion, it's a VERY poorly designed website.

They have someone (internal) who has created a Facebook page for them.

Let's say that I was going to contact them.

What could I do for them?

Also, am I right that this website just - STINKS? What improvements could be made?

The website is....

mygoldfingers.com

Jeremy
#business #offer
  • Profile picture of the author Scott Voss
    First, don't ever tell them their site sucks.

    Compliment them on the look of the site, but explain the missed opportunities there are as far as SEO.

    I noticed on their facebook page that they cater, but from their site it was not obvious.

    I would feel them out for that angle and offer to do some work for them in getting the catering side seo'd better and get some videos and testimonials from their catering work.

    It sounds like the people who eat there love them, so this should be easy content to get.

    Once you have established yourself with ANY work for them (free or paid), it will be a lot easier to bring up ways to enhance their site and get more work.

    -Scott
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeremy James
      Would it be good for me to create a new website with Wordpress and then offer it to them?

      It sounds like, to me, in addition to having the menu, or menu link, more prominent on the website, that an online order form would make their website better. What other improvements could be made?

      Jeremy
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  • Profile picture of the author TSDMike
    Originally Posted by Jeremy James View Post

    Hey guys,

    This restaurant is right across the street from my office. I started craving them on the way to work today, so, I am going to go over there to alleviate my addiction today. Anyway, we were wanting to look at the menu, and, took forever in finding it. In my opinion, it's a VERY poorly designed website.

    They have someone (internal) who has created a Facebook page for them.

    Let's say that I was going to contact them.

    What could I do for them?

    Also, am I right that this website just - STINKS? What improvements could be made?

    The website is....

    mygoldfingers.com

    Jeremy
    Jeremy,

    I just wrapped up a project for a client whose situation was identical to the one you described. Here's what I did:

    His website was awful... broken links, hideously unattractive, poorly optimized, etc. There were a few things he was doing right... newsletter signup, interactive map to the restaurant, downloadable menu, etc. But overall it was very poorly executed.

    The first thing I did was make a list of all the things he was doing right. Always start with the positive. From your situation, I would compliment them on their efforts with Facebook.

    After that you want to do a little research and see where the site ranks organically for the common keyword terms for his restaurant. More than likely, that site - given its complete lack of content - doesn't rank organically at all. Make note of all the competing sites who are ranking, then take a peek at their sites. Use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to determine search volume for those keywords.

    Look at those sites and make notes of all of the fundamental things they're getting right. Now you have a little ammo to go to war with. You are a Warrior, right

    Then I would start asking questions.

    Make note that you noticed that he has Google Analytics installed in his source code. Ask him pointed questions about traffic sources, traffic volume, etc., and ask him how well his site is bringing in business. When he gives the obvious answer that his site is underperforming, show him what his biggest online competitors are doing, how they've set their site up to make for the best user experience possible, etc. What I did was I took the site from a restaurant 20 miles away who also happened to do catering and banquet halls (like my client) and how they promoted them with the site.

    Ask him about what he would like the site to accomplish for him... his obvious answer will be to bring in business. Show him the traffic data, and the search volume for the keywords he is not ranking on the first page of Google for. Show him how the sites that are where he wants to be are getting there by way of on-page SEO, # of inbound links, etc.

    What you're doing is painting a picture. You're establishing a blueprint for how to be successful online. You're forcing him to acknowledge inferiority to his competitors, and showing him where they're outperforming him.

    All of this also demonstrates that you care, you've taken the time to research the situation instead of talking down to him by using a bunch of industry buzzwords and acronyms that he doesn't understand, and you know he doesn't understand.

    That should be enough to win favor enough to get an RFP...

    Good Luck
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy James
    Thank you for the help.

    A few thoughts...

    First, what is a RFP?

    Secondly - I don't think any restaurants in this area do SEO at all. It's a virtually UNTAPPED market. That being said, I don't really know how to do things like online order forms. I know how to get them to rank higher, that is, if anyone is searching for "Dothan Catering" or "Dothan Chicken." That would be about it.

    I guess that what I would do, blindly, would be this -

    Register a website like DothanCatering or something like that - and put a menu on it, several pictures of entrees, some information about the restaurant/staff, an online order form, and what - not.

    I also would use the idea that is in this same section about using 2 minute videos to "point to" this website - put it on Youtube and other video ranking websites.

    What do you think of that?

    What more could/would I need to add to this?

    What kind of price could I charge?
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    • Profile picture of the author TSDMike
      Comments are interspersed:

      A few thoughts...

      First, what is a RFP?

      Request for proposal.

      Secondly - I don't think any restaurants in this area do SEO at all. It's a virtually UNTAPPED market. That being said, I don't really know how to do things like online order forms. I know how to get them to rank higher, that is, if anyone is searching for "Dothan Catering" or "Dothan Chicken." That would be about it.

      Search generic terms as well as geographically targeted terms. See what shows up in the Google Places, as well as the organic spots. It isn't anything to spend a lot of time on, just to get an idea of the competitive landscape.

      If there are no local competitors knocking it out of the park, find one or two elsewhere. The point is to illustrate what should be happening with their site.

      It sounds like you don't have the web-design skills to accomplish what you know needs to happen. What I would do (and have done since I am the same way) is contact some local web developers with a decent portfolio to quote the job and include that in your proposal. Build a relationship with the web guys and they'll probably throw some SEO work your way.


      Or try to find someone on e-lance.com or something.

      I guess that what I would do, blindly, would be this -

      Register a website like DothanCatering or something like that - and put a menu on it, several pictures of entrees, some information about the restaurant/staff, an online order form, and what - not.

      DON'T DO ANYTHING BLINDLY. Anyone can implement a bunch of arbitrary tactics and hope for the best. Base this off of keyword research. I personally am not a fan of building different aspects of their business on different domains.

      I also would use the idea that is in this same section about using 2 minute videos to "point to" this website - put it on Youtube and other video ranking websites.

      What do you think of that?

      Video marketing is always a good idea.

      What more could/would I need to add to this?

      Dude, I can't write your proposal for you... what I do is I leave it open ended. I sell them on the research, and from there I write an elaborate strategy out for achieving their online goals. You can't spell everything out yet because you don't know yet. So start at square one.

      What kind of price could I charge?

      Have you ever done this before?
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