I Hit my first Offline Sale this WEEK - What do you charge?

7 replies
Just wanted to share that I landed my first offline customer this week:

$575 Setup / $350 Monthly maintenance Fee for:

* Total site keyword analysis
* 1 set of 3 keywords optimized / month (ON PAGE, OFF PAGE)
* Google Places (enhanced they already a listing)
* Install Constant Contact opt-in form and train staff on use
* Track results with Google Analytics
* Provide recommendations for mobile enhancements (implementation optional)
* Consult with client for obtaining additional domains related to niche (Home Handyman)
* Provide monthly progress reports on status.

I have been studying the market here and elsewhere for about 4 weeks and finally took the plunge. So far it paid off! I made some concessions in my fee to get the first sale, but I also wanted to get some feedback from others here.

What do you all charge and How do you structure your FEES? (Setup / Monthly ...Custom, etc.)

Cheers,

JohnQuiet
#charge #fees #hit #offline #rates #sale #services #week
  • Profile picture of the author Seantrepreneur
    Good job on getting this sale! One of the hardest things to do is actually get started so you're already ahead of most people.

    I never do set up fees. Maybe I should, but I never have and most likely won't. If it's working for you then I would absolutely keep doing it. Plus, it's a great thing that you can discount to land a client. Tell them they are getting a $575 value for free if its a large clients. Just an idea.

    How long is this contract for? $350 a month for just 3 keywords wouldn't be too bad for your first customer I guess, but you might find that this will involve more work than what you are thinking. Between phone calls and emails explaining stuff to them the time will start to add up. Now all the other stuff should be an additional fee. I would double your price. That way you're not out of the ballpark, but you are still making what you are worth.

    We don't have have standard pricing because really there are no standard customers. Almost no customers are going to be the exact same so you're pricing needs to be flexible. We do 6 month contracts because of the time it takes to see results of certain services.

    Let me know if you have any other questions or if you would like me to explain anything else in greater detail.

    Sean
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnQuiet
      Sean,

      Yea, Thanks.. and spot on! I really agree, most people never make it out of the starting chute..

      Setup up fees are almost expected, and it actually gave me an incentive to get started. I didn't mention this, but I actually discounted this down from $975 setup. Contract is 12 months but no penalty for cancellation.

      Here's my fee structure that I am going with, I actually think I am giving away too much for these prices, and thus the reason for my post:

      Plan A - “The Mover” - $299 Setup / $129 monthly PROMO

      • Get Your Business Moving Today!
      • SEO Keyword Strategy
      • Google Places listing
      • Complete Website Analysis

      Plan B - “The Shaker” - $499 Setup / $249 monthly

      • Really Shake Things Up in your Market Now!
      • SEO Keyword Strategy
      • Google Places listing
      • Complete Website Analysis
      • Email Marketing automation
      • Lead Generation

      Plan C - “The Dominator” - $975 Setup / $450/mo.
      PROMO ($575 Setup / $350)

      • Totally “Dominate” keywords in several local markets
      • Keyword SEO strategy & Website Analysis
      • Google Places
      • Facebook Strategy
      • Lead Generation
      • Email Relationship Marketing
      • Mobile website optimization (recommendations only not an actual Mobile site!)

      Plan A gets you 2 keyword "groups" - B gets you 3 groups - C gets you 5 groups. I outsource all SEO work and any WordPress setup / installs. I want to eventually get a full time VA and train them to do 80 - 90% of the seo / and setups.

      I just signed my second deal for $299 / $129 with an asphalt company. I gave them a 6 month deal, since they don't market during the winter. I also am quoting a WordPress site to another company for $1795 advance / $1650 on completion + $450 / month SEO / web maintenance. This is a larger more commercial (biz to biz) establishment.

      I started very simple. I reached out to a computer consultant who i found in my local chamber's business directory. We met at Starbuck's and I told him what my business model was and how i helped other client's get on Google page one for their keywords. 6 weeks later he called me with the referral to my first deal. He didn't even want a cut! He just doesn't do SEO. Our agreement is when I find a business that want PC / Sever / desktop setups that i send them to him. He does offer websites and he wants to keep that piece of work for his existing clients. This all works fine with me.

      So anyone else want to compare this with your price model?

      Also, what other services are most Offliner's bundling / offering as add ons ?

      Thanks and I hope this helps someone else get off the fence and GET STARTED!!

      The Money IS OUT THERE !!

      Cheers,

      John Quiet
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      It's Time for Christmas Cookies!
      Discover Your "It" for FREE at FindYourIt.com
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      • Profile picture of the author massiveray
        Originally Posted by JohnQuiet View Post


        I also am quoting a WordPress site to another company for $1795 advance / $1650 on completion + $450 / month SEO / web maintenance. This is a larger more commercial (biz to biz) establishment.
        Wordpress at this price? Well played sir!
        Signature

        Join my private strategy group on Facebook or find out how I made £2000 recurring in 2 weeks.

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        • Profile picture of the author somacorellc
          Originally Posted by massiveray View Post

          Wordpress at this price? Well played sir!
          I charge minimum $2k for wordpress sites: Starter Business Website « Somacore Design Solutions

          ===

          Others in this thread have gone with the tailor made approach and put together reports and all that, and I'm sure that works. I do especially enjoy the $99-$199 for the time it takes to complete the report - that's a great way to weed out the tire kickers.

          Many companies deliver custom quotes for everyone, but I use a slightly different approach. What's worked for me is having a set pricing structure that applies to a few different kinds of companies, and I can move up or down based on need/analysis. Of course I advertise the cheapest price on my website, just in case you're browsing

          I go to Google and type a few of their keywords in quotes into the search box.

          "lawn service columbia sc"
          "tennis courts houston"
          "real estate nantucket"

          etc. Make sure you type them in quotes, because this will give you a good idea of how hard it will be to rank them for these keywords.

          So basically:

          0-10K results: $499
          10k-70k results: $799
          70k-150K results: $1,299
          150k-500k: $1,599
          > 500k: $5,000

          This helps because I can comfortably offer a set base price and then add on options as they become available.

          "What does it cost?"

          "We use a system that's tailored for your business and your keywords, but is able to work with everyone, no matter what kind of business it is. Once I plug you into the system, we start generating content, moving you up the rankings, and increasing your visibility. It works 100% of the time and within 3-5 months - sooner in most cases - you'll start to see dramatic results. Let's bring up (or I have it ready on my laptop/phone) a couple keywords so we can figure out how much competition there is and how much it might cost to get you to the top."

          Edit: VVVVVV I should really start taking more of KaniganJ's advice VVVVVV
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  • Profile picture of the author candres79
    Hello,

    I'm with Seantrepreneur on this one... I never charge setup fees. Anyways, I would say for starting out you are doing pretty good! I usually charge between $700-$1,000 a month for my SEO services and ALWAYS get a 1 year contract!

    I have been doing SEO, PPC management, Email marketing, Goolge places, etc... for local businesses in my area full time for about 5 years now. I would say, you might want to up your pricing a bit and you probably don't want to go with less than a 6 month contract.

    Here is something that has been working very well for me that you might want to try...

    I don't offer pre-set plans, and here's why

    Even If I am primarily doing the same kind of services for every client, seo, PPC, social media management, etc...I don't have the services pre-packaged and then have them choose one of the 3 options. Here's an example,

    So say you have your 3 packages laid out for your services, PLAN A, B, & C
    That's fine, but when you are selling them to a client I have found it's better to not even tell them about the packages. I would feel out your prospect and determine which package your client can afford and will probably buy. Then make it seem like you are making him a "custom" plan put together just for his business. That way they feel like you are going to put something "SPECIAL" together for them and their business even if it is the same package that you sell to everyone.

    Here is basically what I tell every potential client that I talk with once I know they are interested and start asking me buying questions.... (how much does this cost, what is the next step, how do I get started, etc...)

    "Well Mr. customer, the 1st thing we do when working with any new client is to do a market research report and SEO analysis on your website and business. That way we can determine your competition, top keywords, potential problems with your site, etc... and figure out exactly how much work will be involved, and rougly how much time it will take. The reason we do this is... so we are all on the same page and know where your site and business stand now so we can improve on it and move forward together. Let me put together this report for you and then when when we sit down to go over it together and I can answer any questions that you have. I will also use this information to put together a "tailor made" plan for you and your business and then we can go from there"

    This is basically what I say to all new potential clients that I speak with. Oh, I also charge for the research and seo report. I charge between $99-$199 depending on how much I feel the client will give me. This does 2 things, It puts a little bit of cash in my pocket... because the reports I put together take me a few hours. And It lets YOU know that they are serious about moving forward. Because if they aren't going to pay you $99 for the research then there is a good chance they are not going to pay you for your services.

    after I collect the funds for the research report, I schedule a time to meet with them and go over it, then I present the proposal immediately following the report I just went over. I have never not sold a client that has paid for a research report that I met with.

    This is just what I do, It has been working perfectly for me for years... I hope this helps
    Signature

    Regards,
    Candres
    Powerful Internet MarketingPowerful Internet Maketing

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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    The price of the solution should vary with the size of the problem.

    If you limit yourself to # of hours, keystrokes or what others are charging, you'll always leave money on the table.

    Instead, ask your prospect: "If I were to wave a magic wand and bring you this quantity of quality inbound leads, how many do you think you could conservatively convert per month into customers or clients? ...And what's the average amount you bill a customer or client?"

    Multiply the two numbers together and now you have a size of the problem per month.

    Multiply by 12 and you have the total over a year. Very impressive, this number.

    The solution should vary with the size of this impressive total. After all, that's the revenue stream, conservatively, that your client believes your solution will bring in for them. Look at the value you're creating!
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  • Profile picture of the author gorvene
    I think a one should charge a client based upon how much value you are bringing to the table. If you have a high value client in that each sale makes the client a lot of money as in dentistry then I would charge a lot more but since it's your first deal you can go easy on them and make sure you get a testimonial and referral.
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