Having my thoughts on website redesign

12 years ago

If you find leads that have a website already, that promotes the website and that you think you can make it better (means improve conversion), then I think you should charge a lot more than what they paid 1st time.

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PeacefulCalamity

12 years ago

Thanks for that. Yeah, I figure that I should price the same as I would for normal design. It doesn't make much sense to do it any other way. Will do.

Thanks

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wilder1047

12 years ago

I don't know if a free mock-up is really necessary, leveraging your portfolio (or outsourcers portfolio) while outlining the benefits your site will have over their current one, ie, higher conversion rate... I think it'll be a lay down sale.

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socialbacklink

12 years ago

I've done websites for 16 years. I never do mockups unless they have already paid and I'm giving them design options. I charge the same for redesigns as I do for the initial sites. (Unless it's just doing a theme for Joomla or Wordpress and not changing any content.) Then, and only then do I charge less.

I get most of my business through PPC and now Craigslist (It's become my new source. Getting tons of leads that way)

As far as leads go. Do local searches. I mean start in your local area and do searches for plumber, doctor, etc. See what pops up in the Google local listings. If their site sucks tell them how they could get more business just by changing their site. Then, look through gigs and services ads for major cities looking for web design. Also, place ads on CL. I'm getting an 8% response rate right now just replying to ads across the country that people have placed looking for website work. Can't wait to see how placing ads does.

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PeacefulCalamity

12 years ago

Thanks guys. I'll just have to go through Google manually since Mobile Renegade isn't working.

I'll try to make a few mockups and compare how it effects sales vs going without one.

Thanks
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maxrezn

12 years ago

Originally Posted by PeacefulCalamity

Thanks guys. I'll just have to go through Google manually since Mobile Renegade isn't working.

I'll try to make a few mockups and compare how it effects sales vs going without one.

Do what I did when I started out.

I sold mobile websites for $700. Every morning I would cold call businesses that had a feature that day on Groupon, Living Social, ClipperDeals, etc...

From about 20 calls I would set up 1-3 appointments where I would say "Hey I saw your promotion...and that you didn't have a site...i took a few minutes and made a quick mock up for you...would you like to see it?....no obligation to buy it"

Set up an appointment for 3-5 days from then. Go to Fiverr. Search for "mobile website" and buy a gig. In about 2 days you will have your mobile mockup which is actually a site.

Take that to the meeting, let them play with it, and sell it.

I think I sold about 1/3 of the sites that I commissioned to be made on Fiverr.

(The end result was a site designed by a Warrior for $50)

Thanks
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word12 12 years ago

Originally Posted by maxrezn

Do what I did when I started out. ......

(The end result was a site designed by a Warrior for $50)

Hey Max, who did you hire for mobile sites? Would you recommend them?
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- 1 reply
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- PeacefulCalamity 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by word12
  
  Hey Max, who did you hire for mobile sites? Would you recommend them?
  
  If I were to go that route, I'd just hire my own full-time VA. Use WillR's Mobile Kit to teach them how to make mobile websites. For $85 a week they can pop out more than 5 a week. Pretty cost effective.
  
  My 2 cents.
  
  Edit:
  Found the page that offers it, I was subscribed and have it on my To-Do list -
  
  http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...eek-trial.html
  
  Thanks
  
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LynnM

12 years ago

Originally Posted by PeacefulCalamity

Hey guys. For some reason or the other, I'm finding it necessary to keep experimenting and expanding on different services.

Right now, I've been thinking about trying my hand at Website Redesign.

I've tried searching up the forum too - there doesn't seem to be a lot said on the matter. Or I'm just not finding the right places.

This is a free report from the War Room on offering website redesign, and it covers the topic of making mock-ups, but with a slight twist- hope you find it useful: http://www.warriorforum.com/war-room...m-members.html

Thanks
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PeacefulCalamity

12 years ago

Originally Posted by LynnM

This is a free report from the War Room on offering website redesign, and it covers the topic of making mock-ups, but with a slight twist- hope you find it useful: http://www.warriorforum.com/war-room...m-members.html

Oh, and yes. Thanks for that. I forgot to mention earlier on that I actually read that report. It's what gave me the kick in the first place. He offers the same advice everyone else does, just for redesign. Still a good report though.

Thanks
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LynnM 12 years ago

Have you read Lesley's post here? It's about how she's making that business model work for her.
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- 1 reply
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- PeacefulCalamity 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by LynnM
  
  Have you read Lesley's post here? It's about how she's making that business model work for her.
  
  Just did. It's cool to know this is working for her. Although, her niche is pretty different from most I would pick.
  
  Thanks
  
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PeacefulCalamity

12 years ago

I canned the idea - the mockup was a stupid thing to consider. I thought it might make a difference in the redesign aspect of website creation, but from what I gather it's not worth the effort.

So it just looks like I'll be cold calling as per usual. Just have to come up with different points on why they should buy a redesign... which shouldn't be hard.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I just wish there were a more effective way of gathering leads for this. Eventually I'll just hire a VA to sort through sites, but that's not something I feel like paying for now, until I test the waters myself.

Thanks

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MyNiches

12 years ago

Personally, on a larger project, I'm not talking to somebody unless I can see a mockup or at least a portfolio showing similar work they've done. There's too many people trying to "fake it until they make it", so somebody showing me a mockup of their ideas speaks VOLUMES in their confidence in their skills. It can also save you a lot of hassle, since you'll know sooner if the client is not a good fit for you - potentially saving a million headaches and 1000 revisions down the road.

Thanks

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bonniecolvin

12 years ago

I just started working for a new web design company with my boyfriend, and to get started we decided we definitely needed a portfolio. So, we didn't really want to do free mock up pages, so we're offering basic website design for $99 for Warriors provided that they let us use them in our portfolio, which of course is a very low amount - but that means we're still getting a little bit of money, building up our portfolio, AND gaining attention on the Warrior Forum. Just thought I'd share my tip, it worked for us!

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iAmNameLess

12 years ago

Originally Posted by MyNiches

Personally, on a larger project, I'm not talking to somebody unless I can see a mockup or at least a portfolio showing similar work they've done. There's too many people trying to "fake it until they make it", so somebody showing me a mockup of their ideas speaks VOLUMES in their confidence in their skills. It can also save you a lot of hassle, since you'll know sooner if the client is not a good fit for you - potentially saving a million headaches and 1000 revisions down the road.

If you called us, or even if I solicited you, you would not be a qualified lead if you're expecting free work for nothing.

I think it is a matter of positioning yourself too... I don't go for clients that think they know what they want because 90% of people don't know what they want until they see it. That remaining 10% will waste your time and energy.

Mockups, in my opinion are a waste of time. They don't help your conversions, in FACT, I believe them to HURT your overall conversions. Your mockup might be something completely different than what they expected and instantly be turned off. Of course, you always will run into the problem that they will want a mockup, just to get you off the phone. Once it is provided they will avoid you.

Mobile renegade is an awesome tool to get leads.

I think the definition of redesign, is loose. You don't work with their current website, you redesign a website for them, so it's basically a new website from scratch. Same pricing structure is what I do.

The selling points depend on what they need. Do they have a better website than what you can provide? Is there something missing?

I love contacting companies that already have a website, because 90% of people with websites, are unhappy with their current ones. Ask warriors around here, most won't even display theirs in their signature because they're unhappy with it. Even the ones that do, are usually unhappy. The beautiful thing about these companies, they already understand value of the website, they just aren't happy with how it is performing, functioning, etc. Your job would be to find out what they aren't happy with. Is it too difficult to update? Is it not ranking well because there is no on page optimization? Do they have social media integrated? Is it mobile friendly? Do they have a fan page designed? What about an autoresponder or some kind of quick estimate form? There are always going to be selling points.

Even the ones with a perfect website, often are looking for improvements.

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PeacefulCalamity

12 years ago

Originally Posted by iAmNameLess

If you called us, or even if I solicited you, you would not be a qualified lead if you're expecting free work for nothing.

I think it is a matter of positioning yourself too... I don't go for clients that think they know what they want because 90% of people don't know what they want until they see it. That remaining 10% will waste your time and energy.

Mockups, in my opinion are a waste of time. They don't help your conversions, in FACT, I believe them to HURT your overall conversions. Your mockup might be something completely different than what they expected and instantly be turned off. Of course, you always will run into the problem that they will want a mockup, just to get you off the phone. Once it is provided they will avoid you.

Mobile renegade is an awesome tool to get leads.

I think the definition of redesign, is loose. You don't work with their current website, you redesign a website for them, so it's basically a new website from scratch. Same pricing structure is what I do.

The selling points depend on what they need. Do they have a better website than what you can provide? Is there something missing?

I love contacting companies that already have a website, because 90% of people with websites, are unhappy with their current ones. Ask warriors around here, most won't even display theirs in their signature because they're unhappy with it. Even the ones that do, are usually unhappy. The beautiful thing about these companies, they already understand value of the website, they just aren't happy with how it is performing, functioning, etc. Your job would be to find out what they aren't happy with. Is it too difficult to update? Is it not ranking well because there is no on page optimization? Do they have social media integrated? Is it mobile friendly? Do they have a fan page designed? What about an autoresponder or some kind of quick estimate form? There are always going to be selling points.

Even the ones with a perfect website, often are looking for improvements.

I have heard the flip side of that coin - that yes, if you present a mockup and they don't happen to like the design, they can just say "we're not a good fit" and I lose leverage. Definitely not a good thing.

Thanks!

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cma01

12 years ago

1) I'm not fond of doing mockups without pay.

We don't do mock-ups. If you're just starting out, maybe you might want to do that. However, unless if you're just slapping a premade theme up, there is consulting that should be done to decide *what* they need and *how* it should be configured.

I try to stay away from working for free whenever possible.

2b...ish.) Would pricing for redesign be the same as pricing a full website? Of course it's a bit easier to redesign (therefore, less justification for high pay), but the owner could think it's all one and the same.

I don't really agree that it is easier to redesign rather than starting from scratch. When you're redesigning, you really should be checking where there traffic is currently coming from, what they are ranking for, and spending a lot of time analyzing the site structure before you make any widespread changes.

Then depending on how big of a mess the original site was, it can be a nightmare converting it over.

If you're just swapping one Wordpress theme out for another one, I suppose then it would be easier, but that hasn't been my experience in the sites we've redesigned.

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300SMG

12 years ago

My company went the whole redesign route a few years into existence and it worked out great at the time. Never offered a mock-up but did allow for at least 1 revision once completed.

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Having my thoughts on website redesign

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