I Just Don't Get It...

16 replies
I see a lot of warriors suggesting that you can go to a company and easily sell them a traditional or mobile website if they don't have one.

In this day of Facebook they could put up a business page for free...why pay you for a traditional or mobile website?

To me it seems that even if you show them a mock up of what their site will be it's still going to be hard to win them as a client...

Am I wrong???
  • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
    You have to prove to them why they need it and how it can improve their bottom line.

    It requires actually researching that company and understanding it's goals.

    It requires understanding marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    Originally Posted by everyonewins View Post

    Am I wrong???
    Yes.

    Web presence is everything these days. Unless you live in a one stoplight town. Pretty much everyone is going to go online and either find or research doctors, dentists, auto shops, restaurants, etc.

    A Facebook page is not enough.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by everyonewins View Post

    I see a lot of warriors suggesting that you can go to a company and easily sell them a traditional or mobile website if they don't have one.

    In this day of Facebook they could put up a business page for free...why pay you for a traditional or mobile website?

    To me it seems that even if you show them a mock up of what their site will be it's still going to be hard to win them as a client...

    Am I wrong???

    I dunno, bud.

    Is it easy? Not if you have to convince them from scratch.

    But what about those who are already convinced this is what they need?

    "Free" does not mean "good" to everyone. It doesn't mean "good" to me. It means "probably incompetent."

    Do you think Walmart wants a Free website?

    How about your local mattress store? Do they trust a free drag and drop sitebuilder to be their business tool?

    And if they do, what does that tell you about their interest and knowledge level in this kind of solution?

    I can tell you are at the beginning of your journey in sales & marketing. Customers don't buy because of the reasons you think they do. They don't value the same things you do. Some people think and believe very differently.

    It's far better and easier to find people who are already looking for the solution you provide. No need to make the sale twice--first to convince them of the idea, then second for you to be the one to execute it.

    Save yourself the trouble. Learn about qualifying.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    I don't really mess with clients, so this is theory. It may be a lot better to find businesses that already have websites that aren't mobile friendly and convince them that they need to be mobile friendly.

    Tell them how Google (supposedly) has a filter that if someone does a search using a mobile device that Google only returns sites that are mobile friendly. Also explain how something like 65% of Google's searches are now performed by mobile devices, meaning they could be losing almost 2/3s of Google search traffic.

    And/or...if they already have a site, sell them on the need to do social and set them up a social network, including a Facebook page.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rob Whisonant
    Let me give you a little secret on how to get local businesses to hire you to create and manage their website.

    Go to every business get together that is serving "alcohol" and start talking to people.

    Defenses are down and you can make a lot of connections you can follow up on and close the deal.

    Look around, you will most likely find a few bars that host monthly B2B happy hours.

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    Rob Whisonant
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    • Profile picture of the author mydream247
      sounds like a good plan, but I am afraid I might drink to much myself, and forget what I am there for...
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    • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
      Originally Posted by Rob Whisonant View Post

      Let me give you a little secret on how to get local businesses to hire you to create and manage their website.

      Go to every business get together that is serving "alcohol" and start talking to people.

      Defenses are down and you can make a lot of connections you can follow up on and close the deal.

      Look around, you will most likely find a few bars that host monthly B2B happy hours.

      Re's
      Rob Whisonant
      This is a tactic taught to me as a teen by a guy who built a multi-million dollar business from scratch.

      He would tip the waitress and ask them to bring him one drink, and the rest of the night just soda. He had the best success the next morning at breakfast meetings where the client was hungover and he was not.
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  • Profile picture of the author essmeier
    While a billion or so people use Facebook, some six billion people don't. I use it only to promote my own sites. I never visit Facebook for any other reason. Don't like the site, don't like the tools, and I don't like the user interface.

    If a company with whom I might like to do business has an online presence only on Facebook, I'll never see it, because I'm never looking.

    I'm not alone.

    Charlie
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard Rago
    Originally Posted by everyonewins View Post

    In this day of Facebook they could put up a business page for free...why pay you for a traditional or mobile website?
    Anyone could do anything.

    In my experience, when business owners buy a product or service it is because, for whatever reason, they find paying for quality more valuable than producing quality.

    Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

    It's far better and easier to find people who are already looking for the solution you provide. No need to make the sale twice--first to convince them of the idea, then second for you to be the one to execute it.
    Jason has been saying this for years it couldn't be more true.

    Years ago I bought a WSO detailing how to sell websites to local businesses and I had interested prospects on day 1.

    Imagine finding a local business which has a website that is terrible or outdated or both. This business is also advertising on the radio, billboards, and in the yellowpages.

    They already understand the value of spending money to make money, and they probably understand the value of having a website as they already have one.

    Now imagine telling this business something like, "Hey. I saw your site was outdated so I designed you a new one. If you want to take a free look I'll have one of my guys email it over to you within the hour."

    Find enough businesses in this situation and make them this offer, and if you do your job well, some percentage will buy.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Reminds me of a story I heard.

    Seems this town had an abundance of cheap haircut places. Open the Yellow Pages (for you kiddos, that was like a paper version of Google local) and you'd find a couple of pages of listings for haircuts @ $10 or less.

    Then came an ad filling half a page with the headline

    We Fix $10 Haircuts

    You could be the one who fixes free/cheap websites.
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  • Profile picture of the author MrFume
    Well sure, and they can also put up a free blog on Blogspot or a hundred other free platforms-BUT if they want to be taken seriously and have their own brand and control the asset, publish what they want, when they want and not be at another company's mercy-they will want their own site-can you imagine IBM or Kellog's just having a Facebook page? FB pages are a part of a marketing program , not the central pillar of it that would be daft.
    Brands need their own identity.
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    • Profile picture of the author daftdog
      Originally Posted by MrFume View Post

      Well sure, and they can also put up a free blog on Blogspot or a hundred other free platforms-BUT if they want to be taken seriously and have their own brand and control the asset, publish what they want, when they want and not be at another company's mercy-they will want their own site-can you imagine IBM or Kellog's just having a Facebook page? FB pages are a part of a marketing program , not the central pillar of it that would be daft.
      Brands need their own identity.
      Exactly...I only build a FB page around a site that I have built using a good domain name which creates a Brand that people remember. Remember that most people still use search engines so would you find a FB page as easy as a website?

      Having a site and brand is like owning a piece of real estate and any serious business owner would be crazy to not have one...

      Just my thoughts...

      Marc
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  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    Originally Posted by everyonewins View Post

    I see a lot of warriors suggesting that you can go to a company and easily sell them a traditional or mobile website if they don't have one.

    In this day of Facebook they could put up a business page for free...why pay you for a traditional or mobile website?
    It is just as easy to put up a pretty nice wordpress site as it is to put up a facebook page. But most people in buisness will do neither. They are busy running their business and either do not want, or do not have the time to learn a new skill.

    That is where you come in, Set up both for them, even set up an email campaign. Sell them the hosting, domain, and autoresponder via affiliate links as well as what you charge to build the site. Then you can, if you want, provide maintenance to the site for a monthly fee.

    The possibilities are endless for this business venture.

    al
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  • Profile picture of the author bestIMtools
    The website comes first. The Facebook page comes second to promote the website and what it offers.
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  • Profile picture of the author neshaword
    As a copywriter, I work with more than one web design team. If you allow me, would like to point out one thing no one mentioned here. Are you reasonable when it comes to your pricing? I am in contact with the clients, very often recommending guys who can help them with the design and everything. Clients opt for these free options, because they are afraid it is gonna cost them a lot. But, you really do not have to have all those shiny and costly animations and rocket science feature. Something effective and simple. So, be reasonable, and suggest something, which is not going to cost them a lot, but it can allow them to benefit a lot.
    Again, we play in the same team. If you do not convince your potential clients, then they will never hire me or some of my colleagues all over the world. Although I just cannot imagine a company running a business these days with no pro website. Ridiculous indeed.
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    awww, the art of selling...

    When I list products on the Ebay marketplace I really am not concern that I have the lowest bid. I can sell the same product. A lot of people do not price shop but make a decision based on an emotion. Put your product and services in front of the right person at the right time it increases your chances.
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