Can i be very rude and ask you this weird question...

by 60 replies
72
Why aren't you consulting for your local business

The more internet marketers i speak to the more confused i am as to why they aren't consulting for at least ONE local business. This is of course if you aren't doing AMAZINGLY well with your online stuff.

Offline consulting is mega bucks, and for the amount of work involved, for me so far, it has a bigger ROI than my affiliate stuff.

I consult for 2 companies (it used to be 5 but as I grew my affiliate business i had to let some go and just kept the 'well behaved' ones) for £500/month each. Thats £1000 a month, which in dollars is $1540 Nice.

How much work do I do? Not much, after the initial keyword research which i redo every few months, I spend about an hour, to two hours per client PER month.

I outsource the rest. I get each client about 50 ok-ish links, from social profiles, article sites, other peoples sites and directories, and also add content to the site on a regular basis, around 10 articles a month. The links are spread from the homepage right down to the new articles and I aim for the low hanging fruit, while all the time the site gets more powerful.

The content and the links are outsourced, both to people I met on elance. The links cost around $50 a month, and the content around $70-80.

I then simply make a report at the end of every month detailing the rankings, and the links, and what I've done.

Every month the traffic on the site goes up, they get more sales, and the rankings go up.

Rather than trying to get the client number one for 'plumbing' or whatever it is your client does, go for smaller phrases like 'birmingham plumbing', and revisit your keywords often to add new ones once achieved. Remember I said I do keyword research once every 3 month to try and find new opportunities within the sector. I simply try and get as many top 10 results as possible.

For small phrases the ok-ish links are good enough (directorys, social bookmarks, article sites) just dont do it too fast, 50 per month max, and spread anchor text and spread target destinations.

Hope you find this interesting, go ahead and email a few companies telling them you can make them MORE SALES FROM THE WEB.

Don't start being all geeky and saying you can get them page rank 1 links blah blah.

Sorry this wasn't better presented, but I just kinda wanted to share this on a whim

Help your local town get out the recession + earn some moneyz )))
#main internet marketing discussion forum #question #rude #weird
  • I have been kicking around the idea. You just brought me one step closer.
    • [1] reply
    • The one thing which concerns me is that there seems to be a tremendous amount offers related to marketing to the offline (or local) market. My problem is once you land a client, how do you provide the deliverables to them (ie optimized website ranking on the first page)? I'm not real strong in SEO. Are there any programs which addresses this piece of the the puzzle????
      • [1] reply
  • The consulting is not hard at all, it is the point of contact, face to face aspect, that makes it very hard and uncomfortable for most.

    Many Offline businesses, hate being pitched to and think they know how to run, a perfect business.
    • [2] replies
    • I understand what your saying here. Quite simply i put it down to honesty, just be honest... You're not a professional salesman, yuor not a 'mcdonalds seo' company with bronze silver and gold packages, get ppc free bull****, you are simply just you, an seo 'expert'.

      I turned up to meet my first client in an old peugeout 106, some jeans, and a few bits of scrap paper with notes on i had made about their site. I had already previously sent an email with a full pdf report about his site, and opportunities within their sector.

      I think they like the honesty and trust it. I didnt sell anything really, I simply said what I could do and forecast some results.

      Once you get one client you wouldn't believe the word of mouth marketing you get if you get decent results.

      Go to your local business meetings to meet potential clients.

      Over here in the UK we have 'business link', don't know what the equivalent is in the US, but they do free courses for businesses and self employed.
    • Hi Joe

      That's a nice little run down you presented there. It is almost exactly what I do for my own Offline business. I do not outsource the work as yet because it is critical they don't mess up for me.

      The one thing I would point out to marketers who approach business owners is not to insult them when you try to talk to them. Every week I get phone calls telling me my site is failing and my seo is not working. They might be right (Unlikely) but the insult as an opening gambit makes me put the phone down.

      Kenj
  • Shhhh! Don't tell everyone about this. Localization of high-demand "money" search phrases are killer. I have been doing this for a while.

    If you take a major/immediate problem/pain + cityname and optimize for that then you can certainly sell consulting to the local business. I publish a couple of directories too that have many local businesses onboard.

    Bottom line, if Google is targeting local then you might want to consider it. Providing Marketing Consulting to local business is very easy when you consider that true competition is almost zero in the local area.

    Be a big (well trained, well armed fish) in a little pond and eat your fill
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Possibilities are endless.

      I have considered the purchase of all the cities x sectors and selling listings.

      birmingham restaurants
      birmingham plumbers
      birmingham decorators

      You see where I'm going.

      Don't know why I'm being so revealing, maybe because I'm toying with the idea of being a full time affiliate this year and dropping the consulting

  • This seems very interesting. Not for the faint of heart (or newbie lol). How much SEO experience do you believe you need for this?
    • [2] replies
    • I am doing offline in Philly.
      I actually want to get out of it.

      It sounds easy but it's a lot of selling and convinceing people.

      If customers business owners aren't already sold on IM then it's hard to convince them it works.

      AD
      • [2] replies
    • if you basically follow what i wrote you can do this with next to none.

      outsource it to someone on elance that does this kinda thing all day long.

      all you need to know is:

      no paid links
      no blog roll links
      no footer links
      no 'links page' links

      simply directory, social bookmarks, social profiles, forum links, article links

      not too much of one, and not too fast. spread anchor text A LOT, spread target pages A LOT.

      with content simply order content for the terms you've deemed targets in your keyword research. if your client is a plumber and operates in 5 places, then you'll need a page written about city x, city y, city z, city a and city b.

      does it make sense ?

      • [1] reply
  • First off, I do work with offline companies (and into tens of thousands, not a few hundred) - but it is precisely because of posts like this why I've considered distancing myself from IM. Declaring proudly that you 'hardly' do anything for the amount of money you're paid is not the best PR.
    It's actually pretty sad because when real business owners see content like this out there, they feel like they're being ripped off by IMers. For those of us who provide real value (consulting + full out designs, user interactions, and REAL results) have a harder time separating ourselves from those looking to just make a buck off of a local business (or any business for that matter).

    My advice to anyone wanting to get into this - separate yourselves from the rest - provide results/milestones based services and true value.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • nice post and you are right, the way i've come across there does sound pretty bad.

      i was trying to reinforce the point that if you have the knowledge, it is something you can be doing to make money, and you can definately be doing it with a day job or along side your affiliate efforts, you dont have to bust your balls to make big buck, you can outsource.

      just because i have mentioned i dont work hard, doesnt mean my service doesnt get results. it clearly does. I have other people work hard for me. this is how a business works. you dont see richard branson driving the trains or flying the planes.

      what i really meant by not working hard is that, you don't have to spend a lot of time doing the 'work'. you can simply outsource the simple tasks after the initial research. you are essentially executing a campaign you have come up with specifically for their website. as long as it gets done accordingly, you have done your work right? whether it was you clicking the mouse to get the links or someone you outsourced.

      Sorry if you read what I put the wrong way but I in no way intended to make out to anyone that they should scam businesses with shady seo / consulting.


    • I do not think that was the intention of the OP.



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  • I firmly believe that To be successful, you will need for the Clients to come to YOU, instead of YOU going to them. Using tactics such as flier promotions, postcards and other inexpensive media, is how to bring them to YOU.

    Going to them can make them pissy and they will not hold back, on their negativity either.
















    • [1] reply
    • Lucky sounds like you already know 100% more than most business owners.

      give it a shot. email or call a few and ask them if they'd like some free advice no strings attached on their web presence and sales.


      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    I started with offline businesses. I want nothing to do with that much face to face contact with local business customers not to mention working for pain in the ass people building sites when I can build them for myself and make a profit flipping them.

    Offline was nothing but a big headache for me. The neverending web design projects ... ohhhh ... can you just change this and change that ... No thanks. It's the same as Working For Someone Else.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Because then I would have to deal with people who have absolutely no idea how to do what they're paying me to do, yet they feel obligated to tell me that their 14-yr old niece told them that they should be doing it this other way, and their grandmother thinks they should be getting faster results for their money, and they were talking with their coworkers over a few beers and...

    Not to mention the things you ask *them* to do on their site to help their SEO (or whatever you're helping them with) and it never happens, or they want you to do that for them too, for free - oh and that includes writing all of the content...

    It's like a bad marriage.

    No, let me amend that.
    It's like interacting with upper management who don't know how to operate their email, and you are the tech support guy.

    I've tried it, and it's not for me. For someone who is infinitely patient and enjoys taking 10 calls a day from one customer who can't figure out where the "any" key is on his keyboard, much less what "social networks" are... it's a great business to have.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I think the biggest need is for small business owners to realize the power of a little SEO for their site that their neighbor's kid built. Knowledge is power, and while nobody is the ultimate authority, we can certainly teach others how to test, track, optimize and research. and the basics of SEO, which we all learned the hard way.

    I met with a very successful offline businessman, and was stunned at his lack of knowledge about the online market, and his inability to believe that I, a housewife, might know what I'm talking about.
  • Actually joewooweb,

    It does sound pretty doable. I'll have to check this out.
  • I would like to also reinforce, and reiterate, some of the comments
    made about dealing with offline clients.

    This area of marketing was on my mind for a long time, but I was always
    hesitant for certain reasons. And then I found myself with a few that just
    sort of happened.

    It is way too high maintenance for my tastes. I always try very hard
    to work with people and help them. But for me at least it got to the
    point where it was making me crazy. I felt like I was mentoring people.

    So if anyone reading this decides to get involved, then make everything
    extremely clear upfront about the nature of your service and your business
    relationship. Be very clear about what you will do and will not do. If they
    want to ask you a million questions, then be clear upfront that you also
    charge for consulting (mentoring and hand-holding - answering questions).

    Maybe that is not the best approach, and I don't know what the best approach
    is, to be honest. But it is something you should think about before you get
    your first client.

    In fairness, I have to say that probably not all are like that, meaning high
    maintenance. I actually took on one client, recently, who is not high maintenance.
    In fact, we hardly communicate, but he has my phone number and email. There
    have been some delays on his end, so I'm just waiting and working on some
    things for him. But he doesn't know much at all about IM, yet he's very low
    maintenance.

    So you never know who you're going to be dealing with.

    I think the best course of action is to be prepared for whatever happens. Have
    something in place that will allow you to protect your time by being fairly
    compensated.


    Ken
    • [1] reply
    • Great points Ken, and it made me think of something: lawyers.
      We have our lawyer's email, we have his phone number - but we also know if we call him with every little question we've got, we're gonna get hit with one painful bill. So we end up saving the questions for one big "spanish inquisition" meeting, or we actually take the time to look up the answers ourselves.

      I really think taking that sort of approach would be the best way to do it, whether the customer is high-maintenance or not. You never know, the low-maintenance guy who hired you could hand the project off to someone else who turns out to be high-maintenance, and if you don't have that clause in the contract already you'll wish you did.
      • [1] reply
  • I found it's easier if you already have something REAL to present to a potential offline business that's in need of something...

    ...like LEADS or a pre-designed website.... FOR EXAMPLE: I made a roofing Website and got google placed:



    It took about 6 weeks but I now lease it for $197/month...



    Unfortunately, I screwed up the google listing but It's still #1 when you type "ri roofing"

    When you can PHYSICALLY show them something, they'll pay attention instead of yawning.
    • [2] replies
    • Banned


      THIS is a great idea!
    • Hey Jim, since you build a website first and place it on Local Business listing, how do you get around the Local Phone number? Don't you have to have a local phone number so Google can call and verify that you are a real local bizz?

      Regards,

      Lucky


  • Because it isn't in my business model.

    Rob
  • Some people prefer to work 100% online, never actually meeting their customers.

    I see the phrase ".....I don't want to deal with people....", unfortunately you need to deal with people in some way for commerce to exist. Some prefer dealing with people purely online, its more anonymous and, in a way, solitary. Thats what some people feel comfortable with. People like that are better off staying away from the "offline SEO/consulting biz"

    I, as well as my partners, come primarily from the "offline sales" arena. So for us, "dealing with people" is what we do best. If this is an attribute you have, then offline Local SEO work or consulting, can be a nice business, its what my partners and I do. We set it up like a real offline business, office, conference room, etc (there are ways to do this without spending too much money, remember the commercial realestate market sucks right now).

    So in answer to your question Joe, our business is offline consulting. But that doesn't mean its good for every IMer.

    Peace
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I have only 1 thing to add to this thread -

    http://clientsfromhell.net/
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • I was crying with laughter while reading this
    • Banned
      lol ... perfect. Exactly why I don't do offline. I had years of this stuff.
      • [1] reply
  • I have been thinking about it but tbh I got into IM cause I wanted to work for myself, answer ONLY to myself and not have to put up with people in general.

    consulting means doing face to face business and I just dont have the paitince
  • I'm Lazy and don't want to go find customers.
  • I did it long time back but i find that it is much more fun in the online business .

    The opportunity and the freedom in the online business much more rather than offline business.
  • I agree with some of this and some I do not.

    First, local internet marketing is a great opportunity for many reasons, everyone already knows why. But I understand calling hundreds of people that are trying to convince them and how that is such a waste of time..But you guys, this is how it works when one way does not...I know that everyone in this forum knows someone who knows someone that owns a small business...be it in another state,city or country. For example..I have a client in florida but I am not located there...And he and I good enough b2b relationship where he gives me full access to his logins and website and he just trusts me. Well, I asked him that if he would start talking to his other business people about referring me...

    But my point is,,start asking your sister's friends, brother's friends, etc, etc...but we have confidence in our services, now lets tell the people we already know and find out what they know and get into their inner worlds and then come along to their gatherings...Or just ask your friend's or family members that if they know any local businesses, to just tell them to keep their ears open..and then if they hear anything to drop your main url or tell those people that"hey, my brother(im) knows all about that internet marketing stuff, here is his number, he is really busy, but he or she is really smart" This way you have free marketers and you can keep doing your thing. I will always tell my peeps or even strangers i tell them while i am out, and of course i just make friends and make small talk and then talk about technology or how eveyone these days has cell phones...just whatever and then i ask them what they do and how long they do it...and then they feel they need to know me and i tell them and if i have a business card which now i always have with me..i tell them if they know someone who really needs marketing for their small biz or whatever..i tell them to refer me and if they pay me..i will give a commission...

    You guys and gals we are ALL very creative folks...but lets use what we have now...learn as products come out and test what works and doesn't.

    For example, i just told my girlfriend's mom who is a nurse and asked if she knows any one at work, if she hears about her co-workers, brother, husband or whatever. if she hears about them and their world and if they have small businesses to keep their ears opened..because by us internet marketers leaving these subconscious messages...and as our industry grows ever more..it well be like seed that can only grow..plus it will boost our own self-confidence.
  • Because SEO in all shapes and forms makes me want to blow my brains out.

    However anyone who knows how to run effective SEO campaigns should definitely be marketing to local businesses. I know of two businesses who have tried to hire me to "do their internet stuff." and have turned both of them down. There is definitely ALOT of money to be made here people.
    • [2] replies
    • It's only a matter of time before all, and I really mean ALL businesses will be looking and implementing IM techniques, simply because of the one rule:

      "You don't have a webpage? You don't exist."

      I agree with "selling" your skills to local businesses, it could be a bit tricky though for me (no-name college student) to persuade some CEO (ruler of all the universe)...
    • Banned
      Like I said in a similar thread, one reason I don't do it is because I don't like ripping people off.
      • [1] reply
  • Not everybody can sell. Not every business listens.

    And let me tell you the biggest problem is keeping them focused. I've got clients paying me large $$$ every month that can't find the time to do what's necessary.

    It's not as easy as it looks.
  • I have no problem with people doing the whole consulting thing, but it's the professionals who are given a bad name from the "fakers" that riles me.

    You have no idea how many regular small businesses are called on a daily basis with internet related services.

    It makes me laugh how so many people assume this is some newfound promised land with no competition. Anyone who claims that has no clue what's going on in the real world, I can assure you.

    I still think it's a lot easier to make money ONLINE that through offline clients. Sure, the pay might be better for offline clients, but you better be good at selling in those shark infested, noisy waters.

    I'm actually running two small offline businesses, but my secret to success so far is offering services that are risk free and completely tailored to my skills - skills that I can prove.

    The problem is, most of these "offline consultants" have nothing to substantiate their claims. No background, no selling points, no proof, no USP.

    If you can get results upfront, they're more likely to listen, but don't assume it's an easy ride getting your foot in the door even when offering upfront results. You're dealing with people who will cut costs at every turn, who are sick of cold callers, who are tired of BULL****.

    So you've got to balance the offer between realistic and too good to be true... and with a smile, a smooth tongue and a certain amount of charm.

    (source - worked in newspaper advertising, sales and marketing for 4 years)
    • [1] reply
    • The problem is also that most of these consultants are glorified web designer / builders. It appears there are many people looking for a low cost opportunity to make extra money... and no shortage of people willing to sell them licenses or franchises to show them how.

      It's a bit like people who are selling opportunities to Filipinos about how to make a fortune as a VA... and telling them what to put on their resumes to get hired... regardless of their real skills.

      Nor is it any different from online marketers who make more money from selling magic bullets than they do from actually using the magic bullet.
    • [1] reply
    • Banned
      Give it a try ... if you want to. It's not my business model and hasn't been for over 10 years. As I said, it was like working for any other pain in the ass boss. It wasn't until I ditched offline marketing that I felt like I was working for myself.
      • [1] reply
  • Thanks for sharing, Joe. Actually that's what my partner and I do everyday. We find local businesses and contact them by phone. And we tell them all the benefits of using our services such as more customers, more sales, etc.

    For each customer, we make about $1,500 plus HST for the 1st month and we charge different amounts for the months afterwards. It's a great business model and if you have what it takes to rank sites in the 1st page, you should definitely go for offline local businesses.

    My 2 cents...
  • Great Idea, a friend of mine has just started his own kitchen supply and fit company, he built his own website which looks great. I've given him lots of FREE advice (I wouldn't charge him anyway) with the knowledge and experience I have with SEO etc and realised I could offer my services to local businesses in my area and get paid:-)

    Perehaps I should give it a go!

    Kind regards,
    Joe Krarup.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • I too would like to know how to get around this. I have done this strategy but have never tried to get in Google local for a leasing/directory type site.
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