GeoMasters

Hey guys, just wanted to get a couple of ideas on how you guys are selling mobile sites to clients. I send out e-mail campaigns with a short message with a link to a short sales video with screenshots of optimized and non-optimized mobile sites (of course always spam compliant). I get a decent open rate and do close some sales but I feel like there must be a better way. I also do the occasional sale to existing clients but I only have so many clients. My VA started cold calling last week but it's too early to see if it's going to work out.

So, how are you guys doing it? Anyone doing it by cold walk-ins?

MoBuzz

Hey Geo I have tried about every method know to man when it comes to selling mobile sites lol. Nothing seems to work better then walking in and braking down the numbers and showing them what they are loosing. If you can combine that with a mobile ppc campaign (starting with free Google advertising) it seems to work well.

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GeoMasters

I have thought of cold walk-ins but I don't have time to test it out except for the weekend. Can you give me a hint as to how many you are able to sell that way and at what price point? I might consider hiring a salesperson on commission after I test it out myself.

zoro

I've hired two commission salesman and in two weeks they both got Nill Sales. I've armed them with all the latest mobile stats but they still can't get any takers.

fated82

Got someone to cold calls in the last 2 weeks. Around 60+ calls were made and 2 appointments made. Went to one and going to another tomorrow.

The key is to build a mock up for them and show them on the spot. Seeing is believing. I only spent 15 mins in the first meeting showing them the mockup I did for them and now they just need the approval from it's director to seal the deal.

shoopt

Hey GeoMaster
I use to gather business contact information from platforms like salesforce, linkedin and others. Contact them via mails asking them to revert if interested. When someone replies follows them through calls and presents the proposal in some further meeting.
The hit rate is low but you have to work if you want to crack projects.

I am Daniel Jones, working in a Mobile Application Development Company as a Mobile App Developer. I enjoys exploring apps on iOS, blackberry, android and other mobile platforms.

sbrettoncm

Selling your mobile site may be tougher than you may anticipate. I can think of a few good ideas. However, again it may not work out for you all the time. If you have your main website, you may publicize your mobile site on the main site.

Do you have a fan page of your website on various social networking sites? You may let people know about your mobile site on these fan pages. This will be a good way to make people aware about your mobile site. However, if you have a fan page on various social networking sites, then you need to be active on such pages to increase the interaction with your readers.

You may also write blogs, where you can mention your mobile site to your readers.

These are some of the ideas which came across my mind. Hope my suggestions will help you in the long run.

Mr Bill

Selling bucket loads by cold calling. I live miles from anywhere so walk ins are not an option. Plus, I sell nationally and internationally so again walk ins are not an option. If you ring the right people they will buy but you have to have confidence and don't make them too cheap. If you make them too cheap they will smell a rat...a rat called "desperation". You have to have confidence in your product, and posture (I get this from selling a premium product and knowing that I'm actually helping them). I've also hired sellers and mine are selling a few per week on average.

kellyyarnsbro

Been searching for this thread, hope i could learn some about mobile selling websites.

JacobS

For those of you who are doing email marketing, it's probably worth noting that responses often don't come in until a few weeks later -- sometimes a few months later. I worked a day job in email marketing, and I believe the longest lag I ever saw was 9 months between the time I sent out the sales email and the time that they responded. Also, any approach that you use is basically a numbers game.

I guess my point is this: don't contact 50 businesses and then get discouraged and quit when none of them respond by the end of the week.

Jarrod

Here is the method I am currently using.

Step 1: Take a look at all Groupon deals in my area and make a list in Excel for all of them including the following columns: Website, e-mail (I get from network solutions Whois if cannot find on website), point of contact name, phone #, and whether their site is mobile or not. (I e-mail the list of all websites to myself, then open the e-mail on my phone and click through each to see.)

Step 2: Send an e-mail to all the ones that are not mobile, giving them some quick statistics (20% of all web traffic currently mobile, 50% by end of 2013, and most mobile users won’t spend much time on a site that is not optimized for mobile) and giving them a link to other sites for companies that are advertising on Groupon that are mobile, to show and validate the point. I ask them to bring up their own website on their phone, then the other and see the difference. I am getting a pretty decent response rate to these e-mails.

Step 3: Follow up e-mails with phone calls. The first call I do I try to get their voicemail. I do so by using slydial (slydial.com, free service where you can call directly into voicemail, does not work for landline though) and by calling after hours.

Step 4: Once they have shown even the slightest interest I say “ok, well let’s do this. I’ll go ahead and build a demo site for you and give you a link for you to check it out on your phone and see exactly what your site will look like when we’re done.” I have not had anyone say no to this.

Step 5: Build the site using EZ Mobile Site Generator. Show to client and ask “are there any changes you want to make before we finalize everything?”

Step 6: Finalize everything.

Step 7: Ask for referrals.

Step 8: Rinse & repeat.

dantehicks

@JediJarrod:

You might also try connecting with a Groupon sales rep. They're already on the frontline calling on local businesses daily. While it's a bit of a passive approach, and should be viewed as nothing more than supplemental to your core business, it could develop into something steady and worthwhile.

I do something similar in my market, and it's win/win - more often than not, their prospect doesn't have a legit *web* presence, let alone mobile. And in many cases that will hinder their daily deal results when potential customers vet them out online. So, I'm a hero because I can turn around quality work quickly, and my friend is a hero because they get their new customer's deal live much faster.

Hope that helps. PM me if you have any questions.

Jarrod

dantehicks, great tip, thanks!

bhmseoservices

I've been doing a lot of cold-calling for real estate companies. Or niche based related categories.
I've developed a template that's easily duplicated and satisfied the needs of my niche.

webdesign company| seo services | Search engine optimization company

ColdCallCommando

Here is how I gen new mobile website customers every day.

Step 1: I use a power dialer called Phone Burner which allows me to dial 300-400 calls effortlessly per day. The dialer is $150 but worth every penny you will make your money back in the first deal.

Step 2: I use a tool called Localizer to pull leads for verticals I'm trying to hit that day. I'm able to input these leads into Phone Burner.

Step 3: Opener - "Hey, I was hoping you can help me out. Who would be the right person to speak with about marketing?"

Step 4: Power Statement - "The reason why i'm reaching out to you today is because my business <Your business name> has had a lot of success working with <vertical your calling> grabbing new <patients, clients, customers, phone-in orders whatever> and retaining the current <whatever> you already have. I would love to swing by sometime this week and drop of some valuable case studies, and examples of some of the successes we've had in your industry. When would be a good time to stop by."

Step 5: Schedule Appointment

Step 6: Close Deal <I can get more into this step later>

Let me know if this works for you. Keep me in contact because I would love to hear about your progress.

-The Cold Call Commando

nbaron

Hi Bill,

I have started the hiring process following the launch of our site (BayAppStudios, Inc. - Mobile Business Application Development Professionals) but am finding it difficult to get sales people interested. I had 3 people come forward as interested following ads posted of Craigslist, but they don't fall through and end up not being interested.

What could I change to my approach? Would you like to share how and where you recruited your sales team? Where else could I advertise?

Cheers mate, appreciate it.

From an Aussie in California

Nick

Mr Bill

Nick, finding sellers is not easy, I also churn through them but I always get queries whenever I post an ad. I suppose you just have to keep trying until you find the right ones. You also have to pay them a fair bit. I offer 20% for the first 5 sales then 30% after that. My sites are fairly pricey so all they have to do is sell one per day and everyone makes a great wage.

Not sure what to suggest though. Training and telling them to just get the lead and you'll close might help. I tell them to never try to close and just get the interest. I use just a local free classified site so I'm guessing craig's list should be ok.

ginnysclub1

When you say walking in, do you spread a particular area or do you target particular types of business?

Which businesses do you find easy to close than others?

ginnysclub1

What would you call too cheap?

abilify182

Hey guys, what advice can you give me if I don't live in the US and I want to create mobile sites for US clients? I can't call because I live abroad, and email seems to be the only way. I have not started creating mobile sites, though.

internetmonkey

Why do you have to sell in the US? You could try selling locally, or even only to other expat owned businesses.

Email only is tough, not saying it cannot be done but tough.

Adrian John

If you have an Android Smartphone you could connect an google voice number with your phone through GrooveIp(an app for Android) an you will have an USA phone number, always connected(as long as you have a data plan or WiFi and you get free calls to USA/CA . That's how i deal everyday with USA partners and clients.I don;t know what's the equivalent for apple.
Or you could use Skype to make the calls.

Hope it helps.
Adrian

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

4webmaster

I check press release distribution for new businesses that have been launched and that don't have a website, I email them with a great offer and a decent price for a mobile website and a desktop site that is a landing page with the mobile site displayed in a simulator, I also add a QR code on it.
Because price is cheaper that a full website and they get 2 sites for the 1 low price, they seems to jump in the wagon.

Most of these businesses already have FB page and are starting to promote their business to get fans so I email them and say: hey, I can help you multiply your traffic and clients by engaging them with special offers, coupons, social share with a mobile website, QR code and a free 1 hour marketing consultation.

https://stevesuard.com

+newportone

WillR has superb WSOs on selling mobile sites in my view.
His products are incredibly well laid out and comprehensive

Terry Jett

Tried the mobile mockup route and sending postcards with picture of mockup on front with QR code on back leading to the mockup with "some" success. Heck of a lot cheaper than driving to each business but no where as effective as cold calling.

Looking the person in eye and showing them what you can do for them is much more effective. I target smaller businesses. Much easier to get in the door. No gate keeper

Having a double sided single page with examples to leave with them has worked very well for me. Not high cost glossy either, just clear and easy to read color page.

Also targeting smaller businesses results in more sales from my past experience. They do not have the budget like larger businesses but seems they are more likely to buy.

Bottom line: Shoes on the pavement results in more sales than email and phone calls.

QikSoft Free Software | Best Autoresponder

Gladiator

I have tried Walking in on the business owner and it takes along time before you can speak with them and when you do it gets interrupted because they have a phone call or staff, or customers!

Emailing- Most get deleted and they won't reply! Why because they get too many emails, don't check their emails often and they don't really understand what the heck this is going to do for them and their profits!

Cold calling- If done correctly is by far better even if you are calling local! You can go see your client or if not close by just do it by phone and email. But it will not be a one call close! First you make the call and introduce yourself and establish that you have had some contact with them in the past,on some other service that would have done great things for them! This way they feel familiar more comfortable with you and may be more open this time!

Give them a nice professional pitch with no technical things just what it is, where it goes and what it will do for them and their bottom line! You can go for the close after the pitch and if they they say yes then close it, But if they start kicking then educate them and sent some samples and other supporting things, this is where it would be nice to have a brochure type material!

Which brings up the other way which would be a little more money is to call the biz and pitch and qualify the client and if they are half closed say Ok , John I will be mailing you this package - look at it and i will call you so that I can explain it all to you! Once it's all clear then we can started right? The answer must be a solid, Yes! If not don't snail mail but you could email because their is no cost!

This could also just be emailed if you prefer and not regular mail.

If done correctly you could land better clients and then you can sell more products and services.

Anyway, do what ever is right for you but In my opinion cold calling can save you allot of time at least call to get a feel and set up the client first!

Andre

Are You A Sick Marketer?

Mr Bill

That's a GREAT post Andre. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

BarbStep

Hi 4webmaster ... what kind of response do you get back from these prospects? I am planning on emailing before calling also. I set up a website page specifically for the niche I’m targeting and will be putting a link in the email. On the website page they can request a free SMS trial and/or a free mobile website mock-up. So I’m very interested in hearing how your approach is working out.

Thanks,
Barb

Vladcanada

What platform do you use for 2 in 1 solution? I am looking for one!

And can you tell more about how you looking for press release of new businesses?

Thanks for the post!

leemajors

Education is the key... Most small businesses don't understand the major benefits of how to direct traffic to their place of business, let alone, the marketing after your site is mobile ready. It's like the lotto.. You can't win if you don't play. It's the same principle of driving mobile traffic to your business.. You can't Play if you Don't have a MOBILE website. That simple. Good luck

QUOTE=GeoMasters;7387072]Hey guys, just wanted to get a couple of ideas on how you guys are selling mobile sites to clients. I send out e-mail campaigns with a short message with a link to a short sales video with screenshots of optimized and non-optimized mobile sites (of course always spam compliant). I get a decent open rate and do close some sales but I feel like there must be a better way. I also do the occasional sale to existing clients but I only have so many clients. My VA started cold calling last week but it's too early to see if it's going to work out.

So, how are you guys doing it? Anyone doing it by cold walk-ins?[/QUOTE]

About Me - VIPmarketers.com - Secrets of the Inner Circle

ChrisAke

I agree with this. Sales is about building up a relationship and simply walking in and talking with the business owner.

I would also recommend, once you land your first client that you really show them some increased traffic. Track the mobile clicks. After you use this client as a case study, you can show other prospects just how you helped this business owner out. This is really the only way to sell because if you're not showing value, why would they want to invest into your product of service?

Show value by proving it with existing clients.

"1/3 of smartphone users would give up Chocolate, High Heels & Cable TV to continue to use their smartphones" - Learn more about mobile marketing at our blog. grandapps.blogspot.com

rosie101

Yes Wills program looks great on Mozilla and Safari but looks terrible on Explore which is what most potential clients are using. It doesn't give a professional looking email in Explorer and consequently it is hard to gain trust when you contact email looks bad.

vladkost

I sell SEO/SEM mainly. I use mobile in my pitch, build the value, and give it for $1 if the prospect closes on the first phone call.

WillR

1. Most of your potential clients are NOT using Internet Explorer. IE is a very buggy browser and so fewer and fewer people are using it. Hardly anyone would be using it on a mobile device. In fact if you look at the current stats for 2013 you will see IE now accounts for only 12.7% of all web users... and you can see that it continues to go down year after year.

Browser Statistics

2. If something is looking buggy in IE then something is not right. All of my stuff should and does look fine across all browsers so if there is any issue then contact support -- but don't just spread mis-information without doing so.

.

➨ Here's How to Make Your First $177 Online
This Week Using the Piggyback Method...

.

aduttonater

I'm going to start selling mobile websites and mobile services. I'll probably just walk into the places myself and speak with the owner. This way I don't have to pay anybody else, waste anybody else's time, and can save my potential sale from being lost by someone else.

It's just hard to find time to escape the yard business to proceed with the marketing business.

http://newinnovativeenterprises.weebly.com

4webmaster

The 2 for 1 solution is a Mobile website in a simulator for desktop browsing with redirect code of course and a 5 page mobile site for 1 Price.

They don't need a full website (saving them money to build a full website)

I'm offering QR code and optional dot mobi.

This solution is for new business owners that don't have a website. I also suggest a full website so I could make more money but they mostly don't wanted or need it and honestly I'm happy with it for 1 simple reasons:

This is the best for bucks : mobile site= less time consuming to create than full site, it's new and trendy, business owners love it and I can make decent money from it again and again in a short time.

I used to do full website and it takes about 1 to 2 weeks to deliver with more earnings but compare to mobile sites, it takes 48 hours to deliver (I usually deliver within 5 days even if I could do it in 48 hours to show clients that what they paid worth the work done) so I have time to look for more clients and build more mobile sites.

For press release sites, you can find it all over the internet but try to focus on local only, or check your local business magazines or newspapers, you will see legal announcement for new companies.

https://stevesuard.com

MrIMVO

Hey there folks,
I'm doing research on lead gen and landed here. There are some really great ideas and I'm hoping to test them out and get some sales going. I've spent too much time on site creation and not enough time on lead gen.

While I was here I wanted to post about a firefox extension that works really well for determining if your prospect has a mobile site already (or not). It's called Go Moble 1.0.1 (yes that's Mobile without the 'i' ). Once you install it in your firefox browser then simply click on the little phone icon and you're browsing like a smart phone. (no affiliate, not even sure you can affiliate with an add-on lol )

I was googling niche+location (ie. Health Spa Vegas) and then just clicking all the local businesses (while in mobile browser mode) and then quickly checking to see which ones have mobile. I'm sure the non-mobile sites would be better prospects than just calling businesses who may already have sites.

I'm still a noobie at this and haven't worked out all the kinks but I wanted to share the firefox add-on in the hopes it might help someone else.

Cheers,
m

The 'Voice' of Internet Marketing - quality voice over with a quick turnaround at a 'wso' price. :)

Amanda786

Hi

I think its a good start and e-mail campaigns mostly works. However it will require a little more time to get quick response. People know that the future is all about mobile devices like smart phones, tablets and they want something afforadable and of good quality.

mrjosco

I love this method, the question I have is: How are you sending the emails? Is each one written specifically to the business owner?

Have you had any spam complaints? Do you have an 'unsubscribe' option to be CAN SPAM compliant? Has your email host or ISP had any issues?

I am looking at trying some email marketing. I know the response will be low compared to calling/walking in - but I want to advertise via every possible method. I am going to be CAN SPAM compliant, but I can't find a way to do this without risking my home internet connection and risking my hosting shutting me down because of spam complaints.

Aweinerws

Before you think of selling mobile websites start thinking of developing them well. Use whatever CMS and apps you find the most suitable ones for your projects and then develop the finest mobile websites. Ah! Don't forget to make your websites responsive. It is the latest buzz in the field of mobile website design.

Anthony Weiner

Rich Mobile & Web Engineering Services