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Anyone facing this challenge when selling mobile sites?

by pbarbanes
15 replies
Sometimes selling a mobile site to a client who has an existing regular (non-mobile) site is easy.

But then comes the question of where does the site reside and how are visitors to the company's sites(s) redirected based upon what device they're coming from.

Does anyone just sell a mobile site and hand it off to the client so they host it?

Or do you host the mobile site?

And who installs a redirect?

Love to hear the various processes that people have used. Not the theoretical, but anyone that's actually sold a site. How have you gotten the site installed and redirected to it?

Thanks!
#challenge #facing #mobile #selling #sites
  • Profile picture of the author indiana141
    Just install it for them, takes 5 seconds?
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    • Profile picture of the author serryjw
      I have a btter version of this question...WHAT happens when your client has no idea how to get to the back door of their own website...THEIR designer does all the needed updates...
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      • Profile picture of the author SuzanneRe
        I have been offering to upload to their own hosting, as most do not want any monthly charges.

        However, this in my experience comes with it's own issues, as I have lost sales because who they are hosting with wants to charge them a big fee, to give them access.

        Has anyone else come across this, and how do you get around it?
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        • Profile picture of the author pbarbanes
          Originally Posted by SuzanneRe View Post

          I have been offering to upload to their own hosting, as most do not want any monthly charges.

          However, this in my experience comes with it's own issues, as I have lost sales because who they are hosting with wants to charge them a big fee, to give them access.

          Has anyone else come across this, and how do you get around it?
          Originally Posted by serryjw View Post

          I have a btter version of this question...WHAT happens when your client has no idea how to get to the back door of their own website...THEIR designer does all the needed updates...
          Good questions, both! Hope we get some more input here...
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        • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
          Originally Posted by SuzanneRe View Post

          I have been offering to upload to their own hosting, as most do not want any monthly charges.

          However, this in my experience comes with it's own issues, as I have lost sales because who they are hosting with wants to charge them a big fee, to give them access.

          Has anyone else come across this, and how do you get around it?
          I've never (in my 17 years online every day) come across a host that wants to charge extra for access to the hosting account. I honestly find this almost impossible to believe. Do you mean old grumpy webmasters who are upset at losing the work or actual hosts?
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          • Profile picture of the author SuzanneRe
            Originally Posted by Mr Bill View Post

            I've never (in my 17 years online every day) come across a host that wants to charge extra for access to the hosting account. I honestly find this almost impossible to believe. Do you mean old grumpy webmasters who are upset at losing the work or actual hosts?
            I know I could not believe it, but when the customer asked for his log in details to his hosting, they quoted him a large fee. So he cancelled his order for a mobile website. They do SEO for him, and host his site.

            Having a nightmare selling mobile sites at the moment, I wish I knew your secret Bill!
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            • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
              Originally Posted by SuzanneRe View Post

              I know I could not believe it, but when the customer asked for his log in details to his hosting, they quoted him a large fee. So he cancelled his order for a mobile website. They do SEO for him, and host his site.

              Having a nightmare selling mobile sites at the moment, I wish I knew your secret Bill!
              Ok, well that makes a bit more sense because those crazy "SEO" guys really do get protective about their sites (on site "SEO" and all that) but to charge a client for access to their own website is stupidity. All you want to do is put a redirection script in the header. If they really understood what they were doing they'd know there's no harm in that.

              Forget them (the client you lost) and take is the only time you'll ever come across it.

              How do I sell mobiles? I ring people and speak to them. Every order has started friendly and been friendly all the way through. I never argue or try to "win" the sale. I know some around here think I'm dumb for not fighting for the sale but that just makes me chuckle.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    Patrick, I've been nothing but what you exactly describe for the last 2 or so years and done pretty nicely out of it to.

    I only build stand alone mobile sites (I abhor "responsive" design), I install it for them and also place a redirect script so that mobile visitors get automatically redirected. Every client super mega happy. In my opinion that's the only way to deliver a pure and well designed attractive and effective mobile website.
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    • Profile picture of the author serryjw
      Bill...please respond to my #3 post...thanks
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
        Originally Posted by serryjw View Post

        Bill...please respond to my #3 post...thanks
        Most clients have no idea how to update or modify their website. I (charge enough to) tell them to just call me if they need an update and I'll do it. If they want a new page I charge an amount per page but little updates are free as part of my goodwill efforts. I tell them if they can refer me to 5 or more paying clients I'll give them free updates for a thousand years. Always gets a laugh and on the odd occasion even a referral or two.

        I'm not sure if I picked up the tone of your comment (post 3) correctly but it's like buying a car I guess. What happens when it needs service or repair? Sometimes it's free from the buyer (as in a new car) and sometimes they just have to go to a mechanic.

        HTH
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        • Profile picture of the author serryjw
          Bill my point on the original #3 post was the designer of the PC website know how to get to the back door. As you mentioned most clients have no idea of how to do this. Soooo it the original designer has the PW, how do you do a redirect with out him?
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    There's no way to do a redirect without getting access to the site either by FTP or via wordpress dashboard. You have to put some code on the pages somehow.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tim Franklin
    Very good thread, it can be really difficult to gain the trust of a business that has been bombarded with offers of cheap service or worse they hired some kid in college (where they are not teaching modern techniques) the Kid, promises them everything and manages to mangle just about everything in between. The other situation I run into all the time is these one size fits all hosting and website providers. Car dealers use these things all the time not realizing that they are overpaying and losing their branding and identity opportunities at the same time.

    I talked to a prospect recently who was paying $58.00 per month for hosting and a website, (it was flash from like 2005) which does not show up on the search engines, no indexing, even when you searched on google for this car dealers website (nothing showed up) really terrible setup.

    So, want to guess what the guy said, "Man that website stuff never brings in any customers, I get more business by word of mouth"

    I can guarantee you one thing, it might not be today or next month but sometime in the next year or two, that guys car lot will be overgrown with grass and a for lease sign sitting out in front of the office.

    You can lead a horse to water, )
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    • Profile picture of the author Anderson2014
      I guess I've always gone for the low hanging fruit as it were.

      I find poorly designed sites or out of date sites and contact the owner. Whether that be an interior designer, realtor, plumber etc. These people are also usually owner operators of their business, as I find it easier to reach them personally.

      I then make an offer of a "redesign" or "rebuild" of their desktop site at a discount if they are interested in a package deal of a mobile and desktop site.

      I will then throw in a discount hosting offer for a month or two so that I can host them as well to build that residual income. I explain to them that access is easier for me to make changes for them if I host their site. These changes are then "free" but limited to so many a month.

      After a while you can sell them on other services such as SEO, mobile marketing, coupons, apps or whatever you have the ability to do well for them.

      To me the hosting offer is the key, even if you are using a reseller account. People like to keep things clean and simple. If you can be their one stop for all of their website needs they will leave the box company that gave them an out of date cookie cutter site for a more personable contact that is going to update their image.

      If they like to edit their own sites I will set them up with a WP site so they can manage their own content and not hurt the design too easily (unless they get real curious).

      As most do not even know what cPanel is I never offer access to it or discuss it.

      Half of the people I contact directly will take me up on it and half won't. Either way no skin off my back and I go to the next one when I'm ready.

      I hope this was helpful to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author imwarriorc4
    What kind/ type of business license do most mobile website sellers get? You are in business right?
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