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This WILL Help You Get More Clients...

by kemdev
24 replies
I'm talking about web design, folks. I know many of you out there don't necessarily have a portfolio built up and don't really have much to show a business owner. If you can't show your prospect a single website you've designed before... it's going to be a tough sell.

But don't worry - there is a way around this. And no, you don't have to spend hours (or dollars) building a mockup for your prospects before they've ever committed to an agreement. I've gotten burned doing that so many times it's not even funny. In fact, you can even SHOW your prospect THEIR website (in working order) without any labor or monetary involvement whatsoever. I'll show you how...

Ever heard of ThemeForest.net? If you're comfortable with Wordpress, this should be your new haven. They have thousands of top-notch quality Wordpress themes at around the $30-$45 price range. What's more, each of their themes come with full backend functionality, so you can easily edit just about any aspect of the site.

If I'm talking to a business owner and he/she is a little 'iffy' about taking the leap, what I do is offer to do a mockup of their new website, free of charge. Most prospects don't turn this down.

After they agree, I head over to ThemeForest, pick out a great theme for their business, and pre-load it on my laptop. The next day, I walk in, show off the design, explain what Wordpress is, how it can help them, and the various functionalities of the site. I take all of the risk off the table by showing them EXACTLY how their final product will look - and more times than not, this leads to a close.

Of course, you want to be up front and honest with all of your prospects. I explain to them that I don't code the website as they see it - I buy the 'framework' and subsequently design the layout, place their pictures, put up content, etc... This allows them to receive a cutting-edge, top of the line website for a fraction of what most high-end designers charge. They're happy, I'm happy, everyone wins.

Anyway, just a little tip I thought I'd share. Doing this has helped me close some sales and it's really the most simple thing in the world. Just get out there and try it.
#clients
  • Profile picture of the author midasman09
    Banned
    I'm always amazed at WHY...."web designers" spend so much TIME building 4, 5 or more Pages on a website. Some even do 20 or more pages!

    WHY! Why does a business or profession need 20 pages? 2 reasons;

    1) The EGO of the business
    2) So the web designer doesn't feel bad about charging a huge number for his "work".

    When, actually....the WHOLE REASON TO HAVE A WEBSITE....IS TO GET POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS/PATIENTS....TO CALL!

    So....I've found that I can get GOOD DOLLARS from ONE PAGE...websites!

    I learned this from Jack Mize a few yrs ago. Take a look at this One-Pager; http://houstondiscountroofing.com/

    It all depends on HOW you want to handle YOUR business!

    Do YOU want to build HUGE sites with many pages....spending MUCH TIME for BIG Bux...or....spend little Time for less money and MANY clients?

    I'd rather go for MANY clients...spending little Time on each site.

    Don Alm
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    • Profile picture of the author massiveray
      Originally Posted by midasman09 View Post

      I'm always amazed at WHY...."web designers" spend so much TIME building 4, 5 or more Pages on a website. Some even do 20 or more pages!

      WHY! Why does a business or profession need 20 pages? 2 reasons;

      1) The EGO of the business
      2) So the web designer doesn't feel bad about charging a huge number for his "work".

      When, actually....the WHOLE REASON TO HAVE A WEBSITE....IS TO GET POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS/PATIENTS....TO CALL!

      So....I've found that I can get GOOD DOLLARS from ONE PAGE...websites!

      I learned this from Jack Mize a few yrs ago. Take a look at this One-Pager; http://houstondiscountroofing.com/

      It all depends on HOW you want to handle YOUR business!

      Do YOU want to build HUGE sites with many pages....spending MUCH TIME for BIG Bux...or....spend little Time for less money and MANY clients?

      I'd rather go for MANY clients...spending little Time on each site.

      Don Alm
      Some of my clients have 20 page sites for one simple reason, they have 20 products, If it is something more complicated than "we build a new roof so call us" then each service requires a page to itself, if you're also selling seo then an individual page for each targeted keyword is pretty standard.

      Are you going to turn down a client who needs 10 pages so you can target some small fish? Don't think so dude, when I call a new client I have no idea how big their site is going to be, each client gets a site specific to their needs, whether they need 1 or 100 pages. I then charge accordingly.

      It also goes without saying that it takes a few minutes at most to add a page to a site that ou have already developed.

      That site you linked to actually has at least 6 pages, look at the footer.
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      • Profile picture of the author BerkleyStreet
        How much do you charge for your websites when you use a "template"?
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        • Profile picture of the author kemdev
          Originally Posted by BerkleyStreet View Post

          How much do you charge for your websites when you use a "template"?
          $500 is the starting price... however, I do have clients that have paid me $250/$400.
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    • Profile picture of the author TimD
      Originally Posted by midasman09 View Post


      So....I've found that I can get GOOD DOLLARS from ONE PAGE...websites!

      I learned this from Jack Mize a few yrs ago. Take a look at this One-Pager; http://houstondiscountroofing.com/
      Don, what is it that impresses you with this website? What does it rank for? How many phone calls does it generate?
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      • Profile picture of the author nolanjayce5
        Originally Posted by TimD View Post

        Don, what is it that impresses you with this website? What does it rank for? How many phone calls does it generate?
        Its really tough to get a call through SEO website promotion...
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  • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
    The roofing site is a lead gen site... Lots of people have been popping them up now. Along with courses..... There is probably more than 6 pages. Look in Google, most have a few hundred pages.
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  • Profile picture of the author limaxa
    Nice,Thank you for such great post
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  • Profile picture of the author WebDiva7
    Originally Posted by Jesse Kemmerer View Post

    I'm talking about web design, folks. I know many of you out there don't necessarily have a portfolio built up and don't really have much to show a business owner. If you can't show your prospect a single website you've designed before... it's going to be a tough sell.

    But don't worry - there is a way around this. And no, you don't have to spend hours (or dollars) building a mockup for your prospects before they've ever committed to an agreement. I've gotten burned doing that so many times it's not even funny. In fact, you can even SHOW your prospect THEIR website (in working order) without any labor or monetary involvement whatsoever. I'll show you how...

    Ever heard of ThemeForest.net? If you're comfortable with Wordpress, this should be your new haven. They have thousands of top-notch quality Wordpress themes at around the $30-$45 price range. What's more, each of their themes come with full backend functionality, so you can easily edit just about any aspect of the site.

    If I'm talking to a business owner and he/she is a little 'iffy' about taking the leap, what I do is offer to do a mockup of their new website, free of charge. Most prospects don't turn this down.

    After they agree, I head over to ThemeForest, pick out a great theme for their business, and pre-load it on my laptop. The next day, I walk in, show off the design, explain what Wordpress is, how it can help them, and the various functionalities of the site. I take all of the risk off the table by showing them EXACTLY how their final product will look - and more times than not, this leads to a close.

    Of course, you want to be up front and honest with all of your prospects. I explain to them that I don't code the website as they see it - I buy the 'framework' and subsequently design the layout, place their pictures, put up content, etc... This allows them to receive a cutting-edge, top of the line website for a fraction of what most high-end designers charge. They're happy, I'm happy, everyone wins.

    Anyway, just a little tip I thought I'd share. Doing this has helped me close some sales and it's really the most simple thing in the world. Just get out there and try it.
    Thanks for this tip, but I have a question?
    Themeforest.net rerquires payment to use their templates. How doe sthe method you just described allow you to create a demo without monetary investment?
    Do you just show them the live preview from themeforest? If so, how do you convince them to buy from you since you just disclosed your source?

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author IMdeaming
    ^^^ Had the same question. And thanks for the share
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  • Profile picture of the author WebdevelopmentGroup
    :/ To be honest this is why people never get the quality they really need. Because there's so many people out there using templates .

    What happened to "custom work"? or Quality Organic work?...

    This is so sad for us true Designer & Programmers. Trying to make a quick buck okay I get it. But when someone ask what CMS or PHP is you don't have a clue lol.

    My best advise would be to study the craft before you go out trying to make a quick buck. Really Study take some courses & then you'll see the full benefit
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    • Profile picture of the author digichik
      Originally Posted by WebdevelopmentGroup View Post

      :/ To be honest this is why people never get the quality they really need. Because there's so many people out there using templates .

      What happened to "custom work"? or Quality Organic work?...

      This is so sad for us true Designer & Programmers. Trying to make a quick buck okay I get it. But when someone ask what CMS or PHP is you don't have a clue lol.

      My best advise would be to study the craft before you go out trying to make a quick buck. Really Study take some courses & then you'll see the full benefit
      In most cases, giving them a lovely wordpress theme is 10,000 times better than the do-it-yourself template the were probably using. Many of us do see the benefit of having a custom website, in those cases we outsource it. Sometimes we need to use themes for the very purpose the OP described, to show to business owners for the wow factor.

      Also, in this economy many people need to make quick bucks. If selling a beautiful wordpress or joomla theme website to a client is a way to get paid, then why not. They're happy, we're happy. I call that win-win.
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      • Profile picture of the author WebdevelopmentGroup
        Thanks for the reply

        Win Win I Guess... But I still don't agree. And I still feel they should know (The craft before they sell it).

        I choose Organic over previously used templates any day.

        hey that's just my point & thats your point...Life continues & lessons are taught

        Originally Posted by digichik View Post

        In most cases, giving them a lovely wordpress theme is 10,000 times better than the do-it-yourself template the were probably using. Many of us do see the benefit of having a custom website, in those cases we outsource it. Sometimes we need to use themes for the very purpose the OP described, to show to business owners for the wow factor.

        Also, in this economy many people need to make quick bucks. If selling a beautiful wordpress or joomla theme website to a client is a way to get paid, then why not. They're happy, we're happy. I call that win-win.
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        • Profile picture of the author digichik
          Originally Posted by WebdevelopmentGroup View Post

          Thanks for the reply

          Win Win I Guess... But I still don't agree. And I still feel they should know (The craft before they sell it).

          I choose Organic over previously used templates any day.

          hey that's just my point & thats your point...Life continues & lessons are taught
          Things are bought and sold everyday, and the seller has no idea how they are made. People sell software and don't know how to code or program, people sell artwork and have no idea how to paint or sculpt. It is good to have some cursory knowledge about the product or service, but you don't have to be a computer engineer to sell a computer.
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          • Profile picture of the author hourstoincome
            Although I know how to create a website from scratch, I totally agree with this. Why spend all that time building a custom site when you can spend half the time using a theme? Deos'nt make good business sense to me but like said above, everyone is different.

            Originally Posted by digichik View Post

            Things are bought and sold everyday, and the seller has no idea how they are made. People sell software and don't know how to code or program, people sell artwork and have no idea how to paint or sculpt. It is good to have some cursory knowledge about the product or service, but you don't have to be a computer engineer to sell a computer.
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            • Profile picture of the author HAdrian1239
              Also... I mean, not to mention the fact that MOST designers don't know a dang thing about SEO, conversion rates, consumer use patterns and etc... i.e. all the things that matter in terms of whether or not a site will be truly successful.

              I'm not directing that at anyone in particular... but it's true... they are proud of their design skills (as they should be) but don't always know how to integrate those kickass design skills into a truly useful, great looking solution...

              Because, there is a balance.

              I just had a conversation with a designer the other day and bless her heart she tried to tell me that people/businesses want "sports cars because that's what other people have, and that's what's nice to have" in relation to their websites...

              And, while I get her point, that websites should not be ugly and plain... I stand by my feeling that a business owner could easily see the value in NOT the Porsche but in the Mini or in the Jetta... IF it were slick and clown car loaded with potential prospects.

              Who cares about beautiful sites if they're useless, hard to update, prone to being broken, or confusing to the potential customer? 99% of the business owners I talk to... don't.
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              • Profile picture of the author WebdevelopmentGroup
                I hear you 100%..

                It's all about working with the rite company... But I'm going to dive in and just say we are experts in both areas Marketing & Web Development we cover both grounds very well.

                It's all about really knowing who you work with & quality overall.

                WILL.

                GO CUSTOM ( Save the Pre-made stuff & dump it because it's a chance it's been used over 1,000 times ) even if you revise it.

                (the concept is still the same) & inform your client of that because you'll have a law suite coming in for sure if you don't..

                Be careful out there guys..

                Originally Posted by HAdrian1239 View Post

                Also... I mean, not to mention the fact that MOST designers don't know a dang thing about SEO, conversion rates, consumer use patterns and etc... i.e. all the things that matter in terms of whether or not a site will be truly successful.

                I'm not directing that at anyone in particular... but it's true... they are proud of their design skills (as they should be) but don't always know how to integrate those kickass design skills into a truly useful, great looking solution...

                Because, there is a balance.

                I just had a conversation with a designer the other day and bless her heart she tried to tell me that people/businesses want "sports cars because that's what other people have, and that's what's nice to have" in relation to their websites...

                And, while I get her point, that websites should not be ugly and plain... I stand by my feeling that a business owner could easily see the value in NOT the Porsche but in the Mini or in the Jetta... IF it were slick and clown car loaded with potential prospects.

                Who cares about beautiful sites if they're useless, hard to update, prone to being broken, or confusing to the potential customer? 99% of the business owners I talk to... don't.
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                • Profile picture of the author hourstoincome
                  A lawsuit? I doubt it. I mean yeah there may be thousands of similar sites but in the same city? naaa

                  Originally Posted by WebdevelopmentGroup View Post

                  I hear you 100%..

                  It's all about working with the rite company... But I'm going to dive in and just say we are experts in both areas Marketing & Web Development we cover both grounds very well.

                  It's all about really knowing who you work with & quality overall.

                  WILL.

                  GO CUSTOM ( Save the Pre-made stuff & dump it because it's a chance it's been used over 1,000 times ) even if you revise it.

                  (the concept is still the same) & inform your client of that because you'll have a law suite coming in for sure if you don't..

                  Be careful out there guys..
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Maxwell
      Originally Posted by WebdevelopmentGroup View Post

      :/ To be honest this is why people never get the quality they really need. Because there's so many people out there using templates .

      What happened to "custom work"? or Quality Organic work?...

      This is so sad for us true Designer & Programmers. Trying to make a quick buck okay I get it. But when someone ask what CMS or PHP is you don't have a clue lol.

      My best advise would be to study the craft before you go out trying to make a quick buck. Really Study take some courses & then you'll see the full benefit
      You have a well made point about being professional and knowledgeable. I learned HTML, PHP, etc., a year ago when I bit off more than I could chew with a project.

      Your site is awesome, but to me, and perhaps I have a false impression, it's also "if you have to ask, you can't afford it." When I started out, I would have loved to be able to afford a custom design from square one, and my clients would too. Some actually could, of course, and I've recommended they use a design firm if I thought that I could not meet their needs otherwise. Using templates is way of nicely serving - and profiting - in the evergreen niche of small websites.

      As for clients getting the quality they need, another good point. I agree with that every time I hear someone bragging that they bought 500 words of copy for $5. Then I see what they ended up with and realize how true it can be that you get what you pay for. I charge $40 minimum.

      The OP mentions that he tells the clients up-front that it isn't a complete customization, so at least he's not a poser. Hopefully, noobs will follow his lead and be honest, and perhaps refer a client to a design firm like yours if they think it's better for the client.
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  • Profile picture of the author bobmcalister
    interesting thread . I am an older guy and when I go searching for info ...say 'caribbean cruise + group pricing" I want a simple one page site that explains the cruise, how much and when....dont really care about a lot of details...so I go with simple, and maybe add pages for seo that are used as backlinks and landing pages for other relevant questions.

    can please everyone, huh?
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  • Profile picture of the author Carl Fridsjö
    I often do this exact thing - needless to say it works like a charm. Good share.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    Try ranking a 1 page web site in a medium to high competition market. What we may have been told or taught a few years ago doesn't apply today, especially with "thin" sites.
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  • Profile picture of the author henry Argueta
    nice, i just need to learn me a little WP because i have no idea as to how to use.
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