Offline Contracts, Duplicate Content, and Domains?

9 replies
I'm a bit new to the offline business.

At first, I decided that it was best to contact local dentists, but then realized after calling many that most of the doctors do not have e-mails or will not give them out. The way around this would be to e-mail the dentistry's actual office, but that would be a waste of time because the secretary would have to pass it to the doctor, so that he can buy a website designing package.

Anyways, after much thought, I found the target market to be attorneys / lawyers who already have websites, but would perhaps like to improve their sites with the designing packages.

Now, I have 3 questions for those who have been doing offline business and making good money:

1) Do you use offline contracts? If so, where do you find them? Is this necessary?

2) If the client (attorney / lawyer) already has a website, and they decide to pay me to build them a new one, how would I do this? I would have to either buy a new domain for them and setup their websites by copy / pasting their contents, which could lead to duplicate content penalty. What are your thoughts?

3) If I make them a new website, what would they do with their previous domains and websites? Would they have to iframe the new website with their previous domains? Generally people do not provide user / pass to their sites to others even if they are paying them money just in case that something goes wrong. I also personally prefer to create the websites from scratch, so that I could use Wordpress, which is much easier.

What are your thoughts, tips, and recommendations?

I've read quite a few threads in the offline section, and narrowed it down to those 3 concerns.

Thanks!
#content #contracts #domains #duplicate #offline
  • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
    I hope I helped a little....
    See the bolded sections under each question.

    Originally Posted by richjerk321 View Post

    I'm a bit new to the offline business.

    At first, I decided that it was best to contact local dentists, but then realized after calling many that most of the doctors do not have e-mails or will not give them out. The way around this would be to e-mail the dentistry's actual office, but that would be a waste of time because the secretary would have to pass it to the doctor, so that he can buy a website designing package.

    Anyways, after much thought, I found the target market to be attorneys / lawyers who already have websites, but would perhaps like to improve their sites with the designing packages.

    Now, I have 3 questions for those who have been doing offline business and making good money:

    1) Do you use offline contracts? If so, where do you find them? Is this necessary?

    Yes. Have them drafted up by an attorney. I think they are necessary. It lays out what the client can expect from you and what you can expect from the client.

    2) If the client (attorney / lawyer) already has a website, and they decide to pay me to build them a new one, how would I do this? I would have to either buy a new domain for them and setup their websites by copy / pasting their contents, which could lead to duplicate content penalty. What are your thoughts?

    You don't have to buy a new domain unless that is what they want to do. You just build a new site. If they have WordPress already then you just create your site. If they don't and you are going to make a WP, then you just direct the domain name to the new site. If you will be doing this yourself.... you might want to learn a little bit. If you are outsourcing.... then it may not be a big deal as you won't be doing it.
    Duplicate content? What? You are using their content on their site....
    If you are setting up an additional site, then the content on that site should be tailored to what that site is about. I don't see the point in two seperate sites offering the same info.



    3) If I make them a new website, what would they do with their previous domains and websites? Would they have to iframe the new website with their previous domains? Generally people do not provide user / pass to their sites to others even if they are paying them money just in case that something goes wrong. I also personally prefer to create the websites from scratch, so that I could use Wordpress, which is much easier.

    Not sure what you are asking. See my reply to #2.
    Why wouldn't they give you access? That is how you put a site on their hosting account...
    If they are worried about something going wrong, make a backup first.
    Previous domains....???


    What are your thoughts, tips, and recommendations?

    I've read quite a few threads in the offline section, and narrowed it down to those 3 concerns.

    Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author richjerk321
      1) Any other way instead of getting an attorney to draft up the contract? (They ask too many questions)

      2) What I'm saying is this:

      Lawyer has Website1.com

      He agrees to buying my website designing service to better his website, but he is using something other than Wordpress.

      So I create Website2.com, copy / paste content from Website1.com, and he can either use this website instead and get rid of the old one, or

      He can redirect Website1.com to Website2.com ?

      Not sure 100% how it would work.

      Originally Posted by vndnbrgj View Post

      I hope I helped a little....
      See the bolded sections under each question.
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      • Profile picture of the author richjerk321
        Originally Posted by Nathan Robinson View Post

        You can just install wordpress on his/her domain... if you are not sure how to do that just hire someone off of fiverr to do it
        I know how to do all that.

        But often times, a lawyer or attorney is not going to provide you his user / pass to their own website in case something goes wrong, and they do not know how to backup their files.

        They would rather have you make a new website for them, and forward their domains or something.

        I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do this with lawyers who already have websites.

        I do not want to change anything on their website, I want to start from scratch for them because this way I can charge a lot more.
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        • Profile picture of the author richjerk321
          Originally Posted by Nathan Robinson View Post

          You are speaking without having any experience in it. I have never had a client not give me their passwords. Especially if you are working with a contract.

          You would be starting from scratch if you installed wordpress and did a new website, so you can charge the same.
          Yes, but imagine that their previous website is created via joomla, drupal, or another platform, which is not that great.

          I would want to use Wordpress, so I would have to copy / paste their content on a Word file, then re-create their entire website from Wordpress.

          Then if there are some problems, they may want their old website back, etc.

          It causes unnecessary problems whereas creating a website from scratch via Wordpress, and then maybe fowarding their domain to the new website may not.

          One problem I can see happening is duplicate content penalty on the new site for copy / pasting their previous website's content.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt B
    Originally Posted by Nathan Robinson View Post

    If you are worried about them not liking it for some reason you can develop it and put it on a subdomain. Then show it to them and then upload it on to their site.
    Exactly what I do in this situation.

    I install the mock ups on a sub-domain of my own site. If they like it, I back it up and install it on their domain.

    Don't re-invent the wheel here. You're going to have much harder things to overcome besides this.

    Best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author TurnKeyShane
    Do you not have your own website for your business which you can build demo sites on? When the client likes it back up their old site and transfer the new one to it.
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