Potential SEO Client demands physical presence before weeks before signing up.

[MadCatter]

Hey y'all,
Don't know if this is the right place to post this, but if it isn't %'d like to know where to post it instead.

For some reason I have been getting odd requests from potential clients these days, I am new in the SEO consultation arena and wondered if this was a a normal request from some.clients?

I sent them a questionnaire after a brief conversation online, not long after that I was told by the owner that I would have to go to their officbye for a week to know more about the product they sell, how it is made, who made it, etc
Now I already asked questions like this on the questionnaire and I do not stay.close to their office which I mentioned but was told I had to take the journey or whatever work I do will not be thorough or effective?

Am I missing something here? :/

 

[Sherb]

Don't do it.

I've run my own ORM and branding firm for years now. I have never once had to do an in-person with a client.

If they are incapable of explaining their product via email or phone conversation, I guarantee that they will be impossible to contact when needs arise, including when payments are due.

Unless they are paying for your travel, meals, and lodging. In which case, why not?

 

[kboxer7]

Don't do it.

I've run my own ORM and branding firm for years now. I have never once had to do an in-person with a client.

If they are incapable of explaining their product via email or phone conversation, I guarantee that they will be impossible to contact when needs arise, including when payments are due.

Unless they are paying for your travel, meals, and lodging. In which case, why not?

This.

If he is unable to articulate his product and offerings over the phone, email, website...then how does he expect any web traffic to his site to understand his offerings and value proposition?

And if he says that his site is adequate in this regard, then why does he need you to come on site?

 

[MadCatter]

Don't do it.

I've run my own ORM and branding firm for years now. I have never once had to do an in-person with a client.

If they are incapable of explaining their product via email or phone conversation, I guarantee that they will be impossible to contact when needs arise, including when payments are due.

Unless they are paying for your travel, meals, and lodging. In which case, why not?

You make very valid points, I just wanted to be clear cause, while doing Web design I never encountered clients needing me on site to know their products before designing, but since SEO is more under ORM I wondered if it was new. He didn't mention anything about paying for travel costs or lodging, and the traffic between both areas is merciless, then add the fact I'm female.and must be.extra ,autious while.moving around late.... Yeah, Thanks for the advice, I'm learning .

P.S: Have you ever had local.clients close to ask for a one on one meeting? What are legitimate reasons for them needing you for that?

 

[MadCatter]

This.

If he is unable to articulate his product and offerings over the phone, email, website...then how does he expect any web traffic to his site to understand his offerings and value proposition?

And if he says that his site is adequate in this regard, then why does he need you to come on site?

The deal was, he wanted me to handle.SEO, Press Releases and some.parts of Social media. Your thoughts match my.inner dialouge in the sense that, I figured if he couldn't explain what the product could do, how it was made(which quite frankly I have no idea how this concerns me, seeing as I not handling content for him) , I just wanted reassurance I guess, that I was not been unreasonable ( I can be quite opinionated )

 

[Zwielicht]

I've never worked as a consultant, though none of my SEO clients have ever demanded my presence. The times I have visited the offices of my clients, it was on my own volition, usually to take pictures of their office and discuss their business in-person.

 

[MadCatter]

I've never worked as a consultant, though none of my SEO clients have ever demanded my presence. The times I have visited my the offices of my clients, it was on my own volition, usually to take pictures of their office and discuss their business in-person.

Pictures? For what if you don't mind me.asking .

 

[Sherb]

Pictures? For what if you don't mind me.asking .

Most likely for their company website, or their Google Local profile, or both.

 

[Zwielicht]

Pictures? For what if you don't mind me.asking .

@Sherbert Hoover was spot on. I travel to their offices (sometimes over 350 miles) to take photos of their businesses for their websites, local listings, and social media profiles. Nearly everyone who has hired me for SEO has hired me for web design work, so I make it a point to take the pictures myself with my DSLR as my clients almost never know how to use a real camera themselves.

 

[saurabhunde]

Whats wrong in meeting him? You have a better chance of closing the deal while you meet him.

If you dont live close by his office, ask him to pay for the travel/flight tickets.

 

[MadCatter]

@Sherbert Hoover was spot on. I travel to their offices (sometimes over 350 miles) to take photos of their businesses for their websites, local listings, and social media profiles. Nearly everyone who has hired me for SEO has hired me for web design work, so I make it a point to take the pictures myself with my DSLR as my clients almost never know how to use a real camera themselves.

I figured it was for.google business but just wanted to be sure lol. Thanks for answering.

 

[SEO]

Whats wrong in meeting him? You have a better chance of closing the deal while you meet him.

If you dont live close by his office, ask him to pay for the travel/flight tickets.

My immediate thought on this is that, given the situation, a client this demanding is more trouble than they're worth. It's good to say no to some clients. If you allow desperation to run your business, then you'll have a million customers paying you next to nothing, a mountain of stress and no time to improve your business or life.

 

[JV1999]

@Sherbert Hoover was spot on. I travel to their offices (sometimes over 350 miles) to take photos of their businesses for their websites, local listings, and social media profiles. Nearly everyone who has hired me for SEO has hired me for web design work, so I make it a point to take the pictures myself with my DSLR as my clients almost never know how to use a real camera themselves.

You know you're an SEO and web design expert if you're using a DSLR for pictures for company pages instead of your smartphone. Imho, I know it doesn't make a lot of logical sense, but if I was vetting an SEO guy and he started using a super pro camera just for the webpage pics, I'd hire him over the guy saying he's ranked lots of clients up with years of experience, but using a smartphone for pics.

It's like psychological. You know? LIke if they're using a legit camera just for web page pics, then u think they know what they're doing about everything.

 

[Zwielicht]

You know you're an SEO and web design expert if you're using a DSLR for pictures for company pages instead of your smartphone. Imho, I know it doesn't make a lot of logical sense, but if I was vetting an SEO guy and he started using a super pro camera just for the webpage pics, I'd hire him over the guy saying he's ranked lots of clients up with years of experience, but using a smartphone for pics.

It's like psychological. You know? LIke if they're using a legit camera just for web page pics, then u think they know what they're doing about everything.

Precisely. It also makes them feel like their business is being carefully examined and taken care of, much like that ASMR feeling you might get when a tailor is taking your measurements so that they can adjust your suit to your exact proportions.