Trying to start a business - could use some pointers

[67731]

I have been working on building a company that will offer sites for a subscription price, I know it has been done before, and to tell the truth it seem like a killer market as YP/Dex are asking $150 and more for a shit 5 page site and charging up to and more than $100 for adding a page.

So far I have tried cold calling, not to much and this is my first time every trying anything like this. . . . I suck at cold calling but am getting better. . . just not that much better. none the less I can see the talks going in a better way and have got a few people to stop what they are doing and take a look at my site.

So after 200 calls I have made zero sales and cant seem to get a script that works.

I have posted on CL that I will give $150 to anyone that sends me a client (I charge that for a set up fee) but have got no replays other than spam and programmers looking for work. . . .

And I have just made flyers to post around at local spots with the little pull tabs for people to take my number. (I got a vonage just for this new company)


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So, what can I do to get some clients in? At this point, I am not working but I know if some money does not come in soon the saving with get to low and I will have to take a office job again. . . . . Damn, how I dont want to be in an office again. . .

Any ideas at the moment would be great!

Thanks

 

[Thulean]

I don't really understand your product at the moment. And with your low closing ratio over the phones it seems like the business owners themselves are having a hard time seeing the value in the product you're offering.

So now you have a problem to fix, and you need to work on it before you start mass marketing. You need to make the value crystal clear, business owners do not care about a single thing besides bringing in more money. They don't care how many pages their site has that you will build them, or if it has social integration or not. The reason you're not getting sales is because you're not showing them how this will make them more money. So before you mass market this product, continue pushing it over the phones, take a step back... and re-think how you're approaching selling. What does the first exchange of information look like (are you giving them information that makes them hungry and super interested?). Is your website drawn out with lots of technical terms they don't understand? Things to think about. Good luck.

 

[frolic]

offers sites for subscription prices? what do you mean?

 

[67731]

offers sites for subscription prices? what do you mean?

When signing up with the company they get a full site with how ever many pages they need and we take care of the needed stuff like email address, hosting, buying the domain, back ups and being here for phone support.

For that they pay us a monthly fee.

As of now, I am targeting smaller companies

 

[67731]

I don't really understand your product at the moment. And with your low closing ratio over the phones it seems like the business owners themselves are having a hard time seeing the value in the product you're offering.

So now you have a problem to fix, and you need to work on it before you start mass marketing. You need to make the value crystal clear, business owners do not care about a single thing besides bringing in more money. They don't care how many pages their site has that you will build them, or if it has social integration or not. The reason you're not getting sales is because you're not showing them how this will make them more money. So before you mass market this product, continue pushing it over the phones, take a step back... and re-think how you're approaching selling. What does the first exchange of information look like (are you giving them information that makes them hungry and super interested?). Is your website drawn out with lots of technical terms they don't understand? Things to think about. Good luck.

Every good point, the product is simply a website with good design and added features. I know the clients wont care but I have spent to much time in building the framework that all my sites are based on. It has some cool stuff built in to it such as visitor stats, image gallery, contact form with hours and google map placement, an address book, a support form for them to contact me and a few pages on how to use your site.

So far I have been making the calls based on saving them money, as I know I will be under cutting who they use now for having a website. But I do need to think of how I can market it to help there business grow. . .

Thanks

 

[Duffers5000]

If you dont work at it like your future depends on it then you will end up back in an office.

I am presuming you are a decent salesperson as you write articulately but 0/200 sales means you are doing something seriously wrong.

How much is it costing you to put up an initial 5 page site ? should be under $10. If you get a lead thats almost biting tell them you will offer them a free site if they sign a 12 month maintenance deal and allow their site to be used in your promotions(tell them they will actually get a $500 site as you want it to look good for your portfolio)

Get people on board. One customer will lead to many more.

 

[Jibler]

Have you tried Google Adwords?

 

[chriswick]

Don't want to put a downer on your business. But websites are one of the most over sold things to businesses, that and SEO. If you really want to succeed, I think you need to come at them with something they've never heard before but is a no brainer at the same time. So the task now is what?

I personally, if I was to do telesales, would run as far away as possible from anything my competitors are peddling. But that's just how I'd approach it. The idea you're phoning virgin turf is delusional, and it's extremely likely competitors have phoned before you.

 

[malek24]

oh its really so great. i will try like this.

 

[Danny1111]

Companies don't like changing Hosting etc - that seems a risk to them and not something to pursue longer term.

If I were you I would go to those business centers where small businesses go when they are starting out - and offer a whole host of products and go from there -- just get some business cards made up first and maybe some flyers to hand out.

 

[67731]

Don't want to put a downer on your business. But websites are one of the most over sold things to businesses, that and SEO. If you really want to succeed, I think you need to come at them with something they've never heard before but is a no brainer at the same time. So the task now is what?

I personally, if I was to do telesales, would run as far away as possible from anything my competitors are peddling. But that's just how I'd approach it. The idea you're phoning virgin turf is delusional, and it's extremely likely competitors have phoned before you.

Could not be more true, but at the same time there is a LOT of business to be had, and if you can refine the work, offer a better product and save people money then the real challenge is as Thulean has said and that is showing and adding value.

I am not sure on what I am going to change yet, but I fully think he is right. I have some value and that is saving them money, along with other tech stuff but they will not care about that at first. It really comes don to money, and I have to come up with something that will help their business other than just being a website.


I also like what Duffers5000 had to say, when someone is staying on the phone cut the cost even more and get them in the door. Doing this I would end up cutting my profit for the year in half, but at the same time if they like what they get then I am doing my job and they will want to sign on for the next year.

As to this being a saturated market you are 100% right on that. I am only going after clients that meet a few guide lines and one of the top ones are they have a site with YP/Dex. This lets me know they 1: have been sold the value of a website and 2: they are spending $150+ for a site.

Also, doing web-design and coding is what I am good at, so when I sit down and think what do I want to do for the next 5 years and would enjoy doing I see myself coding sites and helping clients. (odd I know, but I like dealing with clients)

For the old company I worked for, I had to manage 500 client accounts at ones. . . but with sites like this its not that hard as 80% of the time, the site has the information on it and the client is happy. So most support comes in the form of answering a few emails and phone calls about simple things like getting images to float to the left or changing the background for a more summer feel.


So for a Yellow Page site they charge about $150 a month, lets say I am under cutting them by half and selling for $75 a month. (5 times less then what the company I charged worked for)

Now lets say I want things easy and only take on 100 clients.

100 x 75 = $7500 a month and $90,000 a year but lets cut about 10% (a little high) for hosting, domain and printing paper. . . (I like to make files) that is $9000 for all that and I am still left with $81.000 a year in income for what I could do in a 9 to 5 job.

In other words, I dont want all the market I just want .0009% of it and then that would give me some extra time and money to spend in other ways to make money that would I hope one day replace the design company.

So, yes its a saturated market but I hope there are still buyers out there that I can reach and have no hopes that I am the first person to call them. Sometimes I hope the competitors have called them. I will come in with a better price and more value (Im working on that) and look like I good guy. . I hope?

 

[67731]

Companies don't like changing Hosting etc - that seems a risk to them and not something to pursue longer term.

If I were you I would go to those business centers where small businesses go when they are starting out - and offer a whole host of products and go from there -- just get some business cards made up first and maybe some flyers to hand out.

That my friend is an amazing idea!

Thank You!!!

 

[4ContactUK]

Have you a portfolio of work to show yet or testimonials from past customers? If you haven't then I started with offering free sites plus direct costs so we had something to show potential customers.
Then we started offering full price and found the only way to get good customers was through meeting potential clients through networking and partnering up with companies that offer products or services that complement web design. They get a commission too.
We find you have to spread marketing over different channels, so of course we use social media and being top of Google for our keywords.
Good luck.

 

[67731]

Have you a portfolio of work to show yet or testimonials from past customers? If you haven't then I started with offering free sites plus direct costs so we had something to show potential customers.
Then we started offering full price and found the only way to get good customers was through meeting potential clients through networking and partnering up with companies that offer products or services that complement web design. They get a commission too.
We find you have to spread marketing over different channels, so of course we use social media and being top of Google for our keywords.
Good luck.

Thank You for the advice!

 

[67731]

Companies don't like changing Hosting etc - that seems a risk to them and not something to pursue longer term.

If I were you I would go to those business centers where small businesses go when they are starting out - and offer a whole host of products and go from there -- just get some business cards made up first and maybe some flyers to hand out.

I love the idea, but cant seem to find something when searching google. . . and I live in a large city. I know I am just searching for the wrong thing. Do you know a name or something I should be searching for?

 

[Jibler]

I would be doing online advertising, where else do people go to get a website?