seobats
Regular Member
- Nov 4, 2013
- 357
- 86
I wanted to share my thoughts on this key issue that we have been facing. I believe most SEO companies get stuck here.
Lets take a real life business situation that most of us come across in our business. We are approached by a client who needs SEO services. After getting initial inputs, designing SEO strategies, tailoring out a N months plan, negotiating rates, we agree upon our monthly fees. We clearly communicate to client the results will be visible after N months. Client pays for 1st month, we start work. The month ends. We send invoice for next month's fees - ping him for payments and client has so many doubts/questions before he hits the "Pay" button.
Client wants to know what value was delivered in the first month. Sure value was delivered, but i was not in form of tangible improvement of search engine ranks or increased sales. It can not be because such result is expected in N months as communicated. But client is skeptical. As a provider we must clarify any questions raised by our clients. So, clarifying is not a problem. The problem I am discussion is something else.
The problem is: We again enter into pre-sales like discussion. And this time making a sale, or in other words, getting paid for next month - becomes more difficult because client has already paid some money and has not received any ROI yet.
The issue does not revolve around having to explain to client. The problem revolves around wasting time and resources again on selling to existing client. Getting paid on monthly invoices sometimes, or most of the times, becomes a sales task in itself. We need to bring sales people and repeat the whole process. And, as it happens in each sales call, it may or may not convert. So there is an ongoing risk of loosing client for no good reason. As a mature company, we know we can deliver what we promised if we are allowed the time we asked for.
Situation is more vulnerable in cases where client does not settle after hiring us, and is still in touch with competitors getting [biased] feedback from them. For sure, competitors are out there to get a deal by any means So in all possibility the business will slip out of our hands after 1st month.
What helps client settle with us as their primary vendor? Of course quality of our service. And taking the pinch out from the act of paying monthly fee.
If client has subscribed to our plans, and the fee automatically gets deducted every month - the pain is gone! Client will review after N months or some appropriate interim milestones. It is same as principle of indirect taxing. Taking the pain out of act of paying!
Most successful services such as linkedin, elance, skype etc work on subscription model and have been large success.
But boutique SEO companies, not as large as hubshout, are still doing manual follow ups with clients who have practically subscribed. Payments follow up is no different than a sales call. I am not too sure why SEO companies do not have heir own subscription platform. One I can think of is lack of resources. But there are cheaper options out there. So I am still not sure.
In my opinion, all seo companies should have a subscription platform where they ask their clients to sign up and subscribe by providing billing information. This will help us grow our business. I am having my development develop one for me already
Good luck!
Avinash
Lets take a real life business situation that most of us come across in our business. We are approached by a client who needs SEO services. After getting initial inputs, designing SEO strategies, tailoring out a N months plan, negotiating rates, we agree upon our monthly fees. We clearly communicate to client the results will be visible after N months. Client pays for 1st month, we start work. The month ends. We send invoice for next month's fees - ping him for payments and client has so many doubts/questions before he hits the "Pay" button.
Client wants to know what value was delivered in the first month. Sure value was delivered, but i was not in form of tangible improvement of search engine ranks or increased sales. It can not be because such result is expected in N months as communicated. But client is skeptical. As a provider we must clarify any questions raised by our clients. So, clarifying is not a problem. The problem I am discussion is something else.
The problem is: We again enter into pre-sales like discussion. And this time making a sale, or in other words, getting paid for next month - becomes more difficult because client has already paid some money and has not received any ROI yet.
The issue does not revolve around having to explain to client. The problem revolves around wasting time and resources again on selling to existing client. Getting paid on monthly invoices sometimes, or most of the times, becomes a sales task in itself. We need to bring sales people and repeat the whole process. And, as it happens in each sales call, it may or may not convert. So there is an ongoing risk of loosing client for no good reason. As a mature company, we know we can deliver what we promised if we are allowed the time we asked for.
Situation is more vulnerable in cases where client does not settle after hiring us, and is still in touch with competitors getting [biased] feedback from them. For sure, competitors are out there to get a deal by any means So in all possibility the business will slip out of our hands after 1st month.
What helps client settle with us as their primary vendor? Of course quality of our service. And taking the pinch out from the act of paying monthly fee.
If client has subscribed to our plans, and the fee automatically gets deducted every month - the pain is gone! Client will review after N months or some appropriate interim milestones. It is same as principle of indirect taxing. Taking the pain out of act of paying!
Most successful services such as linkedin, elance, skype etc work on subscription model and have been large success.
But boutique SEO companies, not as large as hubshout, are still doing manual follow ups with clients who have practically subscribed. Payments follow up is no different than a sales call. I am not too sure why SEO companies do not have heir own subscription platform. One I can think of is lack of resources. But there are cheaper options out there. So I am still not sure.
In my opinion, all seo companies should have a subscription platform where they ask their clients to sign up and subscribe by providing billing information. This will help us grow our business. I am having my development develop one for me already
Good luck!
Avinash
