How to Learn Code, Start a Web Company, $15k+ per month within 9 months

[alan3wilson]

Clients - real problem that require active learning (solutions).

ok so it's no true that you need to be a genius in math to do professional programming ?

also for example if I want to learn artificial intelligence I can create a program on my own right ?

 

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[lowtek]

ok so it's no true that you need to be a genius in math to do professional programming ?

also for example if I want to learn artificial intelligence I can create a program on my own right ?

There's a vast gulf between designing web pages and artificial intelligence. "Coding" web pages really isn't programming in the strict sense. HTML and CSS are mark up languages and serve to format text and images on the page. They can't really be used to code any logic.

They're certainly valuable, and as Fox and others have demonstrated, you can make good money with just those two languages. It's perfectly reasonable to start there to get a feel for programming, and then add on another more traditional language (python is my recommendation) when you're ready.

You really don't need to be a mathetmatical genius to get competent with AI, but you need some basic level of mastery. At the least, you're going to need to know how to do matrix and vector multiplication - but these can be learned from a simple course. If you know calculus and differential equations, you'll have insight into how things are derived - this is important if you want to push the envelope of what is known. If you don't know them, you'll just have to take what is given and run with it.

You can get started with toy programs in AI - hand coding a deep neural network to do handwritten digit recognition is pretty straight forward, and can be done in less than a day if you follow a tutorial.

There's no reason you can't do both in parallel. Start with HTML/CSS and get your hustle right, get some walking around money, and learn more advanced topics in your free time.

 

[jon.M]

I've been reaching out to advertising companies that produce profiling garments, signs and everything of that kind. My intention is to offer them some kind of partnership - they get to give EVEN more value to their customers by giving them 50% (or something like that) discount for a new website - and they bring me customers.

• Is this a stupid idea? Has anybody tried it?
• How can I make them an offer that is as valuable as possible for them?

 

[ReubenA]

Since there's a lot of people asking how to learn to code here..

It's important to point out that Fox is a marketer, salesman and problem solver, that's why he's successful doing this. He's not a coder.

HTML/CSS, technically, is coding. But it's dead simple compared to Java / C / Python / JavaScript etc.

If you wanted to follow this path, you'd be absolutely fine learning the basics of HTML/CSS and then outsourcing it.. provide value by improving clients conversions by writing better copy for them, not by pixel pushing CSS layouts. The HTML/CSS stuff that's described here is $5-10/hr work

 

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[Fox]

Since there's a lot of people asking how to learn to code here..

It's important to point out that Fox is a marketer, salesman and problem solver, that's why he's successful doing this. He's not a coder.

HTML/CSS, technically, is coding. But it's dead simple compared to Java / C / Python / JavaScript etc.

If you wanted to follow this path, you'd be absolutely fine learning the basics of HTML/CSS and then outsourcing it.. provide value by improving clients conversions by writing better copy for them, not by pixel pushing CSS layouts. The HTML/CSS stuff that's described here is $5-10/hr work

Very true, I would classify myself as a designer. I like to design the sales system and help solve peoples problems. My coding level is not amazing (nor does it need to be) but I think I have a great eye for design, layout, and what sells.

Being able to code is an amazing skill but just by itself its no better than being great at spelling. You need to combine it with real problems and real people to make it worth something. I am moving more and more towards outsourcing everything as I work ON my business and not IN it.

Probably my best skill is being able to sell. I believe true sales is more than just a price - it is a clear understanding of the problems a client has and what is needed to build a great solution. And it is also highly transferable.

 

[jmusic]

So I came across this link that shows where a "professional company" would be in the pricing arena. Definitely shows where we want to be.

How Web Design Cost Is Determined & What It Includes | WebpageFX

I chose 1-10 pages, moderately stylized, copywriting for 5-10 pages, responsive design, and left the others alone. Estimate came in at $8,000-11,500.

P.S. They have quite a few good resources and techniques on their blog.

Just one example, this particular article has plenty of good fodder to use for sales calls:
5 Ways Web Design Impacts Customer Experience

 

[jmusic]

Hey, I'm a total noobie and I have 3 questions with this

1) Do you go into recurring revenue?
You (Fox) have to constantly struggle and find new clients to make the exact same amount of money (or nearly, because a 5k->10k is not that much).
Recurring revenue is the key word. Does nobody of you charge any, e.g. a $100-1000/mo base fee for

• creating weekly blogposts (internal marketing)
• maintenance
• FB page, FB posts and responding to users
• small updates are free and included

2) Do you have own websites to promote yourself?
E.g. visit my website at www...com and look at our past client projects
I would love to take a look at them!

3) How do you initially approach clients?
Do you first call them or first send an email? What is your sales line (literal), would you mind sharing? I love you if you do - forever!

1. Fox doesn't do this, but there's nothing preventing you if you had a client that was interested! It's a good idea actually.

2. Mentioned earlier in the thread. I don't have it handy though...

3. Good resources in this post about approaching clients: Cold calls: I went from nothing to $120k/year solo using this process. Script included. AMA • r/Entrepreneur

 

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[Milos]

I still struggle with design but the thing that keeps me going is that I think I have a great idea how to actually sell websites. Instead of cold calling and sending Emails I am thinking of designing a front page for a target business, then printing it out on paper and sending the design with regular mail. That way they can see how their new website could look like, without risking opening an attachment with something malicious included.

Anyone tried this?

 

[Longinus]

I still struggle with design but the thing that keeps me going is that I think I have a great idea how to actually sell websites. Instead of cold calling and sending Emails I am thinking of designing a front page for a target business, then printing it out on paper and sending the design with regular mail. That way they can see how their new website could look like, without risking opening an attachment with something malicious included.

Anyone tried this?

Zdravo!

It's a different approach which might be appreciated. On the other hand, you will put a ton of effort while not being sure they're already working on a website, or bankrupt, or their precious son made their current website, or not interested at all, etc etc.

I send custom emails and put already a lot of effort in it for mostly no result.

 

[Milos]

Zdravo!

It's a different approach which might be appreciated. On the other hand, you will put a ton of effort while not being sure they're already working on a website, or bankrupt, or their precious son made their current website, or not interested at all, etc etc.

I send custom emails and put already a lot of effort in it for mostly no result.

Sure, it might be a hassle, but I suspect that this could potentially boost the response rate immensely. I could be wrong but I can't be sure until I try. Also I find it remarkable that someone actually succeeds in reaching clients by email exactly because of reasons you mentioned. They might not want the website, or they already have the owners nephew maintaining their website decently. But if they can see how their future website might look like, they could react emotionally and decide to hire you anyway.

If I do test this approach I will post the results somewhere on the forum.

Pozdrav

 

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[jmusic]

Sure, it might be a hassle, but I suspect that this could potentially boost the response rate immensely. I could be wrong but I can't be sure until I try. Also I find it remarkable that someone actually succeeds in reaching clients by email exactly because of reasons you mentioned. They might not want the website, or they already have the owners nephew maintaining their website decently. But if they can see how their future website might look like, they could react emotionally and decide to hire you anyway.

If I do test this approach I will post the results somewhere on the forum.

Pozdrav

Most people in the direct mail industry are THRILLED when they get a 1% response rate. I think a better tactic might be to build a standardized letter/flyer with some custom elements (customer's name, business name) incorporated through "Mail Merge."

The other big thing is frequency. Pick a small list and start a campaign, sending them a flyer per week for 3 months straight.

 

[MakeItHappen]

How many hours does it take you on avg (just the coding) to create a website for a small local business (~3-7 pages)?
I feel like I am working way to slow partly because of some inexperience but also because of perfectionism/focusing on details that don't matter.

Also it would be nice to know for expectations concerning outsourcing/hiring.

 

[nateriver]

Hey Fox,
first of all a big 'thank you' for prodiving so much amazing content for this forum!

I read through half of this thread, did the codecademy and udemy courses u mentioned at the beginning and i'm now ready to create a website for a friend of mine who's running an EFT-business. As said, i haven't read the whole thread yet, but i didnt completely understand what the actual process of working with the mentioned themes looks like.
Do you create a 'rough' layout via a page-builder, export it to an html/css file and from there on you customize your code in e.g. brackets til it's finished ?

greetings from germany!

 

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[beniman8]

I know how to build websites but getting the customers is my problem

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Kastosaurus]

I called this company and told them I could help them with their online marketing to get better results.

"We are completely satisfied with our website, it brings us a lot of customers. Basically all of our customers."

When I told him I saw a lot potential to improve sales and to save him time on the phone, he said; "You can call our web designers for that".


What do I tell a company in these situations?

 

[Fox]

Hey Fox,
first of all a big 'thank you' for prodiving so much amazing content for this forum!

I read through half of this thread, did the codecademy and udemy courses u mentioned at the beginning and i'm now ready to create a website for a friend of mine who's running an EFT-business. As said, i haven't read the whole thread yet, but i didnt completely understand what the actual process of working with the mentioned themes looks like.
Do you create a 'rough' layout via a page-builder, export it to an html/css file and from there on you customize your code in e.g. brackets til it's finished ?

greetings from germany!

Hi and thanks. Ya that is one way. Another way is to just start with the html files and open them in brackets. Not every theme will have a theme builder so its nice to know both (and both ways are really simple).

 

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[Fox]

I still struggle with design but the thing that keeps me going is that I think I have a great idea how to actually sell websites. Instead of cold calling and sending Emails I am thinking of designing a front page for a target business, then printing it out on paper and sending the design with regular mail. That way they can see how their new website could look like, without risking opening an attachment with something malicious included.

Anyone tried this?

Did you do this yet? MJ recommended something similar when he did a Q&A on my FB group. I don't know of anyone who has done it yet though.

 

[Fox]

2) Do you have own websites to promote yourself?
E.g. visit my website at www...com and look at our past client projects
I would love to take a look at them!

Ill send you my whole client list right now buddy

 

[Fox]

How many hours does it take you on avg (just the coding) to create a website for a small local business (~3-7 pages)?
I feel like I am working way to slow partly because of some inexperience but also because of perfectionism/focusing on details that don't matter.

Also it would be nice to know for expectations concerning outsourcing/hiring.

You get a lot faster over time. I don't code one page at a time but it usually works out that days = # of pages.
A 7 page site will usually take me a week for example. I don't code all day either.

 

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[Fox]

I called this company and told them I could help them with their online marketing to get better results.

"We are completely satisfied with our website, it brings us a lot of customers. Basically all of our customers."

When I told him I saw a lot potential to improve sales and to save him time on the phone, he said; "You can call our web designers for that".

View attachment 15960
What do I tell a company in these situations?

Look for those who badly need help while also getting better at sales in general.

I don't know this business but it could have been a bad sales pitch, they really weren't interested, they do already have a web designer, or 100 other reasons. Just like trying to date someone and getting turned down you usually just get some generic response.

Focus on what you control - getting better at selling and continuing to reach out to businesses.

 

[Sequential]

Might be worth targeting UK companies. Their accounts are transparent so you can see exactly how much growth (or lack of growth) the companies are making. Only caveat is company accounts don't become public until 2 years into a company.

 

[jmusic]

So another course that I am doing now (could be considered action faking since i don't have clients yet but hey) is this one:

Git a Web Developer Job: Mastering the Modern Workflow

It talks a lot about version control (Git), automation (Node.js) and getting faster in general. Definitely not required to get started, but a pretty valuable timesaver for those in the trenches.

 

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[Andy Daniels]

Hey @Fox quick question for you (sorry if it's been answered earlier, this thread has grown quite large, congrats!)

I am looking into hosting plans for one of my clients, I think I remember you mentioning GoDaddy hosting so the client can always jump on and edit posts if needed? Would this be a good route for hosting?

 

[jmusic]

I hope Fox doesn't mind if I jump in on this one. He does use GoDaddy but he has the client setup the account and billing, etc. Personally I'm using Digital Ocean for my first forays as I'm pretty familiar with Ubuntu.

If you're looking for something where the client can make changes it may be a good idea to install Wordpress in a subdomain; it's harder to "break" than a raw HTML page.

 

[Fox]

Hey @Fox quick question for you (sorry if it's been answered earlier, this thread has grown quite large, congrats!)

I am looking into hosting plans for one of my clients, I think I remember you mentioning GoDaddy hosting so the client can always jump on and edit posts if needed? Would this be a good route for hosting?

I don't pay for the hosting - my client does. So with that in mind I go with GoDaddy. It is super easy for both of us to use, it is a trusted name, and it is easy for them to take it over afterwards.

If they are already with someone I stick with that (if they are happy) and I will do all the set up for them.

I use GoDaddy myself too since I have only had great experiences with them and I don't mind the few extra dollars a month. I know there are probably a million other cheaper or better suppliers but they are fine + I have never had one problem + I will only lose time (way more than the $$$ I gain) switching. I am very loyal to companies that look after me.

 

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[OAK]

Just getting back into reading this and will start cold calling, I already had some success but got sidetracked by my day job (as a web developer), slowly trying to transition into this and learn business skills. Recently had a major paradigm/mindset shift and very excited to start...

So another course that I am doing now (could be considered action faking since i don't have clients yet but hey) is this one:

Git a Web Developer Job: Mastering the Modern Workflow

It talks a lot about version control (Git), automation (Node.js) and getting faster in general. Definitely not required to get started, but a pretty valuable timesaver for those in the trenches.

I use git all the time, you can also use Atlassians bitbucket which is the same exact workflow as Git just a different url to push to (but uses same git commands) but the thing is, they have FREE private repos where for Git you have to pay if you don't want your stuff public.

Focus on what you control - getting better at selling and continuing to reach out to businesses.

This quote really struck a chord with me

 

[OAK]

Question to fox, does Godaddy support a node.js server? I always have used cloud based PaaS for node. What do you use for backend instead?

 

[jmusic]

Question to fox, does Godaddy support a node.js server? I always have used cloud based PaaS for node. What do you use for backend instead?

I suspect you'd need a dedicated hosting tier from GoDaddy to be able to do that. DigitalOcean has that capability for quite low cost.

I'm using the lowest $5/mo plan currently, though I'm currently only using Node for dev (Gulp/PostCSS). I'm trying out Grav (a "flat file" CMS that's something like Wordpress for those who don't know), but I'm finding that I prefer working with the raw files.

 

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[Villain]

@Fox Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your experience and advice. I'm almost dizzy thinking about the potential here. I'm gonna hammer out a website or two to get comfortable with the template I've chosen to work with then approach local places that need help. I have one or two in mind that I frequent regularly so I've got an in already. Don't mind doing them for free if it means I can get moving quickly.

 

[BrooklynHustle]

Very true, I would classify myself as a designer. I like to design the sales system and help solve peoples problems. My coding level is not amazing (nor does it need to be) but I think I have a great eye for design, layout, and what sells.

Being able to code is an amazing skill but just by itself its no better than being great at spelling. You need to combine it with real problems and real people to make it worth something. I am moving more and more towards outsourcing everything as I work ON my business and not IN it.

Probably my best skill is being able to sell. I believe true sales is more than just a price - it is a clear understanding of the problems a client has and what is needed to build a great solution. And it is also highly transferable.

Apologies if you've addressed this before, but what are some of the best resources on selling education, in your opinion (other than the doing)

Always looking to improve in this arena