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Moved to Scottsdale, Growing a Web Design Firm

GuitarManDan

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Hey Everyone,

Just seeing all of the replies now, here's my feedback for the recent replies here:

@huseyin - Yes for now I've handled everything myself. For some larger projects that I have in the works, I am planning on outsourcing some components (since now I've really learned them and will be an effective manager instead of just putting my faith in someone not taking advantage). The courses someone else linked to are the ones that I mainly used as well in the beginning.

Just keep in mind, it's not about the courses or any of that... it's what you do with them. Obviously learn the skills and work hard to deliver for the clients but don't get too bogged down on the technical side. I focused heavily on the sales side of things because I knew without sales I didn't have a business and that I could apply what I learned in sales to ANY other business I end up involved with.

@BlackMagician - I've been swamped with work this week haven't had a chance to really dive into your progress thread but added it on my to do list and will see what you've been up to.

@Wiezel - Sales, marketing, more sales and more marketing! On the technical side, HTML, CSS and WordPress.

I've always been a perfectionist so I have to constantly tell myself it doesn't always have to be an A+ but instead focus on aiming for a B+ / A- and then editing after. This has been a huge help for me, as a common beginner mistakes I made and others make... I didn't want to get started until I knew "everything".

@The Abundant Man - thanks for sharing those links. Agreed those are solid.
 
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GuitarManDan

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Quick simple update just for tracking purposes.

Previous client asked for updates on his site that took around 3-4 hours to do. Charged $300 for that and collected that today. Using this as an opening to pitch SEO services too, he agreed to hear me out about that after we get these updates completed.

February so far has really been mostly about getting my name out there and really taking action to bring in SEO monthly packages. Been very encouraging all of the web design leads I've been getting just from previous work (can spend the large majority of my time on outreach for SEO while getting one-off web design projects).

2019 Challenge: $8,560 Revenue / $100,000 Goal (still have around $700 for another client's edits I did that will invoice soon and will update this).
 

GuitarManDan

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Hey Everyone,

Wanted to provide a quick update around what's been going on with me:

Organic Leads Coming In
- I'm starting to get a crazy amount of organic leads coming into my business for web design services specifically. Referrals from past clients and past jobs, networking contacts, in person friends that know someone who has a business, etc. Been tracking them all in my CRM and continually reaching out here and there. Pretty cool to see that in the network I've built out here I've become known as the "web design guy" and then if the client is a good fit, great opportunity to upsell a monthly SEO package.

Had a Great Meetup with @Eskil - A few days ago Eskil graciously invited me over to hang out and catch up about our businesses. Really cool to hear his background is pretty similar to mine (was working in the corporate world but decided to leave it all to start his own businesses). Definitely a lot to learn from him and excited to really go out of my way to meet more fastlaners in the Scottsdale area.

Great Milestone
- Tomorrow (Feb 24th) will mark the exact 1 year anniversary since I woke up in New Jersey, fresh after quitting my cushy investment banking job and started my cross country drive to Arizona. I didn't act it around my family, but I was absolutely terrified - I didn't know anyone in AZ, never been to the state before, never saw the apartment I signed a lease for online, never drove more than a few hours by myself and my new business I was starting at the time only had two decent sales.

I won't get too sappy, but at the time I left, I was experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety induced health issues (which was never common for me besides when I was in that awful work environment). Not even a month later after moving here, I finally started to feel like my old self again - every single stress induced health issue disappeared (mainly, really really bad insomnia). On top of building a business, I really put in a lot of effort to go out of my way to meet new friends out here and the people who've become my close friends have made this experience so amazing. As a former New Yorker, it was surprising how much friendlier and laid back everyone was.

I feel like I've learned so much from this community and just through the practical days of running a business so thanks to everyone on here who's been following my journey.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I still have a long way to go, but I know I'm going to take the action and work smart / learn from others to make this SEO and web design business bring in an income that will change my life.
 

GuitarManDan

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Hey All,

Just wanted to make a quick accountability post on the goals that I laid out for this year (so far):

1. Get first monthly SEO client in February

None officially locked in, but some very very promising ones in the pipeline. I've gotten some great experience pitching these services in person, on the phone and over email so far. In another post I'll include the current leads, but I'm really close to closing a few (one who reached out to me from a networking group and another previous client).

Possible I may not officially lock someone into a written contract, but if I work smart I will get a verbal agreement / be in excellent shape for multiple high value monthly recurring revenue deals.

2. $10k per month locked in by June 30th, 2019

Still at $0/month at the moment, we're at the end of Feb so that gives me roughly 4 months to bring in $2,500/month each month... still know I'm going to meet this goal, especially as the packages I'm pitching are in the $1,000 to $3,000/month range or so.

Expecting huge things in March and April with all of the pending deals I'm in discussions with plus the outreach I plan on doing / continual networking.

3. $100k in revenue in 2019

Currently sitting at around $8,560 in revenue and have two contracts outstanding to collect payment on ($700 for site edits and $3,500 for the second half of the project of another deal).

That puts me at $12,760 with roughly 10 months left to go this year.

With a difference of $87,240 - that means I need to be averaging $8,724 in business per month for the remainder of the year to meet this goal.

I see the key factors here being how quickly do I get to that monthly recurring revenue goal of $10k/month and after that how do I reevaluate my monthly rev goal for the end of the year. I'll be placing my focus in that and continuing to move along web design projects in the pipeline (can always outsource if my workload gets too much) and know I'll hit this mark too.
 
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@GuitarManDan This thread is amazing, you are going to kill it! ;)

Maybe a bit off-topic (sorry about that), but is anyone implementing a similar business model with mobile apps instead of websites? I imagine not many people, as mobile apps involve far more work and might not deliver enough extra value to justify a higher price, not to mention the low risk of static websites compared to anything that involves programming. But I'm interested in case someone took this path.
 

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Congrats on your success so far. I also think you are severely underestimating the amount of knowledge and experience that goes into SEO. It seems to me like you have only taken 1 course and have never worked in SEO.

SEO is all about experience and applying/experimenting. SEO clients was to see past success as there are many scam artists out there in the industry. Also just because your a web developer doesn't mean you will be good at SEO. There is more to SEO than just technical on-site work.
 

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Congrats on your success so far. I also think you are severely underestimating the amount of knowledge and experience that goes into SEO. It seems to me like you have only taken 1 course and have never worked in SEO.

SEO is all about experience and applying/experimenting. SEO clients was to see past success as there are many scam artists out there in the industry. Also just because your a web developer doesn't mean you will be good at SEO. There is more to SEO than just technical on-site work.


Hi Twiizlar,

If I didn't make it clear enough than that's my fault, but note as I'm starting out in this space I'm not going to bring on a client with amazing SEO (maybe he ranks 2nd or 3rd and wants the top spot), I'm going to use the same approach I did when I learned web design - only bring on clients where I know I can add value with my current skillset.

Working in the web design space, just from on page SEO work I have gotten every single client I've worked with except one to page one for the main keywords they'd be targeting (example, financial planning (city name).

I'm a perfectionist and it's difficult to not fall trap to the common mistake of "I need to be 100% an expert in this field before offering it". I sold websites to clients before I fully knew how to deliver on every promise.

One thing I know I will 100% do is deliver for the clients that I get. I have the network of experts in this field and I will put in the hard work to always get them results and I will take on SEO clients first with garbage SEO where I know I can offer huge value.

Yes, it's one course, but I didn't invest in it just for the course (as it was pretty expensive). I invested because the creator has a proven track record and he has weekly calls and a private facebook group with access to experts in this field.

I'm not unrealistic, of course the first few clients will be a learning curve but I know how I work and I know I will get great results for the people I work with in this space.

I always appreciate constructive criticism, but I also know the importance of learning as I grow and making sure that I bring on clients where I know I can add value as I completely agree a lot of companies have had bad experiences with SEO firms.
 
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GuitarManDan

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@GuitarManDan This thread is amazing, you are going to kill it! ;)

Maybe a bit off-topic (sorry about that), but is anyone implementing a similar business model with mobile apps instead of websites? I imagine not many people, as mobile apps involve far more work and might not deliver enough extra value to justify a higher price, not to mention the low risk of static websites compared to anything that involves programming. But I'm interested in case someone took this path.

Thanks for the kind words and feedback!

You know I was wondering that myself, I had one client come back and say they didn't need a website but a mobile app instead. I actually took a meeting with them figuring that if I could get an idea of their budget (they couldn't give me one) I could outsource to another firm and maybe start offering that.

Tried a few chasers though and haven't heard back, but there's definitely a big opportunity out there.

Honestly this may be out there already, but I'm still waiting for someone to make a huge company in a similar style of Squarespace or Wix but for mobile apps for the clients you want to do it themselves and not pay a crazy amount of money to make one.
 

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Thanks for the kind words and feedback!

You know I was wondering that myself, I had one client come back and say they didn't need a website but a mobile app instead. I actually took a meeting with them figuring that if I could get an idea of their budget (they couldn't give me one) I could outsource to another firm and maybe start offering that.

Tried a few chasers though and haven't heard back, but there's definitely a big opportunity out there.

Honestly this may be out there already, but I'm still waiting for someone to make a huge company in a similar style of Squarespace or Wix but for mobile apps for the clients you want to do it themselves and not pay a crazy amount of money to make one.
Please, let us know if they get back to you and close any deal. I've seen all kinds of success, from mediocre companies that sell mobile apps for low budgets and don't make any profit, to companies that now have offices in several countries.

When I've been working for someone else, my previous experiences with mobile apps have been from alright to bad. Startups sometimes don't pay (this has been mentioned by people who build static websites on this forum), and most big companies have the resources to build software by themselves. So medium-size companies might be a good target.

Some "mobile apps builder" sounds like a cool idea, indeed. That might work for mobile apps that don't require much talking with APIs, although most of them do nowadays.
 

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Thanks for the kind words and feedback!

You know I was wondering that myself, I had one client come back and say they didn't need a website but a mobile app instead. I actually took a meeting with them figuring that if I could get an idea of their budget (they couldn't give me one) I could outsource to another firm and maybe start offering that.

Tried a few chasers though and haven't heard back, but there's definitely a big opportunity out there.

Honestly this may be out there already, but I'm still waiting for someone to make a huge company in a similar style of Squarespace or Wix but for mobile apps for the clients you want to do it themselves and not pay a crazy amount of money to make one.
Ok - I'll be "that" guy.

Can you fill me in on why a company would want an app made especially for them?

I see lots and lots of apps out there. Why wouldn't one of the ones already in use work for them?

This is a new area - hope you can bring me up to speed on this, as I know nothing about it at all.

Thanks ~
 
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GuitarManDan

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Ok - I'll be "that" guy.

Can you fill me in on why a company would want an app made especially for them?

I see lots and lots of apps out there. Why wouldn't one of the ones already in use work for them?

This is a new area - hope you can bring me up to speed on this, as I know nothing about it at all.

Thanks ~

Just being honest, I’m still not really sure. This is a new area for me and have only had this one prospect ask me about it.

For their specific purpose I kinda agree, seems like a lot of the functionality they want is available with other already existing free apps.

With the process itself I’d have to imagine it’s quite expensive to build an app from scratch.
 

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Hey All,

Quick update for my 2019 revenue tracking for some small edits I did for the fashion designer client on an hourly rate now that the project is finished.

Just sent over the invoice for an additional $720 for those edits (right now I'm billing at $90 per hour for additional site edits).

In addition, sent over another SEO proposal and had a few calls today for potential clients. Taking a lot of action and working hard to make this work - so many SEO proposals out there, I know a few are going to come through sometime soon.

2019 Revenue Tracker: $9,280 Revenue / $100,000 Goal
 

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Ok - I'll be "that" guy.

Can you fill me in on why a company would want an app made especially for them?

I see lots and lots of apps out there. Why wouldn't one of the ones already in use work for them?

This is a new area - hope you can bring me up to speed on this, as I know nothing about it at all.

Thanks ~
How would you use your competitor's brand app for your brand?
 
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Hey Everyone,

Great news today! I've been working like crazy on my own website's SEO as not only is it good practice, but it also shows potential clients that I know what I'm doing if I rank for the really competitive SEO keywords...

Just checked my rankings and I'm in the top 5 for 4 different keywords that all get a lot of traffic!

One in particular "SEO (my city)" gets 720 searches per month so I'm really pumped to see what kind of organic leads come through.

Either way, I'm making the most of it and started taking a lot of screenshots and will use this as a selling point when pitching clients.

Really awesome to see some amazing results and I'm really pumped to see what the future brings.

In other news, I've been working on a new outreach system (basically making customized video audits and sending them via cold emails). So far I've gotten a response rate for 5% and have a meeting in person to present to the CEO of a financial services company here by me next week.

On top of that, just moving along other deals in the pipeline and working to get some feedback on a bunch of other pitches that I've made to see what comes through!

Will keep everyone posted, but really exciting stuff.
 

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Hey All,

Good news - closed my first SEO monthly client! We agreed to go month-to-month for $500 per month. The scope includes services from one of the lower SEO packages I'm offering so it will get the business owner great results but not require a crazy amount of hours per month on my side so I will be able to work on bringing on more clients to help out too.

Super friendly and ambitious business owner at one of my networking events. I love the fact that she told me she used to work for a big investment bank too and got so burned out she decided to quit and start her own business so I want to work my a$$ off to get her business amazing results so she doesn't have to worry about going back to a corporate job ever again.

I have a really good feeling about this, I have a lot of proposals out there right now and I know a bunch are going to start coming through!

Here's a quick update on the totals - going to send out the contract tomorrow:

2019 Revenue Tracker: $9,780 Revenue / $100,000 Goal

Monthly Recurring Revenue: $500 Per Month / $10,000 Per Month Goal
 

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Hey Everyone,

I want to be as transparent as possible and share something that happened recently which really shows a lot of what MJ speaks about in his recent book Unscripted ...

Even after moving out across the country over a year ago, my older brother... who I love to death but is the strongest definition of a slowlaner I've ever seen, is still trying to make me feel guilty for moving and taking this big leap.

Today on the phone he kept telling me:

-I was "hiding" from life by starting this business and moving across the country
-I was going to miss everything (even though I am flying back a good amount to be there for important holidays)
-I'm going to be a "rich a**hole" and even if I'm successful I'm not going to enjoy it because I left my family behind (even though I call them multiple times a week)

Maybe he has good intentions, but it's frustrating. He hates his job, hates the cold weather, hates so much about his life but he always acts like a victim and like everything is out of his control.

Apologies for the rant, but I hope this helps others who have taken the leap and are dealing with similar objections from family members.

I'm good at keeping my cool, so I told him that what I did is the opposite of "hiding" from my life. I'm grabbing life by the horns and making things happen on a daily basis. "Hiding" is staying in a terrible comfortable position.

I also mentioned that I've never had any issues with depression, but I was pretty damn close at my last corporate job. I just asked him would he prefer that I stayed in the area and was miserable 24/7 or that I took steps in the right direction to improve my life.

Family always knows how to get under your skin I guess haha... good times. Ok, rant over... time for a few updates:

Business Update:

1. First SEO Client Paid the Invoice:
Started right away and we identified the exact keywords we want to target. Got all of the baseline stats down and am going to jump right into on-page SEO items tomorrow to get things moving.

2. Had Two Amazing Meetings Today: A social sports league I joined out here (where I've made a lot of amazing connections and friendships) had a few SEO issues so I sent the head of the league a quick audit and he loved it. We got lunch today and he said the owner is really interested in what I can do and I'm going to send them a pitch later this week!

Next up, another friend owns a travel agency here and she said before they start spending a lot on marketing, they need to get the website right. They're very interested in having me do a complete redesign of the site. I told them I typically work in the area of $2k - $11k and they said they should be able to do something towards the lower end of that.

3. Plenty of SEO Proposals Pending: Trying to work as smart and hard as possible - I've been sending out a lot of proposals and continue to bring in more and more leads. Sales seem to come in bunches for me... so I know I need to work smart and keep up this momentum I have from the recent sale.

4. Meeting Tomorrow: From a networking connection, meeting with a potential client for a complete website redesign. Basically a meet and greet and fact finding to see if it's a good fit to work together.

Basically.. there's A LOT going on right now and I'm so close to breaking through in a major way to really lock in some solid monthly and one-off revenue this year.

Will keep everyone posted!
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Maybe he has good intentions, but it's frustrating. He hates his job, hates the cold weather, hates so much about his life but he always acts like a victim and like everything is out of his control.

Crab meet bucket.
 

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Even after moving out across the country over a year ago, my older brother... who I love to death but is the strongest definition of a slowlaner I've ever seen, is still trying to make me feel guilty for moving and taking this big leap.

Today on the phone he kept telling me:

-I was "hiding" from life by starting this business and moving across the country
-I was going to miss everything (even though I am flying back a good amount to be there for important holidays)
-I'm going to be a "rich a**hole" and even if I'm successful I'm not going to enjoy it because I left my family behind (even though I call them multiple times a week)

Maybe he has good intentions, but it's frustrating. He hates his job, hates the cold weather, hates so much about his life but he always acts like a victim and like everything is out of his control.

Apologies for the rant, but I hope this helps others who have taken the leap and are dealing with similar objections from family members.

I'm good at keeping my cool, so I told him that what I did is the opposite of "hiding" from my life. I'm grabbing life by the horns and making things happen on a daily basis. "Hiding" is staying in a terrible comfortable position.

I also mentioned that I've never had any issues with depression, but I was pretty damn close at my last corporate job. I just asked him would he prefer that I stayed in the area and was miserable 24/7 or that I took steps in the right direction to improve my life.
He sounds jealous and he's just projecting his own hate and failures onto you.

tenor.gif


He should watch this movie:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00uTFVnWJMw
 
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Last edited:

GuitarManDan

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Flying it Dan - keep going man.

Thanks man! Lots of things in the works... expecting some of these bigger deals to come through soon, exciting stuff!

Crab meet bucket.

First time I've heard this expression before so I had to look it up but yup that sounds correct. Funny enough, these conversations he seems to have with me only happen when A. he's super stressed out B. I had something go well recently.

It's not just the business stuff that's been going really well too, I'm just happier out here. I've made some amazing friends and really love the area. Just need to expect nonsense like this to come up and ignore it.

He sounds jealous and he's just projecting his own hate and failures onto you.

tenor.gif


He should watch this movie:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00uTFVnWJMw

It's funny, I definitely expected it when I first told them I quit my job and was moving across the country... but over a year later seems random lol.

A lot of people have come around, even those who first told me I was "throwing my life away" and being really dramatic.

Whatever haha, just more fuel to motivate me to absolutely kill it.
 

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Hey Everyone,

I was speaking with @Fox the other day and he asked how many leads / potential clients I've pitched so far. I have a CRM tracking all of it, but when I added the potential total of revenue that would come through the door (even if just closing like 1/3 or 1/2 of these), I got a little overwhelmed.

I've been just putting my head down and hustling all year it's definitely good to take a step back and look at the best ways to really get some of these deals to come through.

**Quick side note**: as of today, my website is currently ranking #1 organically for "SEO (my city)" which according to SEMRush gets 720 searches per month! Absolutely crazy, really interested to see if leads come through that channel organically... either way, I'm 100% going to use that as validation when pitching clients that I can get them results.

I want to put this all down in writing here, I've pitched all of these clients so far and this is a high-level overview of where they stand.

Any advice would definitely be appreciated for the best ways to close some of these and get some amazing momentum going!

2019 Pitched Clients (Still Waiting on Feedback/Decisions):

1. Sports League (SEO) - $1,000 to $3,000 per month (depending on the package chosen)
:

Sent over the proposal email two days ago, the head of the league has a meeting with the owner of the whole nationwide sports league and he's going to bring up my proposal (he's already ran it by him). I should have feedback on Wednesday for this one.

2. Boutique Travel Agency (Web Design) - $3,750

Good friend owns a travel agency and their site is currently really rough. I just pitched them yesterday and saw my friend out at a bar yesterday and we just quickly caught up. She said her and her business partner have a meeting on Monday to discuss this and they'll get back to me next week

3. Investment Mgmt Firm (Digital Marketing Services) - $5,000 per month

This includes SEO and a bunch of other marketing services. Sent the proposal Jan 24th, the owner said they had a busy Feb traveling and they'd get back to me. I waited a few weeks and sent a quick simple email chaser and then followed up with a call but didn't get a chance to speak with anyone (left a voicemail).

Obviously this one is a balancing act of not letting it fade out and not pushing too hard. Any ideas on how to follow up on this one?

4. Local Wealth Management Company (SEO) - $1,000 - $3,450 per month (depending on package)

New cold email technique I've been using has worked amazingly well, got the attention of a local wealth mgmt company and they asked me to come in person and present my SEO plan.

That was about 2 weeks ago and the meeting went great, but the owner has to run it by his partner. Still waiting to hear feedback on this one too.

5. Entertainment Company (SEO) - $500 - $1,875 per month (depending on package)

Came in from a referral from the fashion designer's site I did last year. Had a bunch of great calls but this guy has been really busy so still waiting on his feedback.

Pitched him on March 11th and he said he will aim to get back to me this upcoming week with more feedback.

6. Fashion Designer (SEO) - $2,200 - $6,000 per month (depending on package)

Previous web design client, the higher end packages would be for more than just SEO. Pitched them in early March and his manager said they are going to look at it this upcoming week but things have been crazy busy (he just released a new book which was why the site was really built to promote that and other things).

7. Local Graphic Design and Printing Company (Website Design) - $4,500

Copywriter in my networking group needed a web designer to make a site for a client she's working with. We met in person at his office last week and I sent over a pitch.

The copywriter seems to be of the impression that website design is more commoditized so she told me she was surprised when I quoted him at $4,500 for the site and that it seemed high to her.

Still waiting to see what the owner says... we had great rapport and he was showing me insanely expensive printing machinery he bought for his warehouse (kept name dropping and telling me the prices... multiple machines in the high 5 to 6 figures for each one so clearly the business is doing really well).

8. Former Retirement Planning Client (SEO) - $1,150 per month

My first web design client and my absolute favorite, guy is just a pleasure to work with. Wanted to help him really get the most of his site and he seems like he's interested.

He's the kinda guy who gets busy and drags his feet a little bit so I have to chase him sometimes... I'm going to follow up this week and get a hold of him to try to move things forward here.

9. Video Production Company (SEO) - $1,350 - $1,550 per month

Networking connection, owner is very unhappy with the SEO firm he's using, they aren't getting results and they aren't transparent but he's locked in a weird contract for at least a few more months and he wants to work with me potentially.

Trying to see what his options are to get out of that contract.

10. Commercial Real Estate Firm (Web Design) - $12,000 to $18,000

Networking connection originally, spoke with the marketing manager and I was one of their top choices back in August/Sept... but they aren't in a rush for this project. Been following up maybe once every 4-6 weeks but it doesn't seem to be moving forward too much, but obviously it would be for a good-sized contract.

Not sure how to handle this one either, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

11. Structured Cabling Company (Web Design and SEO) - $12,000 to $18,000 for the site.. SEO TBD

Networking connection, looking to present to the management of his firm so I sent him a proposal with more info about 2 weeks ago, still waiting to hear back for this one too.

So, in conclusion... lots of huge potential out there, just trying to be smart and put myself in the best possible situation to close these!
 

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Thanks man! Lots of things in the works... expecting some of these bigger deals to come through soon, exciting stuff!



First time I've heard this expression before so I had to look it up but yup that sounds correct. Funny enough, these conversations he seems to have with me only happen when A. he's super stressed out B. I had something go well recently.

It's not just the business stuff that's been going really well too, I'm just happier out here. I've made some amazing friends and really love the area. Just need to expect nonsense like this to come up and ignore it.



It's funny, I definitely expected it when I first told them I quit my job and was moving across the country... but over a year later seems random lol.

A lot of people have come around, even those who first told me I was "throwing my life away" and being really dramatic.

Whatever haha, just more fuel to motivate me to absolutely kill it.
We moved out to Arizona from the Midwest 3 years ago. Recently went back and still had people guilt tripping us about moving here... after 3 years!

Idk if it ever goes away but let me tell you, I was never more happy to get on the plane and come home! Just the weather here makes life so much more enjoyable!
 
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The Abundant Man

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We moved out to Arizona from the Midwest 3 years ago. Recently went back and still had people guilt tripping us about moving here... after 3 years!

Idk if it ever goes away but let me tell you, I was never more happy to get on the plane and come home! Just the weather here makes life so much more enjoyable!
Probably because they miss you
 

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Rep++ just for your consistent efforts man.

7th point. Most of the people I meet thinks website as commodity.

9th. Can you help him by connecting with the current agency he has hire and see what they are upto? Maybe you will find something valuable to present him or just purely provide some tips to the agency to improve his ranking?

Quite happy to know your solutions. I just learned a better way to write my progress. Ha ha. Keeping a close watch dan, keep hustling. Do dump your tips for us to learn.
 

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Hey Everyone,

I was speaking with @Fox the other day and he asked how many leads / potential clients I've pitched so far. I have a CRM tracking all of it, but when I added the potential total of revenue that would come through the door (even if just closing like 1/3 or 1/2 of these), I got a little overwhelmed.

I've been just putting my head down and hustling all year it's definitely good to take a step back and look at the best ways to really get some of these deals to come through.

**Quick side note**: as of today, my website is currently ranking #1 organically for "SEO (my city)" which according to SEMRush gets 720 searches per month! Absolutely crazy, really interested to see if leads come through that channel organically... either way, I'm 100% going to use that as validation when pitching clients that I can get them results.

I want to put this all down in writing here, I've pitched all of these clients so far and this is a high-level overview of where they stand.

Any advice would definitely be appreciated for the best ways to close some of these and get some amazing momentum going!

2019 Pitched Clients (Still Waiting on Feedback/Decisions):

1. Sports League (SEO) - $1,000 to $3,000 per month (depending on the package chosen)
:

Sent over the proposal email two days ago, the head of the league has a meeting with the owner of the whole nationwide sports league and he's going to bring up my proposal (he's already ran it by him). I should have feedback on Wednesday for this one.

2. Boutique Travel Agency (Web Design) - $3,750

Good friend owns a travel agency and their site is currently really rough. I just pitched them yesterday and saw my friend out at a bar yesterday and we just quickly caught up. She said her and her business partner have a meeting on Monday to discuss this and they'll get back to me next week

3. Investment Mgmt Firm (Digital Marketing Services) - $5,000 per month

This includes SEO and a bunch of other marketing services. Sent the proposal Jan 24th, the owner said they had a busy Feb traveling and they'd get back to me. I waited a few weeks and sent a quick simple email chaser and then followed up with a call but didn't get a chance to speak with anyone (left a voicemail).

Obviously this one is a balancing act of not letting it fade out and not pushing too hard. Any ideas on how to follow up on this one?

4. Local Wealth Management Company (SEO) - $1,000 - $3,450 per month (depending on package)

New cold email technique I've been using has worked amazingly well, got the attention of a local wealth mgmt company and they asked me to come in person and present my SEO plan.

That was about 2 weeks ago and the meeting went great, but the owner has to run it by his partner. Still waiting to hear feedback on this one too.

5. Entertainment Company (SEO) - $500 - $1,875 per month (depending on package)

Came in from a referral from the fashion designer's site I did last year. Had a bunch of great calls but this guy has been really busy so still waiting on his feedback.

Pitched him on March 11th and he said he will aim to get back to me this upcoming week with more feedback.

6. Fashion Designer (SEO) - $2,200 - $6,000 per month (depending on package)

Previous web design client, the higher end packages would be for more than just SEO. Pitched them in early March and his manager said they are going to look at it this upcoming week but things have been crazy busy (he just released a new book which was why the site was really built to promote that and other things).

7. Local Graphic Design and Printing Company (Website Design) - $4,500

Copywriter in my networking group needed a web designer to make a site for a client she's working with. We met in person at his office last week and I sent over a pitch.

The copywriter seems to be of the impression that website design is more commoditized so she told me she was surprised when I quoted him at $4,500 for the site and that it seemed high to her.

Still waiting to see what the owner says... we had great rapport and he was showing me insanely expensive printing machinery he bought for his warehouse (kept name dropping and telling me the prices... multiple machines in the high 5 to 6 figures for each one so clearly the business is doing really well).

8. Former Retirement Planning Client (SEO) - $1,150 per month

My first web design client and my absolute favorite, guy is just a pleasure to work with. Wanted to help him really get the most of his site and he seems like he's interested.

He's the kinda guy who gets busy and drags his feet a little bit so I have to chase him sometimes... I'm going to follow up this week and get a hold of him to try to move things forward here.

9. Video Production Company (SEO) - $1,350 - $1,550 per month

Networking connection, owner is very unhappy with the SEO firm he's using, they aren't getting results and they aren't transparent but he's locked in a weird contract for at least a few more months and he wants to work with me potentially.

Trying to see what his options are to get out of that contract.

10. Commercial Real Estate Firm (Web Design) - $12,000 to $18,000

Networking connection originally, spoke with the marketing manager and I was one of their top choices back in August/Sept... but they aren't in a rush for this project. Been following up maybe once every 4-6 weeks but it doesn't seem to be moving forward too much, but obviously it would be for a good-sized contract.

Not sure how to handle this one either, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

11. Structured Cabling Company (Web Design and SEO) - $12,000 to $18,000 for the site.. SEO TBD

Networking connection, looking to present to the management of his firm so I sent him a proposal with more info about 2 weeks ago, still waiting to hear back for this one too.

So, in conclusion... lots of huge potential out there, just trying to be smart and put myself in the best possible situation to close these!

You're killing it man! Love your updates.

But now for something completely different.

Once you get these accounts on board for SEO, etc. how are you planning on keeping up with all that work. I can see this overwhelming you in short order.

Congrats on being #1 on SEO! That alone is exactly what you need - solid gold proof!
 
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GuitarManDan

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We moved out to Arizona from the Midwest 3 years ago. Recently went back and still had people guilt tripping us about moving here... after 3 years!

Idk if it ever goes away but let me tell you, I was never more happy to get on the plane and come home! Just the weather here makes life so much more enjoyable!

It really is incredible how much it impacts your mood, when I visit the east coast and go back to the miserable weather and consistent cloudy/rainy weather it really puts a damper on things.

Are you in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area? I've been making a real effort this year to try to meet more members on the forum... so cool to hear everyone's stories and what business they're involved with.

Probably because they miss you


Definitely agreed, I know deep down it comes from a place of my family missing me but I think there's a big difference between someone playfully messing around with you or just joking or even just being honest and saying they miss you vs. what my brother is currently doing to me (basically making me feel like I'm abandoning my family and going to miss everything and I'm super selfish).

Rep++ just for your consistent efforts man.

7th point. Most of the people I meet thinks website as commodity.

9th. Can you help him by connecting with the current agency he has hire and see what they are upto? Maybe you will find something valuable to present him or just purely provide some tips to the agency to improve his ranking?

Quite happy to know your solutions. I just learned a better way to write my progress. Ha ha. Keeping a close watch dan, keep hustling. Do dump your tips for us to learn.

Thanks so much man! For 7, I agree in some cases that's part of the challenge and opportunity to really reframe it to show them it's more of a long-term investment and huge upside vs. just a commodity.

I'm going to shoot him an email for 9 and just provide him with some more value and maybe make some suggestions of what approach I'd go with and see if he would be open to opting out of his contract and then at least I know I'd have that lined up in 2-3 months or whenever he gets out of that.

I know I mentioned I'd take a look at your progress thread, apologies man I've been crazy busy. If you want you could shoot me a PM with any questions that come up and I'm much better at responding to those haha.

You're killing it man! Love your updates.

But now for something completely different.

Once you get these accounts on board for SEO, etc. how are you planning on keeping up with all that work. I can see this overwhelming you in short order.

Congrats on being #1 on SEO! That alone is exactly what you need - solid gold proof!

Thanks man, and I couldn't agree anymore, but that's a great problem to have :)

On a serious note, once it gets to that point, I would have to outsource different components of it, which won't be an issue at all. The SEO course I took speaks about this specifically and how he outsources different parts to trusted vendors (whether it's on-page SEO, link building, etc).

The #1 ranking is really exciting, especially since it just validates it for my potential customers and to myself too that I know I can do this and really add value.
 

BlackMagician

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I know I mentioned I'd take a look at your progress thread, apologies man I've been crazy busy. If you want you could shoot me a PM with any questions that come up and I'm much better at responding to those haha.

No Problem man. I am already taking ideas and tips from your progress thread. Right now i have 4 web design project in hand which i want to complete before i hustle for outbound sales. But i think that's my mistake here. What do you do on handling the projects in hand and going out to get more sales? in short prospecting.

I feel if i have some projects in hand i stop prospecting. What are you doing right now to overcome this?

I am also facing the same challenge of 7th point. They think of that as commodity. When i say i usually charge 25k to 40K INR, they think that it's too much. Even though i have clients who paid that.

Maybe my mindset block or i am not able to target right people.

The SEO course I took speaks about this specifically and how he outsources different parts to trusted vendors (whether it's on-page SEO, link building, etc).
Which course buddy? kindly let me know. In my previous company, i handled their SEO and ranked their website from nowhere to 1st rank in 5-7 keywords in 5months. But it was in 2016. Need to brush off that skill with latest updates and sales approach.

I will PM you from now if i have questions. Tracking your posting time since 1 month :)
 

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It really is incredible how much it impacts your mood, when I visit the east coast and go back to the miserable weather and consistent cloudy/rainy weather it really puts a damper on things.

Are you in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area? I've been making a real effort this year to try to meet more members on the forum... so cool to hear everyone's stories and what business they're involved with.




Definitely agreed, I know deep down it comes from a place of my family missing me but I think there's a big difference between someone playfully messing around with you or just joking or even just being honest and saying they miss you vs. what my brother is currently doing to me (basically making me feel like I'm abandoning my family and going to miss everything and I'm super selfish).



Thanks so much man! For 7, I agree in some cases that's part of the challenge and opportunity to really reframe it to show them it's more of a long-term investment and huge upside vs. just a commodity.

I'm going to shoot him an email for 9 and just provide him with some more value and maybe make some suggestions of what approach I'd go with and see if he would be open to opting out of his contract and then at least I know I'd have that lined up in 2-3 months or whenever he gets out of that.

I know I mentioned I'd take a look at your progress thread, apologies man I've been crazy busy. If you want you could shoot me a PM with any questions that come up and I'm much better at responding to those haha.



Thanks man, and I couldn't agree anymore, but that's a great problem to have :)

On a serious note, once it gets to that point, I would have to outsource different components of it, which won't be an issue at all. The SEO course I took speaks about this specifically and how he outsources different parts to trusted vendors (whether it's on-page SEO, link building, etc).

The #1 ranking is really exciting, especially since it just validates it for my potential customers and to myself too that I know I can do this and really add value.
Yeah lived in San Tan valley for about 2 years and then moved to Mesa last summer after getting tired of driving to Mesa everytime we wanted to do something lol. We loved our house in San Tan but it was really far out from any restaurants or things to do.

We now live about 5 minutes from the 202/60 interchange in east Mesa.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I've been making a real effort this year to try to meet more members on the forum...

Might be time to organize a luncheon somewhere, we usually do it once a year or so.
 

AllenCrawley

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Are you in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area? I've been making a real effort this year to try to meet more members on the forum... so cool to hear everyone's stories and what business they're involved with.
We now live about 5 minutes from the 202/60 interchange in east Mesa.
Might be time to organize a luncheon somewhere, we usually do it once a year or so.
I was thinking it was about time for a Fastlane lunch soon!
 

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