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

[SunnyDftw]

http://fvdthemes.com/html/dentalclinic/
or
http://dev.loonars.com/templates/dentality/src/version3/index.html
Ctrl+S
Use Brackets or any editor and edit to put his info in.

Use https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...eensho/mcbpblocgmgfnpjjppndjkmgjaogfceg?hl=en

to screenshot the page.

Print out a high quality version of the mockup and bring it in next time you go in.

I've found it's easier to print out mockups when trying to get a client. Otherwise they "will look at it later" or ask you to "just send it to me"

I also make a print-out of their current site.

If I had enough reps I'd rep you lol will keep you posted on how it goes

 

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[Niptuck MD]

*** Disclaimer ***

While $15k+ a month (sales) might sound like a lot its not really. Its enough. Enough to invest in my real businesses and cover my basic living costs. Not every month is clean profit. I reinvest a lot of money into education, design and growing. Things go wrong and learning from scratch is hard work. Some jobs run overtime, some things I have to do twice, or three times or more.

I am not sipping cocktails on some beach while I go code once or twice a week on a hammock.
I am sleeping on a mattress with a desk, white boards and notepads in the corner. I code 8 - 10 hours a day and also spend half the morning at Uni trying to learn Spanish.

This is a crash course on entrepreneurship while you earn money. You have to learn to sell, cold call, manage, outsource, and so on. Everyday.
Coding websites is time intensive by nature.

If you are looking for easy money this probably isn't it. If you are looking to learn about business really fast though while funding and learning how to grow your own business this is excellent. Maybe in a few more months it will be more smooth but everyday right now is a full on grind. I love it though and have seen huge growth in a short time but its not for everyone.

Just want to add that in before someone thinks this is some overnight hack plan.

You are 110% correct it is merely enough. We still striving for more and greater profits


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Thiago Machado]

Hey @Fox, I just have a quick question.

Do you host the websites for your clients?

Or do you re-direct them to a hosting company?

If you host them, would you recommend a reseller account from any specific company?

Thanks.

 

[Fox]

Hey @Fox, I just have a quick question.

Do you host the websites for your clients?

Or do you re-direct them to a hosting company?

If you host them, would you recommend a reseller account from any specific company?

Thanks.

I usually set up a GoDaddy account for them and get them to move over. In the beginning I tried to do an affiliate account with them and would get paid for people who sign up under me but it was really messy and took away from the professional appearance I was aiming for. I know its "passive income" but I wasn't fond of what it meant for my clients experience.

Maybe there is a better way but I prefer to just have them move to GoDaddy and then give me delegate access to their account. Thats the cleanest simplest way and very easy for the client to manage during and after you build them a site.

Maybe someone knows a better way of doing this and or making some commission? Generally though I like to be pretty upfront about my costs and not drop dollars trying to pick up pennies.

How are you websites going?

Also I have got a lot of PMs so it will take a few days to get through them all.

 

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[DaRK9]

I usually set up a GoDaddy account for them and get them to move over. In the beginning I tried to do an affiliate account with them and would get paid for people who sign up under me but it was really messy and took away from the professional appearance I was aiming for. I know its "passive income" but I wasn't fond of what it meant for my clients experience.

Maybe there is a better way but I prefer to just have them move to GoDaddy and then give me delegate access to their account. Thats the cleanest simplest way and very easy for the client to manage during and after you build them a site.

Maybe someone knows a better way of doing this and or making some commission? Generally though I like to be pretty upfront about my costs and not drop dollars trying to pick up pennies.

How are you websites going?

Also I have got a lot of PMs so it will take a few days to get through them all.

I use https://www.siteground.com/reseller_hosting.htm and charge them for monthly hosting instead of having them buy it from someone else.

This reduces the risk of them waiting a few days to create a GoDaddy, for them to get the wrong plan, not order a domain. etc. It's 100% white label and I would recommend to anyone.

 

[Serty]

Thank you Fox. Knowing HTML and CSS already I am now all set to go!
Never saw the real potential of knowing these seemingly basic skills.
Will be starting today. Making a progress thread tomorrow and getting
my first client before the end of next week.
What a special place this forum is..

 

[JordanK]

Thanks for providing us with this great thread Fox. It should definately be marked Gold. I'm a first year Software Development student in Ireland and the reason I chose the course was for exactly this. I can study during the day and then apply those skills at night. I have prior knowledge of HTML but I'm still weak at CSS and Javascript but I'm already benefiting from the course in that regard. I should have my first client in the next day or two (Only a 50-100$ job) but its somewhere to start. My main goal today is to timetable my days so that I can make the most of my breaks during the day to get assignments and other work done so I have the maximum amount of time in the evenings for work and socialising.

Rep++

 

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[Fox]

Thanks for providing us with this great thread Fox. It should definately be marked Gold. I'm a first year Software Development student in Ireland and the reason I chose the course was for exactly this. I can study during the day and then apply those skills at night. I have prior knowledge of HTML but I'm still weak at CSS and Javascript but I'm already benefiting from the course in that regard. I should have my first client in the next day or two (Only a 50-100$ job) but its somewhere to start. My main goal today is to timetable my days so that I can make the most of my breaks during the day to get assignments and other work done so I have the maximum amount of time in the evenings for work and socialising.

Rep++

Nice, I am Irish also. A lot of University courses teach you how to be an employee but try think like your own boss from day 1. In a way you always work for yourself anyway. Try approaching local businesses and telling them you are studying computer design and would love to make them a free website. If you do one a month then by next Spring you will have a great portfolio and can start to charge. Maybe by fourth year you will have a full web design business going and some side ecommerce projects.

Start small, start today and just be consistent. I wish I had known about web design during University - lots of opportunities. Link in with business clubs and get networking.

 

[DVU]

Holy $hit, thank you so much for this.

For the past week I was looking a way to step up my game and get new clients. I will contact 50 companies today pitching a redesign, because why not, and post results.

One question, is it better to use reseller or host their website on my hosting and take monthly fee for hosting and maintaining their websites, because thats what i do now.

To give something back, here is a lot of free stuff that is more that useful:

http://web-tools.club/

http://allthefreestock.com/

 

[ChasingPaper]

I know a bit about HTML/CSS and some ruby(onRails) and about to start learning some JavaScript. Building up a website starting today and will post a link or picture of it here to show you all how it's came along and ask Fox for feedback.

I'm building it using sublime IDE. Hopefully I'll be finished in 14 days (I still have a job) and get it posted on here and then start contacting clients to show them my portfolio.

Thanks for the thread Fox.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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[Fox]

Holy $hit, thank you so much for this.

For the past week I was looking a way to step up my game and get new clients. I will contact 50 companies today pitching a redesign, because why not, and post results.

One question, is it better to use reseller or host their website on my hosting and take monthly fee for hosting and maintaining their websites, because thats what i do now.

To give something back, here is a lot of free stuff that is more that useful:

http://web-tools.club/

http://allthefreestock.com/

I tried hosting on my account in the past and making a few dollars from affiliate deals. I am not a huge fan of it, I like the customer having control of their own sites and having a "cleaner" service. It feels like dropping dollars to pick up pennies.


Also quick topic for today: Photos

Photos make or break a website. We are all emotional creatures and make emotional decisions. The right photos help A LOT with converting sales and having people stay on your site longer. Try develop a good eye for what works well. Have pictures that show customer exactly what results they should expect with you. For added social proof try also have real photos that show the companies logos,staff, facilities, equipment etc.

If you can show this company is real, looks professional and has the results people want its a huge part of the sales process.

Good copy is important and so is content but photos get people in the door and looking around.

Think of it like dating profile - You can get away with poor content if your photos are amazing, if your photos are terrible then your content has to work 1000% harder. Aim for high definition, eye catching photos that show the companies product/service to the best of your ability.

Don't use cheesy stock photos!!!!!!!!...





If you are using photos like this then stop. You can find free photos online but stay away from obviously stock pictures that instantly lose credibility.
No one, NO ONE, likes these photos.


Once you get to deals over 5-8k start trying to see if they also want you to arrange a professional photographer too. They are not cheap and can cost up to $200 an hour including post production editing. They are worth it though. It makes your job a lot easier and also makes the end product great.

 

[ChasingPaper]

I tried hosting on my account in the past and making a few dollars from affiliate deals. I am not a huge fan of it, I like the customer having control of their own sites and having a "cleaner" service. It feels like dropping dollars to pick up pennies.


Also quick topic for today: Photos

Photos make or break a website. We are all emotional creatures and make emotional decisions. The right photos help A LOT with converting sales and having people stay on your site longer. Try develop a good eye for what works well. Have pictures that show customer exactly what results they should expect with you. For added social proof try also have real photos that show the companies logos,staff, facilities, equipment etc.

If you can show this company is real, looks professional and has the results people want its a huge part of the sales process.

Good copy is important and so is content but photos get people in the door and looking around.

Think of it like dating profile - You can get away with poor content if your photos are amazing, if your photos are terrible then your content has to work 1000% harder. Aim for high definition, eye catching photos that show the companies product/service to the best of your ability.

Don't use cheesy stock photos!!!!!!!!...


View attachment 13256


If you are using photos like this then stop. You can find free photos online but stay away from obviously stock pictures that instantly lose credibility.
No one, NO ONE, likes these photos.


Once you get to deals over 5-8k start trying to see if they also want you to arrange a professional photographer too. They are not cheap and can cost up to $200 an hour including post production editing. They are worth it though. It makes your job a lot easier and also makes the end product great.

To add onto this, what makes a photo great?
- GREAT QUALITY (is a MUST)
Quality makes a gigantic difference on how professionalism is perceived on you're site.

- NOT CHEESY (like Fox stated)
Cheesy pictures you got from stock sites will show that this isn't you're actual career, but instead a mere side hobby.

- SIMPLE DESIGN
Overly complex images will take away from the flow of you're site. Simple images generally will work best for most applications.

- RELATED TO THE SITE (common sense)
Common sense but you'd be surprised how many small businesses right now use stock images that have nothing to do with their site. It usually consist of a person with a cheesy dumb smile on their face not even relating to the website owners profession.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fox]

In less than 3 seconds... What does this company do?

Dig big holes? Run a mine? Something with machines???

At the very bottom...



Although the above layout is not the worse there are a few critical mistakes. The picture is decent but I think its the wrong time and place for it. They should be opening up with a large banner and picture that clearly shows their services and then maybe a prompt to either see current projects or contact them. I also don't like font and color used.

The content and links they have picked to display is overwhelming and confusing. Too many options. You need to guide and lead people through a large website, giving too many options is not a great idea. The should have one opening page that shows them all the overview things they will need to know about the company before leading them to where they want to go.

This is a common mistake - They are leaving people wide open to just click on whatever they want with no clear plan or path towards something.

A sales path for this website might be:
intro (great content, social proof, correct images) > services > capabilities > proof (past projects and reviews) > CTA (email or phone)

The locations down the bottom are not clickable (the directions link brings you to google maps, not a good idea - host that inside your site).
The contact pages (linked elsewhere badly and also at the bottom in tiny writing) don't have a contact form, email address or easy to dial option from your phone. It takes effort to figure out what to do. design should be a lazy and a simple as possible. People should not have to think.

These guys have 6 locations and are making mega millions every year. There would be a lot of improvements here for an experienced design team. This is a good example of a decent site that could be better (but isn't too bad). Probably a new website would be priced at between 30-50k.

https://www.amesconstruction.com/


Here is another Irish example of a smaller, but similar, company that could really do with a website...

http://www.thompson.ie/

These are the level people on here should be aiming for after a year. Decent sized size for large companies that you can justify 20-50k for.

Although you might be only able to improve conversions by 20-40% on these websites that is a massive profit margin increase downstream.

 

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[ApparentHorizon]

Photos make or break a website.

What's your take on balancing quality (filesize) and page speed?

 

[BigBrianC]

Thanks for the thread, bro. I'm a freelance copywriter (Thanks to Lex, tbh) and it made me totally reconsider my approach. Instead of getting 50 one-hour jobs at $50/hr, I only need one big job. I've emailed over 30 industrial services (and related) companies the past two days, it's amazing how many companies straight up list the emails of people in their company. I've been getting drop-in-the-bucket type clients, 1-3 hours of work at $50/hr. Now I'm going for a 5k-15k sales letter or bust.

I also could do websites (I'm also a developer) but my portfolio is not as big there as it is in copy.

 

[Fox]

What's your take on balancing quality (filesize) and page speed?

I use https://tinypng.com/ on all my pics that reduces the size down to 40-60% of the original size.

Two large sites I have built with lots of images...







Don't have everything on your first page. Its the most important page (especially for load times) but should be kept simple and easy to navigate.

 

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[Fox]

Thanks for the thread, bro. I'm a freelance copywriter (Thanks to Lex, tbh) and it made me totally reconsider my approach. Instead of getting 50 one-hour jobs at $50/hr, I only need one big job. I've emailed over 30 industrial services (and related) companies the past two days, it's amazing how many companies straight up list the emails of people in their company. I've been getting drop-in-the-bucket type clients, 1-3 hours of work at $50/hr. Now I'm going for a 5k-15k sales letter or bust.

I also could do websites (I'm also a developer) but my portfolio is not as big there as it is in copy.

Web design is an easy side hustle for copywriter guys. I see myself as a combination of both with a lean towards web design. It makes up a decent portion of any website and the rest is just design and coding basics.

Try partner up with someone on this thread who might be decent at web design but not great at copy. I don't need a copy guy but there will be someone here who does. Or just do both yourself.

 

[ApparentHorizon]

I use https://tinypng.com/ on all my pics that reduces the size down to 40-60% of the original size.

Two large sites I have built with lots of images...

View attachment 13259


View attachment 13260


Don't have everything on your first page. Its the most important page (especially for load times) but should be kept simple and easy to navigate.

Oh wow this is great - much better than Photoshop web saves. (25% reduction from CS6)

It will really come in handy for long form landing pages.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Update:

So my friend told me to write up what I could do for him on a monthly basis (more so on the social media side. He wants to put out content + run targeted facebook ads + etc)
Sent him a proposal with samples, mockups, etc.
He agreed to the monthly retainer I proposed.
The deal is good for both parties.
He's super happy and is refering me to many of his upscale clients.
And I got a client, great portfolio piece, and am potentially in the making of a successful case study with him if all goes well.

Everybody wins.

Next up: appointment with the 2 leads he gave me.

Just wanted to share some minor success I've been having after reading this thread.

A good friend of mine is one of the most sought after personal trainers in my city and is looking to venture into online fitness coaching. I noticed his facebook page and instagram profile were looking pretty amateurish and he still didn't build a website. He has a great reputation where I live, but no online presence. So I offered to fix his social media pages for free. I made him some custom graphics, facebook timeline cover, etc.

Now, must I remind you, I did this as genuinely as possible. Not once did I expect to receive anything in return (he's a real friend).

I went above and beyond, over-delivered, and low-and-behold: he was BLOWN AWAY!
Immediately, his new online presence caught people's attention. He said that everyone was complimenting him on the work that was done. They asked him "what agency are you using?"

Now, this is a guy who train's very wealthy people.
Luckily, 2 of his clients approached him and asked who did it.

I now have 2 hot leads from a dentist and heart surgeon (and my friend wants to put me on a monthly retainer to manage his marketing.)

So I learned through first-hand experience:

• Good things come to those who act.
• Be empathetic.
• Show genuine interest and that you care about the person.
• Provide massive value.
• And deliver solid results.

By doing these simple things, you shouldn't worry so much about cold-calling or figuring out where the next job is coming from.

Thanks @Fox

These posts just transformed this thread from NOTABLE to GOLD.

Anyhow, this is exactly how I got started in the web design business which paid my bills in those early days.

After I did my first design, the clients started rolling in.

If you can't get a first client to pay because they can't trust a newbie, do something for free. If your work is good, it will steamroll from there.

 

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[Fox]

After I did my first design, the clients started rolling in.

If you can't get a first client to pay because they can't trust a newbie, do something for free.

If your work is good, it will steamroll from there.

Whole thread perfectly condensed.

Thanks MJ. Great to see people here putting this to good use.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

If you can't get a first client to pay because they can't trust a newbie, do something for free. If your work is good, it will steamroll from there.

If I was just getting started again, here's how I would go about it.

1. Find a notable company in a larger industry with a poorly designed website.
   
2. Find the decision maker and "try" to get authorization to redo their website... TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE. If they like it, they can use it.
3. If you can't find the decision maker, DO IT ANYWAY.
4. Redesign the website.
   
5. Make sure it is your best work, and a clear improvement over the original website.
6. Email the entire upper management the link of the new website -- reiterate that it is FREE and that you will change anything they want.
7. Once they see the work and realize it is FREE, they will probably accept it.
8. Now you have your first client -- giving you the ability to say "We recently redesigned XXX's website." -- giving you social proof with a notable company. Now you can look to start charging. If not, repeat.
   
9. The above can be done for APPS as well. (I noticed you didn't have a mobile app?)
   
10. At some point, it will become easier and easier to find paid work.
11. Pick color of Lamborghini.

 

[BigBrianC]

Subject: "Your Next Big Job"

"
(Name, or if not there, just a 'Hello',)

You're in consideration for the biggest job you've ever had. This job could provide a facelift to your company, bring you to the next level, buy you everything you've ever dreamed of.

There's only one problem. The other guy. He doesn't do work as good as you do, he doesn't have the experience you do, he's simply not as good as you.

But he's going to get the job. Why? He has a professional sales letter, written by a top copywriter. This guy was able to sell his business with a sales letter. This sales letter beat your superior experience. It beat your ability. It beat your hard work.

Of course, this is a hypothetical. This may or may not have actually happened. But I can make sure it never happens in the future. I can craft a sales letter for you that, combined with your skill and experience, will secure you every job you need for years to come.

Talk Soon."


This is the first version of the email I've been sending people. I'm going to continuously tweak it, of course, but this is what I've started with. My thought process was --

Most of the people opening this email are expecting emails from potential clients.
They see "next big job" and think it's a client offering a huge job, so they're going to open it (first battle won)
They start to read and then start to think about their dreams, etc. and what this apparently huge job could bring
Introduce their natural fear -- losing it.
Show them they could be losing jobs because of an unfair advantage (sales letter)
Get them scared a bit, get them thinking, make them want a sales letter
Offer the sales letter.

I just want a reply back. I want someone interested enough to respond back with "Tell me more!". Then I've won, and I'm going to get a 5k-15k job writing a sales letter. That's all you need from this email.

If someone in this thread who's doing the web stuff but doesn't have copy wants to partner up, I'd be totally down with it. I'm also probably going to start offering web sites, I do have some websites in my portfolio, so we'll see what happens.

 

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[devine]

If I was just getting started again, here's how I would go about it.

1. Find a notable company in a larger industry with a poorly designed website.
   
2. Find the decision maker and "try" to get authorization to redo their website... TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE. If they like it, they can use it.
3. If you can't find the decision maker, DO IT ANYWAY.
4. Redesign the website.
   
5. Make sure it is your best work, and a clear improvement over the original website.
6. Email the entire upper management the link of the new website -- reiterate that it is FREE and that you will change anything they want.
7. Once they see the work and realize it is FREE, they will probably accept it.
8. Now you have your first client -- giving you the ability to say "We recently redesigned XXX's website." -- giving you social proof with a notable company. Now you can look to start charging. If not, repeat.
   
9. The above can be done for APPS as well. (I noticed you didn't have a mobile app?)
   
10. At some point, it will become easier and easier to find paid work.
11. Pick color of Lamborghini.

Either this or No-Testimonial policy.
People, generally, don't care about testimonials (as they're used by majority of companies), if they see a good work done by competent specialists - they hire.
One good article that helps a prospect - worth 100x more than having Apple, Google or any other company on the list. Having a testimonial from some medium-sized business is worth literally nothing.

These 11 steps are great to get more work, because the company WILL recommend you to others.

 

[devine]

Subject: "Your Next Big Job"

"
(Name, or if not there, just a 'Hello',)

You're in consideration for the biggest job you've ever had. This job could provide a facelift to your company, bring you to the next level, buy you everything you've ever dreamed of.

There's only one problem. The other guy. He doesn't do work as good as you do, he doesn't have the experience you do, he's simply not as good as you.

But he's going to get the job. Why? He has a professional sales letter, written by a top copywriter. This guy was able to sell his business with a sales letter. This sales letter beat your superior experience. It beat your ability. It beat your hard work.

Of course, this is a hypothetical. This may or may not have actually happened. But I can make sure it never happens in the future. I can craft a sales letter for you that, combined with your skill and experience, will secure you every job you need for years to come.

Talk Soon."


This is the first version of the email I've been sending people. I'm going to continuously tweak it, of course, but this is what I've started with. My thought process was --

Most of the people opening this email are expecting emails from potential clients.
They see "next big job" and think it's a client offering a huge job, so they're going to open it (first battle won)
They start to read and then start to think about their dreams, etc. and what this apparently huge job could bring
Introduce their natural fear -- losing it.
Show them they could be losing jobs because of an unfair advantage (sales letter)
Get them scared a bit, get them thinking, make them want a sales letter
Offer the sales letter.

I just want a reply back. I want someone interested enough to respond back with "Tell me more!". Then I've won, and I'm going to get a 5k-15k job writing a sales letter. That's all you need from this email.

If someone in this thread who's doing the web stuff but doesn't have copy wants to partner up, I'd be totally down with it. I'm also probably going to start offering web sites, I do have some websites in my portfolio, so we'll see what happens.

Goes to spam box immediately.

 

[Fox]

If I was just getting started again, here's how I would go about it.

1. Find a notable company in a larger industry with a poorly designed website.
   
2. Find the decision maker and "try" to get authorization to redo their website... TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE. If they like it, they can use it.
3. If you can't find the decision maker, DO IT ANYWAY.
4. Redesign the website.
   
5. Make sure it is your best work, and a clear improvement over the original website.
6. Email the entire upper management the link of the new website -- reiterate that it is FREE and that you will change anything they want.
7. Once they see the work and realize it is FREE, they will probably accept it.
8. Now you have your first client -- giving you the ability to say "We recently redesigned XXX's website." -- giving you social proof with a notable company. Now you can look to start charging. If not, repeat.
   
9. The above can be done for APPS as well. (I noticed you didn't have a mobile app?)
   
10. At some point, it will become easier and easier to find paid work.
11. Pick color of Lamborghini.

But... that sounds like work

-----------------------------------

This is a fool proof plan to having real, well paying clients within a month.

I want to see some people on here put this to good use.
You got the advice already, this thread for feedback and this whole forum for extra info. No excuses.

 

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[Andy Black]

If I was just getting started again, here's how I would go about it.

1. Find a notable company in a larger industry with a poorly designed website.
   
2. Find the decision maker and "try" to get authorization to redo their website... TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE. If they like it, they can use it.
3. If you can't find the decision maker, DO IT ANYWAY.
4. Redesign the website.
   
5. Make sure it is your best work, and a clear improvement over the original website.
6. Email the entire upper management the link of the new website -- reiterate that it is FREE and that you will change anything they want.
7. Once they see the work and realize it is FREE, they will probably accept it.
8. Now you have your first client -- giving you the ability to say "We recently redesigned XXX's website." -- giving you social proof with a notable company. Now you can look to start charging. If not, repeat.
   
9. The above can be done for APPS as well. (I noticed you didn't have a mobile app?)
   
10. At some point, it will become easier and easier to find paid work.
11. Pick color of Lamborghini.

Anyone still want steps?


My favourite bit? "DO IT ANYWAY".

You don't need permission.

You could spend weeks trying to get someone to agree to you building something for them for free.

Or you could spend that time doing it anyway, then show them what you've done.

"Show, don't tell."

I did a thread along those lines here:

• Show, don't tell

You don't need permission to help someone or make their life better.

You don't need to be an expert.

You already know enough.

Listen to the first radio interview in my signature. It describes how I got started on a similar path. (The second interview is a continuation and may help you too.)



Bonus tip:

Spend as much time writing up how you built the site and promoting this case study, as it took you to build it.

Eventually, try to focus on one vertical.

Ask yourself:

"How many more times can I sell this widget?"

"How can I leverage what I've already done?"


Become known as "The XYZ Guy/Gal".

The guy who builds websites for bowling alleys.

The guy who builds websites for plastic surgeons.


One direction you could go to scale is described here:

• www.tropicalmba.com/scale

I don't know if this is their website, but study it:

• www.dentalcmo.com

And this one:

• www.plumberseo.net

And watch the video after you subscribe here:

• www.sevenfigureagency.com

(You'll be in their auto-responder sequence mind, but the video itself is just confirmation that you need to focus.)




Something you should consider is trying to get people into a monthly recurring payment.

What can you offer them after the website build?

Monthly AdWords, Facebook ads, SEO/Content Marketing, social media management, hosting, support, maintenance, etc.


Love this thread...

 

[Andy Black]

@Fox ... I'm waiting to get my mic back, then we should schedule our call(s)!

 

[Harley]

Goes to spam box immediately.

Agreed. Having 3 of my own websites currently running, means I get a ton of spam daily and anything that looks like this title and to be honest content gets marked spam.

Great effort in thinking this way, I just think you need to focus a little more on reaching a certain decision making individual within the company and making it a personal email to them. But, still a lot of this will get binned too and I base this on many years as a top sales exec (before I went my own way). The best approach is to do your utmost and try and speak with the person live before sending blind email proposals. That way they will be expecting your email. A bit of persistence and creativity and you can easily get a live call most of the time. As others have said, I often find the simplest method is to call and say "Could I speak to XYZ please" I try and say like it's a family member, friend, expected call (I have even said "we got cut off a while ago") etc. If they push and ask what its about, or where you're from just be casual and say "your name like he's expecting you. Little hard to explain, but with practice you can make yourself very casual sounding and not like a "sales guy" Might sound. Basic in principle, but we've all taken those calls at work in the past where we can automatically tell the sales guy, from someone who sounds like an acquaintance. It will take a bit of practice, but personally, I would say, I get to talk to 7 out of 10 people I try to reach this way - Sometimes it takes several attempts though.

However, you then need to ensure you have researched and perfected your elevator speech well, to keep them on the phone and interested.

 

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[DaRK9]

Subject: "Your Next Big Job"

"
(Name, or if not there, just a 'Hello',)

You're in consideration for the biggest job you've ever had. This job could provide a facelift to your company, bring you to the next level, buy you everything you've ever dreamed of.

There's only one problem. The other guy. He doesn't do work as good as you do, he doesn't have the experience you do, he's simply not as good as you.

But he's going to get the job. Why? He has a professional sales letter, written by a top copywriter. This guy was able to sell his business with a sales letter. This sales letter beat your superior experience. It beat your ability. It beat your hard work.

Of course, this is a hypothetical. This may or may not have actually happened. But I can make sure it never happens in the future. I can craft a sales letter for you that, combined with your skill and experience, will secure you every job you need for years to come.

Talk Soon."


This is the first version of the email I've been sending people. I'm going to continuously tweak it, of course, but this is what I've started with. My thought process was --

Most of the people opening this email are expecting emails from potential clients.
They see "next big job" and think it's a client offering a huge job, so they're going to open it (first battle won)
They start to read and then start to think about their dreams, etc. and what this apparently huge job could bring
Introduce their natural fear -- losing it.
Show them they could be losing jobs because of an unfair advantage (sales letter)
Get them scared a bit, get them thinking, make them want a sales letter
Offer the sales letter.

I just want a reply back. I want someone interested enough to respond back with "Tell me more!". Then I've won, and I'm going to get a 5k-15k job writing a sales letter. That's all you need from this email.

If someone in this thread who's doing the web stuff but doesn't have copy wants to partner up, I'd be totally down with it. I'm also probably going to start offering web sites, I do have some websites in my portfolio, so we'll see what happens.

I keep all of my emails short and personal.

Here is one I sent yesterday.

"Hey John Doe, I'm interested in revamping your website. Here is an example of what your site could look like in less than a week.

PIC OF DEMO WITH LINK TO A DEMO.

I'd like to get on a 15 minute call and show you how we can increase your sales online. Does 10AM this Thursday work for you?

-Signature with my contact info."

Don't spend a bunch of time trying to explain who you are and how awesome you are. Just show them the work and get an appointment.

 

[Thiago Machado]

If I was just getting started again, here's how I would go about it.

1. Find a notable company in a larger industry with a poorly designed website.
   
2. Find the decision maker and "try" to get authorization to redo their website... TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE. If they like it, they can use it.
3. If you can't find the decision maker, DO IT ANYWAY.
4. Redesign the website.
   
5. Make sure it is your best work, and a clear improvement over the original website.
6. Email the entire upper management the link of the new website -- reiterate that it is FREE and that you will change anything they want.
7. Once they see the work and realize it is FREE, they will probably accept it.
8. Now you have your first client -- giving you the ability to say "We recently redesigned XXX's website." -- giving you social proof with a notable company. Now you can look to start charging. If not, repeat.
   
9. The above can be done for APPS as well. (I noticed you didn't have a mobile app?)
   
10. At some point, it will become easier and easier to find paid work.
11. Pick color of Lamborghini.

Definitely putting this to use on my progress thread once I start reaching out to clients.

Thanks @MJ DeMarco