How to sell web redesign to companies that spend money on promotion but have lackluster web?

[Ryko]

I've recently visited a tech fair in my town, out of sheer curiosity (and boredom). By pure chance, I know the guy who runs the venue and he once told me the ballpark figure on booth costs for the weekend etc. This weekend they had exhibitions from companies working in polymers and plastics, that sort of niche.

What baffled me was, knowing the cost of renting the space/booth, almost every website I checked was really lackluster. The only companies with nice and polished websites that looked good on phone etc were the companies with the biggest booths. But the gap in website quality between those major "players" and mid-level ones was pretty obvious.

My question is - how should I approach those companies and offer them website redesign / improvement? They already pay money for these fairs, booths were made to spec, fliers printed, so there's marketing money being invested, but their websites are still in 2006 - so to speak.

Should I send cold emails to the owners of those companies (find the addresses via tools like hunter.io or similar) to pass the gatekeepers, or do you think the CEO's would frown at someone approaching them out of the blue like that? Besides cold emails, I only see picking up the phone as a way to get in touch, but what worries me with that method is that I would probably get to talk to a secretary and that seems like a major hurdle, because they probably get dozen of similar calls like that each day.

So how do I help those businesses present themselves online as good as they presented themselves on that fair in their booths?

 

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[Thoelt53]

Email or call.

Pick one company and make a redesigned website. Send it to the CEO.

 

[Ryko]

Email or call.

Pick one company and make a redesigned website. Send it to the CEO.

I picked up approx. 100 fliers, 50 of them are from companies who need (in my opinion) improvement of their web presence. And that's objectively speaking, some of the sites still have that barely readable, 9px Verdana as the main font. How do I pick only one out of those 50? Or do I need to prepare myself to make 50 propositions and expect one or two to "pass"?

It's really strange to see them neglect that segment, but spend money on a fair.

Is it corny to use "your website is your booth, opened 24/7" angle?

 

[Thoelt53]

Read this thread in its entirety:

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

I’m assuming you already know how to build a website in one form or another. Do you have a portfolio?

@Fox also covers sales in the thread, you can see what worked for him.

The bottom line is to just try some stuff and see what sticks. It’s what we’re all doing around here really.

 

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[Ryko]

I’m assuming you already know how to build a website in one form or another. Do you have a portfolio?

I do have a portfolio, I've been working for many agencies and startups for several years now as a designer, never did much coding in the first place, I can do it myself but I'd rather not, I don't think I'm as efficient. Never been on the sales end. I've reached the point where I would rather work on closing the deals myself and delegate work to better coders.

 

[Supercar]

I get those website redesign and SEO emails all the time. Most are not personalized and show and promise nothing, other than perhaps a reasonable price, if they are from India. If I ask to show their past work they send me sites that look nothing like mine, from a different industry, not any close to my content or style.

I am guilty of still having a website from the 2000's. But I am used to it, my current cutomers are used to it, we like it and we do not see a problem. New customers may hate it though. I sometimes get customer emals asking if I am still in business. It's bad. I recently hired my ex-wife to work on the redesign. She put together the original site. Even if I overpay her, at least the money will stay "in the family".

Showing your portfolio adds to your credibility, but showing it first makes selecting the new design more difficult. Nobody wants to go emailing back and forth and asking to change that, and that, and that, especially if the changes have more to do with style rather than content. I wouldn't want to tell an artist painting my portrait to lighten up this corner, or use a different background color, or something. I will want to see the final product, and then I will tell whether I like it or not.

Work on one compary at a time. Take their front page and some key pages, and make several improved versions. At least one of them must have the same colors, style and perhaps layout as the current one. Research to see what ther competitors' sites look like, those CEOs might be secretly envious of them. Make these mockup sites look like something that the company might actually want to have. Put price tags on them, if their complexities vary.

Then call or email the CEO. Email several times, if needed: today, two days from today, two weeks later, two months later, half a year later, next year, if their site is still unchanged.

 

[Ryko]

Work on one compary at a time. Take their front page and some key pages, and make several improved versions. At least one of them must have the same colors, style and perhaps layout as the current one. Research to see what ther competitors' sites look like, those CEOs might be secretly envious of them. Make these mockup sites look like something that the company might actually want to have. Put price tags on them, if their complexities vary.

Then call or email the CEO. Email several times, if needed: today, two days from today, two weeks later, two months later, half a year later, next year, if their site is still unchanged.

Thanks. This is what I was thinking in the first place, just going by gut. My only concern is trying to figure out somewhat streamlined, fast way to mockup a template, without wasting time on coding, something that will just engage the CEO enough to expand the conversation.

I'm aware that companies get numerous web-related emails every day, so I need to stand out. The thing about these companies I'm looking at right now are somewhat near or around the niches I have interest in. I couldn't pitch a web for conceptual art gallery I think...but these are industries I actually want to work with because I have this nerdy need to see how they produce the products


Nice 993 in the avy. Buddy of mine has 2 turbos, real special machines.

 

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[Supercar]

The mockup sites do not need to be functional. Do not spend too much time on coding when going from one client to another. The links do not need to be clickable. Just copy and paste the same text that their own website has into your various templates. Then show this custom portfolio to them. They will feel obligated to reply.

 

[Supercar]

Outsource mocking up the sites. Then check and present the work yourself. India and China are excellent at duplicating.

 

[Azure]

Join the make money with web design fb group. Lots of valuable insights

 

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[Zimbizee]

^^^^This, there is a wealth of info over at Fox's FB group. You won't regret it.

 

[greenGabbard]

I would say go with a full redesign not just a mockup of the home page and a few pillar pages and SMS or email the owner the URL for the project. Yes you are working up front but if they have the desired traits looking for (i.e. relationships with other business, money, exposure etc....) then it is well worth the smaller amount of time put into the project. I currently do web design and it is more effective than just saying "hey i can do xyz for you" and show them nothing.

 

[Ryko]

I would say go with a full redesign not just a mockup of the home page and a few pillar pages and SMS or email the owner the URL for the project. Yes you are working up front but if they have the desired traits looking for (i.e. relationships with other business, money, exposure etc....) then it is well worth the smaller amount of time put into the project. I currently do web design and it is more effective than just saying "hey i can do xyz for you" and show them nothing.

Can you elaborate a bit how many deals have you closed doing that approach? I'm a bit skeptical to put in full effort, for example spend a week to create a fully functional website and get rejected by the owner...not sure how much rejection I could take doing that kind of work week in week out

 

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[greenGabbard]

Can you elaborate a bit how many deals have you closed doing that approach? I'm a bit skeptical to put in full effort, for example spend a week to create a fully functional website and get rejected by the owner...not sure how much rejection I could take doing that kind of work week in week out

I have closed a couple designs with this method. I just finished a local water treatment company that way. I actually worked on it for a week or more after my delivery job till i had a home page and a service page. Not very fancy but compared to what i found it was spectacular to the owner. If u dont want to do that much work just a real nice home page should work if HTML5, WordPress i would do 2-3 pages since the theme is built and page builders make customizing it ever so easy.

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[Ryko]

Just occured to me, looking thru my list that I made from the promo materials - it's all emails. I managed to hunt down emails from CEO's for some companies, but I only have emails, no phone contacts.

So the only option to get them interested is to cold email introduction...but I should ask them for phone in that email as well?

 

[greenGabbard]

Just occured to me, looking thru my list that I made from the promo materials - it's all emails. I managed to hunt down emails from CEO's for some companies, but I only have emails, no phone contacts.

So the only option to get them interested is to cold email introduction...but I should ask them for phone in that email as well?

Maybe try using a yp, google or yelp scraper and get a number but smaller chance since they are a company. I use them sometimes for small business, i.e real estate company/agent etc... hooe that helps a little

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[Ryko]

Maybe try using a yp, google or yelp scraper and get a number but smaller chance since they are a company.

Thanks. Will try, although I had quite a trouble finding CEO's email for some companies, I would think finding their phone is even bigger challenge...

Can't believe I looked past this obvious hurdle.

The one thing I fear is blowing these leads for nothing, I have approx. 300 emails...wouldn't want to ruin them as I think they're really quality leads. Cold mail seem like a bigger risk than calling....