Obtaining website clients

A short guide to obtaining website clients by Brian Dinter –

Let me first start off by saying that I am by no means a writer, this will be evident as you continue to read.  The purpose of this short article is to help web and graphic designers like myself, obtain new clients.  This may not be the easiest way, but as we all know, solidifying new clients is never an easy task.  For anyone that runs a small company on a shoestring budget, hiring a marketing/sales team just isn’t an option.  As the owner, you have to wear the hat of the President, CEO, Marketing Director, Sales Manager, Accounts Payable, and Accounts Receivable while still being the Web or Graphic Designer. It is taxing at times, but we must forge ahead.

Reconnaissance

The first thing to remember is to always have a watchful eye on your surroundings while driving, walking, at the health club, sandwich shop, etc., keeping an eye out for vans, trucks, billboards, posters, flyers and business cards.  Anything you come across that provides company information, be it phone numbers or web addresses, take note of it, write it down or even take a photo.  You may want to even try to find business parks and look for the sign of listed businesses in that business plaza.  I typically take a photo of the sign to use when assembling my list of potential contacts.

Assembly

Once you’ve compiled a list, create a spreadsheet with the relevant company information. Now, here is where the fun begins.  I typically try to get at least 50 plus companies into a spreadsheet before moving onto the next step.

Break it down

Once you have a substantial list company names, you will want to do a Google search for that company and see if they have a website.  If they do, take note on the following:

Does the site look dated?

Is the site done entirely in tables?

Can the site be improved?

How would you improve it?

Once you’ve critiqued the site, make a note of all the things that are right or wrong with the site as a whole.  Copy any contact information available on the website for the person responsible for maintaining the site.  Do this for all the companies listed in your spreadsheet.  Once you have a comprehensive list of all the websites shortcomings, you can move onto the next step.

Email Template

Its good practice to have a basic email template that you can customize based on the company, your observations of the website and information on how your company can assist.  Below is a typical example that you can use and modify to suit your particular needs.  Refer back to your spreadsheet for relevant contact information.

Good Morning!

My name is Brian Dinter with ZeroHour Studios.  We’re a small web/graphic design company out of (Your City/State Here).  The reason for my email is that I came across your website and was curious if you would be interested in a makeover?  Although your site is functional, we feel we could greatly improve on it from a navigational and layout perspective.  It also looks like your website is

(Insert problem areas here)

We can make the site more search engine friendly by using the latest web standards and make your site look more clean, polished, and professional.

Please feel free to visit our website which might give you a better idea of what we are capable of.  Our web address can be found in my signature below.

If you are interested in discussing some options in further detail or if you should have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!  If you should need additional examples of our recent work, just let us know!  Thank you for the opportunity and we look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

John Q. Public

Company Name

Title

Phone

Email

Web Address

The Waiting Game

It’s really hit or miss when sending these emails. It has been my experience that for every 50-75 emails you send out, you may get one response.  No one said this was easy, but as my late great Uncle Arne used to say, “You can’t be invisible”.  Even if you don’t get a reply, your email more than likely was read.  So your efforts aren’t for not because someone now knows your name, what you do, where you are, and what you can do for their company.  They also know that there are problem areas on their website that they may want to address. Even if they don’t choose to use your services you still win.

If you don’t get a reply right away, don’t be discouraged.  Some people don’t check email as often as you would like them to.  Give them a couple of weeks and if you don’t hear anything at that point, send a follow up email.  If you STILL don’t receive a reply, then you may have to sharpen up on your phone skills and give them a call.  You must stay on top of your emails because you can’t always depend on someone stumbling across your website.  In this fractured economy we need to “Always Be Closing”.  Good luck and don’t give up!

On the side

When you get a reply, the most common response will be, “How much will it cost”?  This is where it can get tricky.  You just don’t want to blurt out a price because this may scare away the potential client.  You want to say something along the lines of:

“We would like an opportunity to speak with you more about your exact needs for your website.  Having this information will give us a better idea of the job scope.  Knowing what is actually required to make your website a success will help us give you more of an accurate quote.  Do you have some time this week to discuss?”

About Me

I name is Brian Dinter and I am co-owner of ZeroHour Studios.  I enjoy designing, painting, drawing, and drinking beer from time to time.