website, sales, e-commerceI’ve recently started a business in IT solutions and one of the main services are website development for local businesses. They are either normal websites with no functionalities and only information, or E-Commerce websites.
I myself am a web developer, yet I am not entirely sure about the process of selling a website.
What are the techniques to selling a website?
What are the necessary services that should be provided?
Should I provide a cheaper cost for a poorly designed website?
I’ve worked in this field for quite a while, and it’s not just about writing code, let me tell you. To be successful, you have to understand what your customers’ needs are. It sounds simple until you realize that many times the customers themselves aren’t totally sure of what they want! They may have some fuzzy ideas about what a website would be or could do for them, but most of the time they don’t have enough understanding of what is and isn’t possible in technology to have a realistic idea of what they can have.
The point is, most of the time the customer will look to you to understand their business and their market enough so that you can figure out what is best for them based on what they’re willing to spend. This requires patience and the ability to help people who have little technical background understand what it is you can do for them and how it will benefit their business. So in many ways, you are just as much (perhaps more of) a business consultant than you are a web site developer.
I love the work, because I’ve had the opportunity to work with businesses in so many different markets, but customers can also be difficult sometimes, so being able to remain calm and be reassuring is a huge plus.
One way to get started, as crazy as it sounds, is to go door to door talking to small business owners about whether they have a web site. If not then you could talk to them about their thoughts on perhaps having a small one, at least to let them get started. If they do have a site already, ask them what they would change or add if they could, then tell them how you can provide that for them. Once you get your first few jobs, you can ask for referrals, and if you’ve done good work then you’ll get them. Small business owners always know plenty of other small business owners, so happy clients are a great source of leads.
Most of all, be patient and hang in there. It takes time to establish yourself in this industry, because there’s plenty of competition, and until you have a track record of happy customers or a portfolio of work you’ve done to show your skills, it will take quite a bit of effort to develop clients.
Edit
To your question about offering lower quality for less – NEVER! Always give your customers the best you can do for what you charge. The key there is to make sure they know exactly what they’re getting, what it will cost, and why they should consider spending a little more for additional features. The worst thing you could ever do, especially just starting out, is to cut corners with your clients. Maybe you’ll have to charge lower fees to begin with just to get your first jobs (that’s what I did), but as your reputation grows, so do your fees.
Still, if you’re good as a developer, and if you’re good at talking with people, then you should do well in the long run.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
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