John sent through some interview questions last week and I typed up my answers.
Because some people prefer to read and some people prefer to watch a video I also videoed my answers to the questions and sent that through to John too.
Apologies for putting you through the video of my enormous head filling the screen for so long!
But You Can Win Stuff!
Just to make it fair, if you take a look at the interview and do a small thing John asks for at the end you can win “…..not one, not two, but three SitePoint books to the readers of this blog, and winning them couldn’t be easier.”
Here’s the first part of the interview. For more jump on over to John’s site for the video and the text answers (the text answers aren’t just a transcript of the video, I wrote the text answers first and then filmed the video cold).
This post is about how to get a decent ranking in Google for a term you want – it’s not comprehensive, but it will do the job.
I was looking at wedding photographs by Hailey Bartholomew earlier and that’s still top of mind, so let’s target a term Hailey would want (I think – I haven’t actually asked).
Hailey’s a wonderful wedding photographer in Brisbane (an Australian city). Mmmmm, I wonder what terms people would use to search for a wedding photographer?
Okay, first we need to understand that you can really only get a good ranking for 1 term per page (not always, but generally).
Want to run a marathon (or 100 km) with a difference? Heard of the Antarctic Ice Marathon?
A brilliant race that markets itself.
Why?
Because it’s so different and chat worthy that guys like me will blog about it, other people will talk about and journalists will write about it. Easy.
I’d guess the race organisers wouldn’t spend a cent on advertising. It’ll all be done for them.
Having a product or service or story that is so extraordinary that people will talk about it is the perfect marketing strategy.
I don’t think too much before I act. I certainly don’t analyse things for days. Make quick decisions and act.
Sure, I’m wrong some of the time. But the benefits of acting (and being wrong some of the time) far outweigh the benefit of not doing anything. Here’s how to get your very first web design client.
1. Check out web sites of local businesses 2. Find ones you think you can improve 3. Call the web site owner up and say “I can get your web site to make more money.”
Your aim with the call is to get a meeting. Once you have a meeting you make your offer. Easy.
It’s so easy that no one ever believes it can work. But it does.
Sure, you’ll get knock backs. But from every 100 calls you’ll make you’ll get at least 5 meetings.
When you start your business, or indeed the planning of it, I’d like to suggest something a little different:
Make sure the first thing you do is plan out how you are going to get out of your business.
After all, if you plan to sell within 5 years you’ll run your business a whole lot differently than if you plan to hand the business over to your kids in 60 years.
If you plan your exit you’ve given yourself a goal – and that’s a terrific thing to have in business (most people don’t have one).
Now start planning to meet that goal. You’ve just given yourself a huge headstart over every one else.
In the “How To Sell Web Design” post below I mentioned asking a ton of questions to figure out what the client needs.
Only then can you offer him a solution to his problem – and sell something.
What to ask?
But what to ask? Well, here are some resources to help you figure out what to ask your web design client when he is sitting in front of you:
Buy The Web Design Business Kit – comes with a ton of forms and checklists. Contains a specific Needs Analysis Form
You’re finally in front of your prospect client – what now?
It’s the moment of truth and you don’t want to screw it up.
I’ll take you through what works for my web development business. I’ve been doing it for years and it works a treat.
Step 1: Take control.
Do this by saying at the start: “Okay Bob, we’re here to discuss your web site needs and how we can assist. We’ll start by going through a checklist of questions etc etc.”
Step 2: Don’t sell anything.
You can’t sell anything until you know what the client will buy. The client will happily buy a solution to their problem.
The client’s problem is (always) that they don’t have enough money.
So ask a ton of questions to figure out how a new web site will make them more money.
Step 3: Get the hell out.
Once you’ve asked your questions, shut the hell up and get the hell out.
Don’t even think about trying to sell anything now.
Go home/to the office and formulate a plan on meeting the needs of the client. The very same needs the client spoke about when answering your questions.
What you’re doing at the meeting is simply a Needs Analysis – figuring out what the client really needs to solve his problem.
Sure, you might mention how you’ve solved particular problems in the past as a way to demonstrate your expertise but mostly you’re just on a fact-finding expedition.
