Website Development, Mobile Websites, Local SEO, PPC

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. What do you want your website to do. Specifically. You need to know your customers, and what they are looking for, and answer those needs.
Some visitors want to know your hours, your phone number, or your location. Others want to know your services, or specific brands or items. Some want information about what you do. You need to have a list of what needs the web site will answer.
And you have to give it to them in the form they want. If your customers are mostly on cell phones, then your web site should be cell phone friendly. If they are looking for info, and are likely to want to print it, then make your info printer friendly.
And make sure that your info is in a form that they are looking for. Use the search terms that they use when searching, not industry jargon or lingo. People look for weight loss in , not appetite suppression. They are looking for local solutions to their problem, not your specific product.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. First off, I understand the goal, and help the business owner get there. Business owners are too busy to do this themselves, and generally don't have the time to even prepare marketing material for a web site.
Anybody fresh out of a course can build a web site using the old tools such as dreamweaver. And they can throw the minimum up and fulfill the contract obligations.
I know that the business owner's goal is to bring in more business, and make certain things more convenient for their visitors, and that they have to get visitors. We start with consultation and keyword research. We build attractive and organized web sites. We frequently write the copy on the web site and make sure that all the on-page SEO factors are right. We add tools to measure web site traffic, train the owner in how to make changes themselves, and hand over all the account info for the web site so that they can have freedom if they wish.
Then we do initial registration with the search engines. Afterward, we have promotion programs available such as Facebook fan page creation, social media management (twitter, etc.), local SEO optimization, backlink building programs, and pay-per-click campaign management.
We consider the whole problem.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How soon can my web site be done?
Two weeks, if you get all the content to me in a timely manner and an organized form.
I practice, about two months. Although you all have the best of intentions, you never get it all together. You always have something else that needs attention first. In the end, I'll have to write most of your content for you. What I ask is that you make yourself available to answer my questions.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes, always. My field is always changing. I have to read several industry trade journals each month. In addition, I belong to several industry groups that meet monthly, and participate in at least one regional expo that one of my groups hosts.
In addition, I monitor several LinkedIn groups, and have informational emails hit my inbox daily.
Plus I read books, watch webinars, and take online tutorials, along with doing trials on systems that I need to know more about.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Join user groups and attend the meetings. Talk to peers at those groups and ask questions. Monitor the group mailing list, and read the threads that interest you. Try new things out for yourself.