FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Pricing and pricing options are something a lot of people do not fully understand. NO MATTER HOW LITTLE YOUR CLIENTS BUDGET IS YOU ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PUT IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK. As a new provider, I took on a client who only had $300-400 to work with as a budget. They agreed that I should take a percentage of that and as I was anxious to get started and show them what I could do I accepted and got started. I found that the amount they quoted as their budget was, in fact, ALL they had. I had been under the impression that was just for the advertising. So with all of the setup research, targeting, strategizing, changes, dealing with that client and just a ton of work, I wound up with basically no profit from the project. It was a learning lesson and an experience. My charge now when I consult with a client is a MINIMUM SETUP fee of $700--bare minimum. The upfront cost for the project is based on the going competitive rate for that project in the area of location. For the most part, we are never OVER the stated amount. Once the proposal is offered adjustment for the exact project is agreed upon.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
After a very targeted marketing campaign, which includes outlining what I do, how I strive to satisfy my clients, and what I offer in specific detail I reply to the prospects who like what they have seen and reviewed. I introduce myself and my company and let them know that this is going to be an extremely painless, simple and exciting process. I want to choose any venue they request to meet or communicate and need them to know I am all ears, my suggestions and/or recommendations are just that and I want to show them that they are the main player here, that their satisfaction and success is foremost on the table. I must make them very comfortable with me and what I can offer. "I would love to see if we can work together. I would love to discuss your project further. I own a web design and marketing agency with a strong focus on SEO. We create beautiful and modern websites for our clients. We have many clients ranked on page #1 in Google for many terms, including [examples]. Some are ranked for dozens of high-value keywords, and many are in very competitive markets. Here are a few examples of websites we've created recently [examples]. I would be happy to create a free audit of your existing site or mockup, so you can see what we envision for your site's design or re-design. We would need to nail down some specifics before creating a final proposal and quote, but we pride ourselves on being able to work within nearly any budget. I would be happy to meet with you in person to discuss everything. If you'd like, I would love to meet anytime this week that is convenient for you, or we can speak on the phone at any time, including later today, if that's good for you. Or anytime this week if you would prefer. If you have any questions for me, please let me know. Thank you!" That's it in a nutshell and you'll notice that I press hard for a very definite time to come to the consultation table with real intentions.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
For a certainty, customers prefer to hire professionals licensed in their profession. I am in the process of certified training and licensing in Digital Strategy. The scope includes structuring campaigns for medium to small offline local businesses. I am training to help our clients tell their story to the customers they need to communicate with in order to achieve their goals. As a Digital Strategist I am responsible for various digital marketing activities, primarily focused on advertising within Google AdWords, and Facebook Business Manager. This includes site research, keyword research, campaign development, optimization, and performance analysis for any clients I work with. This designation is key in helping to launch and maintain websites for my clients. They primarily use WordPress as their content management system. Experience with WordPress, SquareSpace, or NationBuilder is in my arsenal and is a plus for sure. In addition to straight development, I like to advise my clients on their digital needs and the best strategic approaches to their website and social media platforms. The essential roles and responsibilities encapsulated in my training, certification, and licensing are and have been: -Plan, build, manage, track, optimize and report on media campaigns across multiple platforms -Advise and help execute the interactive marketing efforts of our clients, in most given sectors -Provide SEO and online advertising plans and recommendations. My qualifications are in no way entry-level at this point, with or without a printed license. I am heavily surrounded by and receive direct training from career professionals with years of work experience in communications, developing strategic media, digital and video outreach campaigns who think creatively and long-term for clients.