I have been in the Internet/web development/SEO game for a while now. Since 1999 to be exact. Besides trying to make a living I like to consider myself as one of the nice guys in the game.
What do I mean by that?
It means that when someone approaches me with the need to get a website and start an online campaign, I often start by trying to understand their business and/or business model. This way I get to listen also suggest ways to maximise their success online. It's not all about me just sticking certain graphics and logos online in red, yellow,blue,tangerine etc. It's about building a business online. One that works and will work for the persoin sitting in front of me, regardless of the size of their wallet.
Yes I charge for my services but I want to add value more than anything else. That's what makes my business.
Ok, enough about me but why the rant? Well more and more often I am getting clients and potential clienst consulting with me on actual sales and results and some the tools they are missing are the most basic of tools. If only someone had told them, their web developer or web host perhaps.
Case in point, this gentleman who repairs video game consoles and mobile phones (or cell phones) had been in business for over 15 years providing this service. He has literally worked with over 30 000 consoles and phones etc and sold accessories and repair kits in the thousands as well. His requet was for me to help with his Christmas 2010 campaign. So we had a meeting.
Turned out he was missing the following:
- A lead capture service on his website (with thousands visting and requesting repairs he could harvest a big audience or list there). He told me he did not know he could do that! I wanted to meet his web developer or host.
- He had never tried to keep his old clients' emails and database in an organized fashion to stay in touch and have customers on tap for his future campaigns. With over 30 000 interactions if all were in his list surely someone would buy again when he contacted them again, say maybe this Xmas? The only people he had were the few emails that were simply "laying about" but not actively collected. If I had been in his situation I would make my existing customers an army of affiliates and also make them over half my targeted prospects. They WERE already satisfied customers for crying out loud. He told me that after he had hit one or two thousand he got overwhelmed and never tracked them but simply concentrated on his repair work... Which to be fair had to have kept him very busy. Still, the gaming market is huge, you can sell your own products and services and offer other people's products through affiliate and joint venture partnerships. If only someone had told him this before. I wanted to meet his web developer or host.
- He had a Facebook account but never really did anything with it. He has a 14 year old daughter that is very active online and she had made him open one for fun but nothing else. Social media is huge. A few backward people are still refusing to catch on as they feel it is not professional enough. Well I'm sorry but the last person you sold your service to was probably not professional either but you were very happy to sell to them because that's what you do! Guess what? Facebook has half a billion of them and counting, all ready to buy from you. What with the extra super targeting features they have on there? Any business person should sell where the people are - period! I wanted to meet his web developer or host.
I could go on and on about the lack of advice on this particular person's online campaign but he is only one of very many out there. This is mostly because the developer has focused only on his pay check and left it there. This is the old pay for my time routine without the need to pay for results. Don't get me wrong, I charge for my time too but I get excited when I get an opportunity to get involved in an industry I like but never got into, like the gaming industry presents itself. I quickly worked out a deal with this gentlemen above to run his online campaign on partnership basis and we will have a win-win situation in the end.
Well, you guessed it, I wanted to meet his web developer or host!
Remember to ask about getting actual cash from your website itself over and above your main products. Ask your web developer or host, before I do.
REMEMBER: To get top notch Glasgow web design by experts who have done it and know what really works visit http://www.quicksitemaker.co.uk
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น