web design marketing

duncanb

Hi there.

I will be looking to set up a web design business in the coming few months.

Can anyone tell me what they think is the best way of marketing such a business and how to get new customers?

Thanks...looking forward to some interesting responces.

duncanb

Hey guys it would be great to get some input here...

Cheers

Duncan

The Mighty Ken

Do you have any experience in the field? Design and/or development experience? It's a knowledge and talent-based industry so you really need to be producing quality product for your clients. While you *can* just jump on the bandwagon like so many others, Web shops that don't offer a quality service are slowly but surely dying out.

In short, you need to be passionate and work very hard to learn the required skills or pay decent salaries to good production staff!

duncanb

Ye i will be fine in that regard of workmanship.

just concerned about how to get customers now.

can anyone help me?

cheers

forbairt

Any particular niche ?

Adverts in niche magazines ? (though probably pricey) (and I don't think the CPC in magazines is really worth it) :P

Put together a portfolio of sites you've done.
Use this as your showcase just like me (joke)

Word of mouth ...

invest in marketing person ?

No idea if google adwords works for webdesign I've never tried.

Become a respected expert in your field ... customers will flock to you ...

Join the business networks ...

Business cards should be used like candy .. give to friends family random strangers

online social networking ... linked in ... twitter ... facebook ... and so on

Are you a small time business ?
Freelancer ?
Just planning on outsourcing everything ?

Webdesigners are a dime a dozen ... stand out from the crowd in some way or have a really really good marketing budget.

(just a tired friday night ramble)

blue4ever

Slightly off – but still relevant

I am dealing with a few companies currently (Adwords, PPC, SEO). Anyhow, its fairly easy to get in an do the stuff on the coding (alt, tags, titles etc etc etc).

But sometimes the sites ate ‘dated’ looking and I don’t do design.

Now the niche here is that these companies have paid for the initial work – but I think there should give their sites a ‘lick of paint’

Is there a market there for that – I know probably most people would prefer to start again – but the cost factor might only run to a small service!

Any thoughts

forbairt

blue4ever wrote: »

Slightly off – but still relevant

I am dealing with a few companies currently (Adwords, PPC, SEO). Anyhow, its fairly easy to get in an do the stuff on the coding (alt, tags, titles etc etc etc).

But sometimes the sites ate ‘dated’ looking and I don’t do design.

Now the niche here is that these companies have paid for the initial work – but I think there should give their sites a ‘lick of paint’

Is there a market there for that – I know probably most people would prefer to start again – but the cost factor might only run to a small service!

Any thoughts

On your off topic post ...

1 Advert ... 1/4 page in a paper (semi decent local variety) will run you to close to 1K and thats without factoring in any design work.

It lasts for 1 day only really do you know if it targets your key market ?

People need to be educated that we're not all cowboys and that you should build up a working relationship with your web designer / developer / SEO / SEM person. A website is not just for christmas

byrne0f56789

Find out if there are any "start your own business" courses in your locality. Then offer to do a module on the importance of having a website or even a module on design/SEO tips for the web.