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Newsletter / Blog


2019-06-01
Marketing our web design services


This blog is inspired by a discussion I had with an insurance broker about time and more specifically about the value of time. Many people spend evening after evening watching television as opposed to spending time on fruitful activities such as:

  • Blogging on your website to attract more customers via the internet
  • Reading a book to increase knowledge
  • Studying formally to gain another qualification
  • Learning a new skill

The insurance broker friend did make a valid point saying that one has to live a balanced life which includes leisure activities but if you are like us a small business trying to make it trough a real recession then you might agree with the content of this blog / newsletter.

Before sitting down to write this blog which was my target this morning as I woke up I first spend an hour on writing a blog on accounting for my accounting business. In general most accountants I come across do not spend any time on their websites by blogging on relevant topics. This presents a huge opportunity for me by diligently spending time on my accounting website.

Whether it is web design or accounting work I have realised it is tough economic times and I need to spend more time marketing my services in order to attain my business objective of not only surviving but thriving.

There is a reason I spend time each month to write a newsletter / blog: it works in the long run to stay connected to potential customers and to attract new customers via search engines like Google. Many website owners fail in this regards. They get a website with the basics but then do not further develop their websites by adding regular blogs, new photographs, examples of latest work and then wonder why they do not get more work via their websites. Simply put : with regards to a website : what you put in is what you get out. Unfortunately the results are almost never immediate unless you spend money on Google Ads.

I also get business from other marketing activities:

This morning I handed out two brochures to people I know and with whom I have been discussing doing web design for them. I have decided to always carry some brochures with me in case I meet someone casually. The brochure could be a nice reminder or could be shared with other potential clients that meet the paths of my potential clients.

I went out to the streets this morning to continue building relationships with people with whom I have had past interaction regarding possible web design services. I could have instead used the time to watch rugby or cricket. While I enjoy the latter it is activities which will not bring in new business. This morning I hopefully got in a R30, 000 business plan consulting work trough my marketing activities. Very often one first has to build a relationship before getting the sale. During my career I have seen that we often get web design clients in the immediate vicinity of our offices. One reason is because of Google my business (Google Maps) results and the other because of naturally building a relationship with potential clients before clinching the deal.

During May we advertised in the local newspaper promoting our Information directory website for Kleinmond which is in fact a marketing tool for our web design services.

We continually approach people via Facebook.

There are many ways to market your business. Getting a website which works is an important step and then developing your website and using other tools like a monthly newsletter is also potential good activities.

At the end of the day you need to invest time and or money (essentially the same thing) in marketing activities. Hopefully this months newsletter will convince someone on our mailing list that the time for spending that time / money on getting a website is now.