11 replies to this topic

[air-dog]

I'm currently in the process of re-designing the website for my freelance webdesign business.

After following a lot of advice and excellent ideas, from this very forum, I have decided to update my service and thus use the following promotional text as the hook on the website.

All my websites are

• Guarded against Spam
• Pre-formatted to assist SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
• Integrated with a Content Update Service
• Custom designed to meet your Corporate Identity

I'll be adding a few more to these but the thing that’s bothering me is that all my previous website work does not fore fill some of these features and if a prospective client views any of my previous work they may figure this out.

Has anybody any ideas as to how I can avoid looking like a charlatan?
A generally discussion on this topic would by great as well.

[Jill]

Hey Air-dog...

Those are some decent features. But as the copywriters onboard here will surely tell you, it's the benefits you will need to stress.

Think about why anyone would care to have those particular features, and then spell it out for them. How will those features you're providing, make their lives easier? Give them a better website than another firm? Solve all their problems?

So what are the benefits you're providing to your clients?

Jill

[SearchRank]

All web site development companies evolve (or should) over time meaning they improve designs, learn new things, incorporate new technology, etc.

When I look at some of the first designs we did that are still online I have to say .

As an SEO, we used to use hidden links long before Google rose to fame, frowned upon it and it was then thought of as spam. We changed. Haven't used hidden links for a long, long time. There are still some hidden links out there on sites we optimized long ago that are no longer clients.

Probably none of your clients will see your updated content and say "hey - you didn't do that for me." If they do, then you have the opportunity to sell them on bringing their sites up to date which people should do anyway. That's my opinion.

[Scottie]

People expect businesses to change- you have to!

If it were me, I'd probably update any recent customers with the new offerings at no charge. Any sites completed before, say, 6 months ago, I'd offer them a reduced fee to update their site with the new features.

If you need to drum up some business, goodwill, or word-of-mouth, send an e-mail to all your clients explaining the "new features" and the offer. If you're pretty busy already, just do it and take past customers as they call. I imagine most of them aren't looking at your site unless they need something anyway.

[air-dog]

Thanks everybody,

I'll dig into it a bit more and let you all know how its going.

[bytech]

At the chances of making you go

Custom designed to meet your Corporate Identity
to
Custom designed to reflect your Corporate Identity

Just a thought my friend. Please do not take it personally...

[air-dog]

Hi bytech,

Thats good advice, no offence taken at all

Thanks

[monte]

Make sure you include link exchange page. Building a good link data base is the back bone for succesful SEO program.

[Scottie]

But you don't have to exchange links to get links to your site. Although some do, every site does not need a link exchange page.

Check out the link building forum for more ideas, monte!

[Jill]

Welcome, Monte!

I disagree that you need to make sure to build a link exchange page. I think they kinda stink, actually.

Jill

[dabblingmum]

Jill, I rarely approve links to swap with and kind of hate them. I don't think anyone really goes there anyways. Is the only advantage is for ranking?

Curious though...why do you think they stink?

Thanks

Alyice

[Jill]

Because as you said, no one goes to them. So what's the point?

Doing anything for no other reason than to supposedly help your rankings is never a smart idea, imo.

Jill