Hello all, I am a web\graphic designer and wanted to try a new venture and would appreciate your feedback I was thinking about offering small web design packages (about 3-4 pages) for low xx.xx. It would be a yearly fee which would include hosting, the domain and the basic design. For few more $$ I would include a simple CMS script as well. I know there are many services out there who offer things like this but I would keep the price very, very low and would focus on the local market. It would probably not be profitable in the beginning but after I get more and more clients it would since I would do the same thing over and over and it wouldn't take me too long to have a site up and running. Do you think there are too many companies out there who are doing the same thing that it wouldn't make sense even to enter the market? Thanks in advance!
People don't like package plans. Most people would rather get their hosting, domain, scripts, and what not from where they like to. A good example is the domain since they cost like $6 a year and are 2 clicks to getting one so they wouldn't need that service from you.
There are already a lot of people doing site packages for cheap like $99. by the time you talk with people, pay the hosting, do the work, do the changes you will probably make like $3. an hour. Cheap clients suck they always want free stuff and changes. Doesn’t seem very profitable to me.
Striking the balance between low cost web design and getting clients is difficult. I like your idea of focusing on the local market. Get a few clients on board and through references and word of mouth more work will come along.
i see...i just wasn't sure if i should invest the time and try to get "real" clients on board who need a "real" site and then i can charge them a normal fee and not like xx.xx for a year or so. i could also invest some spare time and build some local mini sites for PPC and maybe even make more money with mini sites than with package sites. thanks again on your feedback.
Yeah you’re better off building some PPC sites or some sites for links or ads. Doing sites for cheap is never a good idea.. I drives down the market price and you just get cheap worthless customers. Most people that buy cheap will just move when you try to raise your prices it’s a bad business model. Plus you will get a reputation for building sites for cheap then when you quote normal prices people will go elsewhere.
Agree totally with this,never go cheap to get new clients,its better for you to build quality stuff and gain few good ones on the start than some cheap ones that will not respect job you done for them ,and also they will just go away when you start doing normal rates. So NEVER do it cheap,offcorse if you make that for very quick than you can go cheaper because thats the amount of time you invested,so be true to yourself and see how much your time is worth. Its better to see your local competition in the area you want to put your web design services,just take time and see what they offer and what they DOESN'T have in their arsenal. Good thing would that you call your competing web design company,and say that you're interested in their services and take advantage of it to ask everything you need to see what they offer. Do that for 3-4 main competitors and you will find out what is needed to beat them,but dont do that with cheap prices,please it will ruin your soul even if you make thousand of it in next year it will ruin you to sell your work for cheap. Those are my thoughts,sorry if some typo mistakes not english native .
thank you guys, i really appreciate your help. i always like to hear what other people think about my ideas before i start working on them. i'll focus on starting a small but stable web design business and start building mini sites on the side. i'm getting married soon so i need few more activities on the side
In a local market you should be able to do better then offering cheap packages. You will find that many business will spend a few bucks knowing that you mean business and wont let them down. Makes it hard for them to trust you while running their business website when your doing it for $99/year. You will find a better balance in less customers paying more for your service than the other way around. Just my 2 cents.
This may or may not be a good and worthwhile business proposition with profit making as an objective. It depends on how many orders you can get. If you are confident about getting people to buy from you hosting, domains, etc. then it may be profitable. But people are knowledgeable these days (even local businesses are very computer savvy these days) they would know if you are over charging for domains, hosting, etc. due to the competition and exposure to online ads that they see. So there really is not much money in offering domains+hosting in addition to web design. Web design by itself is where the money is, so I would say dont compromise on the quality or billing on that aspect.
what i also just thought about is that my portfolio wouldn't be as valuable as if i would design "real" websites. i might simply offer the "package" service as a secondary service or simply build a small website and try it as an experiment.
Totally its a different niche you can make money. You need to introduce some new element in your design business such as only paid when client satisfied or delivery first then only paid. And in the same time,do provide free hosting to your client to make them happy.
market is so competitive... better gv deals in pieces... gv only webdesigning deal...or webhosting..... dont be jack of all trades...first become master of one..... and after that you can do everythng in your particular field... bcoz in domaining nd webhosting, market is v competive.... some compnies are giving free designing....if you take hosting from them for years....they already have thousands of clients and now they just wnt to expand their business and they r going to ny extent to expand their business
I think this is a great Idea. If you know how to sell. I would go B to B and smash it! There is alot of competition but only a few company's really pound the pavement. And they charge through the nose! Good Luck in your venture
you are asking webmasters and forum surfers, when you should really be asking the opposite set of people.