Professional web design service for local businesses.

I would like to offer web design services for local businesses. I've been designing web sites for years, and finally spent some money on a notebook computer. I envision that I can visit local businesses, give them my business card, and provide a demo if they have time. For those who already have a web site, I can offer advertising and links from my own local web site.
If anyone has done this, how did you figure out how much to charge for the various services? Do you advertise in the phone book? Have you been able to make a living from it? Are there any books you highly recommend?

 

Well i live in a country where the many majority of business owners don'y know mutch of the potential of having a site represent there business so i don't do business here but why limit think globaly .... this is the internet ....

 

A good way to get started is offer a free SEO report, tell them whats wrong with thier site and how much you will charge to fix it.

 

Figure out how much you're worth (your hourly billable rate) then figure out about how much time you'll put into each design. Multiply the two. A small business design shouldn't be over $5k and really should be more in the $1k-3k range.

 

There is definitely room for you in the field ... a good, reputable designer who really grasps the bigger picture is hard to find!!!

The best place to learn more about this is Sitepoint, sitepoint.com. The site is huge and you will find gigs and gigs of resources & info in terms of articles, blogs and forum posts. If you want to learn the design industry upside-down & backwards -- that's hands-down the place to go.

HTH, and good luck!!! Hope this turns out for you.

Bailey

 

Get yourself some nice flyers printed up and get out there and introduce yourself to as many businesses as you can find

 

Great info, good suggestions, and wonderful to have some encouragement. I'm getting to like it here at DP. I think I will use every suggestion made so far. Thanks!

 

word of mouth works fastest , initially tell your friends they will get you referals , once you make some cash then spend that in advertising ,
everything starts from 0

 

I need help with joomla and virtuemart, pm me if interested

 

This would be the way to go.

 

I thought about this as well in my area, but with a little different angle.

Okay I have a passion for the internet, as well as internet marketing.

A few weeks ago I attended a free seminar to have your own internet biz. Over a hundred people showed up. They also had a free gift and free lunch. However almost half of the people signed up for the next meeting 2 hours away. The price they were told for a website and hosting was 5700.00 . So after seeing that people were interested in this sort of thing offline. Do you think it would be a good idea to form a company, get a license, and insurance, and offer to have people come to my home, or theirs for lessons on how to build a website; and how affiliate marketing works? I can offer a set dollar amount for say two hours and provide them with freesoftware. Then charge them in blocks of time for further support.

So what do you think? Pipe dream?

 

I'm pretty sure everyone around here has offered design biz to local clients even if they are not even designers

I for one get atleast one client a month that wants a site and I just outsource it to my guys that are loyal designers

 

You are selling yourself, not your work.