How to earn your WA fees while you grow your site.
Make money to pay your WA Fees
I haven't blogged in a while, so I think I need to update folks on my progress. I have managed to create and publish several more blog posts on my sites. But I'm behind on watching Jay webinars.
I've been reading member posts where members are really needing to make some $$ to pay dues. Here is my best suggeston
1. Offer to create small business websites and host them as part of your Premium Membership freehosting. You can charge to create the sites ($150 for 3 pages, $300 for 5 pages, $500 for 7-9 pages. Then you can charge hosting fees of anywhere from $5-10 each month. I charge $80 if paid in advance for a year's hosting.
A 3 page site would include: ($150)
- Home Page
- Product/Services Page
- Contact Us Page
I always throw in the privacy policy page free
A 5 page site could include: ($300)
- Home Page
- About Us
- Product/Services Page
- Testimonial Page or more product/services page
- Contact Us Page
- Privacy Policy page (free)
A 7-9 page site could include: ($500)
- Home Page
- About Us
- Product/Services Page 1
- Product/Services Page 2
- Product/Services Page 3
- Completed projects
- Client page
- Testimonial Page
- Contact Us Page
- Privacy Policy page (free)
For all site packages I would charge $30 an hour for additional work and hosting fees (monthly or yearly). You can charge for domain registration or include for the first year. ($15)
Tips for serving clients:
Always include that text for each page be provided by the client. Also images (up to a certain number, i.e. 10 images) Charge for additional images. Also charge for including pdf files. I charge usually round $10 for each extra image and $15 for pdf files.
You can turn word documents into pdfs for free with MS Word using print to pdf. Then upload the pdf files to your WA site to link to. -Sometimes this can be tricky to find a file transport program (FTP) that works.
Get a down payment upfront to coveer time to mockup 2-3 proposed looks. I then get final payment when I publish the finished site.
I offer 3 proposed themes (I use my free siterubix sites to mock up 3 sites with different themes to show them. Once they pick one and I've created the paid domain site I can delete the mock sub domains in site rubix.
Don't purchase any plugins, try to find and use free ones. I once paid $30 for a slideshow plugin and then found a free one I could use.
Offer a monthly maintence plan to make up to ? number of text modifications. This can be rolled into the monthly hosting plan (making it a little more expensive).
Expecially don't purchase anything to build the site you have to renew each year except the domain registration fee.
BE NICE
BE PROMP
onDuring the year, contact them everyquarter to ask if they need any changey and are still happy with their websites.
Hope this helps someone. -Shirley
Here's a link to a great turorial on getting rst clients:
- b-development-client/
- https://smallbusiness.chron.com/build-website-client-needs-3...
I'm attaching a sample client email to send when ready to bill again after the first year.
More tips:
Recent Comments
81
Shirley,
I am glad you are doing well. Thanks for the awesome advise here. The pricing information is extremely helpful.
Best wishes for continued success.
Great information - very useful!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Wish you smashing success!
Bob
What a great guide, Shirley. At this point, I don't feel confident enough to design websites for others but it's certainly something I'd be interested in down the road. Thank you.
Those are really useful suggestions, Shirley, thank you. Just one question. How do you justify (to the client) charging extra for more than 10 images and for pdf files? Is it just the time involved?
Colette and Philip
Yes, time and effort. I enhance and edit all images I get from a customer (crop/size to lo-res jpg, change levels, contrast, etc). I also turn their info into pdfs and then upload the files using an FPT program to the website and link to them in the posts/pages. Sometimes the FTP process can be funky and it takes a while. So yes for my time and effort and the programs I use. I use photoshop mostly to edit images. I use MS Word to print to PDF file or Soda PDF 8 to create the pdf files. You need a FTP program too.
Here's a screen capture on using MS Word to create a pdf:
Enter client's data into Word file, edit and format as you and the client want it. Then change printer in MS word to "Word to PDF" or "print to pdf". Then print and save the pdf file where you can find it. FTP (FILE TRANSPORT PROTOCOL) move it up the website and link in the page or post.
Thanks for clarifying that, Shirley, and for the additional information. You are a gem!
Colette and Philip
To find potential clients, check with your barber or hair salon, your spa, your garage, your favorite dinner, friends with hobbies, etc.
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Hi Shirley,
That's great! Thanks for sharing.
Donna:)