Solicit Local Business

[Erik]

Quick question, if I see a local business has a REAL crappy website.

Is it spammy to email them and ask if they would like to have their website updated… for a fee of course.

[Paulie_D]

Is it spammy to email them and ask if they would like to have their website updated… for a fee of course.

Kinda…after all, did they ask for your opinion?

I get many emails a week offering to update my company’s website and we’ve only had the current site up for less than 6 months.

The local business may not think their site is ‘crappy’, it might work very well for them….it may be that all they need is a ‘presence’ not an all singing and dancing fully, mobile friendly, fully interactive, enhanced user experience site.

They might just want a cheap as chips ‘Contact Us’ page for search engine purposes.

Any unsolicited contact is ‘spammy’ and something criticising my current site is unlikely to be well received.

Obviously, getting your name and availability out there is important but a well designed flyer or brochure through my door is more likely to grab my attention (and stay in my desk drawer) than an email.

My 2c.

[Senff]

Although the intent isn’t that spammy, sending an email may make it look that way and it’s likely you will be ignored.

(Not always though — see this example of an agency that contacted Rush to suggest they needed a new web site: http://www.plankdesign.com/blog/2014/12/plank-happy-cog-working-rush/)

Dropping by in person could have a completely different outcome, as long as you come up with very strong reasons why they should have a better web site, and come up with solid arguments how a new web site will bring in more business. A face-to-face chat is already good proof that you care enough about their online presence.

Keep in mind though, lots of local business simply don’t care. As long as they have a web site, they’re happy, and they don’t need anything “fancy” (to them, having a site in itself is already fancy enough).

And, of course, a lot of businesses think a web site costs $300 at the most. ;)

[Alen]

If it’s a local business go there directly dont email or call. Talk to the owner person to person, introduce your self and have your elevator pitch ready. Be ready to hear a lot of No’s. And please don’t tell them you’ll do it for free. They will not take you seriously. Plus you don’t wanna work for feee. It’s going to make your life really hard when you try to break out of that market. Charge competitive prices and offer discount if you must but don’t work for free.

[Alen]

you come up with very strong reasons why they should have a better web site

Be very careful with this one. Don’t try to solve problems they don’t have by just telling them what they need. Ask questions and listen.

[Erik]

These are all great tips thank you.

I normally don’t just email people and tell them their site is junk.

Just that the site is all in HTML and built with Microsoft Publisher 98…

I guess when I see that I feel like I need to help them lol.

I not want to make it fancy.. just a little updated instead of having URLS as (url.com/page2.html)..etc

[Paulie_D]

Just that the site is all in HTML

Aren’t they all? :)

[Erik]

Yes.. lol I mean like in a no CSS kinda way.

[Senff]

Business often don’t care about “bad” code, “bad” graphics, “bad” SEO, and definitely not if it was made with or without CSS or Frontpage.

They care about money.

So the main task would be to translate all that “bad” stuff into how it would make them more money. People like you and I know that (for example) better SEO could (not necessarily DOES) translate into more traffic, which could lead to more business, but a business doesn’t have a clue, and so there’s a very big task of educating them.

If they could choose between a bad site that brings in lots of money, or a good site that doesn’t, their choice is a no-brainer.

tl;dr — most local businesses really are not interested in a site that looks better or has better code. They are only interested in a site that will bring in more business.

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