Jumpstarting a marketing plan for a web development team

September 15, 2009 11:16 AM

I'm with a small web design/development team, and for the past three years we've done pretty well almost entirely by word of mouth. We really need to be more proactive in getting work in - we've known this for a while, just never been quite sure how to go about it. I've been put in charge of figuring it out. And of course, how to do it on a limited budget. We're in contact with our old and current clients, and have asked them for referrals. Our local isp sends us a good bit of business. What all should I be doing?

I've thought about a number of directions, but have a few concerns about each. 1. Emailing local ad agencies, to see if they'd like to add web services to what they can offer; 2. emailing web designers in larger cities, to see if they'd like to use us as subcontractors; 3. calling/emailing local companies that either don't have a site, or need a redesign to see if there's anything we can help with. With all of these, I want to avoid being spammy, and actually offer a reasonable partnership/service. I've also considered trying to find sales people to work on commission - but I'm not sure where to find them. Guru.com or elance, or something else entirely? And if I end up doing cold calls, how do you keep track of who you've already called? I've looked at things like highrise, but that seems to be more geared for tracking current clients, and inquiries, not for tracking a few dozens calls a day - but I may be misunderstanding.

Ideally, I'd like to generate three or four new clients per month. I'm not entirely sure if that's realistic, but it seems a reasonable goal to start with. Ideas? Or other directions I should be going in? Any and all help deeply appreciated.

posted by korej to work & money (10 comments total)

Have you considered social media and networking online?
posted by runningwithscissors at 11:43 AM on September 15

I don't think you will be successful from behind a computer or phone. You need to get out into the local community. Go to the Chamber of Commerce breakfasts, mixers, happy hours, etc. Just met people, collect business cards, and all that. What you do will naturally come up in conversation. Ask intelligent questions to get people talking about their businesses and look for opportunities where what you do can help them.
posted by COD at 11:46 AM on September 15 [1 favorite]

If you need 4 new clients per month, you probably need a salesperson, or someone that will run marketing/sales for your business. Someone that has time to cold call, meet clients, get referrals -- basically do all of the networking stuff that COD describes above.

This doesn't have to cost you a lot of money -- you may be able to pay in commissions plus a meager base rate.
posted by suburbanrobot at 12:03 PM on September 15

If a current client refers a new client, thank them (even if it doesn't work out). People who feel appreciated keep doing that thing they've been appreciated for!

As COD says, talk with your local CoC - perhaps even offer a free breakfast seminar on how to do something online (Adwords? Basics of SEO?) just as a service, not necessarily pitching your services directly.

Also, do you have a few existing clients in the same line of business? If so, look at what common solutions you've offered to them (CMS solution? Online store?), and then pitch those solutions to other businesses in the same industry in your wider area using your existing clients as reference sites.
posted by mahke at 12:32 PM on September 15

I would be very wary indeed of hiring sales staff on commission. Every web dev firm I've dealt with that's brought in a sales team has found it troublesome, as few sales people genuinely know the industry well and many tend to have attitudes that most in the web industry are uncomfortable with (spamming, pushy sales tactics, excessive up-selling, promising the earth without consulting developers, etc.) or just burn through all the good leads rather carelessly.
I'm not saying there aren't good people doing a great job in that area, just that sales isn't something you can bolt on to your company and expect to magically work. Also bear in mind that clients brought in via more traditional cold calling tend to be more demanding/awkward and less savvy, and so you may have to charge them more to compensate (I could be wrong, but that's what I've observed).

Just slowly evolve your sales/marketing processes from your current reliance on word-of-mouth (which is a great position to be in), and see what works for you.
Firstly, make sure you're properly set up with an up-to-date web site and great portfolio material. Contact local firms you find interesting, especially those that seem to be using the web poorly. Maybe run a small event or open day. Try thinking up a nice little marketing campaign that might get some attention (I don't care if people swear sales and marketing are separate things, they should be intertwined). Focus on quality leads for work you do actually want instead of chasing everything.
posted by malevolent at 12:55 PM on September 15

malevolent, that is a incredibly anecdotal experience and is not at all true of any quality web development houses I have dealt with. That said, I do agree that it isn't a "bolt on", but it is nonetheless an important piece of a growing company looking to be successful.

The ideas you describe in the 2nd paragraph are good, but can be quite time consuming, and aren't necessarily as easy to do well as you make it sound. You've essentially put forth the marketing equivalent of "it's just a website, what's so hard about that?" Sure, it can be done DIY, but the end product will be nowhere near the quality of a professional job.
posted by suburbanrobot at 2:32 PM on September 15

Have you been out to any of the local web-dev meetups? Web Geeks, Weburquerque? It might help to get involved in the community. Check out Duke City Fix for the details.
posted by signalnine at 2:40 PM on September 15 [1 favorite]

I know the plural of anecdote isn't data, but Malevolent's anecdotes definitely resonate with some experiences I have had as well. There are a LOT of salespeople out there who don't know what it is they are selling and don't really care as long as they sell a lot of it. For semi-self explanatory widgets this is all right, but for a service based business, not so much. You can find good sales people who know the industry and will sell well, but finding them is no small proposition.
posted by barc0001 at 11:15 PM on September 15

"malevolent, that is a incredibly anecdotal experience and is not at all true of any quality web development houses I have dealt with"
That's fair enough, and I did try to make it clear I was basing my advice on my experience (13 years of freelance web dev/consultancy covering a fairly wide range of projects and firms), which is all I have to go on.

"You've essentially put forth the marketing equivalent of "it's just a website, what's so hard about that?" Sure, it can be done DIY, but the end product will be nowhere near the quality of a professional job."
I agree to some extent, and don't want to dismiss sales/marketing skills, but they're already selling with word-of-mouth as the source of quality leads, all I'm suggesting is that they evolve from that point instead of making any abrupt changes that might clash with their culture. And it's good to have a clearer understanding of what kind of sales/marketing processes might work best for your company before hiring anyone, even if that might involve making minor mistakes and realising that specialist skills are needed.
posted by malevolent at 12:11 AM on September 16

Thank you all. You've given me a number of good avenue to look into!
posted by korej at 2:25 PM on September 16