Website Development Service

[RDMS]

Hi,

My co-worker and I are currently starting up a website development business using wordpress and also develop plugins for it as well. We'd like to start our own company given that we had the skills and experience on website building.

What we are currently struggling is getting clients.

The local market where I live is not really into getting websites for their businesses. Our client mostly come from free lance sites that we bid on but its not stable enough to grow business. And selling our services online isn't giving us client at all.

Questions:

1. I'd like to ask if getting into business partners from other countries to do the marketing is a good idea, basically outsourcing the work to us?
2. If it is, what is the best approach in finding a cross-country partner and how much would be an ideal percentage that will go to the marketing partner?
3. If it isn't a good idea, we really appreciate if you can enlighten us with other suggestions.

[Harold Mansfield]

Hi,

My co-worker and I are currently starting up a website development business using wordpress and also develop plugins for it as well. We'd like to start our own company given that we had the skills and experience on website building.

What we are currently struggling is getting clients.

The local market where I live is not really into getting websites for their businesses. Our client mostly come from free lance sites that we bid on but its not stable enough to grow business. And selling our services online isn't giving us client at all.

Questions:

1. I'd like to ask if getting into business partners from other countries to do the marketing is a good idea, basically outsourcing the work to us?
I don't think so. You need to understand marketing for yourself. If you rely on other people to do it for you, it won't work out well, and you'll be helpless without them. You'll also be unable to roll with the punches, come up with innovative ideas, and won't ever truly understand your market.

There is no shortcut around it. You will have to learn marketing.

It will also make you a better web designer. How can you design the kind of website's that a business needs if you don't understand their marketing strategy, or can't help them develop one that can be translated on site?

You can't be successful or creative if you have no understanding of who you're targeting and how to speak to them.


2. If it is, what is the best approach in finding a cross-country partner and how much would be an ideal percentage that will go to the marketing partner?
It is not.

I'm all for building partnerships with agencies as a sub contractor. Getting in with established service providers that you need your specific expertise can work out for everyone. Other than that I would never give anyone a percentage of something that I can learn to do myself.

I'd rather see you spend a weekend learning some basics, maybe consult with a professional, and spend that money on advertising than to see you give it away. At least with ads you get some hands on experience doing for yourself, and maybe even drum up some business.


3. If it isn't a good idea, we really appreciate if you can enlighten us with other suggestions.

Business 101. You must learn what marketing is, and how to develop your own strategy before you can even begin to know how to hire someone to do it for you.
I'd start with this guy
https://www.skillshare.com/classes/business/The-Modern-Marketing-Workshop/96411401

There are also quite a few online marketing courses put together by companies like Google, Adobe, and the aforementioned Seth Godin. Many are free, others are cheap. There's no reason not to sit down, watch some videos, and learn how to market your business.

[RDMS]

Thanks a lot Harold for those insights... very helpful :)