Webupon

Before I begin, let me inform you that you’re wasting your time here if you don’t already have web making skills.  I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to teach you everything I know about webmaking.  You can’t learn in five minutes what took me five years.

Websites are increasing in demand, especially by small business owners.  Now, it’s nearly impossible to get a foothold in the business world without having a company website.  And no self-respecting CEO will want a “.com” address for their web page.  After all, it’s not like anyone will buy from a website with a hundred character long URL from blogspot, will they?  That’s where you come in; a typical CEO won’t have the skills he needs to make a web page.  But they won’t hire just anyone to make their web page; after all, would, you want some guy whose only medical education was from the instructions on a first-aid kit as your doctor?  I don’t think so!  You need to have the right skills and credentials, or else CEOs won’t take an interest in you.

You have to start by getting the word out; advertising, if you will.  You can start by simply adding a link to your business’s web page at the end of each email.  If you can get some people to add a banner of your business to their web page, that would do you good.  Sooner or later, you’ll get the customer.  Like in most businesses, it is extremely important that you are favorable to your customers, because if you’re not, a rival business will be.  You have to charge reasonable rates, always have a refund ready (in case of the worst), and get the project done on time. 

However, you also have to ensure that you get a fair deal, because like P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”  Don’t be one of them.  You can raise your prices based on several things:

• If the project requires long consultations with the client, you can raise your prices.
• If your project requires fancy programming or custom graphics, you can charge higher rates.
• If your client thinks their website may be an investment, you can take a cut.  But make sure that the price is reasonable!

However, you also need to be aware of your customer.  Some people should get special treatment.  Non-profit organizations, charities, personal clients, less fortunate members of the partridge family, etc. should be charged lower rates. 

Finally, before your client’s page is completed, be sure to add a banner or a link to your company’s web page.  If possible, have your client consent to putting an article that flatters your company in customer service, speed, reliability, or anything else that’s good to say about your business. 

Tips

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have an army of people flocking to your front porch the day your business opens its doors.  When Pizza Hutt opened, it was in a small building rented for $500.  I doubt the founders expected their business to be the success it is today.

It helps if you have a lawyer, to help you with contracts and legal kinds of stuff.

Finally, it’s rare for a single webmaker to have the four big skills: writing, graphics, programming, and HTML.  If you are lacking in one or more of these skills, you can hire somebody to do the dirty work for you.  This will take from your personal profits, but it’ll keep the business running, which is more important.