The Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course was written for Webmasters who are ready to stop dreaming and | Page 7

the
right niche for their type of business.
Some of your future clients will require your assistance to find their niche. Unless
you are knowledgeable about their business, you will have to get up to speed by
surfing for information. Or you can save time with Site Build It!.
SBI! uses a proven process for identifying the most profitable niche markets. Its
brainstorming tool will research related keywords/keyword phrases and provide
their profitability ratio at the click of a button.
You don’t have to be an expert in marketing theory with Site Build It!. And your
clients will never know how easy your research was. They will just see results-
producing marketing in action.
Back to your own niche-identifying exercise…
Your “specific” answers and niche will be unique to your own situation. However,
for the purpose of this Course, we’ll keep your niche more neutral …
Your target group is small business owners without a Web site who recognize
that they need one. Now go one step further…
Your target group is small business owners without a Web site who recognize
that they need one and have money available for advertising.
Narrow your focus again… Your target group is small business owners without a
Web site who recognize that they need one, have money available for
advertising, and have a budget big enough to hire an independent professional
Web designer.
Not a surprising conclusion when you think about it. However, you would be
surprised at the number of Web site designers that try to market to the entire
world!
So when you start looking for contracts, focus your design and marketing efforts
on your particular niche. Why?
Simple economics…

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That’s where the work is.
At this point in the “narrowing down” process, it’s important to determine the price
range for your services -- low, mid and high-end-- and exactly what type of
services are available at each price level. This framework will direct your future
marketing efforts. So what’s the connection?
Economic factors come into play once again. For the most part, the advertising
budgets of the different segments within your target market will mirror your price
range. In other words, some small business owners will have more money to
spend on your services than others do. You need to decide which type of clients
you want to attract… those who demand high-end, or those who want mid-range,
or those who seek low-end services.
A rough pricing framework might look like this…
Low End ($100 to $200 per page) = simple pre-designed template, a 2-page
brochure-style Web site, client provides content, basic Web presence, etc.
Mid Range ($2000-$3000 per site) = some customization, content editorial
assistance, graphic design, traffic generation, marketing advice, etc.
High End ($4000-$5000 per site) = more customization, content development,
graphic design, traffic generation, traffic stats collection and reporting, ongoing
site maintenance, marketing, etc.
Realistically, in the start-up phase of your business, most of your work will come
from clients looking for low to mid-range priced services. So here are a few
things to consider with these two particular groups…
Low-end service has some distinct advantages. Simple construction and pre-
designed templates allow you to produce several Web sites very quickly. Even
though the profit per job is low, you can make it up in volume. A decent income
is achievable as long as you can establish a steady flow of work.
Like any business decision, there are pluses and minuses to consider. On the
plus side, it is much easier to find work in this price range. Many small business
owners have no idea what is involved in designing a Web site. The low-end price
range fits with their preconceived price notions and more importantly, their
advertising budgets.
On the minus side, any design job requires client interface. The more time you
spend working directly with individual clients, the lower your hourly income is and
the fewer jobs you can do.

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The key is to clearly define what the client gets for the price… and stick with
it. Maintain a balance between good client service and reasonable support. If
you don't, the job can easily take two or three times longer than you initially
expected. When that happens, you are moving from low-end to “zero-end”
territory -- a huge waste of time and money for you.
At the mid-range price level, work is harder to find, but it pays better. These
clients expect more than “just a Web site.” They expect you to be able to talk to
them about Search Engines/traffic generation, Internet marketing, and what a
Web site can/should do to promote their businesses.
Usually, fees for these designs are quoted by the job, with an hourly rate for
unscheduled labor, changes, and support. The jobs tend to be bigger than the
lower-priced work, and they require much more time investment in dealing with
clients.
If you are new to Web site design and marketing, your best option is to start with
low-priced designs while you develop your skills. Once you have