SVA Forum

karenray · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 7:34 pm Post subject: Gaining more clients

Hi Guys,

I am quite new to this site and would appreciate a little advice.
I set up my VA business in 2009 and since have changed my website 3 times trying to get it right.
I have 2 ad hoc clients that pay well but the work is very few and far between and I would like more regular work. I am looking for advice on how I can market my business to attract new potential clients and advice on whether you think my site is giving off the right sort of vibe to potential clients.

All advice is greatly received as I really want to be a success.

Thanks
Karen
www.firstclassofficeassistance.com

Sally@Stonetext · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:12 pm Post subject:

Hi Karen,

Firstly, welcome to SVA. Use the Search facility at the top of the page to identify posts on marketing your business, there are heaps of hints and tips that you will find really useful.

Your website seems to contain all the necessary info. There are a couple of issues that spring to mind (others may not agree so this is a purely subjective view).

The theme you've used doesn't feel sufficiently business-like. Colour choice is incredibly important.
There are typos sprinkled throughout the site.
What does the photo say? Think carefully and critically.
Using the same stuff in the right hand column throughout the website is a tad boring.
Think about the keywords and text you have used on your Home page. There is very little meaty content for the searchbots.

Hope this helps.
_________________
Sally
Stonetext Online Admin Services www.stonetext.co.uk
Spida Web & Graphic Design www.spidawebdesign.co.uk

Please help to support SVA by donating to: http://tinyurl.com/37urec

suzi · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 76 Location: warrington,cheshire

How important is a website??

I traded for 3 years without one - I did a really good pdf that I sent to people. Easy to read and told them a story with a few words and some super pictures.

Have you tried networking? It is a great way to build confidence. I got most of my clients through people I had worked with or networking. Tried cold calling businesses? (i hate it but it can work).

Finding clients is the hardest part of running a business - Don't only rely on a website .....

Hope this helps

Suzi

Sally@Stonetext · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject:

Great advice from Suzi.

The website provides a presence and shows potential clients how professional you are and your attention to detail, it doesn't necessarily generate clients.

Considering the main thrust of what we do is trying to work remotely it is bizarre that networking and word of mouth are probably the most successful forms of marketing for VAs. People are such strange critters.

Unfortunately you have to get out there and get the clients. They won't necessarily come to you without the help of a cattle prod to spur them into action.
_________________
Sally
Stonetext Online Admin Services www.stonetext.co.uk
Spida Web & Graphic Design www.spidawebdesign.co.uk

Please help to support SVA by donating to: http://tinyurl.com/37urec

caroline · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:25 am Post subject:

I would actually disagree with that - a good website should be getting you leads and clients all the time! Because it has to be properly optimised for the search terms you want to find clients with - so if you do bookkeeping, think about the kinds of phrases a client would type into Google if they needed help with that. You might find better traffic if you specialise in some more niche terms e.g. bookkeeping for microbusinesses or freelance bookkeeper.

Secondly, time is a critical factor - Google takes 3 months to recognise any changes you make and gives priority to long standing sites, so it will take at least 3 months for your site to be being regularly picked up by the search engines.

You're also using a US cost comparison - taxes won't be anything like 55% for UK employees, since we do PAYE. Might be putting some clients off since they know that this isn't correct.

Just my opinion though - I'm no expert!! (as Sally will no doubt testify too - I am a technical cretin!!)
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dawnjlane · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:29 pm Post subject:

I agree with Caroline about your website being very important, even if you don't get clients through the door from it, they will certainly check if you have one for your credibility.

Feedback - may sound a bit harsh but here goes...

* I feel that it is a little 'thin on the ground'. You don't say much on the home page to entice a client to call/email you. Just telling them that you can save time and money isn't necessarily enough. How do you save them money?
What value do you add to their business?

*You don't have an About Us/Me page - no-one knows who you are; what you have done in the past; what your credentials are.

*Your Rates/Services page doesn't actually give any rates. I would either change the page title if you don't want to include prices or add prices for potential clients to see.

*Free services for charities - why? * hours a week is a lot to give away. You could find yourself working permanently for charities and not earning a penny. If you want to work with charities and give them a financial break, offer them a discounted rate of 15% - 20%.

*Claire Jarret - not sure I understand the importance of this lady and the services you have included. Is she an associate who works with you to offer PPC and SEO to clients? Reading the web site, she is more prominent than you are and I would think that it is her website but with the wrong name on the photo. There seems more emphasis on her/her work than on you/your work.

Others may not agree with me, but I think that you need to spend a little more time think about what you want potential clients to see when they click on your website. Personally, if I was a potential client I would be wondering who you are and how you could help me but your site doesn't answer those questions at the moment.

Dawn
_________________
Dawn Lane VAcertified MAMS MInstAM
Your Office Online - www.your-office-online.co.uk
Virtual Business in a Box Ltd - www.virtualbusinessinabox.co.uk
dawn@your-office-online.co.uk
dawn@virtualbusinessinabox.co.uk

karenray · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject:

Wow, Thanks Everyone,

I think one of the biggest mistakes I have made is that I was a member of a US VA forum so getting a lot of advice from them before I joined this forum. I also had the website set up by someone from the US which maybe wasn't the right way to go.
I will definitely take on board your points, particularly about the home page as this is what will catch peoples attention first. Unfortunately I am not a copy writer and not naturally gifted in this area so finding the right wording and content doesn't come easy for me, and I am not very good at bigging myself up which obviously doesn't help.
Just wondering if anyone knows of anywhere i can get help for this type of thing as I think having a good website with good content is so important and I don't want people coming to it then turning away because they don't see what they need to know.
Thank you
Karen

karenray · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 2:41 pm Post subject: @ Sally

Just a quick question for Sally, I agree with most of what you have put, but I was just wondering what your point about the picture was as I don't understand what you mean. Sorry I'm probably being a bit thick, but its a picture of me so I am not sure how I can improve on that. Unless you mean I shouldn't have a picture of myself on there at all???

Thanks

Karen

Sally@Stonetext · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 2:46 pm Post subject:

If you are writing your own copy try to think of someone who you admire and who you think is really good at what they do and then write your copy as if it is their company. We often find it easier to write effusively about other people's businesses rather than our own - must be our natural reticence.

You will find it easier the more you do it. Have a look at websites in sectors where they are good at bigging themselves up - marketing, fashion, jewellery, advertising. Use positive language.
_________________
Sally
Stonetext Online Admin Services www.stonetext.co.uk
Spida Web & Graphic Design www.spidawebdesign.co.uk

Please help to support SVA by donating to: http://tinyurl.com/37urec

karenray · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:13 pm Post subject:

I have been having a looking at different themes,
Do you think changing the theme will help with the look of the site and if so do you recommend any Wordpress themes or sites where you can get them

Thanks

Karen

caroline · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:06 pm Post subject:

The Americans are about 5 years ahead of us in the UK in most things - however advertising is not one of them!

They are in fact at least 20 years behind in some ways.... Remember, most citizens don't have higher education and about 60% of them don't even have a passport. So most marketing/advertising is very, very simple. In fact, at Sony I constantly had to explain to our LA office why our songwriters didn't want to be put on an advert which said "BUY ME!" and a massive packshot and was going to be played to infinity and beyond.... Naffness was not a concept they understood!

Whilst the international forums are hugely useful in terms of lots of different things, where they really fall down is the fact that the UK has a unique phone system, legal system, taxation and that their customer's ethos will be entirely different to a US customer because of that.

For the US VAs, their clients can easily hire/fire employees at will - so they need to differentiate themselves from your average employee by providing a more "executive" level service. In the UK, clients are loathe to hire employees since they are more or less impossible to get rid of and therefore they jump at the chance to hire basic admin help without employee red tape.
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karenray · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:19 pm Post subject:

I have been spending today editing the site and wondered what you thought of the updates.
I thinking there is still along way to go, but do you think I am on the right lines

Thanks for the in put

Karen
www.firstclassofficeassistance.com