michaellunsford Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 After several years of working through a referral base, I'm curious to know what techniques others here use to attract new business? Because I'm primarily interested in local business, so the yellow pages seemed like a good start. To date, it has been disappointing, though.If you aren't afraid to share what seems to work for you, please share your ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.josh Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 local?- Make a flyer and buy some kid a six pack of Vault and a large pepperoni pizza if he walks up and down the street and stickies it to doors/cars/whatever (or do it yourself)- Write a letter/brochure/whatever and mail it to everybody in the yellow pages.- Give your local radio station dj some cash or buy him/her a beer to mention your name/website on the radio.- Repaint your car to be a mobile advertisement and drive around town- Put you an ad on a billboard (might be cheaper to hire a kid to spraypaint over some other billboard and claim you didn't know nothin' about it..but while you're here officer, would the police dept like a new website? ;D )- Drop a stack of fliers off at other businesses like convenience stores or fast food places or other such high traffic places. Lots of those places let you leave fliers on their counters, tape things in windows, etc.. just ask. I see them all the time. - Hire some kiddies to pass around fliers at the mall (or do it yourself)well I could go on all day but hopefully you get the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellunsford Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 Okay, this is getting scarry. Is it too late to retract this post? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocka Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 haha I put a resume on monster.com .. I inteded for companies to find me but most of my calls are from small businesses that need websites. It wouldn't hurt to try. Right now I'm working on a project that should pay off by next year. As I understand it, I get some of the profits (estimated around 36mil/year). Investors already on it and a super bowl ad was already purchased.. thank god I put my resume up :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkBait Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Check out Craigslist.org (make sure you select your area)Though, I dont know if you can post a 'Looking for Work' kinda speal, but you can view the companies/people who are looking for webwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellunsford Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 interesting ideas. I just wonder if the people who need web work (who are usually not very computer savvy) would be looking on the internet. It would appear that the best and most consistant way to reach these people is through the network of people you've already done work for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocka Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Most of the people I've worked for always makes a run for the yellow pages. Get a big ad in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellunsford Posted November 13, 2006 Author Share Posted November 13, 2006 The yellow pages, at least for me, have been a disappointment. I have an ad in the yellow pages and I've only received two calls from prospective clients. All kinds of calls from advertising people, though: radio, television, off-brand telephone books, print periodicals, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocka Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Wow, I was thinking about doing that too. You've just changed my mind.Craigslist is a good place though (someone suggested that already). I put an ad up once and had a few calls. Then you could have your own site with as many keywords as you can throw in there and then pay google to put it at the top of the search. I KNOW that works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkBait Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Using AdWords with Google could work.Local papers would be good too, now if only I could get more work myself. I would love to get more into web design than I am now, I really do enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txmedic03 Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 You can have the design and the graphics work, SharkBait. I just want coding. Pure coding plain and simple.The best way I have found is just by talking to people. Once they find out who you are and what you know they always want something done or know someone who does or they will meet someone who does and they will remember you if you leave a good impression.I don't like doing design work so I turn them down these days, but I get lots of requests just from talking to people or people that have seen something I've done. I turned one down today for someone who has a site, but they don't know how to run it and they want someone else to build the site and set everything up for them. Everyone knows someone in some way or another that has/wants a website or they want one themselves. If they already have one at some point they may need help with it or they may want someone to do it for them. If they already have someone doing it for them that may not work out the way they want and if you've made a good impression on them then you'll get the call and possibly the job. Word of mouth is very powerful when it comes to local work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkBait Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Im not great at graphic work so the next few sites people have me making I'm getting my sister to help me. She loves the graphic side of webdesign, I too like the programming side of it.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjakreborn Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 craigslist -> your state(city) -> Postad -> services offered (computer) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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