Tag: seo pricing

How to Sell SEO (and Compare SEO)

How to sell SEO is a challenging topic for SEO agencies, freelancers, and in-house corporate SEO alike. In each case, they must have the right answers for why their job is important, why they are the right choice, and why they need more of the company’s budget. In order to sell SEO, they must have a plan that beats all of the other squillion SEO experts, and they must convey the plan properly. This can also help the person seeking to hire or compare SEO services.

Here is a bit of thought on how to sell SEO effectively, and I hope it will help you. I also hope you will participate in the discussion by adding your comments.

The SEO Client

Let us first look at the SEO client. What are they searching for, and how will you deliver what they want and need? Do they want to find out what you know so they can use it to shop it around with other SEO agencies or implement it in-house? Why are they contacting you? You need to know this!

What is the SEO client searching for? They contacted you, right? I assume that they contacted you because any SEO worth their Google should have clients contacting them, often (another blog post). The SEO client knows this, too, and it should make sense to them when you ask why they contacted you. The fact that they came to you makes them a whole lot hotter lead than if you contacted them. After all, the fact that they found you is exactly the thing they want you to do for them. In my case, if they have filled out a form on one of my sites, I know what link or search has led them there, what else they have clicked on, how long they spent there, and how many times they have come back.

This gives me some great data, but then I consider an instance where the Chief Technology Officer, Marketing VP, and the whole marketing staff was totally on board with my SEO plan for their surgical supply company, but the CEO would not present it to the board because he had already made a $150,000 mistake with the last Internet marketing decision he made. He was afraid for his job, and ashamed of his last mistake. This makes it important to dig deeper into what human elements and fear factors you must overcome to get the job done. You cannot overlook these factors, such as the last joker who came in and made your industry look bad.

It is easy to toss out a few amazing claims and sprinkle their eyes with SEO dust, but let’s look at something much greater. The human factor of offering a service for sale is important, even if you are selling a nuclear reactor. If the client cannot work with you or you cannot work with them, this will clearly not work. Both the SEO client and SEO provider should be diligent in their choices, and this requires a lot of trust from both parties.

The facts and figures are hugely important to any marketing campaign, but all the numbers in the world will not satisfy a client who does not see what is in it for them, or understand your vision for their success. This is vital, and if you are selling facts and figures without how that translates into your client’s needs, goals, and comfort level, you will not sell SEO for very long.

Shopping and Comparing SEO

I have been selling SEO for over a decade, and I do not even bother counting how many SEO contact me to try and know what I know, or to gather ideas on how to sell SEO. Prospective SEO clients and SEO agencies alike will do this. If you are one of the SEO who has been in the business for a while, you have probably given many proposals or other valuable information to somebody who has no plan of ever doing business with you. SEO espionage is pretty rampant, and you will not stop it. I remember some early lessons in selling when I would go out and present myself as a customer in order to find out what salespeople were doing right and wrong, and using the information to do my job better. In the case of SEO, it is often the reason an SEO will hold information close to the vest and avoid discussing details of a plan and their SEO pricing model. It is a hard hurdle to leap, but if you are doing the job well, they will need a whole lot more than a copy of your contract or your plan … they will need you to get the job done!

If you are going to sell SEO effectively, you will need to weed this out and spend your time wisely, which brings me to the next point on confidence.

SEO Arrogance Confused with Confidence:

Have you ever talked about SEO or Web development with somebody who knows more than you? Yeah, I remember those days. When I was new at this, I recall thinking that I would never be able to absorb all that information and store it up here in my little head. That was not only in another decade for me, it was in another century altogether, and this is 2010. I do know a whole lot more than 99.999 percent of people about my job. That should be expected. I mean, how crazy would it be if you went to the dentist and learned something about search engine optimization from the dental hygienist? If it was me, I would jump up out of the chair before the drilling begins!

The hardship here is to convey confidence without being a jerk. I am not sure I have this mastered, but I try to remember the human elements I mentioned above. Sadly, some of the smartest and most talented people in the SEO industry will have a hard time talking about their work without either seeming like they are talking down to the client or just shooting straight over their head. The conversation is also often damaged by the fear of SEO espionage and that they are just being used for free information. Withholding information can make you seem sneaky and sinister, or it can make you seem as if you do not know what you are doing. Drawing the line on what you give away can be tricky, and it will be different each time.

Feeling out the client’s knowledge on the topic and tailoring your focus to their understanding is a challenge. A little fact-finding up front can help a lot.

Ask Many Questions … and Listen to the Answers!

One of the hardest things for somebody trying to sell SEO is to give their answers without really having a clear picture of the questions their prospective client has. If you are an SEO, you know the job, and you know that it does not matter whether they are selling fishing lures or race cars … the job of SEO has many of the same basic principles. The client may not know this, and what they need to know is that you have the creativity, experience, and ambition to help them.

I cannot drive this home for you enough. It is one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made, and that anybody selling SEO or anything else makes. You cannot serve the client to the best of your abilities without knowing specifically what they need, want, and expect from you.

The best way to answer those questions is to ask questions. This seems basic, but just consider how many times you are backed down because a client simply does not want to answer the questions you must ask in order to give them the best plan for their company. When this is the case, it is often best to hang up the phone, walk out of the room, or otherwise let the client know that you cannot help them until they allow you to help them. Veterinarians struggle to find the answers from patients who cannot speak, but these are human beings, and they can give you the answers. In order to give them the best results, they must!

Sure, you can do the research and you can improve their position in search engines, but if it does not speak to their expectations and goals, you will be foolish to continue. Much of this can be improved with an engagement letter and a fee for anything over “X” level of discussion. If the client is more comfortable, whip out your non-disclosure agreement for their security.

Whether you are selling SEO or buying the service, you must drop the inherent cynicism to do business. This requires confidence, which comes from asking questions and getting accurate answers. This is beneficial to both parties. If I ask a client for their server logs before I enter a performance-based contingency SEO contract, I will have an answer or I will walk away. If I ask for a clear picture of their existing marketing efforts and results, I want it for comparison and their view of their target. If I ask for their budget, I expect an answer. I do not ask for their budget without a reason, and that reason is that if I have a $5000 SEO budget, I will have a totally different plan than if I have a $50,000 SEO budget. Each of these has a totally different focus and set of criteria. Each client will answer my questions as differently as people walking into an emergency room. How I treat them depends on honesty and trust.

Just as an attorney will not defend you in a murder case without hearing your alibi, the SEO with best intentions will not take on a client without hearing their case.

So there you have just a few factors in how to sell SEO. This could obviously become a novel, so I will continue this in other articles. In the meantime, I want your input. Give me your comments and let’s discuss this.

Contingency SEO Contracts

I recently wrote about SEO Hourly Rates, and I received a lot of attention to the topic of SEO pricing methods. Now I would like to address one of the other popular SEO pricing methods, contingency SEO.

Contingency contracts have long been used by attorneys when a client either wishes to mitigate their investment risk in legal fees or cannot afford to pay for all of the legal cost upfront. Contingency contracts can also be leveraged properly for your search engine optimization (SEO). When the risk and the reward is equitably shared between the SEO professional and the client, a contingency SEO contract often makes sense. After all, it is easy to see why a professional will often do their best work when their income is dependent on winning. 

Contingency SEO: The Client Perspective

Most companies understand paying a reasonable percentage of their profit to a sales representative, and contingency SEO is not so different in some ways. When the sales representative provides you with business, you provide them with remuneration.

Viewing your SEO provider as another sales representative is a simplified look at contingency SEO, but it is also important to give consideration to legal matters and preserving your company reputation. Ideally, you and the SEO company will have a unified long-term goal of success. Like sales reps, there are good and bad search engine optimizers, so it is important to have a similar approach to that of hiring a new sales representative, or more appropriately, taking on a new business partner.

Since proper SEO work requires a sizeable investment of time, you should be prepared to provide the SEO an upfront payment so that you are, indeed, sharing the cost equitably. Securing a contract with a quality SEO company would be too simple if not for an upfront cost. Clearly, all of your competitors would have done it by now if it was that easy.

Contingency SEO: The SEO Perspective

If I only had a nickel for every opportunity to provide my work upfront and receive a percentage of the profits, I would not offer hourly pricing for SEO services. Like the example of an attorney working for contingency, the SEO provider must be comfortable with the arrangement, and see good potential for gain. The SEO must consider the marketability of the product or service, how to measure the SEO results (gross profit, net profit, market share gain, etcetera), and accountability. There are a lot more ways for the SEO company to come out cheated in the end, so clear contracts and trust become important factors.

Because of the risks for the SEO professional, some ways that contingency SEO can be accounted for include full access to the client’s records, Website scripting to account for the traffic and report it to the SEO, or a separate Website owned by the SEO to measure the traffic and send it to the client. There are many other methods of accountability, but this is simply to say that accountability is often one of the greatest concerns for the SEO professional.

The Contingency SEO Contract

When approached with the opportunity for a proper and equitable SEO contingency contract, I take it very seriously, and I expect my client to do the same. After all, we should be in it together for mutual benefit. Just to be sure both parties understand the relationship, it is very important to spell it out in a contract. A well defined contract for contingency SEO will require much consideration of both parties’ interests, and will take some work for the contracting SEO provider. The client should expect to pay for this time, and for a careful review of the existing Website assets or liabilities. Without a thorough review and assessment of the client’s needs, expectations, and current market position, the SEO professional and client will not have all of the necessary facts to work with. The client should be reminded that if they are engaging the SEO, it is like calling the attorney of choice. It is best to call a great attorney rather than just the first one willing to take on your project. Similarly, the upfront retainer cost to review the case, as well as the depth of the assessment will vary.

Contingency SEO Bloodsuckers

Attorneys have often been referred to as bloodsuckers, and it may be the contingency contract that has caused their reputation. Attorneys are persecuted for receiving huge amounts of money for what looks like an easy job. To their credit, we must remember that there is always a reason the client asks for them to take the case on contingency. The risk is shared, and so must be the reward. Like the attorney, if the contingency SEO does not meet the expectations, neither party benefits. That means the professional has spent their time on the client’s behalf, with the only reward being lost time. The responsibility of maintaining a marketable product or service offering lies outside of the SEO professional’s control. This exposure to potential loss on the part of the SEO must be carefully considered.

How Much Does a Website Cost?

“How much does a Website cost?” is very often the first question I hear from a prospective client. I have answered this question in so many ways over the last decade that I get a chuckle remembering some of my answers.

If price was truly the primary concern, every Website would be free. A quick Google for “free website” returns well into the hundreds of millions in results. There is surely a reason that I still have a job. So why do so many people still ask me the question: “How much does a Website cost?”

Whether you are a prospective Website purchaser or a Website developer, an answer for the question of how much a Website does or should cost is just a Google away. If you Google “How much does a Website cost?“, you will find that the query will return tens of millions of results. With this many people either asking the question or offering their answer, the question becomes very confusing. So what is the missing link?

Fortunately for you, I have your answer, and I will tell you how much a Website should cost. My answer may not be exactly what you want, but if you will take just a few minutes to read this article, I believe I can save you a lot of headache and help to clarify this sensitive topic.  What I hope you will get from this are the matters that lie beneath this question.

I did not lose you yet, so clearly you either have a reason to know the real cost of a Website, or want to know how to answer this question for your clients.

Website Developer vs. Website Purchaser

We do not have to be enemies. When people ask how much their Website will cost, it is easy to let the whole relationship go sour and take on a feeling of haggling at a used car lot. For just a moment, let’s try to look at this from the two respective points of view.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Client’s Viewpoint

I am a Website developer and search engine optimization guy, so I am trying to keep bias to a minimum, but I think I get it. If I am even partially correct, please give your comments below.

As a prospective customer, it is very reasonable to want to know how much something will cost. A very common view of the value of something is how much somebody is charging for it … the price tag is what determines its value. When there is not a set price tag, it is easy to be a bit skeptical about it, and to question the methods or motives of the seller. Certainly, most of the things you shop for will have a price tag. There are not a whole lot of things for sale that do not have a defined cost, so it is not unreasonable to ask how much your project will cost. Skepticism is the easiest defense, so it makes sense to keep pressing for the answer.

I believe that the legitimate question of cost is placed first for many reasons. Some of these are as follows:

  • The client wants to know “Are you out of my league?” or “Can I afford your services?”
  • The client wants to have a ballpark idea of the cost to expect, which is very reasonable.
  • The client has already asked around and has an idea in mind, and wants to compare.
  • It is the first thing on their mind, and the best ice breaker.
  • They just want a “simple Website” and it should be easy to price.

Addressing these from top to bottom, I would suggest these points to consider.

Are you out of my league?: I find that most people looking for a Website can afford most developers. The question really becomes how much of their time you can afford. Generally, just a little bit of a good developer’s time is worth much more than a lot of a bad developer’s time. There is not much room for error in a competitive market, and avoiding errors is imperative.

Ballpark Website cost: Seeking a “ballpark” idea of cost seems reasonable, but there are many ballparks to consider. Playing fields vary greatly, and Comiskey Park is a lot different from a neighborhood sandlot. Connecting the analogy to you, consider Comiskey to be reaching a global audience and filling the bleachers, and the sandlot a way to tell your friends and family about yourself on your new Website.

Some developers will have a strict minimum project, but other developers are capable and willing to help you play ball on either field. The latter is often your best asset, so you should hear them out.

Shopping around for rates: This is a reasonable reaction to any market. A reasonable skepticism should be held while hiring any professional. The unfortunate challenge here is that all things are not equal. In fact, nothing is equal here at all. The same cost will produce different results with different developers. If any two Websites were created equal, there would be two number one positions in Google. If any two developers were created the same, somebody is cloning more than just sheep these days.

Most people will agree that the dentist advertising a “cheap root canal” or a heart surgeon offering to trade for services is a little bit scary. No two developers are created equally. You will never see the same results from two developers. This notion is as statistically significant as the number of developers.

The Best Icebreaker: Price is a great way to get started, but the question is always deeper than just that. If price was the primary concern, every Website would be free. A quick Google for “free website” returns hundreds of millions of results. There is surely a reason that I still have a job.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Web Developer’s Viewpoint

When this question arises, the developer often has a feeling that price is the primary objective, and the purchaser anxiously awaits an answer they can live with. If the question of cost is not answered upfront, the client’s perception can become that of the Website developer holding out their answer while they sum you up to see how much money they can squeeze out of you. A tragic end to this dilemma is often that the Web developer will give the wrong answer. The wrong answer can hurt both parties, and it is wrong however you look at it.

As a developer, I sincerely want to answer the questions of cost, but the right answer usually requires more input than a client wants to offer. I know that if I do not give some answer, my prospective client will not hear anything I say, because all they will hear during my consultation is the sound of a cash register. When I have done my job well, and I explain all of the benefits they will receive from my work, it should sound really costly. After all, there is a lot that goes into doing a job right. If all of my work sounds like a trip to Wal Mart for a garden hose, I have let the client down because I did not give them the information they deserve to know about my work and the Website development industry.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Perfect Website

If there was ever a perfect Website, most of us could agree that Google is the one. Google is clearly the biggest and greatest resource on the Internet. Some people would say Amazon is the best, from a retail standpoint, and some would choose eBay. The fact is that if any one of these Websites was the perfect Website, the project would be all done, and they could fire their staff and save millions of dollars in Web development cost.

If you think a Website is ever fully completed, you may be looking at it from an item viewpoint. That is to say that you just want a Website to have a defined stopping point. This is often the kind of site used to show off a “Home”, “About Us”, “Services” (or Products), “Testimonials”, and “Contact Us” pages. If this is you, I will enjoy talking with you because this is very simple work and I will happily make you an offer anywhere from $29 and up. Even the $29 cost will include a content management system to allow you to very easily update your Website and it will include a really pretty design. This is a fine solution for some companies, but it should be clear that this is a minority. Even plumbing companies and ditch diggers are finding great benefit from the ability to collect payments online, manage project data, simplify requests for proposal, synchronize Quickbooks with their Website, manage their client relationships, and much more.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: A Simple Website

Every viable developer has a Squillion potential clients who ask for a “simple Website”. When you say “simple Website”, the clear and obvious question from a proper and studied developer is “if you want it so simple, why are you asking me?” Although a miserly approach can be beneficial for some companies, the fact is clear that even then, there should be a consideration of tomorrow. Your Website development should never be seen as an open and closed book. You will need the service again in the future, and if you choose well early, you will be better equipped to rise above the wave and achieve happy surfing.

Cost of Missed Opportunity: A Case of Bargain Shopping

One case of bargain shopping that I am still vexed by is a local association of Realtors. This is an organization that has spent many thousands of dollars on Website development over the years, and still has a huge problem. They are very aware that the statistics agree that over 90% of new home purchases begin online, and they are quite convinced that they have a strong need for my service.

The present iteration of their Website was produced after I declined their business a year and a half ago because the budget they had in mind would have actually caused an upfront cost to my company greater than they were willing to spend. The budget discussed at the time was less than the cost of a 1985 Honda accord with 250,000 miles on it, and I am not exaggerating! It would have actually cost me more in the first 30 days to take the account than they were willing to pay in a year. They are now on their fourth version of the site, and they have had regular committee meetings for over a year to determine the best approach to their needs. I have been informed by multiple members of the committee that it is agreed that they want to use my services, but they still have to clear it with the board. This is a prime example of the cost of missed opportunity that can come from delaying the inevitable and simply doing things right the first time.

Another horrible scenario of hiring the wrong developer is the company who is hit with a claim of copyright infringement. This is described in my recent article, “Image Copyright Infringement and Enforcement“.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: Beating the Jones’

The bottom line of Website development cost is that what you spend on your Website will always be outdone by one of your competitors. If you do not think outside the box and make every attempt to use what your developer knows to your advantage, what you spend may be wasted. Having a bright and resourceful Website developer in your corner is an asset that defies the simple questions of upfront cost, and deserves a close look at the relationship opportunities between you and the developer. 

The cost of a Website is a burning question that is on the mind of nearly every first-time Website buyer. Many times, the questions are much different after a miserable failure in hiring the right Website developer. I have countless clients return to me after hiring the wrong developer with a clever sales pitch and a bargain basement price.

Set a Website Budget

Avoid the pitfalls and set a budget. You will be much better of to set a budget before you start shopping, and share that budget with your prospective developer. This is not a secret, and it will serve you well to share it with your developer. When you do this, you can use your time shopping with a much better angle. With a budget, you may ask developers how much they are willing to give you for the money you have to spend. Make the budget reasonably flexible and be willing to hear the developer’s ideas without concerns that they are trying to upsell you and scam you. If they know you have a budget, and the amount they have to work with, their brilliant ideas will often be more to your benefit than theirs.

Tell the Web Developer Your Budget!

Hiding your expected budget is like going to a realtor and saying that you want to buy a house and hiding your budget. If they do not know your budget, they can show you homes all day but you will both be spinning your wheels and never get anywhere. You may think Website developers will try to get all the money they can from you. This may be the case, but if you have it in your budget, do you really want the Website developer to short-change you and offer you less than their best offering? It is common that the level of work you will receive grows exponentially with the amount of money you are willing to spend. Also, if the developer feels like they are getting a great deal, they will have much more incentive to give you all of their best work. I, for one, love to show off for my clients, and if I have enough budget to “WOW” them with my work, it serves me to do so, because they will refer others to me because I was so awesome to work with.

Keep your Fingers Crossed!

Until you spend enough time to fully learn any trade, the professional will always have the upper hand. As long as this is the case, you are much better off by appealing to their sense of pride in providing the best work for your money. A budget will always set a parameter to equalize the field. Then, every developer has your guidelines in mind for impressing you with their skills.

Website development is not unlike any other profession in that it pays to hire the best and most reputable and work forward from there. The big disparity in Website development is that it is an unregulated industry where every joker with a computer can build a Website. Cost should be a secondary concern, and become a consideration of not only today, but what you want and expect long into the future.

Please feel free to contact me at my direct line, toll free, 866-A-Web-Guy (*REDACTED DUE TO AGING WEBSITE*) to answer questions, vent your frustrations, or to build you a fantastic Website.

Author Mark Murnahan is the Chairman and CEO of YourNew.com, Inc. and provides SEO consulting services to companies and non-profit organizations. Mark Murnahan may be reached toll free at 866-A-Web-Guy (*REDACTED DUE TO AGING WEBSITE*) for consultation.