After I design a website for a client, I am often asked to provide other (somewhat related) services, such as managing e-mail marketing campaigns, creating various reports, and updating online stores. This is perfect for me because it supports the model I follow in my business. But even if you typically only provide design services, there are ways you can offer your clients even more value for working with you, and develop a long-term relationship that benefits everyone.
If clients are happy with your work, they are likely to consider you for other projects because they trust you, they know you’re web savvy, and you already have a handle on their businesses. Building on a previous post, “Recession Survival: 9 Ways To Make More Money As A Web Designer,” here is an expansion of #8: Diversify, with seven value-added services you can offer to your clients.
1. Analytics Interpretation and Reporting
You’ve designed the site with web analytics code in place and the site usage is being tracked. But it takes a lot of the client’s time to review the analytics and, most importantly, interpret what it means. It can be beneficial for your clients to have someone who understands the data create reports, interpret them, and make suggestions for site improvements based on the data.
2. Competition Monitoring
Regardless of the industry your client is in, there are competitors online. It might be worthwhile to have someone keep an eye on competitors’ websites to stay up to speed with what they’re doing, especially if it can impact the client’s business.
3. HTML E-mail Template Design
If your client sends e-mail marketing messages, he/she may be interested in having e-mail templates created that have the same look and feel as the website.
4. Blog Customization/Management
Blogs are another area where a client may need help carrying over the same look that you created for their website. Beyond the customization and setup, there may be an opportunity to provide blog management services for your clients, where you publish posts, manage comments, add the blog to directories and promote linking.
5. Pay-Per-Click Campaign Management
This is another area that requires a lot of work on the client’s part. If the client doesn’t have dedicated marketing support and if you have experience with PPC campaigns, this may be a great way to give your clients more value, and save them time.
6. Sales Presentation Development
One of my clients had a team of sales people who wanted to use the website as a visual aid during sales presentations, but always feared there would be spotty or non-existent Internet service for the meeting. I was hired to take the website, translate it into an auto-run demo, and burn it to a DVD. This gave the sales people an offline solution, plus a leave-behind for prospects.
7. Usability Testing
After the site is live — or before the work begins in the case of a redesign — it may make sense to get input from the client’s customers and target audience. You can manage usability testing by creating and compiling surveys, managing one-on-one interviews, and reporting the feedback to the client.
Once you know what services you want to offer to retain clients, its time to focus on bringing new ones in. Here’s a great guide to finding freelance work over on Millo.