How to Make it as a Small WordPress Business

Heather Physioc(fizz-ee-ock)

About Tentacle InboundCreative, powerful, and sustainable solutions for small business website marketing challenges that lead to enduring growth.

• Digital Marketing Strategy• Search Engine Optimization• Paid Search Advertising• Content Marketing

• E-mail Marketing• Social Media Marketing• Conversion Rate Optimization• Website Design & Development

Suite of 8 Digital Marketing Services

Small Business Facts• Almost 28 million small businesses in the U.S.

(fewer than 500 employees)• Approx. 543,000 new businesses each month• Small businesses create 65% of net new jobs• 78% are self-employed with no additional payroll

employees.• 70% survive 2 years. 50% survive 5 years. 33%

survive 10 years. 25% survive 15+ years.

Common Reasons Businesses Fail• Bad business planning• Not enough startup money, income, or profit• Poor marketing strategy• Generating too few leads or customers• Taking on too much alone, fatigue

Today’s Discussion• Surviving as a small business.• Finding new clients, and earning more business

from existing clients• How to generate income and keep it coming in• Client proposals and pricing services

Survival

Business Analysis• Needs assessment - it worth the time, labor, and

money?• Ask yourself, “Why? Does this align with our goals?”• Businesses fail when they fail to plan and analyze.• Meticulously document internal workflows.• Expose weak areas of business model. • Ask your customers. Have an honest conversation.

Earning Clients

Which Clients to Take On• Define your ideal client.• Understand what success means to them.• Know your deal breakers.• Quality over quantity.• Be skeptical of chronic price hagglers.• Go with your gut.• Not working? Cut the cord.

Networking with Potential Clients• Become an expert at something, and share your

expertise.• Engage locally.• Attend networking events• Pitch yourself to speak

• Support your local community.• Small business partnerships• Charity organizations

Marketing for New Clients• Word-of-mouth.• Speaking engagements at conferences and

networking events.• Holistic digital marketing mix – SEO, PPC, social

media, e-mail marketing, content marketing.• Philanthropy. Genuine desire to give back to our

community.• Education. Willingly sharing our knowledge and

expertise to benefit others.

Generating Revenue

Estimation & Pricing• Ask every question imaginable. • Ask client to define success.• Draft step-by-step project plan.• Remember to include meetings, correspondence,

QA and approval time.• Clearly state assumptions and caveats.• Clearly state policy for overages and scope creep.• Document systems and processes.

What to Charge & Billing• Charge what you’re worth.• Not just level of effort – value.• Estimate accurately.• Charge honestly.• Billing actuals vs. retainer• Billing hourly vs. project-based• Policies for overages, scope creep

Proposals• Restate client’s problem.• Speak in layman’s terms.• Demonstrate your value.• Structure:

1. Problem2. Goals3. Strategy4. Tactics5. Success KPIs6. Cost

Get More Business from

Existing Clients

Be Proactive• Keep current with latest news in your industry.• Actively seek opportunities to help client.• Proactively propose ideas.• Show clear reward value of ideas.• Show consequences of not executing ideas.• Provide clear, simple, low-stress steps for client to

proceed.

Think Holistically• Know how your products and services work

together for better results.• Define “triggers” for when to recommend services.• Create case studies to demonstrate the benefits.

Partnership, Not a Project• Turn and burn clients often not worth your time,

effort, resources.• Become the business the client knows they can call.• Best relationships are ones where client counts on

you as a trusted partner.• Genuinely care about client’s long-term success.

Stay tuned to brand and its leadership (Newsle). Check in even when client is inactive.

Thank you.

TentacleInbound.com @TentacleInbound