The Name of the Game Is Marketing

[[-S|NiStEr_MiNd-]]

I'm just posting this as a personal professional opinion. Too many times have I seen web development companies drop off the face of the Earth or just sort of hang their by a thread. I've had many discussions with individuals and fellow entrepreneurs about fledgling design companies.

Many people wonder why it's so hard to obtain work and develop a clientele list. One of the major things affecting this business is the ease of starting one up. I'm not talking about a full-scale design firm with a staff of twenty. I'm refering to those individuals that begin on their own and say they're a company. The number of web design companies has increased exponentially in the last couple years and over half of them are young individuals who just thought it would be a 'neat' idea.

Don't get me wrong i'm not trying to discourage young entrepreneurship at all. I'm just trying to show that too many young people are getting into the business without thinking it through throughly.

If you want a successful business you have to market yourself. You can't always throw up a flashy (no pun intended ) website and frequent a few job boards and hope that clients will come your way.

There's one thing I learned in this business and that is that marketing is the key, and if you don't do it right you won't get as far as you want. There are so many ways you can market yourself cost effectively. You can produce small business cards, submit to search engines, even put posters up local or visit your local businesses. All it takes is a few GOOD clients who can spread the word.

A good suggestion to those wanting to start up their own company; take a night school course on marketing. It's not too expensive and it will arm you with the neccessary tools you'll need. And look into some business classes.

Here's some excellent entrepreneur and business sites:
http://www.morebusiness.com/
http://www.youthbusiness.com/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Anyways, i'm not sure if anyone will find this post useful or informative, I just thought it might spark an interesting discussion. I think business ethics, fundamentals and marketing is a topic that has been missed a lot here. Especially in a large community of young people who are interested in making a name for themselves.

[Black_phoenix]

very useful thanks..

b.p

[phooka]

On the other hand, and especially if you are a freelancer, too much marketing can be harmful. If you are dealing with big, corporate companies, marketing is the only way of success...

However, if you are dealing with self-made bussinessman with a small familiar bussiness, marketing should not be obvious. After all, what works with this kind of people is the "mouth to mouth" approach. If I make a few cool sites for let's say three ppl out there, the word spreads. People with small companies prefer the personal approach than an aggressive marketing attack... If they see that they are dealing with David and not with a designer, the confidence grows and the possibility of getting a contract is higher...

Just my 2 cents...

[dollen]

Bravo... I would go as far as to say that there should be a category dedicated to marketing. It sounds simple enough but eludes so many... me included. I can make my computer sing and dance, but what good does that do me if no one knows I exists. Coupled with this need for marketing mentors is a resource for general business practice. How much should I charge? Should I ask for money down on the project?? What can I do if I get stiffed??? What are expectable payment terms... net 15??? you get the point.
I really think there should be a category for this... Can it be done?