Discover 10 ways to transform $500 websites into $10,000 projects.

Summary

In this insightful video, Lee Blue, a veteran web designer with over 20 years of experience, shares strategies to significantly increase the value of web design work. He emphasizes the importance of defining client audiences, tailoring services to target specific needs, and leveraging inbound traffic sources effectively. Blue also discusses optimizing website engagement, building email lists, nurturing leads, and enhancing client loyalty. Additionally, he touches on managing online reputation for trust and authority, illustrating how small shifts in approach can lead to substantial value increases in web design projects.

Takeaways

• 😀 Small shifts in the context of web design can significantly increase the perceived value of the work.
• 🎸 The value of a product can be dramatically different based on its history or association, similar to how Elvis's guitar increased in worth.
• 🏠 The context around a product, like an oceanfront view for a house, can greatly enhance its value, which is also applicable to web design services.
• 🤔 Defining the client's audience is crucial for increasing the conversion rate of a website, which in turn increases the value of the work.
• 📦 Helping clients package their offerings based on their target audience can improve the relevance and effectiveness of their online presence.
• 🚦 Understanding which inbound traffic sources work best for a client is essential for optimizing their online visibility and conversions.
• 🔍 Discovery indicators, such as search rankings and Google Maps positioning, are important for clients to understand how potential customers find them.
• 🕒 Optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates are key to improving user engagement and indicating the effectiveness of the web design.
• 📧 Building and nurturing an email list is vital for local businesses, as it can be more valuable than social media channels for lead generation.
• 📈 Lead magnets and nurturing leads are critical steps in the customer journey, helping to convert interested visitors into clients.
• 🔄 Focusing on customer loyalty and repeat business can be more cost-effective than constantly seeking new clients, thus increasing business value.
• 🗣️ Managing a client's online reputation, including consistency of information and encouraging reviews, builds trust and authority in the digital space.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Lee Blue's coaching programs?

Lee Blue's coaching programs focus on helping web designers land their best clients ever by providing guidance and strategies to increase the value of their work.

How long has Lee Blue been selling websites?

Lee Blue has been selling websites for over 20 years.

What does Lee Blue suggest as a way to increase the value of web design work?

Lee Blue suggests that a small shift or change in the context around the work can make a massive difference in its value.

What is an example of how context can change the value of an item, as given by Lee Blue?

An example given by Lee Blue is an old Martin guitar, which might be worth $5,000, but if it was Elvis's guitar, its value could increase to over $1 million due to its historical significance.

How does Lee Blue relate the value of a house to the value of web design work?

Lee Blue uses the example of a house, explaining that the value can drastically change based on factors like location, which is similar to how the value of web design work can change based on the context and the audience it targets.

What is the importance of defining the client's audience according to Lee Blue?

Defining the client's audience is crucial as it helps in addressing specific needs and problems, which in turn increases the conversion rate and the value of the web design work.

How does Lee Blue suggest optimizing inbound traffic sources for web design projects?

Lee Blue suggests identifying which inbound traffic sources are working best for the client, such as social traffic, search traffic, and paid traffic, and focusing on those to increase the value of the work.

What is the significance of 'Discovery indicators' in the context of web design work, as mentioned by Lee Blue?

Discovery indicators, which include search rankings, Google Maps positioning, and interactions on Google business profiles, are significant as they show how people are discovering the business, which is a key factor in the value of web design work.

Why is optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates important for web design projects?

Optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates is important because it indicates how well the website is engaging with its audience, which is directly related to the conversion rate and the overall value of the work.

How does Lee Blue emphasize the importance of building an email list for clients?

Lee Blue emphasizes that an email list is more valuable than social media channels for local businesses, as it allows for direct nurturing of leads and potential clients, increasing the value of the web design work.

What is the role of customer loyalty in the web design business model, according to Lee Blue?

Customer loyalty plays a crucial role in the web design business model as it is easier and less expensive to work with existing clients again, increasing the velocity and quantity of transactions, thus increasing the value of the work.

How does Lee Blue suggest managing a client's online reputation to enhance the value of web design work?

Lee Blue suggests managing a client's online reputation by ensuring consistency in information across different platforms, inviting customers to leave reviews, and responding to them, which builds trust and authority, enhancing the value of the work.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Boosting Website Value with Targeted Strategies

In this paragraph, Lee Blue, a seasoned web seller with over 20 years of experience, introduces the concept of significantly increasing the value of web design work through targeted strategies. He emphasizes the importance of context and small shifts in approach that can lead to substantial changes in perceived value. Lee uses the analogy of an old Martin guitar, once owned by Elvis, to illustrate how a single detail can escalate value. He then transitions to discussing the value of web design, suggesting that understanding the client's audience, tailoring services to that audience, and focusing on high-converting inbound traffic sources are key. He also mentions the importance of optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates, as well as building and nurturing an email list for clients.

05:00

🛠 Enhancing Web Design Value with Traffic and Lead Management

This paragraph delves deeper into the specifics of web traffic sources, distinguishing between social, search, and paid traffic, and the importance of identifying which sources are most effective for a client's business. Lee discusses the concept of 'discovery indicators,' which include search rankings, Google Maps positioning, and business profile interactions, as crucial for business visibility. He also addresses the importance of optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates to improve user engagement and conversion. The paragraph highlights the value of building and nurturing an email list, using lead magnets effectively, and the strategy of nurturing leads into clients, which can be more cost-effective than constantly seeking new clients.

10:01

💼 Maximizing Client Value Through Customer Journey and Loyalty

In the final paragraph, Lee Blue discusses the importance of building a comprehensive customer journey that includes not only attracting traffic and converting leads but also nurturing clients into repeat customers through loyalty programs. He talks about the high cost of acquiring new clients and the benefits of focusing on customer retention. Lee also stresses the significance of managing online reputation, which involves not just gathering reviews but ensuring consistency in the information presented across different platforms to build trust and authority. He wraps up by suggesting that implementing even a few of these strategies can greatly enhance the value of web design services, and he invites viewers to check out a workshop for more detailed insights into these high-value packages.

Keywords

💡Web Design

Web design refers to the process of creating, planning, and updating websites. It is a fundamental aspect of the video's theme, as the speaker discusses how web designers can enhance the value of their work by focusing on specific strategies. The script mentions web design in the context of selling websites for high prices and improving conversion rates through targeted audience strategies.

💡Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to a website who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of increasing conversion rates to add value to web design work, suggesting that a higher rate indicates a more effective website in terms of meeting its goals.

💡Audience Targeting

Audience targeting is the practice of directing marketing efforts towards a specific group of consumers. The script discusses how defining a client's audience can significantly increase the conversion rate of a website, as it allows for more focused messaging and solutions tailored to the audience's needs.

💡Lead Generation

Lead generation is the process of attracting and capturing interest in a product or service, typically through digital marketing methods. The video script mentions lead generation as a key strategy for web designers, using tactics like social media, search traffic, and paid ads to attract potential clients.

💡Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty refers to the ongoing preference of one brand over others, often due to satisfaction with past experiences. The speaker in the video talks about the importance of building customer loyalty programs to increase the velocity and quantity of transactions with existing clients, which is more cost-effective than constantly seeking new clients.

💡Online Reputation Management

Online reputation management involves monitoring, addressing, and improving a company's image on the internet. The script discusses the importance of managing a client's online reputation not just through reviews but also by ensuring consistent and trustworthy information across all online platforms.

💡Inbound Traffic

Inbound traffic refers to visitors coming to a website through various digital channels such as search engines, social media, and paid ads. The video script mentions the importance of understanding which inbound traffic sources are most effective for a client's business, as this can significantly impact the success of their web presence.

💡Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a piece of valuable content offered in exchange for contact information, with the goal of converting a website visitor into a potential customer. The script discusses the effectiveness of lead magnets in capturing email addresses and nurturing leads, providing an example of a document on roof inspection as a lead magnet.

💡Email List

An email list is a collection of email addresses used for sending out newsletters, promotional materials, or other communications. The video emphasizes the value of an email list for nurturing leads and building relationships with potential clients, suggesting that it can be more valuable than social media channels for local businesses.

💡Nurturing Leads

Nurturing leads involves engaging with potential customers over time to build trust and interest in a product or service. The script discusses nurturing leads through email campaigns and social media engagement, aiming to convert these leads into clients by providing valuable interactions and information.

💡Authority and Trust

Authority and trust refer to the credibility and reliability of a business or individual in the eyes of consumers. The video script highlights the importance of establishing authority and trust through consistent information across online platforms, which can lead to better search rankings and more clicks from potential clients.

Highlights

Lee Blue, with over 20 years of experience selling websites, shares insights on elevating the value of web design work.

Small shifts in approach can significantly impact the perceived value of web design services.

The importance of context in valuing work, illustrated by comparing a regular guitar to Elvis's guitar, which sold for $1.3 million.

The value of a house increases dramatically with the addition of 'Oceanfront' context in Marathon, Florida.

Web designers often undervalue their work due to a lack of context about their client's audience and needs.

Defining the client's audience is crucial for increasing website conversion rates and the value of web design work.

Packaging client offerings based on their target audience can lead to more effective web design and higher value.

Identifying the most effective inbound traffic sources for a client's business is key to successful web design.

Discovery indicators such as Google search position and Google Maps positioning are vital for business visibility.

Optimizing time on site and reducing bounce rates are critical for understanding audience engagement with a website.

Building and nurturing an email list is more valuable than growing social media audiences for local businesses.

Lead magnets should be tested and optimized to effectively capture and engage potential clients.

Nurturing leads through email campaigns and social media can convert interested visitors into clients.

Optimizing conversion rates on ad campaigns can significantly reduce the cost per client acquisition.

Customer loyalty programs can increase the velocity and quantity of transactions, providing ongoing value.

Managing client's online reputation involves ensuring consistent and trustworthy information across platforms.

Google promotes businesses with consistent and correct information, enhancing visibility and trustworthiness.

Implementing a few key strategies from the discussed list can make a significant difference in web design value.

Transcripts

can we 10ex the value of your work by

the end of this video I'm Lee blue I've

been selling websites for over 20 years

and for the last seven years I've been

helping web designers land their best

clients ever through my coaching

programs over le. BL which you can check

out right there but sometimes just a

small shift can make a massive

difference in the value of your work and

I've got about a dozen examples to kind

of illustrate that point because a lot

of people will email and say hey Lee you

know those $10,000 websites you keep

talking about can you send me a link to

one of those websites so I can compare

that with what I'm doing cuz I'm only

getting like a, for myself maybe even

less than that and if I could just make

my sites look like your sites then I

could sell $10,000 websites but you're

probably already building $10,000 sites

it's just missing the context around it

and that's what I wanted to illustrate

today because sometimes just a small

like one small thing can radically

change the value of something for

example suppose you came to me with this

old Martin guitar and you said hey Lee

I've had this old guitar what's it worth

and I look at it I look at the it's the

1950s I look at the ton Woods you know

compare it to other guitars that the

same of the same condition I'm like hey

it looks like a $5,000 guitar to me and

then you're like hey you know what this

was Elvis's guitar like well Elvis's

guitar just sold for $1.3 million a

couple years ago so like one small piece

of information massive difference in

value but you can't see that it's

Elvis's guitar just by looking at the

tone Woods right you're and you're not

buying just the guitar you're buying

like the Legacy right of the history

here's another example I've got a house

let's say it's 1,800 ft three bedrooms

two bag adds what's it worth $100,000

$200,000 and then you say one more thing

this house is Oceanfront Marathon

Florida overlooking the keys it's like a

million dollars right but you can't tell

that just by looking at the house itself

you have to look at what's around the

house so let's take a look at how to do

that for your web design stuff now if

you want to see an exact example of our

$122,000 package like all the features

that we include and how we get leads for

those projects check out the workshop in

the description it's lead. blork

and you'll see all the details for how

all that stuff works but let's take a

look at some questions that you can ask

yourself as you're putting together your

own projects for your clients and and

try to get that context around what

you're doing and I think you'll see a

huge shift in value just by answering

some of these questions the first one is

have you defined your client's audience

and what what I mean by that is a lot of

times our clients have multiple

audiences and you try to address them

all at the same time like maybe you even

have this issue for your own website

have you do you ever feel like you have

writer block when you try to write stuff

on your own site like anytime I feel

like I have writer Block it's almost

always because my audience is too broad

and I'm trying to speak to everybody and

nothing's Landing it's all just fluff

but if I can narrow it down to a very

specific type of person with a specific

problem I can then say here's how I can

help with that problem and so that's the

first thing that I think of and that

massively increases the conversion rate

of the website and if you're increasing

the conversion rate that massively

increases the the value of your work and

it closely related to that is the second

one is have you helped your client

package their stuff based on the

audience they're targeting and you might

have the same issue too in fact I know I

do like I don't do every single thing

that I know how to do for all of my

clients right I only do the stuff that I

need to do for them same thing for you

right like I bet there's a ton of stuff

that you can do but you don't do every

single thing that you can do for every

single client that would be ridiculous

and so your customers and I know my

clients the same way especially if

you're working with like doctors or

people that can serve people in a

variety of different ways so it's really

helpful if instead of talking about

everything that you can do on your

website if you go back to step one and

say well this is the audience and here's

the specific stuff I can do for them

that will massively increase the

conversion rate of your website and of

course that massively increases the

value of your work here's another one

have you helped your clients um figure

out which inbound traffic sources are

working the best and I tend to think of

three major traffic sources when when

I'm thinking about this I think of

social traffic search traffic and paid

traffic so social traffic would be like

anything that comes through Facebook or

Instagram both in terms of like organic

posts but also like if you say you you

spend up a like we work a lot with local

businesses and one of the things I feel

like is really important is just to put

up a Facebook page for the local

business even if you just post to it

like once a week and the reason for that

is a lot of neighbors will go onto

Facebook and they'll say something like

does anybody know any anybody who can

build a deck or that can you know do

whatever like do some home service and

then other people will be like oh yeah

you got to work with this guy and

they'll start tagging the business

usually usually the Facebook page and so

when that happens your client will then

get a notification hey people are

talking about you over there and then

plus people can click on that tag and

then go to your page and see some

examples of what you do your contact

information get in touch so I would

consider that to be social traffic even

though it's not really interactions or

engagements with your actual post it's

like other people talking about you so

that's really really cool and then on

top of that I have search traffic you

know like you know um you know Google

ins searching and everything and then

paid traffic like you might buy ads and

I want to know what's working the best

because it's not always as as easy to

understand as it might seem like if

you're working with a client that's sort

of launching a new product the search

traffic is probably not going to even

you might not have any search traffic

because it's a new product how are

people going to search for something

they don't even know what it is on the

other hand if it's something like

Roofing where everybody knows what

Roofing is then I really do want to

focus on search traffic so that's an

example of what I'm talking about with

like which traffic sources are working

the best based on the audience and the

type of products that your clients are

selling and then on top of that really

closely related to that are what are the

discovery indicators doing and so

Discovery indicators are more than just

search rankings it's it's obviously it's

like your Google search position for

different keywords and stuff but it's

also like your Google Maps positioning

and your Google business profile

interactions and Yelp page views and the

traffic to your website like this these

are all things that are discovering

indicating that people discovering your

business and I want to show my client

hey look since we started working

together these Discovery indicators are

really increasing in fact one of the

things I'm working on right now is a new

video for for YouTube here that's going

to go through local SEO kind of 101 like

local SEO Essentials and it's going to

be a bunch of stuff we usually charge

about $500 for this package it's just a

bunch of stuff that you can do without

having to buy anything or subscribe to

any tools it's just a local SEO package

and it's a great way to get some

recurring Revenue coming in so don't

forget to subscribe for that that's

coming up in a couple weeks um but

here's a here's a few more questions to

kind of get back on track with what

we're talking about here how are you

optimizing time on site and reducing

bounce rates for your clients this is

such an easy thing to overlook because

it's uh I tend to just say well I just

want to launch the website and get it

out but have you ever thought about well

how are people interacting with the

stuff that you just launched like say if

I if I have a really bad bounce rate

like a lot of people are just like

hitting the site and then leaving right

away well when I look at that I know

that the problem is not the call to

action it's not the information down the

page and I've even getting to the to the

bottom part of the page it's probably

the headline or the audience targeting

that we just talked about people are

looking at this taking a quick glance at

what they see and they're like yeah I

don't think this is for me and then they

bounce so when I see a high bounce rate

I think to myself do I need to change

how I'm targeting my audience or do I

need to change the message on like my

headline message so that my audience

really does understand I'm talking to

them that's a huge thing or if it's if

it's not a bad bounce for like people

are spinning some decent time on site

but they're not converting then I'm

going to be looking further down the

page and say well maybe the call to

action is too intimate of a thing you

know like what I mean by that it's like

it's too it's too big of a step it's

like going from first discovery to buy

now all on the same visit and I'm

thinking to myself well that's probably

too much and maybe there's something

that I can do to maybe get some leads

from people who are interested but not

quite ready to like schedule a call yet

and so that kind of leads us to the next

one which is how are you building your

client's email list an email list is

such a valuable thing your email list is

going to be more valuable than probably

all of your social media channels

combined especially for local businesses

because local businesses generally don't

create enough content on social media to

grow an audience organically there and

so what I like to do is I like to grow

my client social media audience through

email and I like to grow my email list

through some of these Discovery

indicators you know either social

traffic search traffic or ads so I'm I'm

kind of let's say I'm using ads to pull

in traffic onto my landing page I'm

getting an email address and then I can

nurture that address and one of the

things that I might do in that nurturing

sequence is say hey why don't you follow

me over on Facebook or hey why don't you

subscribe to my YouTube channel which

would be great if you did that for me

and that way I can nurture my clients or

nurture my leads until they become

clients in sort of a counterintuitive

way and then I want to think well what

lead magnets are working the best right

cuz in fact this morning I was actually

working with a a roofing website and we

had this lead magnet where you put your

your email address in and you can

download a document that gives you like

10 things to look for to see if your

roof needs to be replaced and that might

be that might work well if it doesn't

work as well as I want I can take that

same information but just reformat it in

the format of like a quiz you know like

you answer a few questions and then I'll

grade your roof and like your the

results will be like you know a through

F or 1 through 10 or something like that

and like How likely you need to change

your up your roof in the near future and

sometimes you'll find that the quiz

resonates and and gets more interaction

than just downloading a thing and so I

want to check that out and then um and

get some some leads coming through and

then once I get the leads coming through

then I want to nurture the leads like we

were just talking about maybe it's

joining social media maybe it's an email

drip campaign maybe I do something in

person like an open house but I want to

start nurturing those leads and so what

are you doing to help your clients

nurture their leads right so see how all

this stuff kind of stacked in itself

because you have to have the audience

you have to have a lead magnet you have

to have an email list then you have to

nurture the leads so um so this is

really building tremendous value because

what we're doing is we're building a

customer Journey we're not just throwing

out a website and saying here there's

the website we're saying here's how you

get traffic here's how you get clients

here here's how you get leads then you

get clients and you can even even

nurture those clients into repeat

clients with like customer loyalty and

everything so I want to look through all

of that and then I also want to I want

to optimize the conversion rates on my

campaigns so when I'm if I'm targeting

somebody through ads where I know I have

a really targeted audience because I'm

doing doing the the audience targeting

through the ad manager of whatever

platform like I'm doing Google search

ads or something or Facebook ads or

something I know that I have a really

tight audience and so if I'm pulling in

leads and clicks from Those ads I want

to have like a 10 to 20% conversion rate

on that landing page and if I know that

I can go from traffic to leads at let's

say at least 10% and then I want to get

another 10% conversion rate from leads

to clients

then I know if like if I know that like

if you know you can go from traffic to

leads at 10% and leads to clients at 10%

that tells you that you need a 100 leads

to get one client like 100 clicks

basically to get one client and then you

can say how much does a click cost I

don't know what if what if you're paying

$2 a click well now you know it's $200

to get one client and if it's a roofing

company selling like a 20 or $50,000

roof that's great right and so you can

tell your clients look I'm pulling in

leads for you for 200 bucks you're

selling $50,000 roofs

how do you like that right that's pretty

good so um so I want to look through

that information and then tell that to

the clients so they can see where the

value is they can see that I'm helping

and that makes a huge massive difference

in terms of the value behind your work

and then what about Customer Loyalty

because here's one of the things that's

so crazy about the web design world

right now most web designers don't

really have a business model that really

facilitates a lot with customer loyalty

so we find ourselves constantly looking

for brand new clients all the time

either through referrals or whatever you

just trying to to reach new clients but

the hardest thing and the most expensive

thing to do is to get a brand new client

it's much easier to get an existing

client to work with you more to work

with you again and that's a huge huge

thing because if you can do that if you

can improve the velocity of transactions

and the quantity of

transactions that's a massive thing

especially compared to not doing that at

all so I want to look through like how

what am I doing to build these customer

loyalty programs and how successful are

the programs like let's take a look at

what things we doing how things were

going before we started these programs

and now let's look at the velocity and

the quantity of transactions per

customer after the program and look at

the value that I'm bringing that's huge

right um and then one last one is how do

you manage your client's online

reputation and when I think about online

reputation I'm not just thinking about

reviews and responding to reviews and

things like that I'm also thinking about

Authority and trust and my trust I

necessarily mean like people are

tricking people or scamming people what

I really mean is can I trust the

information that's out there like if I

look at your Google business profile and

I see one phone number and then I look

at your website and I see the other

phone number which one am I supposed to

call maybe neither of them are right

right can I which one can I trust or if

I look at the profile and it says one

set of hours of operation then I go to

your website and it has a different list

of hours are you open can I trust that

if I go there that you're actually going

to be open so what I'm talking about

with like managing my client's

reputation is I want to invite their

customers to leave reviews and respond

to the reviews but I also want to make

sure that the information is consistent

out there because that's going to build

trust build Authority get more clicks

and and not only do people appreciate

that but Google themselves appreciate

that kind of verification like that

phone number is correct because it's in

both places those hours are correct

because they're in both places and if I

know that the phone number and the hours

are correct then I'm going to promote

you to more of our audience like

Google's going to promote promote you to

more people because they can trust that

at least they have a higher percentage

chance of being able to trust that the

information is correct and that people

that are searching for stuff will get

good experiences and that's what Google

is all about trying to get you a good

experience so here's the crazy thing

though are you ready you don't have to

do all of this stuff this might feel

like an overwhelming amount of stuff but

again like check the link in the

description for that new workshop and

you'll see exactly what we put into our

$112,000 packages how we get leads for

those clients and we only do a handful

of these things in our $112,000 package

we don't have the there's not a budget

to do all of those things so if you just

do a few of them it can make a huge

difference so check out that Workshop if

you're still interested in pricing check

out this video over here and we'll go

kind of 20 years of testing for like

what's this sweet spot in web design

pricing today