Meeting the Public in Mass

Therefore, the ideal situation would be to have a way for people to come to you, preferably in mass, and get a chance to see what you do and meet you face to face. That is where business shows and county fairs can come in quite handy.

The best, most technically knowledgeable web designer in the world is wasting time if clients cannot be found. That's where these business shows and fairs pay off.

Each year I take my company to a business showcase in our area, at a local Caesar's Casino. Despite being in a casino, there really is no gamble involved. Like most such showcases, the cost of being there is not much compared to the exposure, but there is an even greater reason to participate.

Because it is a showcase for local businesses — and because most web building clients are businesses — it's a perfect place to make the B2B contacts.

To think that people will purchase a web site during the showcase is probably not realistic. They are busy promoting their own business all that time. However, making those contacts (including seeing each other daily for a few days) makes that post-showcase contact more of a reunion than a sales call.

Fairs are a little different in that a typical booth in the merchant's building at a fair exposes you to not only business people, but people who are just out walking around eating cotton candy while the kids ride the rides. Still, many of those people, or their relatives and friends, are business owners, too.

Again, to expect to sell a web site at the fair probably is not realistic, but planting the seeds in people's minds that you exist, letting them see what you do, and meeting them face to face can be well worth the cost, which again is not usually all that high.

To make such opportunities a success requires a bit of planning. It isn't enough to walk in, sit down, and expect people to stop at your booth. You have to have something to draw them in, and that can take many forms.

Getting their attention

One of the most successful forms is a drawing for something free or at a reduced cost. That way people have to take the time to fill out a form, and while they are writing you can make your sales pitch. It need not be any type of hard sell; simply engaging them in conversation can open the door, and they are voluntarily providing you with their contact information follow up calls.

Remember, too, that people tend to visit these places more than one day during the week it is running. Rather than bore them to death by making them spend their entire evening listening to you, hit the high points and let them get on with their lives. If they want more information, they will come back.

At a larger show, you may wish to offer a drawing for a free 4-page web site or the cost equivalent reduction for a larger site. At smaller shows, you may simply need to offer a drawing for $100 off the cost of a web site.

In our case, we offer a free site on one of our four cyber malls, which is equivalent to $100 value. As a rule, these sites can be created in about an hour, so it is a good deal for all involved — especially if it brings people interested in having a web site to your booth. Generally, it will.

You may wish to go in with another small business to purchase a booth. We combine our web design company with my middle son's pottery business and the rock band for which he plays. That also helps in getting him and his band mates to help work the booth, which can be tiring during the course of a week. You may wish to oversee operations when a wild and crazy drummer is working the booth, but that can vary by band.

Make sure there is a clear division in the booth so that people do not end up wondering why a web designer is pushing pottery or a band.

Plan on spending time with some people who have little knowledge about the internet other than knowing they want a web site. By explaining how it works and why it is beneficial, it is possible to gain a very happy customer in a very short amount of time.

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