331 - How to Sell Website Care Plans (if you're not using WordPress) with Eleanor Mayrhofer
Jun 17, 2024
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Eleanor Mayrhofer, a SquareSpace web designer and community member, shares her innovative approach to recurring revenue through website care plans. She introduces her SOS plan, focused on Strategy, Optimization, and Support, which has quickly generated hundreds in monthly income. The conversation covers the essentials of crafting effective client care packages, pricing strategies, and the importance of onboarding. Eleanor emphasizes building client relationships and managing expectations, all while highlighting the transformative power of community support in web design.
The SOS plan enables non-WordPress designers to offer recurring income through tailored strategy, optimization, and support services.
Transparent communication about client availability leads to effective management of expectations and can drive immediate client engagement.
Implementing a structured onboarding process is essential for maintaining service quality and client relationships as the business scales.
Deep dives
Initial Client Engagement and Sales Strategy
The speaker shares a personal experience of launching a newsletter that quickly attracted client interest, resulting in the immediate booking of new client slots. Initially hesitant due to fears of overwhelming demand, the speaker found that only a few clients responded positively while others expressed interest in future conversations. This illustrates the effectiveness of being transparent about availability and addressing potential client hesitations upfront. By managing client expectations and creating a sense of exclusivity, the speaker was able to successfully generate quick initial sales.
Expanding Services Beyond WordPress
The discussion debunks the myth that only WordPress users can offer website care and maintenance plans, demonstrating that similar services can be implemented for platforms like Squarespace and Wix. A co-created SOS plan emerged to encompass strategy, optimization, and support, enabling non-WordPress designers to generate recurring income. This innovative service model allows designers to cater to their clients' broader marketing needs while still providing website maintenance. Consequently, web designers can diversify their income streams beyond traditional project-based fees.
Understanding Client Needs Through Strategy Sessions
The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding client goals by conducting initial strategy sessions, allowing designers to tailor their support effectively. These sessions help identify specific marketing objectives, such as lead generation or public speaking engagements, to align service offerings accordingly. The focus on customized support facilitates stronger relationships with clients, creating a collaborative atmosphere for growth. This approach not only enhances client satisfaction but also aids in identifying opportunities for upselling and deeper engagement.
Structuring the SOS Plan for Success
The SOS plan was strategically tiered to offer clients different levels of support based on their unique needs and budget constraints. This structure includes features such as priority support, discounted hourly rates, and access to marketing services, with clear parameters on what each tier entails. By assigning specific time allocations for fixes and maintenance, the plan creates a clearer understanding of expectations for both clients and service providers. The tiered pricing model conveys value and allows for gradual client growth, establishing a steady revenue stream.
Maintaining Balance and Managing Growth
The conversation addresses the importance of managing workload and maintaining quality service as the client base grows. The speaker expresses a desire to scale their services without compromising personal availability or client support quality. Implementing a structured onboarding process and utilizing a CRM system can streamline operations while fostering strong client relationships. The discussion highlights the need for careful planning and gradual scaling to ensure sustainable business growth, keeping the focus on delivering value and maintaining existing client satisfaction.
One of the benefits of being a web designer is your option to build recurring revenue. As a WordPress web designer, I learned that one of the best ways to do this was to offer a hosting and maintenance plan. Or “care plan” as it’s more commonly referred to these days.
For years, it was my assumption that if you use self-hosted platforms like SquareSpace, WixStudio, Webflow, Showit, etc then you can't offer care plans because there's no plugins to update or advanced security to monitor.
But I was wrong...you CAN offer care plans (even if you're NOT using WordPress!!) A great example of this is Eleanor Mayrhofer, a SquareSpace web designer and member of my community Web Designer Pro™.
On a recent weekly coaching call, Eleanor and I chatted together about how she could build up more recurring income as a SquareSpace designer and we came up with offering an “SOS” plan.
SOS stands for "Strategy, Optimization & Support" Eleanor launched her SOS plan and literally overnight generated a few hundred dollars per month of recurring revenue with this plan and her clients are loving it! She’s on the podcast this week pulling back the curtain on her plan!
We cover:
What she includes in her SOS plan
How she prices it
How she sold it to existing clients and got several signups
How her SOS plans work alongside her growth/marketing plans
How she’s protecting her time with this new service by going slow and steady with promoting it
Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/331
View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast
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