How “not” to pitch a website re-design- Lessons from my Spam folder
Have you ever woke up in the morning, checked your emails and there it is, a “doom and gloom” email from some website developer that you have never heard of telling you what’s “wrong” with your website, that they “took 2-3” minutes to look around your website and that “functionality could be improved, the visual design was “dated” & “poor” “lacked quality images” “low standard of written content” “doesn’t seem very user friendly” “doesn’t seem like your site is mobile responsive” along with “security issues and certification problems” These are actual comments from a cold call email I have received. This particular web designer immediately identified themselves as a web designer and that they “figured they would reach out” and “let me know that there’s “serious room for dead easy(and affordable) improvement” and that they would be “happy to help.”
Red Flags of a “bad website” Pitch
The Copy-Paste Special- If you’re email starts with “Dear Business Owner” and a list of “generic problems” then I know that you didn’t spend more than “30 seconds” looking at my site, and their “bonus points” for forgetting my company name.
No Clue about what I do- Saying that my website’s visual design is “dated & poor” “lacked quality images” & “has low standard of written content” is a direct insult to me and my team. I hired a local videographer and graphic design company and they did an amazing job on my website videography and logo design, and I would trust them explicitly with any project that I needed in the future. By saying this in an email, it demonstrates this web designer lack of understanding and respect for Indigenous art and culture. If someone insults your team or the work that you do, that’s a red flag.
Gloom & Doom(with a side of panic)- “Act now, your website is failing(security issues and certification problems, doesn’t seem very user friendly) these are clear red flags that this is more of an “elevator pitch or late night infomercial” designed to panic you into purchasing their services, nope not buying it.
Wild Promises- “1 million followers in a week?” “Make your website better” “One million customers overnight?’ If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Disrespecting me and my Team-When you criticize my site content and its images without knowing the story or the talented people behind them, you’re not just missing the mark, you’re missing the heart of my business.
Why I don’t Trust these types of emails:
1.Their not about me, their about you. If you can’t take the time to understand and learn about what I do and what makes it unique, then why would I trust you with my website? A real partnership starts with listening to Indigenous people’s and their stories, not lecturing.
2. No Respect for Indigenous culture or Community. If you think WolfDen Designz is just another “generic online shop” its rooted in Indigenous heritage, family tradition, and community values. If you treat my work like it’s interchangeable with any other business, you’re missing the point entirely.
3. Assumptions about what I need-Telling me “what’s wrong” with my website without even asking me what I may need or want is a sure fire way to get ignored. I know my customers, my products, my story and my goals better than some stranger in my inbox.
4. Disregarding the people behind my brand-When you criticize my content, you disrespect my videographer, my website design team, and my family who taught me these skills, and the community that supports it.
What Small Business’s actually want
Real Connection-We want to work with people who take time to understand what WolfDen Designz stands for, our community and our audience, not just “check a box” or “hit a quota” for me.
Honesty-No ‘hype” or “elevator pitch” about how you can improve my brand, these are “over the moon” pitches and aren’t realistic.
Respect my Brand-Show that you care about what makes WolfDen Designz unique. If you want to help, start by asking questions and listening instead of offering solutions.
If you have ideas, share them-No “scare tactics” no “jargon” just plain language about what could help and why.
The thing is, small business’s are starting to get savvy about these kind of pitches that are rehearsed and have “scare tactics’ attached in order to “hook you in” and pay for their services. More and more small business’s are taking the time to really “see through” the pitch, and frankly this is an “old and outdated” tactic and really doesn’t serve anyone.
Thank you to everyone who has read my first blog post, stay tuned for more content and tips!