Business

Small-business makeover: Web-site designer ‘must be seen and heard’

Since buying out his partners last year, Steven Rahn has been trying to find time - and money - for all aspects of the business. Consultant Joe Donato is giving him advice on how to make his marketing efforts go further. The story

Steven Rahn started developing Web sites while at the University of Oklahoma. He did it to make a little extra money while he finished two degrees - one in management and one in information systems. He turned a part-time job into a career after college and, when his partners opted out of their business last year, Rahn decided to give it a go on his own. Vizant Group specializes in building custom Web sites that cater to customers’ specific concerns. “Every business is a little different,” Rahn said. He can do e-commerce, virtual tours, Web hosting and information tracking. Rahn has focused his business on the infrastructure of Web sites - making them easy to maintain and upgrade. First- time Internet users can be overwhelmed by building a Web site, but as soon as they get started, they will want to add more and more, Rahn said. “Almost 90 percent of clients come back and buy more services.” At Vizant Group, clients can get a bare-bones, one-page Web site starting around $150 or a multiple-page e-commerce site with a photo gallery, which can cost into the thousands. “I can do whatever makes the most sense for the client,” Rahn said. Like most businesses, Vizant Group took a hit after Sept. 11, 2001, and has been struggling to regain customers. “A lot of people had an aversion to spending non-necessary dollars,” he said. Rahn also had to deal with consolidation within the industry and the wide availability of do-it-yourself Web sites. Convincing potential clients of the advantage of a professional design has been a hurdle. Competition in the Web-design business is fierce, and prices have been falling even though the cost of keeping up with technology is rising. Reaching new clients on a tight budget is always tough. It is tougher when you run the rest of the business by yourself - like Rahn is doing. For help making the most of his $300 monthly marketing budget, Rahn turned to consultant Joe Donato. The advice

“As all business owners can attest, they are constantly looking for more customers to keep the pipeline full,” Donato said. For Rahn, the best way to do this is to build recognition of his talent and customer service, Donato said. That means he “must be seen and heard,” Donato said. While there are several ways Rahn can promote himself, Donato suggests a few besides the traditional sources - radio, newspaper and telephone directories. Rahn could consider teaching Web design and maintenance, Donato said. The Pima Community College Community Campus has noncredit classes that can be tailored for small workshops or one-day classes. “It’s important to train individuals, especially his target market of business owners, about the pitfalls of developing poor sites,” he said. During these workshops, he should give attendees an abundance of information. “Presenting all of the information that someone could possibly want on a subject usually tends to satisfy the individual, but this overload firmly plants in their minds that professional help is needed if they want the job done right,” Donato said. He also will need to communicate that building a Web site is a challenge that actually has a process to it. Another way to market his business is to focus in on a market and target it directly with mailings, cold calls or personal visits. “To do this, Rahn would have to do some initial research to determine which industries benefit the most with Web sites,” Donato said. Then Rahn can determine the size of those industries in the Tucson area. “This same technique can be used in other cities as his business expands, but the best strategy is to keep focused in a local area first,” he said. While this approach is time-consuming, it is essential, Donato said. In order to make this marketing strategy effective, it is best for Rahn to focus on a certain market. “While his skills can cross many industries, an analysis of which industry can benefit from Web sites as compared to the entire business population in Tucson is a great start,” Donato said. For example, if Rahn wants to focus on the medical community he could perform some initial research on who has Web sites and who does not. He also could examine current Web sites to make sure they are functional, well-organized and load quickly. Any problems he finds with current sites become opportunities for new business. In his efforts to reach new customers, his message should convey the complexities of developing a site, Donato said. Professional Web developers such as Rahn use high-powered software when creating sites - software that is usually expensive and not user-friendly. “Informing clients that hiring a professional developer to create their site will save them time, energy and frustration,” Donato said. Rahn also needs to focus on repeat business. “Keep in mind that Web sites should not be static and forgotten,” Donato said. The Vizant Group can help keep sites fresh - and clients should be reminded of that. “By using these few marketing techniques, Rahn should be able to generate a list of potential customers,” Donato said. “He will be able to keep his business growing well into the future.”