6 Benefits of Bartering When Selling Your Web Design Services
Published on February 26, 2024
Most historians agree that money has been around in some form or fashion for about 5,000 years now. People have long used money to pay for products and services they wanted to buy.
But before money came into existence, the barter system was the most effective way for people to obtain products and services. They would agree to trade products or services they had in exchange for products or services they needed.
If you would like to get more people interested in your web design services, you might want to learn about how bartering works in the modern day. Even though you would probably prefer selling web design services for money, bartering services might not be a bad idea.
There are so many benefits of bartering you'll be able to enjoy when you agree to trade a business website design to a local company. They may be willing to provide you with, say, car repair services, painting services, or even something like a restaurant gift card for your services. Depending on the type of business it is, they could possibly provide services that directly benefit your business.
So, let's dive in and explore the opportunities that go along with bartering your web design services.
1. Gets Local Businesses Interested in Your Web Design Services
As a web designer, you know how important it is for local businesses to have a professional website. You likely spend most of your time talking to business owners about why they should utilize your web design services and how you can help their business.
But despite this, there are still so many business owners who haven't gotten around to creating websites for their company nor do they know where to go to find someone who can help them with building a website that won’t break the bank. In a recent survey, it was revealed that about one-third of small businesses are still without a website.
Why? Well, business owners have many different reasons for not having websites for their companies yet. But more often than not, it comes down to them not wanting to shell out money for a proper business website design.
Bartering services with business owners who fall into this category as opposed to selling web design services might make them more interested in what you can offer to them.
You might find that the owner of a local car repair shop will tell you "no" when you ask them to pay you for a website design. But if you ask them if they would be willing to check out the noise your car is making and fix it for you in exchange for a website design? They may think twice before shooting you down.
This is easily one of the top benefits of bartering your web design services. You're going to be able to drum up more interest in the services you can provide to business owners who might not have the extra money to spend on a website.
2. Establish a Great Reputation Among Local Businesses
To make it as a web designer, you're going to need to be able to do more than just whip up amazing business website designs. You'll also need to have a reputation that precedes you. Word travels fast and people like to do business with those they know, like and trust. So, it will be easier to get hired if people have heard about your business and the great work you do.
This is yet another area in which bartering services can benefit you in a big way. Outside of asking a business owner to provide you with a product or service in exchange for their website, you can also ask them to write a review for your services and post them online.
In fact, if you're just getting started as a web designer, it might be a good idea to start by bartering the website setup fee in exchange for online reviews. These reviews can work wonders for your business by building up your online reputation and helping your search ranking.
3. Allows You to Get More Referrals From Local Businesses
In addition to trying to gather as many positive reviews as you can from local businesses when you work with them, you'll also need to attempt to get as many referrals as you can coming in. The more times that local businesses refer you to other businesses, the more steady work you'll be able to take on for companies in your community.
At first, it can be immensely challenging trying to get local business owners to refer you to their fellow business owners. But you can begin to put a dent in the wall that stands in front of you by bartering your web design services in an effort to earn as many referrals as you can.
You might even want to incentivize local business owners to refer you to other business owners. You may be able to do this by offering add-on services at a discounted rate down the line if they refer you to other business owners who contact you for your services.
4. Create a More Thorough Web Design Portfolio
Before any local business owner agrees to work with you on a website for their company, they're more than likely going to want to see some of your past work. Even if you’re just starting out, bartering a website design allows you to add another example of your work to your portfolio.
You can build up your portfolio over time by building websites and bartering services with business owners in your town or city. A business owner will make it possible for you to add to your portfolio when you design a website for them.
Creating a great portfolio will be of the utmost importance to all the web designers out there. You'll get a good opportunity to do just that when you utilize the benefits of bartering your services.
5. Increases Your Web Design Sales Quicker Over Time
In spite of all the benefits of bartering, some web designers will choose not to barter their services with local business owners for one reason or another. They'll often shoot down the idea of doing it because it isn't going to help them pay their bills.
But when you take part in modern barter exchanges, it's ultimately going to improve your chances of increasing your sales in the future. It's going to help you create a stronger network within your community and allow you to turn your newfound business relationships into money-making opportunities later.
Using the barter trade system might not help you enjoy the type of sales you would like to enjoy one day. But if you're patient enough, it will pay off. Once your name starts to get out there, people will begin banging down your front door for web design services.
6. Access to Services That May Otherwise Cost a Lot of Money
Maintaining your car is typically going to cost you about $1,000 each year. It also isn't all that uncommon for people to spend way more than that on car maintenance when they have an older car that's in need of more repairs.
If you can afford to spend that kind of money on your car, you're welcome to do it. But why would you want to when you can try to use your web design skills to get discounted or even free car maintenance and repair services?
You can save yourself a lot of money by agreeing to barter your web design services. In some instances, you might even be able to save more money when you barter your services than you would make by charging a business like a car repair shop for your services.
You could make the argument that web designers should continue to barter their services even after they're established. If you can find ways to make fair trades with local business owners, you might get more value out of their products and services than you would by simply charging them money.
Take Advantage of the Benefits of Bartering Your Web Design Services
The web design services that you can provide to local business owners are valuable. But that doesn't always mean that you should only provide them to those who can pay you money for them.
As you've seen here, there is also a lot of value to be found in bartering services. You can use each of the benefits of bartering that we've laid out for you to take your web design business to the next level.
We can help you create great business website designs so that you're able to provide local businesses with your top-notch web design services.
Get started with SiteSwan today!
Most historians agree that money has been around in some form or fashion for about 5,000 years now. People have long used money to pay for products and services they wanted to buy.
But before money came into existence, the barter system was the most effective way for people to obtain products and services. They would agree to trade products or services they had in exchange for products or services they needed.
If you would like to get more people interested in your web design services, you might want to learn about how bartering works in the modern day. Even though you would probably prefer selling web design services for money, bartering services might not be a bad idea.
There are so many benefits of bartering you'll be able to enjoy when you agree to trade a business website design to a local company. They may be willing to provide you with, say, car repair services, painting services, or even something like a restaurant gift card for your services. Depending on the type of business it is, they could possibly provide services that directly benefit your business.
So, let's dive in and explore the opportunities that go along with bartering your web design services.
1. Gets Local Businesses Interested in Your Web Design Services
As a web designer, you know how important it is for local businesses to have a professional website. You likely spend most of your time talking to business owners about why they should utilize your web design services and how you can help their business.
But despite this, there are still so many business owners who haven't gotten around to creating websites for their company nor do they know where to go to find someone who can help them with building a website that won’t break the bank. In a recent survey, it was revealed that about one-third of small businesses are still without a website.
Why? Well, business owners have many different reasons for not having websites for their companies yet. But more often than not, it comes down to them not wanting to shell out money for a proper business website design.
Bartering services with business owners who fall into this category as opposed to selling web design services might make them more interested in what you can offer to them.
You might find that the owner of a local car repair shop will tell you "no" when you ask them to pay you for a website design. But if you ask them if they would be willing to check out the noise your car is making and fix it for you in exchange for a website design? They may think twice before shooting you down.
This is easily one of the top benefits of bartering your web design services. You're going to be able to drum up more interest in the services you can provide to business owners who might not have the extra money to spend on a website.
2. Establish a Great Reputation Among Local Businesses
To make it as a web designer, you're going to need to be able to do more than just whip up amazing business website designs. You'll also need to have a reputation that precedes you. Word travels fast and people like to do business with those they know, like and trust. So, it will be easier to get hired if people have heard about your business and the great work you do.
This is yet another area in which bartering services can benefit you in a big way. Outside of asking a business owner to provide you with a product or service in exchange for their website, you can also ask them to write a review for your services and post them online.
In fact, if you're just getting started as a web designer, it might be a good idea to start by bartering the website setup fee in exchange for online reviews. These reviews can work wonders for your business by building up your online reputation and helping your search ranking.
3. Allows You to Get More Referrals From Local Businesses
In addition to trying to gather as many positive reviews as you can from local businesses when you work with them, you'll also need to attempt to get as many referrals as you can coming in. The more times that local businesses refer you to other businesses, the more steady work you'll be able to take on for companies in your community.
At first, it can be immensely challenging trying to get local business owners to refer you to their fellow business owners. But you can begin to put a dent in the wall that stands in front of you by bartering your web design services in an effort to earn as many referrals as you can.
You might even want to incentivize local business owners to refer you to other business owners. You may be able to do this by offering add-on services at a discounted rate down the line if they refer you to other business owners who contact you for your services.
4. Create a More Thorough Web Design Portfolio
Before any local business owner agrees to work with you on a website for their company, they're more than likely going to want to see some of your past work. Even if you’re just starting out, bartering a website design allows you to add another example of your work to your portfolio.
You can build up your portfolio over time by building websites and bartering services with business owners in your town or city. A business owner will make it possible for you to add to your portfolio when you design a website for them.
Creating a great portfolio will be of the utmost importance to all the web designers out there. You'll get a good opportunity to do just that when you utilize the benefits of bartering your services.
5. Increases Your Web Design Sales Quicker Over Time
In spite of all the benefits of bartering, some web designers will choose not to barter their services with local business owners for one reason or another. They'll often shoot down the idea of doing it because it isn't going to help them pay their bills.
But when you take part in modern barter exchanges, it's ultimately going to improve your chances of increasing your sales in the future. It's going to help you create a stronger network within your community and allow you to turn your newfound business relationships into money-making opportunities later.
Using the barter trade system might not help you enjoy the type of sales you would like to enjoy one day. But if you're patient enough, it will pay off. Once your name starts to get out there, people will begin banging down your front door for web design services.
6. Access to Services That May Otherwise Cost a Lot of Money
Maintaining your car is typically going to cost you about $1,000 each year. It also isn't all that uncommon for people to spend way more than that on car maintenance when they have an older car that's in need of more repairs.
If you can afford to spend that kind of money on your car, you're welcome to do it. But why would you want to when you can try to use your web design skills to get discounted or even free car maintenance and repair services?
You can save yourself a lot of money by agreeing to barter your web design services. In some instances, you might even be able to save more money when you barter your services than you would make by charging a business like a car repair shop for your services.
You could make the argument that web designers should continue to barter their services even after they're established. If you can find ways to make fair trades with local business owners, you might get more value out of their products and services than you would by simply charging them money.
Take Advantage of the Benefits of Bartering Your Web Design Services
The web design services that you can provide to local business owners are valuable. But that doesn't always mean that you should only provide them to those who can pay you money for them.
As you've seen here, there is also a lot of value to be found in bartering services. You can use each of the benefits of bartering that we've laid out for you to take your web design business to the next level.
We can help you create great business website designs so that you're able to provide local businesses with your top-notch web design services.
Get started with SiteSwan today!
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