SiteSwan Website Builder

Who says you need to be in a big city to secure high-ticket clients? In an enlightening interview, SiteSwan CEO Justin Gerena sits down with Gary C. from Kingdom Web Pros to unveil how his agency thrives, securing clients for over $1,000 per month, all within a quaint town in Georgia.

Gary’s journey as a SiteSwan Reseller began less than two years ago, intertwining with his pastoral calling. Since discovering the SiteSwan platform, he has successfully launched a web design business, amassing over 30 clients, each paying premium prices for his services. In balancing his entrepreneurial pursuit and pastoral duties, Gary showcases the duality of passion and profession.

Gary's services extend beyond web design. Kingdom Web Pros offers a comprehensive range of marketing services, including SEO, social media marketing, a local directory and reputation management. This multi-faceted approach helps clients enhance their online presence, distinguish themselves from competitors, and ascend as industry leaders.

Overview

A mere two years ago, Gary embarked on a significant life transition, relocating his family of seven to a quaint town in Georgia to answer a pastoral calling. However, this calling came with a notable financial adjustment. Faced with a reduced salary, Gary turned not to compromise but to creativity, seeking a supplementary income that would enable him to embrace and sustain his cherished pastoral role.

Enter SiteSwan. After signing up and immersing himself in the comprehensive training provided, Gary swiftly established a burgeoning client base and a steady stream of recurring revenue. All of this, achieved within part-time hours, has evolved into a family-involved venture. Gary is not only scaling his business and broadening his service offerings but also nurturing it into a lasting family legacy, envisioned to endure beyond his own tenure.

In this intimate one-on-one interview, Gary shares the story of his discovery of SiteSwan, recounts the acquisition of his first paying client, and offers invaluable insights and tips that have shaped his success. He sheds light on the strategies and approaches that have proven most effective in steering his web design business, leveraging the robust capabilities of the SiteSwan platform.

The Challenge

From a tender age, Gary devoted his life to Christ, serving the Lord with pride and fervor. The majority of his life has been spent preaching, laying down the foundations of faith and devotion. When the opportunity arose for him to become a pastor for a small church in Georgia, it was like a dream manifested – a destiny Gary felt he was meant to embrace. However, this divine calling came with earthly challenges, chiefly a significant reduction in income. With a family of seven depending on him, Gary knew supplementing his income was imperative for his mission to flourish.

The role of a full-time pastor is one that commands undivided attention, with duties spanning across all hours of the day and night. Finding a job that could seamlessly blend with such a demanding schedule posed a considerable challenge. The pursuit was not just for any job, but for one that would harmonize with his religious commitments and responsibilities.

The discovery of SiteSwan was serendipitous for Gary. It resonated as the perfect fit for his unique circumstances. Managing a web design agency emerged as the ideal solution, offering him the flexibility required to uphold his full-time pastoral duties while concurrently generating additional income. The synergy between his spiritual calling and entrepreneurial endeavor was not just a coincidence but a harmonious alignment of purpose and provision.

“I believe that SiteSwan was built for me, and I think it was a divine connection. That's the way I feel about it, personally. It's given me tools to build something that I just would not have the time or the capability of doing without it” admits Gary.

The Solution

Upon encountering an advertisement for SiteSwan, Gary’s curiosity was piqued, prompting him to explore further. He swiftly perceived an opportunity to assist local businesses in his community by providing an essential service—website design.

It wasn’t long before Gary discerned that SiteSwan was the optimal website-building platform tailored to his needs. Featuring hundreds of pre-designed templates, a user-friendly interface, and a comprehensive training program, the SiteSwan Reseller Program embodied everything Gary required to launch his business successfully.

However, Gary recognized that creating websites was merely the starting point. He understood that small businesses necessitate more than just a polished website. What they require is a multifaceted marketing strategy designed to distinguish them from competitors and facilitate business growth. While a website forms a solid foundation, integrating it with social media marketing, SEO, and reputation management crafts a holistic solution capable of empowering businesses of any scale to flourish online.

Moreover, small businesses seek a trustworthy partner, someone capable of guiding them in making informed decisions and who will prioritize their business as if it were their own. They look for a consultant who listens without judgment and offers tailored advice, someone who embodies the role of a web consultant more than just a designer. Someone like Gary.

Results

In less than two years, Gary has amassed a growing clientele, with around 30 businesses and counting. While web design remains the cornerstone of his offerings, the integration of additional services has markedly elevated his monthly revenue.

It’s not a rarity for clients to invest $49/month for a website, supplement it with SEO at an additional $600/month, incorporate social media marketing for a few hundred dollars more, and conclude with reputation management. The cumulative investment for some clients reaches upwards of $1,000/month—a testament to the unparalleled service they receive from Gary. This is further substantiated by Gary’s near-impeccable client retention rate.

“In fact, I haven’t had a single customer cancel since they signed up, contributing to the growth of my business so far,” Gary asserts with pride.

Gary harbors no intention of decelerating and envisions grand plans for the future. With the collaboration of his five sons, an expanding client base, and the addition of diverse services, Kingdom Web Pros is rapidly emerging as a sought-after web design firm in Georgia.

Parallel to Gary’s ambition for success is his steadfast commitment to contributing to his church and community. He aspires to escalate his business to a juncture where he can subsist on 10 percent of the income and allocate the remaining 90% to philanthropy. As a devout individual, he advocates for various missions and aspires to perpetually support noble initiatives, including local children’s hospitals.

“I just want to give back and I want to try to leave the world in a better place than it was when I showed up,” Gary articulates.

Gary's Tips for Success

Here are some valuable tips & advice discussed by both Justin and Gary during the interview:

• Meet people and make connections: Stay active in your community, speak to fellow business owners, drop off some business cards at the local coffee shop, and just build relationships. You never know who needs a website or can refer you to someone who does.
• Always be on the lookout for other opportunities: Speaking to clients about their business and struggles is one of the best ways to uncover what products and services they really need and want. This can be your opportunity to offer a solution.
• Come up with a great offer: Bundle your services into different packages at different price points. This can help your clients visualize the value and benefits of what you have to offer and encourage them to spend more.
• Develop a team: You can’t do everything yourself. Enroll the help of family, friends and employees to help you grow your business. You can even hire a virtual assistant to help you make sales calls or support clients.
• Don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t do this'': You’ll likely face criticism or skepticism from others. There are some people who think pastors shouldn’t make good money. But it’s what you do with it that matters. You need to permit yourself to be successful and believe in yourself! Even if someone says you can’t, show them you can by trying your best and not giving up.