SiteSwan Website Builder

Anyone looking to grow their web design business will find this conversation enlightening. SiteSwan Co-Founder Justin Gerena interviews Zach Hansen from Surge Web Design, a SiteSwan Reseller, who took a huge leap of faith into entrepreneurship about three years ago. Zach never independently owned and operated any type of business before, but along came SiteSwan and he turned down a job opportunity and decided to go out on his own to pursue web design with SiteSwan.

With a wife and four kids relying on his ability to succeed, the pressure was on, but he turned his business into a family business and got his kids, literally cheering him on with every sale he made. And now he's making more money than he would have ever expected to working for someone else.

There's no looking back now and he's got over 150 clients selling multiple services to small businesses and achieved it all by just being himself: no slick sales gimmicks, no graphic design skills, just good old fashioned, honest, hard work.

This interview is filled with amazing insight from Zach on how to sell more websites to small businesses, along with some helpful tips from SiteSwan's co-founder.

<blockquote>"I don’t think I could have done this with another platform. It’s been a great experience. And, a thing that has been really helpful is the tech help I got from you guys. The guys at SiteSwan held my hand throughout all of it which really made things much easier for me."
- Zach Hansen (Surge Web Design)</blockquote>

Overview

Faced with a decision and a family to support, Zach Hansen traded in his full-time job at a phone book company for a career running his own web design business (Surge Web Design) and found his own path to success.

With his family backing him every step of the way, he picked up the phone, went door-to-door, and started selling websites to local businesses. As he grew his clientele, he identified opportunities to make multiple streams of income and even began hiring people to help with different facets of his business. By being himself and using smart sales techniques, he kick started his business and was making more money than he could have working for someone else.

Offering some tricks-of-the-trade, Zach took the time to share advice and shed light on what he found works best in running his own web design business with SiteSwan.

"Don’t underestimate how much your brand is worth," Zach explains. "If you can, build your brand name so that people have a warm, fuzzy feeling towards you, that is incredibly important."

The Challenge

Zach’s got a full-time job that he’s been working at for the past 10 years. A family man, he's got 4 children and a loving wife he needs to support. While he was working full-time, he decided to start a side hustle with SiteSwan. Not long after, the company he worked for was acquired. He could have tried to get a job with this new company; however, he was ready for a change. Now, without the security of a paycheck, he needed a career that would give him the financial stability to support his family long-term.

Zach never had any type of side hustle before so this was a new experience for him. Considering himself an "introvert," he’d never even held a sales position or had experience with running a business. Initially, he felt that entrepreneurship was “against his nature.”

However, he really enjoyed working part-time building and selling websites with SiteSwan and knew in the back of his mind that this was something he wanted to do full-time when the time was right.

The challenge was to transition from a wage worker to a self-employed business owner, while growing a business that could offer his family financial stability.

The Solution

After his former employer started using SiteSwan Website Builder to build websites for their customers, Zach saw how easy it was and how much time and money the company was saving by using this platform. Interested in the opportunity, Zach contacted SiteSwan to learn more about how he could start making money building websites for local small businesses.

From his prior experience at the phone book company, he understood the problem that millions of small business owners face: they want a really great website, but can't afford what other web agencies are charging.

With some familiarity with the platform now, he got to work, building and selling websites on his own time. Lunch breaks, nights, and weekends were dedicated to phone calls, closing deals, and building websites. He used a combination of SiteSwan's recommended sales strategies as well as his own approach to prospecting for local businesses, which included posting his services on job boards like Craigslist.

Once he officially started his business working full-time, he developed his brand and identified ways that he could take it a step further by selling multiple services to his existing and new clients. By doing so, he was then able to charge a higher monthly fee which gave him more financial security because of the increase in recurring revenue.

To expand his reach and connection with local business owners, he joined a local chamber of commerce. As he started to build his brand and get his name out there in the community, he was able to bring on clients that were referrals.

To help meet demand for his growing business, he then hired people to help with graphic design and content writing. He now has customers coming to him asking for his services and as a result is looking to add to his team so he can delegate tasks and do things that allow him to focus more on growing his business.

Results

In his three years as a SiteSwan White Label Reseller, Zach has more than 150 clients, is selling multiple services to his clients, and is making more money than he ever thought he would. Zach is now looking to bring on more people to help support his rapid growth. For years, Zach worked for someone else. Now, he runs his own successful business and there’s no turning back. With his humble and genuine sales approach, he continues to close more deals and build his brand reputation. Providing a quality product and a top-notch customer experience, he is able to build his referrals and even has customers seeking out his services.

Getting his family onboard with his success, his children created a sales thermometer so they could keep track and mark each time he gets a new client. By creating this visual reference, it made things fun for the kids and was added motivation for Zach to keep closing more deals.

For 2022, Zach has big plans of bringing on 80 more clients this year and is on track to achieve this goal. Zach is proof that with the right amount of determination, hard work, and motivation, anyone can start a web design business with no prior experience using the SiteSwan platform.

Zach's Tips for Success at a Glance

Throughout the interview, Zach shares some insightful tips about techniques he uses which helped him get where he is today. Here are the highlights:

• Don't be afraid to cold call: Put yourself out there and don’t be shy. Cold calling gives you experience that you can’t get any other way. If you put the time and effort in at the beginning, you won’t have to spend as much time later on.
• Be authentic (no smooth sales talking): Don’t be a typical salesperson. There is something to be said about being genuine and honest with your pitch. Highlight what you are going to do for them and reassure them that you’ll do whatever you can to make sure they have a good experience.
• Join a chamber of commerce: Be where your prospective clients are, and grow your business network and referrals.
• Delegate work: Hire content writers, graphic designers, sales representatives, and anyone who you can pass off work to so that you have more time to focus on things that grow your business.
• Post to Craigslist: Make a small investment per week to post an ad that promotes your services. Personalize the ad with authentic photos and information about your business to stand out from the competition.
• Create a visual sales chart: Creating a sales chart that you can keep in a highly visible location can act as a constant reminder of your goals and helps you stay on track.
• Provide quality customer service: Be highly responsive and go the extra mile to show your clients that you have their best interest in mind. By doing so, you’ll not only make your customers happy but you’re also building a foundation for referrals.

Zach quoted Wayne Gretzky, "You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take," he said, "and it’s totally true."