Is It Time To Give Up On Your WordPress Freelancing Business?
I have talked with a bunch of WordPress developers who have been freelancing for years and they all say the same thing. It used to be easier to sell WordPress websites.
Even people who were making 6-figure incomes a few years ago with WordPress freelancing are telling me that everything is drying up now and they can't find nearly as much work as they used to. And, the work they do find, is just not commanding the rates they used to be able to charge. So now, they are faced with a huge decision. Should they give up?
Give What Up?
When I'm asked whether or not they should give up, I always ask, “Give what up?” Should you keep doing what you're doing and hope that everything somehow magically gets better even though you've been watching it get worse month after month after month? Because if that's what you're planning to do, then yes, I think you should give that up because it's not working now, it hasn't been working for quite a while, and it's not going to start working in the future. If you're out there trying to sell websites to businesses and people are ignoring your emails and phone calls. Or maybe you catch somebody on the phone and they say they are interested but they never get back to you. Or maybe you even send a proposal only to have it swoosh away never to be seen again… Yes, you should definitely stop doing that because you're driving yourself into the ground. These are all signs that you are taking an outdated approach to WordPress freelancing.
Everything Has Changed
If you're still trying to land clients and win projects today like you were doing a couple years ago then things are probably getting worse for you every day. Here are some red flags that suggest you are using an outdated approach for your WordPress freelancing business:
- Your prospect already has a website and they don't think they need a new one
- You point out problems with a prospect's website and offer to fix the problem but they don't care
- You send out emails that don't get answered
- You leave messages but people rarely call back
- If someone does call back they say your prices are too high
These are all signs that you are using old and outdated techniques to attract and win clients. The frustrating thing is you are probably doing the exact same stuff used to work before, but now you're just not getting the results you use to. So, why doesn't it work anymore?
The WordPress Economy In 2018
The WordPress economy has quickly and radically changed. Here are a few of the big changes:
- More (super cheap) competition from places like Upwork, Fiverr, etc.
- The free DIY website builders have gotten a lot better
- More businesses already have websites
- Business owners are looking for more than just a website
These are some of the big reasons why people are ignoring your calls and emails if you're offering to build (or re-build) websites. It used to be the case that getting a website meant something meaningful. But now, because there's much more super cheap labor or because it's so easy to just build your own website most business owners already have websites. They are probably realizing now that just having a website is not producing any significant results for their business. So, if you are offering to rebuild a website, or take over WordPress support services like plugin updates and maintenance, your prospects are just not interested in that stuff.
Why should your clients pay you for WordPress updates and maintenance when they could just host their site on Wix? You don't have to pay anybody for maintenance or plugin updates there. How are you going to answer that question?
Do Something Different
If you want to start attracting clients who are willing to pay premium rates, you're going to have to start doing something different. You need to be able to:
- Say what makes working with you different.
- Deliver more than just a WordPress version of a Wix website
- Eclipse the added cost of WordPress with massive benefits that you can deliver
The truth is, most of the WordPress developers I speak to really struggle to find answers and solutions to these critical points. That's why I created the DoubleStack program to teach both the tech skills that your clients are actually looking for AND the business structure and strategies you need to get back on track. If you're trying to sell websites for $1,000 each, it's virtually impossible to scale that to a decent income.
So let's get on the phone for about 45 minutes and talk about how you can get things back on track. I've made my personal calendar available and we'll talk about what you feel like is holding you back and how you can start attracting the right clients at the rates you're really worth. It's a free call and just might be exactly what you're looking for to get back on track. Don't give up! Do something different!
