Which should you use?  Always one of the biggest questions for new digital marketers and side hustlers.  

Web design is a HUGE topic but a lot of it starts with choosing a website builder.  In this episode I go through the 4 heavy weights of web design, give you the pros and cons of each and tell you my personal recommendations.  

If you're going to do marketing for clients, you need to know at least a little bit of web design.  You can't skip it!  So dig into this episode with me and let's look under the hood and how these different platforms work and which is right for you.

Learn the  BIG 3!

Security, Storage and Speed: 3 Essential Plugins You Need After Setting Up Your Wordpress Site

I know a lot of my listeners are in the web design community - especially those that have migrated over to this podcast from the My Digital Marketing Journey Youtube channel (which you should definitely check out if you haven't already).

And, if you haven't already started offering web design - specifically custom Wordpress web design - to your clients, you are missing a huge opportunity.  As long as the internet exists, companies will need websites.  It's one of the easiest ways to start a relationship with a new client and there is no better established tool for building out customs websites than Wordpress.

With that said, there are a lot of things that can go terribly wrong with a website.  Hackers can take over your site, new updates or glitches can wreck hours of hard work or you could put in a ton of time building a beautiful site, only to realize it loads so slow that no potential customers are actually staying long enough to even see what your client has to offer.

That why today we're going over the 3 biggies - Security, Storage (meaning backups) and Speed.  These are all essentials and you won't want to miss this.

Let's get into it.

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Links for today's episode:

The best, fastest budget web hosting: www.easysmma.com/a2

Get the SEO Blueprint and master your first 3 months with a new client: SEOSideHustle.com

How Hard is It To GET STARTED with Digital Marketing?

*Have you been thinking about getting into Digital Marketing and want a preview of the road ahead?

*Did you already start your agency or side hustle and are wondering when things will start to take off?

*Have you seen a lot of get rich quick promises from the Youtube gurus and wonder why you're not getting the results they promised?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we need to talk and we need to get into the truth about how hard it is (or isn't) to start making money with digital marketing.  I'm going to give you real answers, not any hype - both about the reality of this marketing world, where I've seen people failing and what I wish I would have done sooner.

Let's get started.

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This is Joseph at EasySMMA.com and SEOSideHustle.com and today we're going to get into the question of 'How Hard is it to Start Your Digital Marketing Agency or Side Hustle?'  

If you're not there already, check out my Youtube channel 'My Digital Marketing Journey' for more in depth tutorials and, if you want to quickly add a very valuable, money making skill to your arsenal, go to SEOSideHustle.com and check out my video course that walks you step by step through your first 3 months of doing SEO with a new client.  

Some of my story. . .

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Getting over the initial hurdles:

-Some people like Joe Soto say the only skill you need to work on at the start is getting clients.  And that does make sense.  However, it's a lot easier to sell clients on services if you actually know what you're talking about.  It's also a lot easier to sell if you have the right mindset.

*Seeing yourself as a success and believing you can have this.  Learn how to visualize and meditate and pray.

*Getting those first 2-3 clients - no matter how small.

*Getting results for those first clients.  Hint: It's totally worth it to spend the money on a consultation with an experienced marketer who can help you work out a plan for your new clients.  Jordan Steen, Kaylyn Parker

*At the start, you're working to learn more than working to earn but make sure you're still earning something to at least pay for courses and coaching.

*Bonus Tip: Don't take a ton of courses.  Take a couple and be very specific in what you're trying to learn.  Can be way better to take short courses that teach specific skill sets.

Also, this is that course I love for beginners: https://www.cerealentrepreneur.school/a/9755/W2dbhCJX

(That's an affiliate link, thank you!!)

*Are you struggling to create monthly recurring revenue for your agency?

*Do you wish you could charge higher monthly retainers in a way that is ethical and doesn't leave you feeling like you're taking advantage of business owners?

*Have you noticed that it's way easier to expand your services to an existing client than to find a new one?

If you answered yes to any of these 3 questions, you're going to want to stay tuned for this entire episode of My Digital Marketing Journey because I'm going to break down 3 services you can add to your agency today that will allow you to become more valuable to your clients so you can charge higher fees and build monthly recurring revenue.

Let's get into it NOW.

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If you want more $$ ethically, you have to provide more value.  More than that, you have to step into a consultative role where every month you're unveiling new opportunities to your clients so they have reason to keep paying you.

So what services can you provide that add value to the relationship on a monthly basis?

1) Monthly consult calls.  30-60 minute calls 1 or 2 times a month.

-You go over their numbers with them (more on this in the second service)

-Help analyze their level of success with your program and establish goals

-Show new insights and ideas

-Use those insights and ideas to sell on new services

-Strengthen the relationship and build trust/authority

2) Track their analytics and provide valuable monthly reporting

-Again, you build this into your higher pricing - don't itemize it.

-Use platforms like Google Analytics, Reportz.io and BrightLocal.com  

Get a 14-day FREE Trial of BrightLocal here: http://bit.ly/BrightLocalCom

-You can roll cost of these platforms into your pricing

-Again, establishes your authority and expertise

-Tell the story behind the numbers

3) Simple SEO Services

-One of the best services to add on because it is so sticky and provides so much long term value.  Clients will keep you on for SEO for a long time where they may only use Facebook ads for a couple months.

-You can start with a very low price and still make profit

-Easily expandable

-Every business needs this.  It is the long-term viable marketing strategy.  Also leads into selling website services.

But what if you don't know how to do SEO?

-Most people don't - even those who charge a ton for it.  I recommend getting a course to learn the basic.

-Go to SEOSideHustle.com and check out the SEO Foundations Blueprint 

-low priced product that outlines exactly what to do for the first 3 months with a new client.

*Have you wondered if you should go all out on building an agency or stay as a side hustle?

*Do you feel pressured by all these Youtube ads and Gurus yelling at you to think you need to scale something to 6 figures in 3 months or you're a failure?

*Are you still trying to figure out what you really love in this industry and where you fit in?  Who you can serve?

If any of those questions apply to you, you need to watch this video.  Hi, this is Joseph with EasySMMA.com and JosephShields.co.  Today we're going to go over the great debate:

Side Hustle or Full-Time Agency???