Do SMEs really understand the importance of Internet marketing? How do you make your clients see the value and offer them RoI?
Most business owners today are struggling to find the most suitable and affordable technology to attract website traffic and acquire more customers. However, to succeed in the Internet age SMEs need a great business idea, a solid revenue model and an evolving Internet Marketing strategy that continuously draws upon current best practices. On his Paris visit to the MEDEF in late January 2008, Bill Gates predicted that “companies not on the Internet today will be gone in 20 years”.
Sadly, not many business owners understand this and at WSI, we strive to educate our clients. WSI Consultants being trained and certified in Internet marketing, are able to offer Affordable Web Solutions, Build Targeted Traffic and help Convert more Customers Online – fulfilling the WSI slogan of the ABCs of Internet Marketing Success™. This is how we provide long term and incremental ROI to our SME clients.
In the next stage of the evolving Internet industry we see the age-old “Sales Funnel” concept tunneling right back to the fundamentals of audience profiling, segmented need analysis, multiple conversion channels/paths, increased number of sales leads and ultimately, a greater customer base. We call this the “Conversion Architecture™” stage.” Conversion Architecture™ follows the 40/40/20 Rule – 40% Audience Targeting, 40% Offer and 20% Creativity. As WSI Consultants, we are trained “architects” who specialize in crafting a blueprint to help business owners implement a result oriented e-business plan driving targeted traffic to their websites and greater customer conversion. That is how we deliver value to our clients’ business.
- How do you handle competition? What major challenges do you face?
Answer: Strangely enough, while competition is high in volume due to increasing numbers of website providers or Web designers, WSI allows me a niche positioning where there is still room to grow and be profitable. In a much broader perspective, I view my competitors as those small and medium sized business owners who choose to ignore the benefits of Internet marketing. WSI enables us to handle this challenge and `competition’ by helping to educate SMEs about the power of e-business and building their confidence in working with a qualified Internet Marketing Consultant. With our specialization in Internet marketing strategies and solutions such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-per-Click (PPC), Web Analytics, etc. we guide our clients ahead of their competition. Once they realize that we are their partners in their success, they don’t look to other service providers in this space.
WSI’s worldwide production capacity and proven Internet Solutions Lifecycle™ system delivers high-quality Internet Solutions with value for money and a guaranteed return on investment that other Web design firms simply cannot match. To ensure that WSI ICs always stay ahead of the pack, the company is consistently evolving our network, introducing new suppliers with innovative product and service offerings and strengthening the knowledge base of our IC community. This enables us Internet Consultants to provide clients with advanced offerings, rich in functionality, at price points the average business owner can truly afford (and most other Web developers cannot provide!).

How profitable is your business?
Undoubtedly, the profits have been pleasing and promise to get even better. While I had set my targets high, I was not disappointed that I became profitable in my third year of operation. The minor financial losses I made in the first year were a result of my learning curve – exploring the SME market here in France, discovering the potential of the technology I now had access to and being able to envision long term business solutions for my clients, as opposed to selling them websites.
My second year, 2007, was challenging for most businesses due to the French Presidential elections. 2008, my third year in business has been great so far! I have already exceeded my annual target within the first quarter of the year. My client base has expanded mostly through client referrals. This has really boosted my confidence as it is a reflection of the trust placed by happy customers in my abilities and the WSI brand. Within these first 3 years I already have a few “5 figure” deals under my belt. The biggest one so far has been recent a deal worth €50,000. The major benefit is the recurring revenue that comes from long term customers who really derive the best value and return on their Internet investment in working with a WSI Internet Consultant. No longer do I have to keep worrying about cash flow as I am consistently earning more than I am using to run my business.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a WSI franchisee?
There are many rewarding aspects to being a part of the global WSI team. Not only is WSI the #1 Internet Franchise in existence, it is unlike any other franchise opportunity available today. Once trained in the company’s patent-pending proven system, a franchisee works to assist business owners in their community to grow and prosper online. As a business owner myself, I am intimately aware of the challenges my clients face, which increases my ability to advise and guide them towards success.
A WSI franchise requires very little overhead, and no inventory or staffing costs, making it an attractive option for anyone who’s looking for a rewarding business opportunity. As a franchisor WSI provides the most comprehensive training and certification available to franchisees, extensive business and technical support and the collective sharing of expertise across the network. Each time a WSI IC succeeds, the entire network benefits because WSI is committed to advancing innovation from the company’s franchisee ranks by sharing the best practices of each IC.
I have benefitted from several exciting opportunities like working on a really big and profitable project, representing WSI in an Internet Marketing trade show in Paris and participating in a shared learning environment with other WSI ICs in group training sessions.
But ultimately, the most rewarding thing about being a member of the WSI team is that my fellow franchisees and I know that we are providing an important service and adding real value to an SME’s business—a growing yet eager market whose time to join the Internet Marketing Revolution has come.