In this conversation with my mentor Todor Madzharov we discussed:

1. Different cases for receiving payments from clients

2. The other side of Digital New Era's business model

3. How suitable the site is for certain markets

4. An update on new "Instant Web Solutions"

5. Why A/B testing is one of the best practices

Again, it's been a while since our last conversation (about 10 days) and accordingly, combined with my Full-Time job, freelance clients and constant travel around my hometowns, I still managed to get a lot done on Digital New Era and the mentoring program - Mentor the Young.

1. How to get money from clients on time? In what form/system should we receive it (e.g. 50% upfront, 50% after the project, 100% before the project starts, etc.)? Or how to get the client to pay us at all? And is it okay to threaten them with physical self-harm (just kidding)?

This is the eternal case, which is even more interesting when you work with known, recommended clients, without a contract, without invoicing and therefore without taxes. (All startup or non-startup freelancers who work with known persons and exchange information physically - face-to-face do it).

Basically I was grumbling to Todor that clients are slow with payments (to date almost all have paid me, I also want to mention that I released my Tax Return for last year, accordingly I will release for this year too, so I'm in the clear).

2. Todor told me something quite interesting and fresh - if you have one client paying you every month, you are already an agency. 🙂

This motivates me a hell of a lot, because it turns out that the new models for running a digital agency (and not only) are exactly in this form - monthly fee for service.

I dare say there are companies and large digital agencies that charge insanely high amounts, for absolutely basic services and products. Well done for succeeding and I wish ;(

HOWEVER, I DO GIVE QUALITY AND A PERSONAL APPROACH. I listen to my clients, they tell me about their personal problems, I give them ideas where to take their dog for a check-up, what car to buy up to 15 000 BGN (German runner, V8 on gas :D), how to lose weight more efficiently, etc.

Let's also say something on business, dammit. In a nutshell, the New Era can go two ways:

1. Ready-made and affordable web solutions + monthly subscription option for support;

or

2. Super customized (for in front of people, otherwise they wouldn't be so much) web solutions for select, direct-sold clients in specific, well-paid niches + monthly subscription support (design changes, content and page creation, and of course fixing any issues);

3. How suitable is the site for businesses servicing funeral events, for example? Well, not really. Yes, however they are not my target group (for now).

Who are we aiming for? Anyone who pays 😀 (just kidding, I'm not kidding).

Let me share something interesting - after the Website of the Year contest ended, I received quite detailed feedback from the jury, which was quite helpful. Something I liked a hell of a lot from the Marketing segment:

"Your brand is quite specific and interesting, this will definitely weed out clients you don't want to work with.."

That's about it 🙂

4. Back then I decided to freeze the process for producing new "Instant Web Solutions", as of today. I will share the options later.

5. A/B testing - instead of pretending to be fakers we just test what works and what doesn't.

For example: I make a landing page in the form of a "Sales Funnel" with 3 call to action buttons, announcing the price of the service from the start and mentioning it every seventh inch. That one month for 10% of the budget for that period in advertising.

For example, but two: I do a landing page in the form of a "Marketing Funnel", I emphasize a good interface, good results around the brand and I don't mention the price anywhere, but I urge the client to contact us or move to the next step. We allocate 20% of the budget to marketing.