In 2006, when I started as a freelance web developer, I was a generalist. I had yet to learn about the importance of niches in content marketing to drive incoming leads.
Back then, a wave of the promise of a paycheque drove me from client to client, and I took ANY JOB that was going.
Yes, in 2006, cheques were a thing. Here’s an embarrassing photo of me holding my first freelancer payment.
Zoiks!
This newsletter is about niches, specifically, whether you should define and work within a niche for your WordPress business.
Let’s start with the question, “Is there anything wrong with being a freelance generalist?“.
No, there isn’t anything wrong with being a generalist. There, that was an easy one to answer.
Some people thrive on working with different businesses and industries. I immensely enjoyed it when I started freelancing.
My first four clients were 1) a TaeKwonDo instructor, 2) a personal trainer, 3) a tree surgery and landscaping business, and 4) a shipping and removal business. Not much in common there.
Another good reason to remain a generalist is your pool of leads is huge. Everyone who may need a website or web-related project.
However, you knew a “However” was coming, didn’t you? 😉
Competition is also huge at the generalist level. Everybody is a web professional these days.
When the quantity of competition increases and demand stays the same, this dramatically drives down the cost of the service.
I have seen quotes for a thousand-plus products e-commerce sites as low as US$100. Let’s ignore those willing to “do it for free”.
One of the most common questions I get asked by freelance web professionals is how to compete against low-cost competitors. 👈 Read it.
In that article, one strategy is to “Niche-Down”, which can increase the price of your offerings. I’ll talk about that in a minute.
Before we leave the topic of generalists, one final aspect to consider is the perception of a client looking to hire a web professional.
Putting yourself in their shoes, would you hire an expert in your field who knows your problems, talks in your biz lingo, and has already implemented solutions for others in the field, or a generalist? 🤔
Take money off the table for a second. Everyone would want to hire the top expert in their field, right?
How about having Matt Mullenweg install your WordPress website for you or Richard Branson give you some business tips?
There’s nothing wrong with being a generalist, but generalists cannot be experts, and it’s experts that get the big bucks. 💵
Here’s the second most common question I get about this topic, “Do I have to define and work within a niche?“.
No. It’s your business, Run it how you want to.
However, if you want to chase bigger money, niching-down will help.
You need to do three things to make your business generate more money.
- Lower your expenses
- Increase your prices
- Sell more stuff (increase demand)
Every business can and should be looking to lower expenses. You don’t need to be a niche expert to do that.
However, as I mentioned before, considering the competition, generalists may find increasing pricing and selling more stuff very hard.
Becoming a niche expert allows you to increase your prices and sell more stuff.
If you’re the go-to expert in a niche, you will see demand for your services increase because everyone wants to work with the top expert in their field.
You should increase your prices as demand increases. You’re the top cat in that niche. Everyone wants to work with you, and they will pay a premium.
Many freelance web professionals are scared to niche down because they feel they are leaving good money on the table.
It’s true that if you work solely within a niche, your target audience will be smaller.
However, the benefits of becoming that niche expert are higher demand, higher pricing and increased conversions.
Do you have to stick with one niche?
No. It’s difficult to multitask and become an expert in multiple niches, but it can be done with a good content strategy and plenty of automation.
So, which are you – a generalist or a niche expert? Which do you want to be?
Reply to me and let me know your thoughts.
Until the next time.
Wil.