“Most folks on Craig’s List are Uncle Morty who has a video camera and some software to edit with – Not very professional looking samples or websites. I highlighted this fact in my ad and made sure my website (while still under construction) looks good and the samples I posted were very good – Also made sure there were no typos or bad links in the ad or the website.”
Birdcat is correct. Remember; everything you use to promote your business becomes associated with what you do as a video producer. If you don’t know web design, spend the money on a professional designer who knows how to build a web site. If you only know Word and maybe Publisher, hire a professional print designer to do your print ads instead. The nice thing is, once you establish relationships with those people, you can use them for referrals. As a web designer (who has had video editing dropped in his lap), nothing drives me more crazy than a poorly designed site, with blink tags, etc. My first thought is “If this person made this (sloppy) of a web site, what makes me think their other skills are any good?” I’m a designer, not a developer, so I farm out my heavy-duty backend stuff with no regrets. The time and aggravation I saved more than made up for any money I spent on subcontracting someone else.
Also, never overpromise. Ever. If you can’t do something, admit it beforehand.And put EVERYTHING in writing.
