No really, the more I look at it the more it like it. It just makes sense: an elegant solution for a business problem.
Scenario: You own a web shop and you get the calls from clients with big dreams and no cash. You refer them to some Joe freelancer. What do you get, squat. What does the freelancer get, a little project to add to their portfolio. What does the client get? Hit or miss. They may get the solution they need, or they may just pay for the freelancers learning curve.
So how does flare9.com fit in? Most of these low-end clients just need brochure ware. They have an idea and they need a web presence to get it going. The agencies cannot be profitable at that low a price point. Flare9.com is a website builder with integrated hosting, domain reg, email service, and CMS. An agency simply needs to register as a flare9 affiliate, refer the low-end work there. The client gets a great solution for their needs, and the agency picks up a few bucks for making the referral. But it gets better. The agency also maintains a list of these referrals in the flare9 system to contact later. Think of it as a holding pen. The client is happy to have found a low cost solution, and as their needs grow out of flare9’s capabilities, the agency should contact them and offer the more robust, custom solution. It is a little bit of CRM.
The more I think about it and the more I talk to other agencies, it becomes clear it is a no brainer for these web agencies to have this low-end solution in their process. They stop leaving money on the table, as well a groom future clients. The client is happy they got what they needed then, and are happy knowing they can go back to the referral agency when the time it right.. Goodwill all around.. priceless.
In the future we will even have a co-branded licensed version available for the web agencies to purchase.
