Starting a WSI franchise offers more opportunities than simply being your own boss.

It’s a chance to be a part of a field that’s grown steadily for the last ten years — and is projected to continue growing at a ferocious rate.

According to a study done by Zenith Optimedia, roughly $54 billion is spent on online marketing efforts each year. Direct email, surveys, pop-up advertisements, pay-per-click, search engine optimization — all of these things encompass a budget comparable to major military procurement decisions.

Further, the same study predicts that by next year, spending on this field will reach $77 billion. That’s a 43 percent increase in just three years!

The reasons for the boost are pretty simple to understand. There has been no tool in the world as uniquely suited to get into peoples’ homes and lives as the Web. Traditional commercials on television, radio and even billboards are pretty static affairs — perhaps they’ll hit, perhaps they won’t. But online advertising is flexible, allowing marketers to reach people through social media, direct contact, newsletters and more.

One of the things we like to explain to our WSI franchisees is the principle of wealth creation, rather than simple profit. Profit is only one part of the wealth-creation scenario, and while it is of course important, it isn’t the whole picture.

Consider the phrase “making money”: This doesn’t just mean taking in money from a paycheck; it literally means the creation of goods and services that have enough value that others will pay more for them. As the goods and services in a market grow, money grows with them to help meet people’s demands.

As a WSI Digital Marketing Consultant, you’re an integral part of this wealth-creation system.

It’s something of a variation on the word-of-mouth business cycle, in a way.

• You work with a client, who then pays you for your time and services provided. That’s the first part — you gain a return on the investment you’ve made in the franchise.
• The client hopefully will, in turn, see their business grow and expand thanks to your expertly-given digital marketing advice, making money as a return on their investment in you.

You see how it works? Right there you’ve affected the money in your market in two distinct ways — you have made money where there might not have been any before. But that isn’t the end of it, either.

Owning a WSI franchise is an exciting opportunity

… not just because of the chance to turn a profit and work the way you want to work, but also because of the chance to do something new and interesting. And, of course, digital marketing is an entertaining and varied field, with room for many ways of doing things. The WSI system is important to follow, but it simply provides a process toward using your own great ideas when providing a client with what they want and need.

At WSI, we want to help our franchisees make good decisions that will help them see a good return on their investment (ROI). Part of that is knowing just what a WSI Franchise requires, and the sort of person who is a good fit.

Franchises are by nature service-oriented businesses. A WSI Internet Franchise also is this way, focusing on letting our expert-trained Consultants provide advertising and marketing services to clients with these needs. So, the first qualification is to be a service-minded person, eager to provide the customer with the best experience you possibly can.

Another element is for someone who wants a balance of responsibilities. A classic example of someone who can thrive while operating a WSI franchise is someone who has some management experience in a larger business, and wants to test the waters of running their own organization. They have the experience and know-how to operate on their own initiative for a lot of their work, but are also comfortable working within a structure that can provide assistance and advice if necessary. They get the benefit of working for themselves, but not by themselves.

Operating a WSI franchise is an exciting thing to do.

There’s virtually no way to get into a rut while working as a Digital Marketing Consultant because of the unique combination of skills and tasks that are required to make a franchise run just right. It’s an exciting and interesting experience, and here’s why:

Customer Service

As a digital marketing expert, you will be using proven WSI tools & technologies to provide high quality advice and interacting directly with the clients you’ll be serving. There’s no separate marketing department talking to the customers for you — you get to interact with the clients on your own, talking about their needs and helping them meet the online goals they have as you get to know them.

Work Online

The online world is a unique opportunity to get involved in. Social media networks, video blogging, traditional blogging, advertising campaigns and more await those who dive into the Web. You’ll have the chance to learn all about these things, and provide your expertise to your customer base as well.