How To Get Web Design Clients – 10 Surefire Tips

“I’m not getting enough work!” is a common cry from web designers and developers. I’m always getting emails asking how to get web design clients.

So I decided to give you the 10 most effective ways I know to get web design jobs from home. Starting with the most effective way.

1. Your own website

This will take the longest time, incur the most effort but will pay you back most in the long run. If you want to know how to get web design jobs, this is gold dust.

The best way forward to attract clients is to build your own website and churn out content that helps people. This is blogging  and it is an extremely effective way to find leads. It’s worked again and again for me. So don’t ignore this step!

Create awesome and helpful content, build your brand, improve your authority, become the go-to person then, eventually, other websites will link back to you. You will grow a following a they will share your content.

Not sure what to write about? Think about anything you’re exceptionally good at, and write about it. As a designer, you’re not short of ideas.

Your content can be simple tutorials. Some people might hold a different view about this strategy arguing that once people learn how to do a task they won’t seek your services. But it’s not so. If you want to know how to sell services, this is the best way.

I’ve secured many major projects with Fortune 500 companies as a result of blog posts about design tasks. Businesses are on the lookout for a specialist in the field. Others find the task too daunting and prefer to leave it to the professionals. Once people know that you’ve got the expertise to do a particular job – that’s it, you’re hired!

But there are so many other types of content that will get you work and make you money.

Don’t forget to try to rank for a “buying keywords” like “freelance web designer London”, for example. You can also use Google Keyword Planner to choose the right keywords that will give your site prominence in the search engines. Your ability to get web design jobs from home can be improved by simply changing the site title of your website.

Create online content in the same way as I do – although this is even harder work now than it used to be this is how to get web design clients.

2. YouTube

YouTube is the second largest search engine online. People turn to YouTube when they want to learn something. Upload short videos showing your expertise as a web designer.

You could shoot videos to share “how to” information such as how to set up hosting and WordPress, how to use Google Keyword Planner, how to install, update or un-install plugins, how to upload images to WordPress, etc. – you get the idea. For example, this video below has over 30,000 views:

People are lazy. They will see a video that shows them how to do something and then get the video-maker to do it for them. It’s happened to me more times than I can remember.

Plus, you can develop your tutorial making abilities very easily and set up a side line as an online course creator. By doing this I have made over $100,000 on Udemy as passive income profit in less than 3 years. You can do this.

3. Local business networking

People prefer to do business with those they know, like and trust. Business networking is about building trust and relationships, sharing knowledge, helping each other, and ultimately spotting new opportunities. And, remember, it is ten times better to forge a business relationship face-to-face offline, than it is online.

The best way to make new business contact is to visit any business or entrepreneurial meet up in your locality. If you haven’t joined MeetUp.com yet, do it now. Most business meetups are usually informal and unpressured. Sometimes there are guest speakers, sometimes not. You’ll have the chance to meet other web designers and many people from various overlapping professions. You can also mingle with other different business groups to whom you could market your services but avoid being too “salesy” as people don’t like it. Can’t find one? Set up a business meetup yourself.

Besides attending meetups, you could contact your local Chamber of Commerce. You could meet new businesspeople through their seminars, workshops and speaker events.

4. Business Network International ( BNI )

The BNI are paid network of businesspeople who meet weekly for the primary purpose of passing referrals to each other. Memberships are expensive and often restricted. This network tends to be more formal and structured than meetups. At these meetings each member has the opportunity to make a short presentation.

It may be expensive but you’re almost guaranteed to have business with other members of the group. Just google “business network international” and wherever you’re located you’ll find relevant information you need.

5. Do awesome work! (And word-of-mouth marketing)

People love to talk, don’t they?

Whatever industry you’re in, people will talk about you wherever they go if you do awesome work.  People usually rely on personal recommendations. More referrals will come your way when clients are happy and you’ve gone the extra mile.

The bottom line is never sacrifice quality. What you do will always come round. Great work always generates high quality leads and income. This is one of the most basic ways of how to get web design clients. All this sounds obvious but it needs to be said. So I said it.

6. Incentivize referrals

The smart way to encourage referrals is to offer a non-monetary incentive. You could offer a free consultation, do some maintenance work on the client’s website, do some graphics for them etc. You might not realize that these little perks are in fact an indirect way of beating your competitors.

Some web designers might prefer to offer financial incentive. There is nothing wrong with that. The only downside is that you might end up getting low quality leads with all the associated issues.

7. Craigslist

Craigslist can complement your lead hunt when starting out. As you know, Craigslist is a classified ads site which not only allows you to advertize your services, but you can also see what prospective clients are advertizing for. You can bump up your advert every other day for maximum exposure.

Craigslist is a reliable platform. Moreover, there is a wide range of overlapping adverts for which you could offer your services. Clients on Craigslist usually need a job to be done urgently. The only disadvantage is that there are loads of low-paying clients on this platform. I don’t like to recommend low-paying sites like Craigslist (or UpWork or Freelancer) but, when you’re just starting, they’re better than nothing.

8. Social media

Business owners who have a presence on social media are nurturing long-lasting relationships with their community.

But, a word of caution, don’t spend ages on social media. Your time is valuable. Concentrate on just one platform. Not every platform will suit your needs and it is ridiculously time consuming to engage with all the platforms.

However, you should create an account with all the major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Make sure it’s easy for readers to share your blog posts with a sharing buttons. Post your content to all your social media accounts interspersed with other people’s quality, relevant content.

Also, you could join relevant groups on your social media platform of choice. Engage in discussions and give the maximum value you can. You’ll easily get noticed and gradually establish yourself as an authority.

9. Never turn down a job if it’s a good client

It’s not unusual that you get a referral for a task that’s not your core activity. Never turn down a job however tiny or complicated it is if it’s a high-paying client. Either outsource the task or, even better, figure out how to do it yourself (which makes outsourcing easier next time).

The best clients I’ve had are Fortune 500 companies. They are the easiest to work with, pay well and, most importantly, give you regular work. Busy executives from shiny offices in capital cities can give you web design jobs to do from home.

10. Keep in touch with your existing clients

How to get web design clients? It’s difficult! Your best “clients” are your existing clients. It therefore makes sense to maintain a good relationship with your current and past customers. Here are small practical things you can do to make your clients stick around:

• You can every now and then shoot them an email or give them a courtesy call just to say hello and by the same token have a brief chat about business
• Make them happy. For instance if you know that one of your promotions could benefit them, offer an exceptionally good discount. Explain to them how your offer could add value to their business
• Aim at exceeding your client’s expectations – do a great job so they have to hire you again – or recommend you to others.

Sometimes clients can move organisations. Great news! They can introduce you to a second company while you retain links at the first. Two birds with one stone! That’s why it pays to keep in touch with clients.

How To Get Web Design Clients – You Can Do It!

You web design jobs from home so many ways. This is what I did and it changed my life. It opened up a wealth of opportunities for me to travel the world and get involved in other businesses.

If you really want to know how to find clients and how to sell services these are the best two pieces of advice:

• put huge effort into your website and blogging content
• do amazing work for your current clients.

But, what about you? Do know any other ways of how to get web design clients?

By the way, I have a course on How To Make Money Running A Web Design Business which includes huge sections on how to get web design clients. You can get it for just $9 here, a massive 77% OFF the original price. Your reward for making it to the end of this article.