*This is the newest version of this resource. It was formally called "83 Ways To Find Web Design Clients" but has since been improved and consolidated to only show the most effective methods. Enjoy!
Find and land clients via
Your Website
Offer a free strategy session as a call-to-action on your website. The best way to do this is by using
Calendly to allow prospects to book a call on your calendar.
Use this call as a no-pressure way to understand the prospects needs and pain points and then showing them how your services can offer a solution.
Create a lead magnet and follow up with those who download it. Lead magnets can include PDFs, checklists, spreadsheets, cheatsheets, or any resource that requires users to submit their email to download.
These work best when they are a "no-brainer" offer and put the prospect into an automated email sequence to warm them up to the idea of hiring you.
We suggest using an email responder like
Mailchimp to connect to your website and automatically send emails when a form is submitted.
3.
Offer Free Website Audits
Use a service like
My Web Audit to offer free website audits and capture leads. This is an ultra-simple way to provide value without making too much extra work for yourself.
4.
SEO-Friendly Blog Articles
Write SEO friendly blog articles that attract readers in your ideal niche. Include a CTA at the end of each article to get readers to book a strategy call.
Use tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to research good keywords for these articles.
5.
Facebook Messenger Chat Bot
Embed a Facebook messenger icon encouraging visitors to start a chat with you right on your website. These messages will be delivered to your Facebook Messenger app where you can respond instantly.
Encourage website visitors to sign up for your newsletter filled with valuable tips for their industry. This is one of the best ways to create multiple touch points on a consistent basis and build trust over a long period of time.
Plus, there are also other great ways to monetize an email list like this!
7.
Create Sharable Content
Create content on your website that is worth sharing. The most common example of this is a client case study that is very complimentary towards the client. Most love to share these types of things on their LinkedIn and other social channels.
You can also create sharable blog articles and memes to get more organic traffic to your site.
Find and land clients via
Social Media
8.
Announce Your Business on Facebook
The best clients are typically the ones you already know because they want you to succeed. Plus, they are more willing to be patient if you make mistakes. For this reason, this is one of the best ways to find your first clients.
Announce your business to your friends and family with a post and share with them why you are passionate about what you do.
They will be more likely to hire or refer you if they can see it's important to you.
9.
Send Customized Messages on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a goldmine for B2B services like web design. Cold messaging works pretty well as long as the messages are personalized and helpful.
Research the company, audit their websites or find other ways to give helpful and kind recommendations. This will open a dialog that can lead to great working relationships.
10.
Create a Facebook Group
There are few things as powerful as community. Growing a niche-specific facebook group can take a lot of time, but if you commit to it it can bring in tons of clients.
The great part about building your own community is you can control the environment and frame yourself as the expert which will make you more appealing to potential clients.
11.
Participate in Other Facebook Groups
If you don't want to build your own Facebook group, consider joining other groups and becoming an active participant.
Answer questions, share valuable thoughts and connect with other members. Go into this with a focus on helping others and building relationships.
But seriously, don't be spammy.
12.
Start a Niche Youtube Channel
Youtube is THE BEST and easiest way to get organic traffic. You don't need a lot of views or subscribers to land clients here.
Just use a tool like
TubeBuddy to find an ultra-specific video topic and create a video with your phone. In these videos you can share case studies, experiences, stories or side projects. You will be shocked at how quickly these can gain traction.
Use a service like
linktr.ee to link to your website and other resources. Post this link on your Instagram and other social channels.
Find and land clients via
Cold Outreach
14.
Create Custom Loom Videos
The most effective way to perform cold outreach is to film custom Loom videos and send them to qualified prospects.
Oftentimes these videos don't get opened and so you will want to follow up with a cold call and use the Loom video as a point of conversation to get a foot in the door.
Cold emailing is less effective, yet highly scalable. Be aware that in many cases web scraping can be considered illegal, (so do your own research) but you can hire people on Fiverr to find business emails and automate the email process.
I like having an automated cold emailing automation running at all times just to ensure I am always increasing my reach.
16.
Cold Call Businesses You Frequent
Cold calling can be scary. For this reason, I recommend cold calling businesses that you actually use.
Your dentist, accountant and barber will all be much nicer to you and are more likely to give you a chance than someone that doesn't know you.
Find and land clients via
Partnerships and Relationships
17.
Partner With Larger Agencies
Many larger agencies get overbooked or turn away smaller budget clients. Reach out to build relationships with these agencies and see if they are willing to pass you overflow work.
Remember, make this a win-win by offering them a kickback and also ensuring that you will do a good job on these projects.
18.
Partner With Adjacent Consultants/Businesses
You can also look for other businesses that offer adjacent services like marketing, branding, automation, IT, accounting, legal, etc.
These businesses probably already have a large network of other companies that might need web design services.
Form a win-win partnership to pass work to one another.
19.
Earn or Pay For Features From Industry Influencers
Attention is your most valuable asset. Building your own audience can be time consuming so in the meantime, reach out to other industry experts that already have an audience and try to get an interview with them.
Getting featured on a podcast or youtube channel can give you an instant boost in authority and will likely lead to new clients.
20.
Visit Co-working Spaces and Introduce Yourself
Introduce yourself to other entrepreneurs and small business owners and see what they're working on. You'll be able to make connections, find out about new opportunities for your business or just enjoy the vibe.
21.
Local Chamber Of Commerce
It's always easier to start your business on a local level. Local businesses are more likely to trust you and it will be far less competitive.
Put yourself out there by joining your Local Chamber of Commerce and participating in meetings and events.
Becoming the go-to web designers in your city can be extremely profitable!
22.
Local Business Networking Events
Similar to your Chamber of Commerce, there are also other local events for businesses that can be a great opportunity to get your name out there.
Search your city website to find these events and get yourself out there.
Sometimes it might even be beneficial to get a booth or become a sponsor. Getting a backlinks on a local business networking website can also be great for your local SEO.
Find and land clients via
Business Listings and Directories
23.
Become a Webflow Expert
24.
Join Popular Freelance Websites
Find and land clients via
Existing Clients
25.
Add Your Site To Footers
Add a link to your website in the footer of your clients website. This is actually a super effective way to get referrals.
Clients are typically fine with you putting your link there and most people know to look in the footer if they are interested in who built the site.
Plus, these are great backlinks for SEO!
26.
Upsell or Offer Additional Services
Upselling existing clients is 10X easier than finding new ones.
After all, your past clients already know and trust you. Share with them the other ways you can help grow their business and convince them to hire you again!
Most people check Google Reviews before paying for a product or service. Having good reviews will help you close deals.
Plus, it will also help local clients find you and will increase your odds of getting hired.
28.
Get Client Testimonials Using SendSpark
Use a service like
SendSpark and get a video testimonial from your clients. This is the most powerful type of social proof and will drastically increase your conversion rate.
29.
Offer Referral Incentives
Establish a generous referral bonus for people who refer you. A large cash bonus or Amazon gift card can serve as a great motivator.
30.
Schedule Yearly Check Ins
Yearly client check ins are one of the most underused, yet powerful, opportunities.
These check ins will give you a chance to remind your clients that you care, offer them additional services, get them on a maintenance plan, or sell them on additional site updates.
31.
Start a VIP Newsletter
Much like the general newsletter that we discussed before, a VIP newsletter for clients only can keep you top of mind.
This is a great way to provide more value and increase the lifetime value of each client.
32.
Offer Client-Only Discounts
When offering more services to your past clients, make it feel exclusive by offering them special discounts to show your appreciation.
Find and land clients via
Content Creation
Podcasts are HUGE right now and will only get bigger. This is a long-term play but if you commit to it, you could build an endless funnel of new clients and new opportunities.
Read
Show Your Work and then start showing what you are working on in an engaging way.
Write high-quality blog articles and reach out to the webmaster of other blogs to get your articles published to their site.
Create daily short videos using
Zubtitle and post them on LinkedIn, Youtube, TikTok and Instagram.
37.
Create a Training To Present at Conferences
Create an engaging training and offer to speak at different marketing conferences. Continually improve this training with imagery, stories and case studies.
Over time you will get more opportunities to share this training that you have perfected.
Find and land clients via
Marketing Materials
38.
Hand Out Business Cards
Business cards may seem to be a slightly outdated form of marketing but they still work. Carry cards with you and leave them wherever possible.
In some cases, businesses will allow you to display a stack of cards at their front desk.
39.
Car Wrap or Car Magnet
Car wraps and car magnets provide free advertising anytime you drive anywhere. Be creative with it and stand out!
Wear a branded shirt when going out that will initiate conversations about your business.
Even something as simple as a shirt that says "I build websites" can be a great icebreaker!
41.
Send Out Physical Mailers
Mailers are making a comeback! Mail postcards to local businesses introducing your services.
It is a pretty cheap way to reach a large audience!
Find and land clients by
Improving Your Sales Skills
42.
Write Common Objections
Make a list of common objections and plan out how to overcome them
43.
Memorize Your Elevator Pitch
Write and memorize a killer
Elevator Pitch that you can use in every situation where you have the opportunity to talk about work.
Remember that the money is in the followup. Always follow up with your leads. Learn how in this video:
45.
Identify Pain Point and Solutions
Identify your ideal client's biggest pain points and then determine how your services can solve those problems.
Understanding their pain points will help you become a more effective salesperson and will guide you in what to say to them!
46.
Master The Discovery Call
Discovery calls are key to a successful sales process.
Learn how in this video: