How to get Customers for your Web Design Business
As a self-employed female web designer, you have a unique perspective to offer in the web design industry. However, your skills alone won’t guarantee a steady stream of customers. The web design industry is highly competitive, and it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you are wondering how to get customers for your web design business, here are some strategies to help you on your way.
Niche Targeting: Specialise to Excel
If you want to know how to get web design clients, you need to offer services that make you stand outfrom from the competition. Identify a specific niche or industry that aligns with your interests and expertise.
It might seem like the best way to make more money is to offer more services, or a range of different services, especially when you’re first trying to establish your web design business.
The problem with this approach is that it forces your client to work out which services they need and how those services could benefit them. Your clients are busy. They want a solution, not a problem to solve first!
Focus on something specific, such as a particular location that you would service, the types of industries that you may target, or the service you offer in a specific industry. This allows you to become an expert in that area, making it easier to market yourself to potential clients in that industry.
Remember, tt’s hard to appeal to potential clients if you don’t specialise in any specific niche. Focusing on a specific industry will help you gain a competitive advantage over others who try to serve all niches.
Engage on social media: Showcase Your Talent
Social media can provide a wealth of business opportunities for creative services like web design.
Although you are most likely to find B2B clients on LinkedIn or other business-oriented platforms, you may also find B2C or individual clients on other social networks, such as Facebook or Instagram. Spend time on developing your social media marketing strategy and target your efforts where your potential customers spend their time.
To establish yourself as an authoritative voice on social media, you should create a professional-looking business page with samples of your work, experience, and client testimonials. Regularly post your work and behind-the-scenes content to keep your followers up to date and engaged. Make sure to interact with your followers, respond to comments, and participate in relevant discussions to build a loyal following and attract potential clients.
Network with Other Women in Business
Building a strong support network of fellow business owners can be helpful for any solopreneur, but is especially true for women in business. Female entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges that only other women in business will understand.
Build a strong support network of other female solopreneurs. This can include finding female mentors and making time for networking events.
Look for conferences, workshops, or networking events that specifically focus on supporting and empowering women in business. These events provide excellent opportunities to meet potential clients and expand your network.
Connect with other female entrepreneurs through online forums, social media groups, or local business events. Engage in discussions, share your expertise, and build relationships that may lead to referrals and collaborations.
There are plenty of great networking events specifically for women in business. This blog gives details of several business networking events in the London area, but a simple Google search should yield similar results if you are further afield.
Use Online Portfolios and Freelance Platforms
Creating a custom portfolio website is one of the most effective ways to get clients since it shows potential customers and employers what you can do. Join platforms like Behance, Dribble, Bark, or Fiverr to showcase your work and find potential clients seeking web design services.
These freelance marketplaces connect clients with Web Designers. Create a profile, highlight your skills, and experience, and bid on relevant projects to get started. These platforms have millions of clients who are looking for reliable and talented Web Designers, so they can be a great way to get started.
Freelance marketplaces can be a great way to find new clients when you are first starting out, but please remember to charge what you’re worth. Some freelancing websites encourage professionals to constantly undercut their prices in order to win jobs. This doesn’t help anyone – clients cannot find good quality work and freelancers cannot earn enough money to sustain themselves. Work out a pricing structure that is sustainable for your business to survive and stick to it.
To find industry-specific job platforms that fit your niche, try a Google search for “web design jobs [your industry].” This should give you a few good places to start looking. Remember, too, that while many of the listings might be for full-time work, don’t be afraid to pitch your services as a freelancer or contractor—many hiring managers will be open to considering the option because it can bring more flexibility for both you and the company.
Upsell to existing clients
Whilst this isn’t finding more new customers, it should certainly yield you new projects. The truth is that it’s far easier to sell to clients who have already seen the value of your work than it is to sell to brand-new clients. If you already have an established client base, your quickest path to more revenue is to create more value for the clients you already have.
Think of clients you’ve worked with in the past, and the kind of business problems they’re struggling with. Are there ways you can help solve those problems? What services can you pitch that they’d be interested in?
Reach out to those clients via email with specific, targeted advice on how to solve that problem. Make sure that what you offer is relevant to your customer’s current or future needs, and that it can solve a problem, enhance a benefit, or create an opportunity for them.
This article explains in further depth how to effectively upsell to existing clients.
Ask for referrals: Leverage the Power of Word of Mouth
Word-of-mouth recommendations can be powerful in growing your customer base. In addition to current clients, you can also reach out to past clients as potential referral sources. Even if they aren’t actively looking to hire someone right now, there’s a strong chance they know someone who is.
The best time to ask for referrals is right after completing a project. Try using a survey tool like Typeform to create a form asking two simple questions:
- Would you refer me to a colleague?
- Why or why not?
Simply asking whether they would recommend you may prompt them to do so; happy clients love telling others about the great work you’ve done for them.
If not, follow up with the people who answer “yes” and provide an easy way for them to refer you to others. Send a simple script they can copy and paste to send to potential referrals, maximizing the chances of getting a recommendation. This article from HubSpot includes a few email templates you can try.
Cold email potential clients
One of the best strategies for generating new leads and landing more customers is cold emailing. Cold email marketing is much less intrusive and annoying than cold calling and can be a great way to get new customers for your web design business.
The most successful cold emails always start by providing value before making any requests. Research the company you’re targeting. Find out what their goals are for their online presence, list any opportunities you see for improvement, and include some background information about the company to show you understand the needs of the business. Each email should be tailored to each specific company and their needs. Cold emailing should be a targeted business proposition, not a scattergun spamming campaign.
Once you have your information, put your cold email together. Explain who you are and how you’ve helped businesses like theirs in the past (with links to examples and testimonials where possible) and share some free advice on how they can improve their online presence. Don’t sell your services at this point. Instead, offer to schedule a call or send an email with more detailed advice.
Finally, make sure you follow up. Most business owners are busy, and if you don’t receive a reply straight away, it’s much more likely that they’ve simply forgotten than that they’re ignoring you. Wait a few days, then send a succinct and polite follow-up email asking if they’re interested in your advice. If they don’t reply to your follow-up email, move on to other potential leads.
Here is a comprehensive beginner’s guide to cold emailing that you should find helpful.
In Conclusion
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful web design business. It’s worth noting that building a clientele takes time and persistence. Be patient, consistently deliver quality work, and focus on nurturing relationships with your clients.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results, persevere and you will see the fruits of your labour. By showcasing your skills, personality, and unique perspective as a female web designer, I am confident that you can attract more customers and create a thriving web design business.
Get in touch to book a free 30-minute Strategy consultation to find out how I can further help guide you on your journey to success.
