7 Tips About How To Get Web Design Clients

Getting new clients is a crucial requirement for freelancers as web designers. The best way to secure quality leads is to employ both inbound and outbound methods. That means using passive strategies such as SEO and social media marketing to pull people towards your services and actively searching for potential customers via cold emailing and other forms of outreach.

With these two approaches combined, you can create a pipeline of repeat customers who rely on you for their web design needs.  Here are seven powerful strategies to help you find web design clients and ensure a steady flow of income for your business.

Do You Have An Amazing Portfolio?

One of the first steps in building your graphic design business is to build out a website that functions as your portfolio. Think of your graphic design portfolio serves as a visual copy of your resume. This is the perfect place to showcase your design services and subsequently promote your offerings by highlighting corresponding pieces of work. Plus, if you play your cards right and work your SEO and marketing magic, you can use your portfolio site as a lead generation tool. Then instead of asking yourself how to find clients online, you will have them coming right to you!

Wait, Are You A Beginner?

So you’re a newbie. That’s okay, we all have to start somewhere! When getting started as a freelance graphic designer, I want to share one crucial piece of advice with you. Be honest! It’s simple as that. Explain to the client that you are maybe starting and want to gain some useful experience. The only caveat there, you need to ensure that your prices match your skill level (more on that and other graphic design advice here).

As you gain more experience, you can up your prices accordingly. Another thing to consider as you become more seasoned is incentivizing new clients. It’s okay to entice a new client by giving them a special first-time price to gain their business. Just make sure you are clear about the scope and duration of the offer.

Reach Out To Your Community For Referrals

In any industry, referrals from your existing networks can be the most valuable resource of all. Leverage them! Make connections with your peers. Go above and beyond for those you have close relationships with. Leave a lasting impression. Chances are that if someone asks them if they know a freelance graphic designer looking for work, they will happily recommend you.

Another great way to get referrals is to make an impact on your existing clientele. People will always remember great service and high-quality deliverables. Make yourself memorable and knock every project out of the park. You can also keep yourself top of mind with clients by keeping in touch, suggesting you get together for a coffee, or even sending cards during the holidays. Make positive connections every chance you get and your freelance business will flourish.

Introduce Yourself With Confidence

This tip might be a little bit outside your comfort zone but I promise you, it’s worth it. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. But, be strategic about it. Find something personal to connect with the potential client about. I once reached out to a girl named Sarah Nagus and used the similarity of our names as an icebreaker – it worked like a charm.

If you want to reach out to potential clients, other graphic designers, or industry professionals for a possible collaboration but don’t know where to start…I’ve got you covered. Check out this post for a free collaboration email template.

Show Them You’re Worthy

Not knowing enough about the project you signing up for is like going on a blind date. It can be super awkward and downright painful to endure. Avoid uncomfortableness by knowing what you’re getting yourself into. You can do this by avoiding threads with little information regarding the project. If you don’t enjoy the project you’ve taken on, chances are that will show in your final deliverables. Get more information before you agree to work with someone. Don’t be afraid to ask detailed questions about the timeline, scope of the project, budget, final deliverable requirements, etc. The more you know, the better you can deliver.

As a graphic designer seeking freelance jobs, ensuring you’re the right fit goes beyond the project. To ensure that you’re a good fit for the client means that the client also needs to be a good fit for YOU. Doing your research on who you’ll be working with is just as important as knowing the specs of the job.

Use Facebook For Connections

Social media is a powerful tool! In addition to using Facebook to build your brand and publish your content, you can also use it as a lead generation tool! To get clients on Facebook, I highly recommend joining Facebook groups about YOUR niche (not with other graphic designers). For example, if your target client is Esty shop owners, join a group with that as the main audience. Just don’t bombard them with sales-y spam. Be active in the group, offer tips for a problem, and be insightful and helpful. It’s sales 101. Show people the solution to their pain points and inform them of how you can help, and you’ll be amazed at how many people will reach out to you to complete the work for them.

With that being said, I have a small piece of advice to share. Avoid posts and threads with over 12 comments, you’ll get lost in the mix and it will often be a waste of time. You want to keep on top of the channels and groups you’re involved in so that you can be one of the first people to offer a solution and/or your services!

Send A Proposal

We made it! Here’s the last and final step in finding clients online, the proposal. Proposals come in many shapes and forms depending on the client and the job site. We will soon put together a free template for you that outlines exactly what you need to include in your next proposal.

Conclusion

If you are freelancing as a web designer, getting new clients is a crucial requirement for any business. You need to be able to acquire new clients to be able to keep your business running. There are many ways to get clients and we hope that this post has given you some ideas about how to get them for yourself. If you have any other questions about how to get clients as a web designer, we’d love to hear from you luckily, there are many tips available for how you can obtain new clients for your business. We have created a list of 7 of the most important tips for you to consider.