How to Get Your First Web Design Client

If you’re a web designer thinking about launching into the freelancing world, you’re probably wondering how to find your first freelance web design client.

You know how to design websites… but do you know how to find freelance clients? Let us help you jump over this first hurdle, so you can enjoy the freedom and flexibility freelancing offers.

Like all freelancing creatives, web designers need to think about 5 Things. We’ll describe each of them in this blog, so you can follow this article as a handy step-by-step guide for starting out. Let’s start with a fun truth:

If you get your first client, your business will always be successful. Because, if you can get one client, you can get two…. and if you can get two, you can get three…. Do you see how it works, now? It’s getting that very first client that proves your freelance business is going to work!

PS – We have a free $12k Client Attraction Masterclass that will show you how to land high-ticket clients to your web design, graphic design, or brand design business! Join it here:

So, let’s get going. What 5 things do you need to get your first web design client? We’re glad you asked…

#1 You Get What You Focus Your Attention On

It might sound a bit cheesy, but it’s true. If you focus on getting one client, you’re highly likely to accomplish your goal. Here’s what you need to focus on to get your first client:

Set goals for your business
Set yourself a time challenge
Pick a niche
Attract attention (don’t worry, we’ll explain how to do this!)
Plan your mini-celebration 😊

Here’s what it might look like for you. Let’s assume you have a 9-to-5 and you haven’t yet quit. Focusing your attention on getting your first freelance client might go something like this:

You’ll decide that you want to replace your current salary by the end of the year. That’s your goal. You can roughly guess how many freelance projects you’ll need each month, in order to meet your goal. Then, you’ll move immediately to looking for the first client. Remember, it all starts with one!

Let’s also say that you decide you’ll find your first web design client by the end of next week. This is your time challenge. (Now, you need to follow the rest of the steps in this blog by the end of next week, that’s one week from this Friday… You can do it!). Just think: you’ll have a client! Your first!

The first really big decision you’ll make for your future business is what your niche will be. Niching down now will help you, later. Trust us. (And check out our blog article all about niching down “Does Your Freelance Business Need a Niche?”)

Give some thought to the industry you want to work with. What industry do you love? What kind of jobs have you thrived in? Focus there. Your first client will come from that niche.

Decide now what you’ll do to celebrate. When you close the sale, when you deliver your first client’s project, what are you going to do to congratulate yourself and make the memory of your success stick?

Make it big or small, but make it meaningful. Take a few IG pics and know that your next clients are waiting right around the corner. You’re going to simply do it all over again…and you’re going to get a lot better at it, really quickly.

#2 You Need to Answer a Few Questions Before You Find Your Client

Where will you find them?
How will you find them? (This is where you will attract their attention.)
Who are they?

Where will you find them? Well, the answer is to understand your web design niche. Where do they hang out? Are they online? What platforms? Are they involved in your community? Where? Can you approach them one-on-one, or is it going to be digital?

You’ll connect with your first client by going to them. Don’t expect them to come to you. You need to go get their attention first — then you can talk to them one-on-one and encourage them to check out your portfolio on your website.

We’ll also give you a big hint, right here. If you are freelancing and your clients are businesses (B2B), you are highly likely to find your first client by leveraging the power of LinkedIn. It’s likely they are already on the platform and LinkedIn has lots of ways (your profile, DMs, linking, etc.) to learn more about your target client and how to connect with them.

How will you get web design clients fast, once you know where they hang out? Well, this will be a bit self-evident after you’ve determined your niche and thought about where that niche hangs out. Wherever they hang out is where you need to be. Pretty simple. For example, if they’re on LinkedIn, you need to be there, too.

The best approach is to be informed and to be helpful when you reach out. So, if you’re a web designer and you’re reaching out with a cold DM, a cold call, or a cold email… check out their website first.

Get to know them a bit. Check out their recent social media posts. What’s going on? What are they talking about? What’s their business focused on? Notice these things.

Then use this information to craft a strategic approach. Don’t sell them….serve them. Think about their business, their website, their priorities…from their point-of-view. And focus on the things you notice as a web designer.

Tell them about what you noticed, from your professional perspective, and ask them if they are interested in knowing more about how to maximize their web presence. Think about all of this from their point-of-view.

Getting clients is about relieving the pain points a client is feeling. You have to research and pay attention. This is where your soft skills shine.

A great way of “casually” introducing your freelance business is to do just that — introduce yourself casually. Reach out, and comment positively on something you noticed in your research that is unique to the person/business.

Then say that you are currently working with businesses in their industry in your area and wondering if they know anyone who might be needing web design services.

Let them feel like a hero with a great solution, either by referring you directly, or by remembering your proactive approach when they are talking to their colleagues next week (or next month) and the subject of web design comes up!

The final question you need to answer is Who are they? Think this one through a bit. In your niche industry, who is your dream client? How old are they? What do they drive? Do they have kids? Do they own a house? What is their likely friendship group? (These questions will also help you establish where they hang out.)

Once you have a picture of who they are, think about why their business needs your services. What is their point of pain? What is it that working with you will solve for them? This is what you want to focus on when you reach out. Their pain and your solution.

Speaking of solutions… is your web design portfolio attracting 5-figure clients at the moment? We have a free workshop that will help you revamp your portfolio so $12k+ clients want to hire you – snag your spot here ASAP!

When speaking with a new contact, focus your “casual” introduction on: their business, their recent social media posts, showing you did your research. But also think about why they need your services. Explain to them, concisely, how you help businesses just like theirs with the pain-point they feel.

Sometimes, you’ll drive the nail in with the first swing. More likely, you’ll go back and forth and begin to build a trust relationship, as this is when your prospective client will be checking you out, too. You’ll get to show off your portfolio by directing them to your own website. And, of course, we’re going to show you how to close the sale.

#3 The Pros and Cons of Using Digital Platforms (& Social Media) to Find Clients

Knowing how to use digital resources is important for a web designer. Web designers need to think carefully about how digital platforms will add or subtract from their own business’s success.

Let’s consider some of the pros and cons:

Yes, LinkedIn’s user experience is clunky & its audience is skewed towards older users. However, it is also a networking tool focused on making business connections, and many of its users have budgets to spend.

Plus, since all businesses eventually need a website, these users will need your services! It’s never been easier to “network” with other business owners than it is now, and you can be more focused on who to add to your network.

All that being said, LinkedIn takes time & energy to master. Many web designers also find it harder to be “human” in digital outreach.

Social Media

There are so many potential social media platforms to choose from. The pro is that you can focus on 1-2 platforms your niche industry commonly uses. However, by prioritizing the platforms your ideal clients use, you may miss out on your favorite platforms.

Content Marketing

If you want to grow your web design business beyond word-of-mouth, then content (like blog posts, videos, or podcast episodes) is critical to get noticed online. If you add your own personality to your posts, your posting will be effective & will attract engagement.

A downside of content marketing is that your online presence can be blurred between you as a person & your freelance business.

Freelancing Platforms

You can try to gain your first clients on freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, but in the long run, we caution against throwing all your energy into these types of platforms.

While they may help you get some experience & understand what it’s like to work directly with web design clients, there is usually a race to the bottom when it comes to project pricing.

You will be more successful long-term if you develop your own website, your own networking connections, and your own business that exists on its own – without being reliant on these types of platforms.

Here’s our bottom-line advice concerning social media and digital platforms:

Market yourself through one-on-one networking, frequent posting, commenting, and other interactive ways on a couple of social media platforms
Choose the 1 or 2 platforms where your target clients are hanging out already
Focus on quality when you post (do some research & feature valuable content, from your ideal client’s point-of-view)
If your goal is to replace your 9-to-5 and build a profitable web design business, then avoid freelancing platforms and focus on building the foundation of your business instead.

For more great insight into social media and digital platforms, check out Aventive Academy’s The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast. Episode #16 features an interview with Dot Lung — an expert in growing your creative business using social media!

#4 Old School Methods Still Work

Remember that some techniques will always be profitable. They are the “classics” and you don’t want to forget to incorporate them. Here are some of our recommendations:

As a web designer, you need your own website… and it has to look great!
Have examples of previous (or concept) client work featured on your website — this is where your professional portfolio needs to live
Scripting what you will do and say is a time-saving, worry-reducing great idea. Start with what you’ll write for LinkedIn DM messages…and use templates for 1^st contact emails to prospective clients and for what to say on introductory phone calls (cold calls and warm leads)
Always focus on your client’s point-of-view in your communications — focus on results, not your way of getting the job done
Remember to close the sale!

#5 Closing the Sale & Being Booked Out

Your goal might be to replace your 9-to-5 wages by the end of the year. Part of that goal is to see your freelance business “booked out” in advance! To get booked out, you need to be closing sales.

Remember, that your immediate goal is one new client. The first one. You are solely focused on one and you have given yourself a week to get this first task done.

Your first client is a great place to learn how to close a sale. Closed sales lead directly to a booked schedule. It’s that simple. One, then two, then three, then four — soon enough, you’ll be booked out in advance, because you’ll be closing sales!

Here are the steps to remember when closing a sale:

Make the next action, for the client, clear & easy — tell them what benefit they will see from working with you & how they get that process underway
Be bold & clear — if you don’t move the sale along, no one else is going to do it for you
Focus on this client… remember that you’re not worried about closing every sale, just this one
You might want to offer prospective clients something they value to get your foot in the door — maybe a website audit, or a speed test, or a stock-list that shows the industry norms for your niche client’s website
Every interaction with a prospective client is a step forward on a path to closing the sale; by scripting where the path goes, you’ll book the job through relationship development that includes a signed project contract
Close every interaction with a clear call to action — tell the client what will happen next and when it will happen, in a polite way that solves the problem they feel

Can you see that closing the sale is like finishing the story. Without it, the whole story just wouldn’t make any sense.

In this story, you get the chance to hold your client’s hand through a scary, unknown process (their web presence design) with a bold villain they didn’t think they could handle, and a hero already in place to save the day.

The hero is you! You are their new web designer, showing the way for their business growth and online success!

Now What?

The excitement’s over. You have the tools. You’ve read through the steps for landing your first client. Now you need to engage.

But… if you need a little more encouragement, or you want to make sure you don’t give up too soon, check out our Aventive Academy resources. We specialize in helping new freelancers succeed as they start their business. We’ve helped graphic designers, brand strategists, and web designers just like you!

Our Profitable Designer Program can help you hit $10k months in your web design business. In our program, you’ll get all of the important revenue generation tips and hints we’ve given you in today’s article, plus the detailed information on how to implement these concepts — including email templates, a sales call script, and more!

Best of all, you’ll become part of our freelancer community and we’d love to hear more about your amazing new freelance business and its success. Come join us as we grow our flexible careers and our profitable freelance businesses, together!