Given the "dotcom" bust and the global recession of the past 18
months it can be difficult for Independent Web Designers to put
food on the table these days. However, the business is out there
-- you just have to be a little more aggressive in finding it.
Based on our own experience and that of hundreds of Web
Designers who have used our Web Hosting services over the past
five years, here are ten of the best ways to find new clients
for your web design shop this year:
1. Contact Local ISP's. Most Internet Service Providers offer a
few MB of webspace or hosting accounts to their customers.
However, most don't offer website design services. Contact local
ISP's and offer a generous referral fee if they send business
your way. This tactic has worked very well for some of our
Resellers. Note: It's important to help the ISP's promote your
service by providing them with some marketing materials they can
send out by email and snail mail to their customers.
2. Local Networking. Time and time again, web developers have
cited this as one of their primary sources of new business. You
can't do business sitting on your behind in front of your
computer all day! You need to devote some time to getting out
and meeting local business people. This is most easily
accomplished by joining local business organizations such as the
Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary. If you keep active in these
groups over time you will establish yourself as the person to go
to for any web-related services. Always be sure to carry
business cards, or better yet, full-color postcards to handout
with a screen-shot of your website or web design portfolio.
See http://www.web-cards.com for some great business card and
postcards ideas.
3. Online freelance sites. There are number of sites now, such
as http://elance.com, where you can find listings of web
projects open for bid. It is true that you will be competing
with many bidders for these projects but don't let that stop you
these are businesses that are ready to buy now. A good strategy
is too bid as low as you can initially in order to get your foot
in the door with a given company. If you do a good job and
delivery it quick the company will naturally go back to you for
additional work.
4. Create a community business directory. This is a great
strategy that is often used but rarely done well by local web
design firms. By creating a community business directory you
accomplish three things. First, you now have a database of all
the businesses in your local area your primary target market!
Secondly, you have now created a legitimate reason to get in
touch with them. And finally, when you do contact them they will
not perceive it as a sales call; rather, they will thank you for
providing such a valuable service!
5. Ask for referrals. As soon as you land a client and sign the
contract, you should immediately ask them for 3 other businesses
they know of that may be in need of your services. Right when
you've made the sale is the best time to ask for referrals,
don't wait until the end of the project. Remember, you need to
keep filling up your sales pipeline with pending projects to
keep the cash coming in. When you call your client's referrals
be sure to mention the person that referred them and offer
something additional such as a small discount or free
consultation for the referral.
6. Write articles and free reports. Writing short articles on
Internet Business and Web Development is a great way to get your
name out and generate new clients. You can submit articles to
your local print media, Chamber of Commerce, and business
publications. You can also syndicate this content online for
online publications and websites. One short article can go a
long way in generating new business.
7. Focus on a niche. By narrowing your focus it will be much
easier for you to find new web design clients. It's tough to be
everything to everybody. Look at your existing client base and
think about the industries your best clients come from. Pinpoint
the best two or three and then focus your effort to only those
types of businesses. It's easy to get leads for specific
industries from list brokers such as Info USA
(http://infousa.com) and others. You can then contact similar
businesses and let them know you specialize in creating websites
just for their type of business. Tell them about the specific
tools you can install to help their business increase profits,
save money, and gain an advantage over their competitors.
8. Smile and dial. Telemarketing can be a great way to find new
business clients when done properly. The best way to do it is to
start with a free offer that will help you qualify the lead. For
example, if you create a community directory, you can then
simply call the businesses in the directory and let them know
they are entitled to a free listing. This will give you an
opportunity to chat with them and see what their needs are. You
can then email or fax them a brief form asking for a description
of their business to post on the community website. Let them
know when it's up and then send them full details on your web
development services. From there it will be easy to set an
appointment.
9. Send postcards. Direct mail using postcards can be a very
effective and cheap way to get the word out about your services.
If you use full color postcards you can even showcase
screen-shots of some of the sites you've designed. Always offer
some type of free offer on the postcard, such as a "FREE Website
Analysis," "FREE Search Engine Readiness Review," etc. in order
the increase response.
10. Follow up. Follow up. Follow up. There is an old adage in
marketing that says it takes at least seven contacts before a
prospect will purchase. This is as true in selling web design
services as it is with anything else. No matter what marketing
tactics you use, remember that you must relentlessly follow up
with people that have expressed the need for your services. If
you keep in touch, a good percentage will eventually become
clients.
There you have it, ten of the best ways to find new clients and
increase your Web Development business this year. But remember,
none of them will work unless you use them. So stop fiddling
with your computer and get marketing!
About the author:
Tom Mulkern OnNet Web Hosting (http://onnethosting.com) provides
high-speed web hosting services, featuring 50% discounts for Web
Designers and Resellers. They also publish the email newsletter,
"Marketing For Web Developers." For a FREE subscription, send an
email message to: mwd-request@onnethosting.com, or visit
http://onnethosting.com/mwd.html.
