Web design and development is an excellent career option for anybody who is creative and wants to be their own boss. Thanks to the nature of the work, many web developers and designers work on a freelance basis; this allows them to set their own hours, work from home, and in many cases, set their own prices and fees allowing for more freedom and a flexible working life. However, as a freelance web developer or designer, finding clients is imperative to ensure that you can survive in your career. We’ve put together some top tips to help you build a client base as a freelance web developer.
Tip #1. Find Email Addresses:
When it comes to finding new clients for your freelance venture, being proactive and reaching out to potential business contacts is key. To do this, you can use a free resource such as an email finder tool, to help you put together a list of potential contact details that you can use. Taking the time to research companies that you think may be in need of a web developer is also a good idea – then, fire off a friendly email introducing yourself and the type of services that you offer. Click here for more information on finding business emails.
Tip #2. Get Email Marketing Right:
Following on from the first tip, it’s important to make sure that you get your email marketing strategy right if you want to make sure that it is a success with clients. Bear in mind that since email marketing has been so over-used these days, it’s not uncommon for people to simply ignore marketing emails, so it’s crucial that yours stands out. The best way to do this is to send a friendly and informal introductory email; don’t dive straight into trying to sell. Instead, give your potential clients some information about your service and let them decide whether they’d like to find out more.
Tip #3. Use Social Media:
Today, social media isn’t just a tool for connecting with friends and family members – it’s used by businesses all around the world to advertise their products and services. As a freelance web developer or designer, social media can be an extremely handy resource for finding new clients and spreading the word about what you have to offer. You can use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even Instagram to find business pages and get in touch directly, along with setting up your own social profiles and using them to post information about your services and more.
Tip #4. Establish Your Authority:
Finally, with so many web developers and designers out there, bagging the best clients isn’t going to be something that comes easy. So, it’s important to ensure that you become an established authority online and showcase your knowledge and skills as much as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to invest your time and effort in setting up a blog or portfolio that potential clients can visit to see just how much you know and what you can do, first-hand.
Did you like these tips? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
