Kleinburg Brewery
- design
- / web
It’s not easy to find new clients when you’re in the web design and programming business. It’s just not enough to have an awesome looking site floating around in cyberspace to attract newcomers.
But there are a few things you can do to garner some attention from new customers, regardless if you’re new to the industry or have been in business for a long time.
Here are 4 tips for Toronto web developers and designers to use to find new clients.
1. Create Your Own Blog
Blogging is a great way to get some virtual attention, so the sooner you start your own blog, the better. It’s an excellent way to build your online presence and build credibility in the eyes of readers.
In your blog posts, you want to ensure that you are showing your prospective clients that you are an expert in your field, and that you’ve got mad skill behind your business. To do this, you need to create content that expresses this expertise.
Also consider posting guest blogs on other people’s websites to gain more exposure and get valuable backlinks.
Basically, you want to build your brand and boost recognition, but just make sure you’re still writing a piece that’s actually interesting to read and offers something of value. And, of course, don’t forget to throw a few relevant keywords in there too.
2. Make Use of Social Media
Social media is a giant lately, so if you’re not already using this platform to gain new clients, you should start right now. Having a social media presence is an easy way to get free publicity, and it really is a vital part of your overall marketing strategy. You don’t necessarily have to be on all social media channels, either. You can pick and choose the ones that work for you.
Ideally, you should select the ones that your clients would likely be interested in. Sites like Pinterest and LinkedIn are good ones for entrepreneurs in the web design and development biz.
Once you’ve chosen your channel, create a profile that’s loaded with rich keywords and stay as active as possible in order to engage with potential clients. Chat with people, and answer their questions via social media. It’s a great way to build your brand and develop long-lasting business relationships.
3. Offer Freebies When Just Starting Out
This is a good idea for those who are just getting their web design business started from the ground up. Sometimes free work can go a long way at building a clientele. Many times it’s necessary, especially when it comes to getting experience, building your portfolio, and making valuable connections.
Don’t work for free 100%, of course. Instead, you need to be strategic about offering freebies. For instance, it’s important to be sure that it’s within the niche you want to be working within, and that the client is the type you want to work with.
4. Network With Other Web Design Freelancers
By networking with other freelancers, you can build relationships with professionals in the industry. It’s a great way to get client referrals, and even have a back-up resource to pass clients onto if your workload starts getting heavy, or if the job a certain client requires is out of your scope of practice.
Many web developers are willing to help out their peers because even if they can’t do the work themselves, they would still want to help the potential client by referring them to someone that is trustworthy and reliable. Odds are, you’ll be in a similar situation one day. Remember: these people aren’t necessarily your competitors; they’re actually your community, and building a relationship with them could benefit you.
The Bottom Line
Give these tips a try, and you’ll quickly realize that you’ll be approached for eb deork more often than you anticipate. If your work is great and you’re making an effort to get your name out there, you should be building a nice list of clients very soon.