Where can I find clients?

[bxlnt]

I started up my own graphic and web design business a while back, but have had a hard time finding clients? My clients can really be from anywhere in the world since it is a design business.


What I have done so far is put social networking links (like and tweet this) on my website (http://beauxlent.com)

[huggytree]

I started up my own graphic and web design business a while back, but have had a hard time finding clients? My clients can really be from anywhere in the world since it is a design business.


What I have done so far is put social networking links (like and tweet this) on my website (http://beauxlent.com)

it seems like 10% of the US population are now web designers

you entered a field that MUST be over populated

I would find a Niche....then go after customers for that Niche

without a specialty id think there is nothing to make you stand out among the millions of web designers

[Wozcreative]

I think the problem is that you don't have enough experience if you are saying your audience is anyone.. I'm a web and graphic designer and I have a specific type of client that I can cater to. For example, I don't take on anything that is SaaS related, No production, I don't do the Real Estate Industry...I take on projects over a certain amount and the list goes on. However what I do know that I can do is packaging, branding, website design and development for startups, small to medium businesses, and mostly local. Local clientelle are willing to pay more and are more receptive.

You have to figure out who you are targeting, and then how to find those who may be looking for a web designer. The problem with your portfolio is that you don;t have any web design examples.. mostly all is illustrative work.. really beautiful.. but you won't snag many web design jobs with that.

[dereksbicycles]

Why not offer to barter your service for first time customers? I'm not meaning that you work for free. For example, you would offer to barter your service for jewelry and then people will see that you did a great work and streamline customers your way.

[Pack-Secure]

You are in a tough field. The first thing I would suggest is excellent customer service. Make sure that you have a portfolio of some of your work and ideas. I have seen some bad portfolios and opted not to buy from those places. Another suggestion is offer as many payment options as possible.

Good luck in your venture.

[dianecoleen]

You can try looking to sites designed for freelancer such as odesk.com then from there you must be able to provide a good portfolio for you to get a good client. However I would suggest for you to look on clients locally so you won't have hesitation regarding the payment scheme. Be able to provide a good customer service as what others are saying and be able to produce a good looking and converting website.

[heart1234]

I have 2 people I know who are in this field. One has had a successful design company for 20+ years and has had contracts with companies like Walmart. He mentioned to me recently that the industry is much tougher then it was when he first started. There are more people doing this and at greatly reduced prices.

A second person I know who does excellent work is also trying to get experience but chooses not to sell herself out at discounted rates.

I think as with any other industry, changes do come and you will have to make adjustments along the way. I guess you need to learn to think "outside the box" and market what you do in a different way. Also look for new opportunities to promote what you do well.

All the best!

[Harold Mansfield]

You have to narrow in on a specialty that you can optimize for. Don't try to be everything to everybody.

Try to create some partnerships with people who provide complimentary services, sell your services as a subcontractor for small agencies who need occasional web work done for their clients, and push incentives for referrals from past clients.

I'll tell you where you won't find any clients...Linked In, Twitter, or Facebook. It's crowded. Saturated with Web Designers and Social Media "Experts", and no one is listening to you.
To stand out there you need to advertise. And everyone on Linked In is also looking for business. That's like being at a party full of dudes and hoping to pick up the only girl in the joint.

And no one is going on Facebook looking for a web designer. They are going there for games, funny cat videos, political memes, and other time wastes.

You can create the best most innovative website in the world and 3 people might share it. But take 3 seconds to toss a funny caption over an image of a puppy, and it may go viral.

[ask about Iran]

I think it is better if first you get project from a company or a more experienced designer.
then you can find more costumers easier .

[ozetel]

Hi

I think the advice is very good re: specify your target and skills. The design world is such a huge market to try and get into, thats part of the reason we moved on to a different industry. But if it is your passion, you dont want to have to do that!

The social interaction is a great idea too, I hope that brings some interest for you. What if you did some free projects for people and got the masses talking. Maybe get on the road and get out there and talk to people. I know you can pretty much work anywhere but perhaps starting local would be a key as well.

But I do think creating a specific type of design supply would be a good start and then get to work on your SEO!

[abdiamond]

Hi,
Getting customers is about marketing, whether online or offline. You can study marketing and internet marketing. You can hire a marketing company. You can tie into some sort of marketing system. Basically you have to drive prospects to an offer, capture their information and begin building a relationship with an email campaign and your website. Blogging about design is a good but slow way to get leads. Paid advertising is faster but costs money. There are literalty dozens of marketing and lead generation strategies for small and start up business. Look at the business academy.

[krymson]

A lot of the people responding to this post are not web designers, with that being said they are the people who would most likely be looking for similar services like yours.

Now on the other hand I am a web designer. What do I do? I have the great fortune of having the perfect cameo, I work for a local computer repair shop while growing my own personal web design business. Why? Because the company I work for has been in business for over 18 years and it's a community stronghold. The people that come in here KNOW that whoever they talk to is going to be extremely knowledgeable. I also spend A LOT of one on one time with my clients. I email them once a week to see how business is doing. I show a genuine interest in the success of their business.

Customer service is the most important think, this year I have grown my business by 120%. Word of mouth is going to be key. Sure you can have the best SEO and the highest ranked site but it don't mean squat if you can't convert them into paying customers, So word of mouth is going to be your biggest way of getting clients, and the way you get word of mouth is by over the top customer service... And pick a niche, you can be good at a lot of things, but in order to set yourself apart you need to become an expert in at least one thing... Me, its small businesses.

[Ted]

I started up my own graphic and web design business a while back, but have had a hard time finding clients? My clients can really be from anywhere in the world since it is a design business.


You have gotten some good advice here already from Wozcreative and Harold Mansfield in particular. I would like to add to that based on my business experience.

Build up your portfolio a lot more even if that means doing free work or dirt cheap work. For a business like yours, you have to have a portfolio of work to help you sell new clients. An easy way to get some design work is running a Fiverr.com gig. Look at the more popular gigs on there and figure out why they are so popular (mostly speed of delivery and quality). Then make sure yours does that too.

Once you have a large and impressive portfolio under your belt, then you want to begin to specialize in something that you think is most promising. Maybe that is customizing Wordpress themes or developing your own line of themes. Maybe that is doing small business websites. Maybe ecommerce websites. Maybe business websites for a specific type of business. Maybe you want to focus on a certain CMS platform. All of these are possibilities.

And yes, I agree that you will likely have an easier job selling jobs locally rather than nationally or internationally, especially if you are targeting business clients. Business clients would much rather stay local in my experience.

[Zman]

It the chicken and the egg scenario. You need clients to show work and you need to show work to get clients.

Here is my idea as a work around.

1) Pick niche (chiropractors/ attorneys/ dentists/.. something easy)
2) Get your own webhosting (if you don't already have it you can get reseller hosting through Hostgator for $25 per month)
3) Buy a couple domain names for that niche (NYCchiroclinic.com or something)
4) Build websites for the niche to show prospective clients.

You don't have to say they are client websites, just say they are websites that your company has done. That way your prospective clients can click the links and go see a couple outside websites that you created.

Market to that specific niche until you get more work and then expand into another niche etc. That might help with the web design part of the business.

[ilikedesifem]

Segment, Target, Position.

Identify your target market, and in essence your ideal customer. And use communications tools to get his or her attention. This means advertising in publications s/he is likely to read. Also outline your product and the needs of your target market in communications terms.

For web design, I would say advertising is the cheapest way to reach a mass audience. You would also need to sell personally and use yourself as an interface (you need to meet your clients and ascertain what they want after all). Micro firms don't need PR or direct marketing as such, though if you have a slow selling product a sales promotion can work.

[neil@camisonline]

Have you considered trying to bid for work on the likes of 99 Designs to get you started? Or by looking for work through agencies? Might be useful to help you build a portfolio.