When you’ve venturing into the world of self-employment as a web designer, the world looks full of a promising prospecting future. Your eyes are wide, your mind is hungry to take on a new design task and your pockets are ready to fill with all that cash you hear is floating around in the wide world of web design.
Then a month goes by, then two…
Soon, it’s been longer than you can count and you’re scraping by on creating $5,000 websites for a few hundred bucks and living off of those Top Ramen noodles you hoped to leave behind in college.
Now that world of web designer Nirvana sounds like nothing more than a fallacy you got duped into.
Sound a bit familiar?
It’s one of those things that quite a few people run into when deciding to jumping to doing web design. Sure, you may be the Michael Jordan of web designers, but most clients who want your services don’t care if you know PHP or can whip out WordPress Hooks from that digital tackle box of yours.
Therein lies the issue and the bigger question:
How do you drop those cheap clients who undervalue you and find the bigger fish with deeper pockets?
It’s not always easy to to get the answer to that question, but there are some places now available online that can help drop these types of clients in your lap, and a few old tricks that can help you snag quality leads as a web designer.
Where To Find Web Design Clients
People in need of a web designer are everywhere. The problem is that many either don’t want to pay the price you ask or they undervalue what you do.
For as popular as sites like Freelancer or Elance are for people selling services such as web design, most of us can’t compete with the low prices offered by others — and you really shouldn’t.
Therefore, bidding sites like these should be off your list of places to look for clients who will pay well because people on those sites are looking to hire the best designer at the cheapest possible rate which is exactly where you don’t want to wind up.
When looking for quality leads you have to think like the person you are trying to land as a client. Where would they look? Where would they go to find and pay someone for the solutions?
Thinking like that will help you narrow in on where to find the clients you want. There are some great places to start online, but you’d be surprised what you can do with your own site and getting out off your butt and doing a bit of face to face stuff too.
For starters, let’s look at the online places.
Envato Studio
Get Web Design Leads from Envato Studio
The Envato Network is a vast network of popular sites that have recently made a new addition to the family:
The Envato Studio
Since many people know about Envato, this is one place where they will go in hopes go finding a great designer for their project. This means that getting your name and portfolio here will put you in front of a large audience of folks who need what you offer.
Not just anyone can land a spot on the site so it does cut out some of the competition in that regard. The downside to this site is that you’ll still be competing with other designers who can afford to offer their services for less than you can.
However, you can offer smaller segments of design for a price that both you and prospective client or WordPress related tasks that can help you build out your portfolio. Many times, if you can be professional, easy to work with, deliver on time and deliver something that amazes your client, then they will come back to you for more and with more money to offer.
Remember — charge what you’re worth and for the value you offer or you’re going to get deeper in that cheap client debacle you’re trying to escape from.
CodeableÂ
Get Web Design Leads from Codeable
Codeable is a site where people go when they need WordPress solutions it done right and they want it done right now. (No wishy-washy clients.)
The business was built by Tomaz Zaman and Per Esbensen who wanted to create a site that collected only the best WordPress designers and developesr under a single roof and then served them up to people who need their services and are willing to pay for them.
In order to get on this team of WP experts, you have to apply and go through a 4 week testing period before you can stay on with them for consistent work. Therefore, you really need to know your stuff (WordPress, PHP, jQuery, and HTML) and will need to have current portfolio that you can show them to start with.
The great thing is that at the very least, you are making $60 an hour, and most times it is 3 to 4 times that much. If you can get in the door here, then you have a chance of forging relationships with high paying clients who will want to work with you again and again, and you don’t have to scramble to find them because Codeable will have done that part for you.
AwesomeWebÂ
Get Web Design Leads from AwesomeWeb
If you’re a web designer, then chances are that you’ve heard about 1stWebDesigner and read many of the posts and other content on their site. A few months back, the minds that created the site banded together and launched AwesomeWeb.
This site plays as the happy medium between Envato Studio and Codeable.
Whereas Envato Studio and Codeable will take a cut from whatever project you land, AwesomeWeb is only $17 a month with no added fees in the mix meaning you keep more of the money you make.
Codeable doesn’t require you to pay a fee upfront, however, you really need to know code to land work. AwesomeWeb, on the other hand, opens the doors to more design based work and has many features to it that which makes it easy for clients to come and find you.
Like the other sites above, you have to prove your stuff to land a spot on the site, but it’s a site where potential clients will go to in order to find talented designers and who what to pay for them — no bidding allowed.
In addition to that, you’re not tied down to sticking with AwesomeWeb and can opt out of using them.
Dribbble
Get Web Design Leads from Dribbble
I know it seems strange to mention Dribbble here since most people use the site as merely a portfolio, however, it has a feature that allows potential clients to pay a very small yearly fee in order to find designers and contact them for work solely based off their portfolio there on Dribbble.
Therefore, this is one site where it can pay off to create a portfolio for yourself and the design services you offer. The hard thing about Dribbble though is that you can’t just sign up and create a portfolio there. In order to land a spot on this site you have to be invited by a current member on the site.
At the very least, you can get started with a free account there that allows you to comment and connect with current Players on the site. If you can build a report with these people both on and off Dribbble, then you’re one step closer to getting yourself on the site and in front of more leads.
Other Tips for Landing Quality Web Design Clients
When you’re first starting out as a web designer, you should understand that the world of self-employment and web design requires a hustlers mindset with a need for both online and offline marketing chops.
Though it would be great to be able to sit at home and never get off the couch to find work, it’s hardly that easy. And if you want to land higher paying work as a designer than you need to have a portfolio that shows off your talent and skills, but it doesn’t stop there.
Here are some tips for landing high paying clients.
Specialize
Being a broad scope designer might be fun for you, but most high paying clients neither want nor need a Jack-of-all-trades designer. As that is the case, you do well to consider niching down in your business.
You can do this a few different ways:
- Pick a framework and learn it inside and out. Divi, Thesis, and the Genesis Framework are largely popular framework type themes with an audience and users who want to use the theme for their site and will pay someone to create something amazing if they use it. If you can pick one that suits you best and then establish yourself as an expert with it, then you’ll start attracting clients with wads of cash ready to pay you for your expertise.
- Become a WooCommerce Ninja. WooCommerce is an insanely popular plugin that is easy to use for the basic stuff, but is difficult for an average user to expand the scope outside of the basic settings. If you can learn how to create stunning e-commcere shops and expand the functions of the plugin, then you’ve just opened the door to a market of high paying and likely big name clients. Of course, just saying you’re an expert isn’t enough. You really should work to establish this for yourself which means showing what you’ve got plus getting your name out there (i.e. outreach and networking)
- Find your niche. This is kind of bland, but it should still be mentioned. There are quite a few areas of WordPress that you can specialize in, but it will take some research on your end to find the shoe that fits. Find an area that people have problems with and then become the solution. Are you knowledgable about small business and/or local SEO? Do you like designing creative sites for authors, musicians, etc? Jot down some ideas, do your research, and start working towards the goal of becoming a designer in a high paying niche.
Outreach, Networking, and Brand Building
I touched on this briefly above, but it should be mentioned again.
Being successful as a web designer and building a clientele of better paying customers requires a hustlin’ spirit. If you want to get your name out there as a top notch designer, then you need to connect with others who can help that process along.
I’m not talking about spamming people’s emails begging for work. I’m talking about building and forging relationships that are mutually beneficial.
How do you do that? Here are a few ways you can give a go:
- Get on design forums, Facebook or LinkedIn Groups and answer questions relating to your niche
- Follow people you want to connect with on social media and interact with them
- If you can write well, pitch guest post ideas to sites that can get you in front of an audience of folks who need your expertise on WordPress
- Go to WordPress WordCamps or local Meetups and connect with people face to face
- Get on YouTube and create engaging videos that establish your brand, skill set, and expertise
Really, this list could go on and on, but the takeaway from this should be that forging connections and building on them is one of the best things you can do for your business.
Wrapping It Up
There are many people who have found different ways for landing high quality web design clients. Many of you guys here in the Elegant Themes community are some who know how to do just that.
What tips do you have to share with aspiring web designers looking to land better leads?
Article Image by Bplanet via Shutterstock
Looks like I’m a bit late to this article, but if you’re priced within what most small business owners can afford, hire a part-time telemarketer. Just post an ad on Craigslist.
I pay mine $12/hr to generate leads. It works well when you’re calling local small business owners and simply asking if you can send them information about your web design services, then schedule a good time to follow up.
Shoot off an email to the leads with examples of your work with references. If your work speaks for itself you’ll have no problem landing new clients.
For ROI, I get one new client per 6 hours of telemarketing, so it costs me $72 to gain a client.
This will not work if you’re trying to charge developer rates ($2000 to $5000) to small business owners who just want a functional small site.
Really very helpful information to generate the quality leads
Ariel, thank you for this post. Just finding it now and the information is still very valuable. I’ve been a corporate person for most of my career and am finally putting in the effort to grow what has been part-time freelance. I have some word-of-mouth, but one of my challenges is the amount of work spent on business development. Agree that online sites like Upwork or Thumbtack mostly don’t provide the opportunity to show your value and you’re left competing on price. I did find a site called meleads.com that finds qualified companies who need web design work. They do all the vetting and it looks like the leads cost around $1-2 dollars per lead. I like the idea that they do all the time-consuming qualification and because you contact the leads directly you can demonstrate your value. I was wondering if anyone else has experience with this type of service and if so what their experience has been?
Great list. Its also helpful if you maximize the places to find potential clients in web design. I’ve been focusing on Upwork, formerly called Odesk and that place is very competitive. I tried to create more profiles from different job board websites and I gain more clients that I expected.
Great Tips,
Along with attractive design and content. “Click to action” also help a lots to generate leads.
Well written post. It is really a great write-up on how to manage your web designing business. Thanks a lot for sharing this kind of valuable post.
Great article, Ever since we started our wordpress website design business 3 years ago, 95% of our clients were gotten from LinkedIn, i think its a great way to meet serious and good paying customers (takes a bit of work though, but its been worth it).. I will show this post to my colleagues especially the niche market option… Thanks
I tried to sign up as a provider on Envato and got this reply just today, “…we are not currently inviting any new providers on to the site.” Bummer.
I agree competely that a niche market is the way to go. I was a veterinarian (in my previous life) but 4 children and moving and living in 4 different countries as my husband is in the military, forced me to start my own business as a web designer (all self taught) for vet practices in the UK.
I am passionate about it and can only do what I do because of designers like Ariel and Elegant themes!!!
Find your niche that you are passionate about and you will succeed.
Thanks.
I most say i never expected to see such a wonderful content. i love it thanks alot for this mind blowing tips oh and i also think web designers should have business cards.
Ariel, thank you for such a nice write-up on starting and managing freelance web design business. I have also learnt a few things along the way.
Thanks for a great post Ariel. I’m just at the start of launching a part-time freelance business and this has confirmed what I have been thinking.
Finding your niche is key. What sets you apart? What makes you unique? It’s what we are trying to do for our clients. We need to do it for ourselves too!
I agree with Jonathan as well. There is a local networking event near me with a lot of trades people and not a lot of designers. They might not be able to pay for a tricked out website, but I feel like if you have a go-to template that you can customize easily like Divi 🙂 you might be able to turn those around, make a profit, and increase your reputation in the community.
Kerry, good luck with starting and growing your part-time freelance business! Just a bit of advice – try to go an extra mile for your clients whenever you can, they will appreciate it. It worked wonders for me…
Probably the best article I have read on building a Web Design business. Not the typical Pin-In-The-Shy article that is so common. I’ve been designing and hosting websites since 1995 and am a great fan of Elegant Themes. This article gave me a great To-Do List for my business. I get most of my clients from current clients telling others and from the local chamber (The Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce) which is the most active chamber in the area.
A good article. You can also talk about Behance.net wich is a nice platform if you want to reach “great names” and biggest companies.
Another great post Ariel. I needed some inspiration ;p. I have been getting plenty of leads but they are all little fish that dont want to pay anything…and they are looking at Wix or one of those other “free” website builders. I have them to remind them that free is not really free and you get what you pay for.
Great post! Another vote for Dribble here as that’s where I go when looking for great designers.
Apart from Ariel’s tips I mostly agree with Mr Jonathan comment (above). The main reason being that you will be having very lesser competition in comparison to websites that welcome designers/developers globally. And the local clients will even trust you more because they meet you in person and can also meet and discuss the progress of the project.
A very good article! The first part of this article is almost exactly how I was when I first started. At first I would say that the lower paying jobs are essential to build up your profile. Eventually, however, you need to move on and look elsewhere. I would be interested to hear if people’s prices have varied? What did you charge at first compared to what you charge now? Cheers, James 🙂
Seems to be a lot of support needed for WooCommerce. Not sure if it can be converted to paid support but there’s certainly a lot of questions being asked on various forums relating to support for WooCommerce modifications.
These seems to be a nice and promising but do they charge any thing upfront, at the time of registration?
Hi.. It’s great article that cleard my doubts and questions. Because I have a thought of where to get a high paying clients in order to prove my self to others and get paid more. Now reading this article I got some ideas where to begin. You know I am a Web designer, I don’t even know about envato, awesome Web provides outsource. Thanks for the most valuable information.
Regards Dina
Thanks for a nicely presented article with some options I hadn’t considered.
Interesting that you mentioned the need to get off the couch to seek work, but nearly all of your suggested activities can be accomplished without leaving the couch.
If you are interested in building a site for your neighborhood dentist, car repair shop or dry cleaners, you are not likely to find those clients on any of the online venues mentioned here.
All of us should spend more time off the couch and out of the house. There’s a networking group near you or a Meetup or a local chamber of commerce that’s probably not loaded with other web designers.
Look up all the CPA firms in your ZIP code and you’ll probably find that half of them either don’t have a site or haven’t upgraded their site since before you were born.
They’re probably hanging out at the chamber’s monthly meeting, complaining about their lack of new clients. Meet them there and explain how you can help. And a couple of them might actually realize that a fresh site leads to fresh business. For them…and for you as the web designer.
Excellent points mate, it is amazing what you can accomplish with a little face to face time with people
“Look up all the CPA firms in your ZIP code”
that sounds interesting, but what is CPA and how can do you search this?
sorry for bother you, just my english is weak…
A CPA is a chartered Accountant mate, someone who does the books for business people. There are lots of professions you can talk with, Lawyers, doctors, dentists, architects – they all should have a good web site.
Hi madrynweb, he means find accountants in your local area, eg from the phone book or a google search 🙂
Madrynweb: I’m sure that when she says “CPA” she’s referring to “certified public accountants.”
Woocommerce really cool thing, which increases the amount of sales of your themes.
Great article that gives some good tips to aspiring web designers. Once you get a few clients coming in there is nothing better than just producing great work and letting them spread the word to their mates, colleagues and business associates. I’ve not used AwesomeWeb before so I might give that a look.
All the best.