I have loads of experience in web design, but it's always been for myself. It wasn't until recently that I discovered exactly how much money can be made in designing websites for other people. But I've run into a problem... where to find clients! What do you guys know about finding LOCAL clients and how to go about that? I need information on how to approach local businesses without websites and sell my services to them. Someone must have experience in this area! And for a shameless plug: http://www.43nine.com So you know I'm legit.
First, your website looks great! Secondly, I would suggest using your network. Get on twitter and linkedin. Go to social events at a local community center. Shop/dine often at a local place until you get to know the owner well enough to ask if they want a web presence.
Yes website looks nice. Where do you live? I usually go to craiglist. Get you best work out there and show it. People will have the same taste you have and once in a while a person will come in that kind of way. But do a better job for one person and he can probably bring you clients along, just by word of mouth.
Sometimes, when client asks me to find a webdesigner, first thing they look for is sort of a portfolio. Put some designs on your site and have a link "designed by..." at the bottom of your pages. Get a flashy business card and... good luck!
Well, I have a friend who took advantage of such talent that he had and made it into a business. He started to design websites for his relatives and made it into samples for other possible clients. He slowly made some proposals to family friends' business and took the opportunity of giving them a little overview of how it would greatly help their business. A word of mouth also helped him market his services and in additional to it he also do SEO for the sites he designed.
Digitalpoint is the place to look out for. You wont get client like these anywhere else. And besides why do you want to stick to just local clients ? Go ahead and explorer the world.
Actually you can find your local client from local directory. From there you contact the business owner and ask for them whether want to design a website or not.
Something you have with locals is your physical presence. Make sure it counts by visiting in person, making an appointment. Start with businesses you're already a client of, or some relative or friend is, former employers, and don't forget free work for local charities. Then it's great after sales service and word of mouth. I am going to start a similar project soon... Good luck!
Get in contact with your local business journal. Usually CITYNAME Business Journal. 99% of them in the major cities keep a contact list of local businesses and their best point of contact. The one in my city is 3449 companies. You have to find out their price and if it seems worth it you can start a campaign to make contact with them all.
That's interesting. While there are some good listings at Craigslist, a lot of them are just looking to pay $20 for huge projects. At least that's what it's like at Craigslist for Vancouver, Canada.
Get some glossy flyers created with some low rates displayed so to drive-up interest. Also don`t just dump them through the doors of shops/businesses/local companies. Instead, try and hand them over personally to a decision maker and give the Individual a nice greeting.
If you're handing them over straight to a decision maker, I would suggest brochures rather than flyers.
Don't go use the Web Design pitch!! Trust me, you'll get a lot more no's that way. Use the Advertising pitch. This is my elevator: "How would you like to cut your advertising expenses while increasing your revenue!" That way they won't think your another web design company... you're more then that. Trust me, I get about 5 calls a week on my biz line from web design companies "Would you like a free website" type of deal. When I started to run an advertising company, i found it much easier to pitch from the advertisers POV rather then a web dev POV.
Optimize your site to come up on local searches try all local stuff. The global market is completely saturated with spam and web ads. Criagslist, flyers, biz cards on community boards
Join local chamber of commerce/business group it will help you in developing relationship with local prospective clients.
This is where I got most of my local business, when I was active in the Chamber I would get new accounts pretty much monthly. From there you start getting it by word of mouth
Get a few clients before marketing yourself too big so you have some proves you're work is legit. Ask some friends and give them a discount.