How to Get Your First Web Design Client | EP 740

How to Get Your First Web Design Client

1. Your existing network!  02:07

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Read the full episode transcript below:

00:28 David Blackmon: Welcome to another episode of WP The Podcast, my name is David Blackmon.

00:35 Tim Strifler: And i’m Tim Strifler

00:38  David Blackmon:  Today we’re going to talk about, how you can get your first web design client. You may be doing this as a hobby, got your own blog chronicling documenting your life, and you found out you know what? I really love doing this, i wish i could spend more time doing it, you know. And you may have a nine-to-five job, and you don’t you’re not able to. So you may have a desire to turn this into a business, or just turn it into a side hustle to make some extra money and stuff. And you know how do you go about getting your first client, it can seem overwhelming. Do i cold call? Do i walk into businesses? Do i just start knocking on doors? Do i start calling businesses? Try to find out. If i can help them, well i can tell you that all of those things may sound logical but it’s not the way to get your first web design client. What’s going to happen if you do that because you don’t have the experience, you don’t have the you know the portfolio and all the things that you may need to help you close and finalize that deal you’re just going to end up with a ton a metric ton of rejection, which psychologically is going to crush your soul at the end of the day. And you’re going to feel like you can’t do it. So here’s the one thing that you can do to get your first web design client, and believe it or not, it’s easier than you think. Tim, tell them what it is..

02:07 Tim Strifler: Yeah, it’s your existing network. Right you know, people you have, family you have, friends, you have friends of friends and stuff. Chances are someone in your network is a small business owner or something that needs a website, and it’s been something that they’ve been thinking about for a while and like “i need to get a new website my website’s 10 years old”, or you know whatever. And then you come along and all you do, is just let people know that “hey i’m building websites now for clients if you have anything you need let me know i’m happy to help”, right? And so, for me what that looked like was i did a facebook blast with my new business Facebook page, And shared it, and said “hey like this is what i’m doing i’m building websites for clients now, if you or anyone you know needs a website let me know”. Right, I immediately got business from that, and then years later i was getting i did that only once. I didn’t, you know keep sharing and stuff like. I probably should have, but i didn’t share post and work I did. Really i kind of went silent, but i had people reach out to me years later that said “hey you’re doing websites right? uh my company needs a new website, can we talk to you about that? Right, and it’s from that one post, right? And so.. or i got referrals from people that said like hey um “my uh uncle’s gonna be reaching out to you uh because he needs a new website” right? Because people wanna hire people that they know, like and trust, or people that they know who know someone that they know like and trust. So with one degree of separation basically.

03:35 David Blackmon: Absolutely. Yeah, i don’t think that you can go wrong with doing that. It wasn’t my mind was very similar. My story of how my business was, you know mutual friend building a website a mutual friend you know. It just kind of worked out, so um you know your existing network is going to be so much easier than cold calling. And believe it or not, that psychological type of stuff those little small wins matter, because it gives you the confidence that you can do this. That you’re moving in the right direction and mindset is important. It’s very very huge! So existing companies don’t be afraid to share with your you know, i know they there’s the old. When i was growing up, it was like don’t ever do business with your family don’t ever, you know it was kind of this unwritten rule. And it’s a terrible rule. Why wouldn’t you want to help and, you know… you know your family and friends and stuff. It’s just kind of crazy, and i think times have changed. So tomorrow we’ve got another great topic: facebook groups versus discord for online communities. There are lots of ways to build communities these days. Tomorrow we’re going to compare and talk about the differences in the benefits pros and cons of these two methods. Until tomorrow we’ll see you then.

05:00 Tim Strifler: Take care, bye.