How to get more clients for your website design business

and that is generally because building websites and attracting clients to those websites are two different things. Hi, I am Holly. I’m from Websites Made Simple, the podcast for website designers and developers to have an absolutely.

Stellar career without pulling your hair out for it. In today’s episode, I am going to walk you through how to get more clients for your website design business, because trust me, as a website designer’s mentor, this comes up over and over again. In fact, I actually call it one of my big three, the three things that people consistently come to me with.

How to get clients to their website business, how to deal with scope creep in their business, how to recognize and deal with red flag clients in their business. Now, I have actually already done episodes on scope creep and red flag clients. Now I’m sure there will be some more coming out as well. But today this episode is for you if you are struggling to get not only a steady stream of clients, but a.

Steady stream of really perfect fit ideal clients. I promise you they are out there and this is how we are going to get them. So, kicking off, I want you to sit back, close your eyes and think, how do you feel when you are absolutely intrinsically you? What does that look like? Does it look like a very professional veneer, which some people are, you know, some people are just very, very kind of professional and yeah.

That’s great. Do you have that witchy gothy persona that I know a lot of web designers have and you go on their website? And, uh, they’re really good fun as well. Are you creative? Are you playful? What if you could have, let’s just take one word that really encapsulates not only who you really, truly feel you are, but how you would like to be known for.

What would that word be? And let’s start there. Because something that I often notice is the website designers try to present themselves as the person they think the client wants them to be. And this isn’t always in line with the person that they actually are. And when we create a website for ourselves and we try and create it with us being someone who, you know, we feel like we’re.

Playing up to the camera with it means that the website doesn’t have that cohesion that we are actually looking for. That’s going to earn the trust of the people that we’re trying to get there as well. And you are much better to just throw that idea out and design for something that is completely you.

It’s like people say to me, why have you got so much pink on your websites, Ali? And I’m like. That’s me. Back when I got married, years and years ago, I wore a pink wedding dress. I’m recording this from my pink living room, you know, I live and breathe that. And while I’m not the girliest girl, um, the pink has become synonymous with my brand.

And people have said, oh, but don’t you want to work with men as well? I do work with men as well, but they see past to the pink and they just. See what I want them to see of the brand that really kind of prohi professional, cohesive one. But I’ve been working, uh, today on a website with a website designer who is putting her new website out there and she’s got this really cool, uh, witchy coffee kind of vibe going on.

And I can see the type of people who are going to want to work with her as well because people buy from people as we know. And they want to see the bits of their personality that they really like kind of reflected on the website page that’s there in front of them as well. And you know, I have had so many people come to me wanting, again, those witchy, gothy kind of website.

Sites. And I was lucky for a long time. I had, uh, someone on my team, Amy, who uh, really kind of met that profile and she created a lot of the websites while we worked together. And yeah, I, I can design those. Of course I can, as web developers, we can, uh, just design anything really. But I’d much rather pass that on to someone who just absolutely had that vibe.

So the lesson here is if you feel that you are not putting the whole. Proper you out there, then really stop and consider how many people out there would really love to work with someone like you and are just not finding that kind of personality match, that mirror being held back to them. So please don’t hold back, really.

And I was gonna say, well, you know, if you’re feeling a bit grumpy about stuff, maybe do hold back. But trust me, you’ll have. Plenty of grumpy people out there who want to, um, work with people who shows it really as real. So 0.1, be intrinsically you. Not only will you find clients who are much, much more aligned with you, but you’ll feel so much better for putting the real you out there.

So our second thing is work out your messaging before you build or rebuild your website. Otherwise, you’re just going to feel like that puzzle piece that just doesn’t quite fit, you know, the one where you wish you could take that hackel to. And just hack the end off just so you could squish it in there.

You don’t need to do that because one of the great things about web design is this business is yours and you get to build and shape your little corner of the internet however you want to do it. So don’t hold back. Don’t think, oh, I think my client will want to hear this. Just put it out there as it is, but make sure your messaging is something that you are really.

Really aligned with, because you are gonna be using this a lot and as you get more experience, that messaging will start to naturally update. I mean, my messaging used to always be when I started out is homemade websites don’t make sales and. That’s great, but I don’t work with anyone now who has even tried or wanted to do a homemade website, and so my messaging has evolved in that space and a lot of my messaging is, your website should be bringing in leads and making sales even while you sleep.

And trust me as web designers, you know that this is possible, but trust me. I often wake up to notifications saying that people have bought my courses, that they’ve bought my web designers contract pack, that, you know, other sales have gone on. It has all happened while I’ve been asleep. It also happens to my clients as well.

So, um, really work out what your messaging is because this is really going to be the thing that, you know, that’s going to be the mountain that you die on. So get really clear about it, get a journal, jot it down, kind of throw out some phrases. Think what do I really believe about the websites I build?

What do I really believe about the process of working with me? What do my reviews from my past clients tell me? I. Look at all of this and start to really dig into that detail there about, uh, that messaging. ’cause this is gonna become really important and if you are struggling to work out this messaging, I do have a course on the website’s made simple website, which is how to get clients for your web design business.

And it’s got, um, a workbook that goes alongside it and it’s got loads of prompts in how to work out this messaging for you as well. So when you do have your messaging, and this could just be as strong as you know, a message with a tagline there, you’re going to need to really rework this messaging into your social channels.

You need real consistency. Consistency is what gets clients, and I know every now and then we can be really tempted to think, I’m just gonna throw out a post about this, or I’m gonna. Throw out a post about that and yeah, that’s fine. You know, let people have an insight into stuff you do outside of websites, by all means.

Um, but make sure the main focus of your business are your social channels. And if you are struggling with how to get stuff across on your social channels, then we can look at that. I offer as a mentoring, I’ve also got really exciting membership for website developers coming up in September, we can work on that together, but right now.

Get your messaging sorted, make sure it is absolutely intrinsically you, and then you are going to build your website. And as you build or rebuild your website, I am going to just give you these words, imposter syndrome be damned. Because often this is the point where imposter syndrome will kick in.

You’ll have it all worked out on paper or digitally on paper. In my case, you’ll have it all back and you’ll go to build, and then you’ll probably head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, or you’ll put the TV on for this, or suddenly that pile of ironing looks really, really tempting, even though you haven’t tie in since 2007.

Yeah, imposter syndrome shows up in loads of different ways and as a website designer it can be really hard to get that, um, get past that and get through it because that it’s not only you building your website, but it’s your website should be pretty much the best representation of your work. And you also know that there’s going to be other website designers out there who are going to be looking at your website and they’re going to be trying to find it lacking.

In comparison to their, and your job is to push through because as Dave Grohl was once quoted as saying, no one is you and that is your power. Say it again. No one is you and that is your power. So it doesn’t matter what other people’s websites have on them, it doesn’t matter what other features or functions or how well designed they have or you know, whatever else, it just doesn’t matter.

What really matters is that you build a website that you feel fully reflects you, that you’re really happy with to put out there, and which is going to give you that platform to get clients over to as well. So it is really important. Get going with your website, get going, get building. Go forth and build hit publish.

When you’ve done that, you need to keep your blog updated and you need to keep your blog updated with things that people actually want to read about. So if you head over to my website for clients, uh, it’s this demanding life.com. You will see the blog has, you know, times it’s, uh, signs. It’s time for a new website.

It will have why we choose WordPress for our websites. It will have how to choose a designer or a developer for the website. It has a blog that says why I have two different web design services and what the differences. It has a blog about process. All of my clients who are thinking about working with me, they don’t need to know, um, necessarily how to do something on their website because they’re not interested in doing it on their website.

They’re interested what the process of working with me looks like or when they’re going to get a return on their invest. Or, you know, lots of little things about the process, which also helps them to choose to work with me because I’m essentially giving them information that lots of other web designers aren’t.

I’m saying, this is the timescale, this is the process, this is the software. You know, there’s a real transparency there, but I can’t tell you how back in the day, how many blogs I wrote of how to do this, how to add an image on your web. Site, how to use Lotti files on your website, how to do this, how to do that, and they never really got anywhere or did anything.

And then I realized with the help of my mentor at the time, that people wanted me to do that on their websites, and they trusted that I knew how to do it. They didn’t need me to tell them how to do it or to write down the step by step instructions. They needed me to go and do it for them. And so my blog is essentially there.

To persuade them, convince them, encourage them to recognize that I’m the person with the skillset and experience for it as well. So wherever you niche in your industry, it could be that you, for example, um, build websites for photographers. And I recognize as I say this, that lots of photographers build their own websites, but let’s say some of them don’t.

Um, so it could be blogs on how to best showcase photography on a website. What’s. The, uh, best size images to use on websites, how to do this, how to do that, um, could be quite useful there. But it could also be how, um, how to choose the right website designer for your photography business. And, you know, the best tools for photographer’s websites.

So there’s lots and lots of ways that you can shape your blog to be absolutely targeted. To this ideal client whilst being intrinsically you and getting your message out there as well. Now the next thing is very, very obvious, but sometimes we do miss this, and you could miss this as well if you’re quite a new branding designer, and that is make sure your SEO is done.

And if you are not sure about SEO, I have a course. Quite a short course, and it’s called Unlocking, SEO. Boost your website’s visibility and say, if you’re not very sure about it, you can jump onto the course. It’s less than 50 pounds. It has tools, it has workbooks, it has sheets with it, it has a webinar. It will teach you everything that you need to know, not only for your website, but for all your client’s sites.

And with my client’s websites, when they go live, I send them a screenshot as part of their website, user manual. I send them a screenshot of their page speed scores on, um, you know, at the time of publishing. And that goes in the website, user manual. And they can see what their performance is, what their accessibility report is, what their SEO score is.

As well. So the unlocking SEO course will get you a score of between 92 and a hundred for every website you publish. And you can reuse all of those, um, materials and stuff for every website you publish as well. But make sure your SEO is done because you’re putting all this work into your messaging, into everything else.

You want to make sure people can find you, and SEO is the way to do that. Next have prices on your website. I gone other days of thinking, oh my goodness, my competition is going to go and look at my prices, and yeah, they’re going to undercut me or they’re going to do this, that, and the other. People don’t really decide on pri, you know, don’t make their decision based on price anymore.

Um. It’s price is a factor. You know, if someone’s looking to spend 500 pounds and your minimum website is 5,000 pounds, then yeah, they’re not gonna work with you. But also, you don’t want to work with someone who’s only got 500 pounds to spend on a website. They’re, you know, going to be much better suited to maybe self building a site and having some mentoring or something like that along the way.

So, um, and even if you’re a brand new designer, please do not build a website for 500 pounds. It is not enough money in return for the professional service, regardless as to how much knowledge you do or don’t have. Um, but do put your prices on your website. Do make them accessible for people as well.

Hiding prices is not cool and it means as well that you’ll often lose people along the journey who can’t find your prices. ’cause if they don’t know how much it’s going to cost them to work with you, then they’re often not going to go to too much effort to find out. They will just find someone who does have their pricing on their website.

And I’ve got a very real example of this. I put Ish house on LinkedIn a couple of weeks ago for branding designers. ’cause I had a client who’s looking to rebrand, had over 70 responses, thought, how are we gonna filter through all of this? So I went on all of their websites and immediately the ones who didn’t put pricing on their website were the ones who we didn’t, um.

We didn’t take any further. They didn’t get shortlisted purely because we didn’t have time to contact everybody. Lots of people have a follow-up sequence and stuff like that. It’s all time consuming and we need to know whether we want to engage with someone. Straightaway based on what expectation is.

And don’t be afraid if your prices are high on the highest side as well. I’ve had people say to me, oh, the prices feel a bit toppy. I’m like, that’s absolutely fine if I’m not the right fit for you right now. Totally understand. Lovely to meet you. And they often come back and say. I’ve, yeah, had a word with myself and I’ve decided this is where I want the investment to be because I want the service and I want the experience of working with you.

And I recognize that, you know, that’s going to cost a little bit more than someone who doesn’t have that service laid out in that way. So do put your prices on there. Uh, don’t be afraid to do so. If. You are only offering bespoke custom built stuff. Just have a starting price on that. I have a starting price for my custom build websites because it’s impossible to kind of price everything according to what people need.

But I can definitely say, yeah, this is the starting price of my websites. And so that’s there and use testimonials. So many people get really good testimonials and then completely forget about them, and they build their website and they think, where’s my credibility? And your credibility is there in the emails that Satisfied customers send you.

Hopefully they’re there in Google reviews. And if you haven’t got your Google My Business set up, that’s a reminder. Go and set that up, get those Google reviews. Make sure every time you send a website live that you ask people for, you, send them a link to leave you a Google Review or a LinkedIn recommendation.

And I use both, but I do prefer Google because it’s more accessible for people who might not be on LinkedIn as well. And then when they’re there. Add them on the website, use them to break up the page as well, so they’re reinforcing the messaging. You’ll see on my own websites that I use them on a pink banner throughout the site.

And then at the bottom of the page, I have the Google widget there and I have all the Google reviews come up there as well. You can also set Google Widgets where they have, um, you can only show four and five star reviews onwards. So if you’ve got, um, like a pesky one star review from someone where it, it just didn’t work out, um, hopefully you would’ve dealt with that.

Well. Um, on Google, but people can always go on your Google site and, um, see all of your reviews. You know, it is obviously we are only going to display the best on the website there, but it’s not hiding it if it’s publicly and easily available as well. So do use testimonials on your website. Do you use them to back up your, um, you know what you’re saying with your messaging on your websites?

Make sure your offers are really clear, and this is where a lot of web designers fall down, is that they don’t want to turn down work and they want to end up being all things to all people. And if you heard of the expression, you know, he was a jack of all trades and master of none. And sometimes people can feel that if someone’s offering to do everything, you know, work on every website platform or offer every form of hosting plan or offer this or offer that.

And that, um, the, it just feels like there’s not a tightness there and that you’re not going to be very good at the one thing they do need you for, because they only need you for one thing, not all of the things. If someone’s got a WordPress site, they’re not going to need you to have skills in Wix or Squarespace or what Shopify or whatever else.

They just need their WordPress website, so. Don’t be afraid to narrow down and really double down on what you are really good at. It is okay to do it that way and to have really clear offers. And when you have really clear offers, and you’ll see on mine I have the, um, have the two different types of website builds.

I have the care plans, I’ve got one, which is a self-hosted one, and one which is where we host yourself. And, um, it, and I have the website clinic and that’s it. And. I have people say, oh, I had a client who asked me could I do this, and I don’t usually. So I’m trying to get a price down trying, and you can already see it unravel.

They’re losing confidence in what they’ve been asked to do because it’s not part of their offering. And when we get someone who wants us to work outside of our scope and it’s different software or it’s not what we offer. You don’t need the 50 quid a month or whatever it is that they’re going to be offering that badly, that it’s gonna throw out your invoicing system, that it’s gonna throw out your regular work reading.

What you need to do is have a really clear offer so that when someone comes into work with you, you are bringing them into you. You’re saying This is how it does it. This is how we do the direct debits. This is how we do that, and it all falls into place easily. You don’t want to be creating systems for one-off jobs for people, and often people who ask you to do that sort of stuff end up not being very happy with what the end result is because they don’t feel that there’s been a level of expertise together.

You know, essentially it feels from both of your parts that it’s a patch up job. And when that. The case. Don’t be afraid to recommend other people or to collaborate with other people. I already, uh, spoke in my episode about scope creep, about if you need to work on a bit of a website, you end up being asked to do something and it’s outside of your remit.

Get another designer or developer on board involved, and there’s loads of people we can recommend people. You can go on LinkedIn, find people, and you’ll find people you really enjoy collaborating with as well. So seriously, it’s. A really good one is passing on work to other designers and developers, and trust me, it comes back to you over and over again.

I often get recommended work from other, uh, developers and designers. I often recommend others for work as well, and it can build some really. Good relationships as well. So my very final point here is make it easy for people to reach you. So often we focus on the website and we forget about the contact page or you know, we don’t make it very obvious how people can get in touch with us and we’re like, oh, just come find me on Instagram.

No, they are on your website. They are here to reach you through the website, make it easy for them to do so. I have, um, the, uh, contact forms on my website. I like a contact form because I always think it shows people that they, that you want to hear from them and it gives them a guide. What’s your message, what service do you want to talk about, that sort of thing.

And it gives you a little bit of a heads up before, uh, they get on the phone to you as well. If you’re happy taking phone calls, have your phone number on there. Can even have hours that you accept calls. Um, and I also have book a call link with Zoom calls as well. So it books straight into my calendar.

So I also know when people click that. Um, the first I know about it is that it will land in my inbox with the booking there, but I also know that they are booking for a date and time that works for me as well. And, uh, using a method that works for me. I like using Zoom because it means I can screen share and I can show them.

Ideas as I’m kind of thinking them as well. And you know, some people just want to hit email and just come straight to you as an email as well. So do make it really, really clear. Make it really available from each page as well through your calls to action. Through that sticky menu would be surprised how many designers and developers forget to use sticky menus as well.

Have that sticky menu so that once someone’s read enough of one page, they can easily navigate to the next one and they can navigate to contacting you. So there we go. If you want to go through this in any more detail, I do have the course How to Get Clients From, for your website design business, it is under 50 pounds.

It will be probably one of the best investments you make in your business, and you can get it from websites made simple.co uk. If you’ve done the course and you would like to give a review of it, drop me an email. I’d love to hear from you, and if you have any points you would like to add. To this podcast, anything you’ve heard today and you think, oh, I’ve got one.

I’ve got one. I want to talk to you about it, come and find me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk. Until next time, see you soon and happy designing.