Methods for Landing Potential and Real Clients Without a Portfolio.

Look, I'll be honest with you. You probably won't like me by the end of this article.

You're starting a web design business. You have the skills. You have the motivation. You have the passion and patience to take it all the way.

But you don't have clients. And you need a few. No, you really need quite a few. A lot, in fact.

I have good and bad news.

Good news! I have some ideas that will work for you.

Bad news... 95% of you won't even attempt to try them.

Because they're not easy. Building a web design business isn't easy. There are no shortcuts to success.

However, if you're in the 5% who is truly committed to this, these methods can be a great opportunity for you.

I've been in your shoes before. I know how you feel. It's a tough process. But during this process, I learned what it takes to land web design clients even when you don't have a portfolio.

And I'm here to share my experiences with you. Let's get started.

The #1 Problem Freelance Web Designers Face (And What to Do About It)

You know you have the skill to build great websites for small businesses. The problem is, you can't prove it yet.

And with the fierce competition in the web design industry, you'll need to prove this skill. Somehow.

When I first started as a freelance web designer, here are the steps I took to get my first clients:

1) Work for Free (or Offer Big Discounts)

Remember? At the beginning of the article, I said you wouldn't like me.

If you can't yet provide proof of your skills and abilities, you'll have a hard time convincing someone to hire you.

By offering web design services for free, you accomplish 6 things:

1. You stand out from the crowd (Because no one offers free web design, you can be sure of that.)
2. You eliminate all the client's concerns about hiring an inexperienced web designer.
3. You build a great website you can add to your portfolio and that becomes your reference for future jobs.
4. You expand your network for potential future referrals.
5. You earn a 5-star review for your Google Business profile.
6. If you can't get a 5-star review, you find out why and improve yourself in the future.

All of these have huge value. I know, this approach contradicts the logic of "Charge as much as you're worth!"

But if you want to grow fast, you have to follow this path. You'll be able to charge what you're worth in the future, I promise.

I did my first 3-4 websites for free or at a big discount. It earned me everything I mentioned above. (Except Google Business reviews... I started that too late. Don't make this mistake!)

Thanks to these experiences, I landed my first major web design client by meeting with one of Canada's biggest media managers. He still gives me a glowing reference on my website.

Start with small steps, friends. Everything starts free...

2) Define a Niche for Yourself

Don't just build websites; build websites for someone specific.

Are you doing web design? Or are you doing web design for photographers, consultants, companies, bloggers, restaurants, etc.?

Focusing on a niche makes it much easier to create content for that niche, which helps you rank higher on Google for competing keywords, and that will bring more business.

My niche was fast web design. I can build and design your website in 24 hours. I still can.

There was much less competition in this niche. Over the years, my hard work paid off significantly as I slowly built my portfolio, grew my network, and produced quality content on my blog and YouTube channel.

I became an authority in this field.

When you reach this point, you can start expanding into other niches. But first you have to start small.

3) Tell Your Story (And Be Honest About It)

"Fake it till you make it" is not a good idea. That's what every other web designer is doing.

"We will create a professional, beautiful, custom WordPress website for you that will drive traffic, sell more to your customers, and... blah blah blah..." - Every Web Designer

So why should they work with you? What are you bringing to the table? Who are you?

You may find yourself boring, but you're not. You have a story to tell. Everyone does.

I make it clear that I started a web design business so I could spend more time doing what I love. I want to work smart, not hard. (Which ironically requires hard work. I know, leave me alone.)

Of course there are limits. I still value my privacy. But the important thing is to let your personality shine in every aspect of your work. Don't be shy. People are drawn more to those who are humble and sincere than those who are powerful and successful.

Whatever you do, don't try to look bigger and better than you are. It's deceptive, off-putting, and incredibly easy to spot.

4) Network Smart

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." - Stephen R. Covey

There's nothing wrong with reaching out to your existing network for help. Even if your existing professional network only consists of family and friends.

Tell them what you do and why you do it. Let them know that you're looking for your first clients and that you're willing to make sacrifices to win them. This is not desperation.

But don't spam. No one wants to receive a generic email or LinkedIn message about why you should be hired for their next project.

Get to know people. Find out what problems they're struggling with and try to solve those problems. If you can't, honestly tell them why.

Today, 20-30% of my work comes from referrals from satisfied clients. I like to make a $100 gesture to thank them for every referral they send my way.

Be authentic, helpful, and honest. Your network will grow rapidly. Trust me.

5) Find Your Perfect Clients on Google Maps

Set your Upwork profile aside for now. Here's a real tactical tip for you:

Go to Google Maps and pull up your neighborhood. Then find all the restaurants, dentist's offices, retail stores, nail salons, and barbershops, and look at their profiles.

You'll find a link to their website. (Or even better, you won't find any link at all. They might not even have a website!)

If their site is garbage, take as much content from it as you can and rebuild it for them. No, I'm not joking.

Then, when you're done, send them an email with the link to the new website and ask for their feedback.

If they like it, sell it to them.

That's it.

Yes, you'll do some work for free. Not everyone will buy the site from you every time you build one.

And you'll need to develop your sales skills to convince people to buy.

But if you can capture a 20-40% close rate with this strategy, it'll be worth it for a new web designer like you.

I told you it wouldn't be easy, didn't I?

Rinse and Repeat

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." - Thomas Paine

I know it's a cliché, but only a small part of this work is about talent.

The big part is about hard work. Work hard. Create remarkable things. Don't stop until you reach your goals.

You'll work with many clients while building your portfolio, developing your skills, and using the strategies I shared in this article.

And you'll succeed. Don't stop until you reach your goals. Success doesn't come overnight. But every day you'll get a little closer.

Images from the article