Just about every business on the planet needs a website to be successful, and that means they all need web designers. While there’s a world of potential clients waiting for your skills, it can be difficult for freelancers to understand how to get web design clients and build a stable business.
The best place to start learning is from successful freelancers and the companies that hire them. So, we turned to a dozen proved pros to get their best tips for what web designers should do and what to avoid, from how to network and communicate to things potential clients see as red flags.
Here are their 10 best tips to help you learn how to get web design clients and keep them for a long time, whether you’re just starting or want to take your business to the next level.
1. Read requirements twice
One of the main mistakes our proven professionals say will cost a designer a project is not reading and responding to the specific parts of a job description or project need.
“Stop obsessing about your portfolio and read the job ad,” says Ariel Lim, a digital marketing consultant who has been freelancing for more than a decade. “The typical cover letter application simply says, ‘see my portfolio,’ and as a hiring manager, I discard those people because they can’t even follow simple instructions nor manage to customize their application.”
Discussing the requirements in your proposal helps demonstrate that you take the work seriously, and that attention to detail will help you with many of the other tips we’re discussing. Just like in the design work itself, paying attention to the specifics of a job is paramount for finding web design clients and online work.
2. Research current prices
Many of the tips we received were about the pricing designers charge and related negotiations. The news that designers will love to hear is that companies are willing to pay standard industry rates to freelancers. But freelancers who demonstrate their worth and link that talent to the demands of the projects they pursue tend to find more success.
“What I love about resources like Upwork is that the expectations can be made very clear when it comes to experience versus price,” says Alex Azoury, founder and CEO of Home Grounds. “Obviously, if I want to spend less, I accept that there may be a lack of experience, but I never expect a lack of skills and talent. So, keep your prices relevant to your experience at first while you build clientele.”
3. Use referrals to demonstrate reliability
Many web design clients want to be reassured that you’re dependable and will stick with the project through completion, as well as provide ongoing support when needed. Instead of just telling them, offer proof via past clients and people you’ve helped.
“The main thing we often look for in freelancers is reliability,” says David Adler, founder, and CEO of The Travel Secret. “Anything you can do to show that you can deliver on time is paramount when you’re looking for jobs. If you’ve completed previous work, ask for referrals or even a quick blurb you can share with prospective clients. It doesn’t have to say anything more than, ‘you did a great job on time.’”
For freelancers just starting, Adler recommends demonstrating reliability and dedication in the way you communicate. Be on time for meetings, share items and send follow-ups when you say you will, and be proactive.
4. Add social media to your networking
Nearly every expert we spoke to mentioned networking to build out referrals, capture leads, and find potential partners. Networking is also a common refrain in articles on growing your business because of the power of word-of-mouth referrals.
What may be surprising is that many experts recommend spending the majority of networking time on social media and that designers should learn how to utilize new platforms. Facebook was named more often than any other because of the many business groups that target industries and specific locations. Your audience is likely in a group related to their niche and asking questions within said group, making it an easy place to find web design clients online.
“Don’t just drop your link and run in these groups, and don’t overlook exciting new services,” says Kate Smoothly of Webhive Digital. “Use Instagram Reels and TikTok videos to share your process, educate, and give visual examples of your work. For example, a ‘6 ways to make your website stand out’ video could include examples of your work and educational tips in one 15-30 second video.”
She suggests that web designers make a few videos and repurpose them across social platforms to minimize work while increasing their reach.
5. Practice your written communications
As a freelancer, clients are looking to you for more than just the final product. You need skills in project management, workflows, industry tools, and more. One of the ways you’ll have to demonstrate this and make a client feel more comfortable is by communicating with them via email or in messaging channels on platforms.
“So much freelance work involves written communications, whether through email, Slack, or some other chat platform,” says Ty Stewart, CEO, and founder of Simple Life Insure. Stewart says to become a freelancer where businesses like his keep you on call for regular work, “it’s essential for you to be a reliable and crystal-clear communicator, providing updates or answering any questions in an understandable way.”
Ready to try it out? Find the perfect job to test your pitch and commitment to communications.
6. Always follow up quickly
Being a freelancer can mean you’re juggling a million things all at once, and things can slip through the cracks. Unfortunately, that can lose a web designer a project. Our experts suggest that your mantra should become ‘follow up fast and often.’
“Prompt communication is the biggest selling point beyond your portfolio,” says David Cusick, the Chief Strategy Officer of House Method. “Don’t submit a proposal or send a message to a hiring post then fall off the radar for two days. Things happen and freelancers can work their schedules as they please, but prior to the hiring, that kind of radio silence bodes poorly. If you’re applying, be ready to respond promptly.”
Daniel Snow, CEO, and founder of The Snow Agency says reaching out again can help land you a project because clients can get busy or face an immediate problem to troubleshoot and the job post can inadvertently be put on the back burner. “Follow up with clients. If you have not heard back from them, send a message. Sometimes they simply get caught up and forget to reply.”
7. Be helpful to your community
Freelancers need to build up a broad portfolio and engage with a wide range of people and companies to start securing clients. Reputation can be everything when it comes to getting someone else to trust you for a high-paying project. If you’re just starting, our experts suggest you look for opportunities to be helpful to the people you know and potential clients seeking advice.
“Get involved in Facebook or LinkedIn groups, and start offering help to people with questions,” says Kolleen Shallcross of Shallcross Marketing & Design. “You’ll build up a reputation of helping without selling. I personally spend an hour (or more) a day helping out people with their issues on Facebook without pushing a sale. The byproduct is that I get referred by others because they know I’m not out to just make a quick buck.”
This type of ‘customer service’ helps web designers land clients and create long-term relationships.
8. Remember your SEO and website
Proven professionals told us that many designers may know SEO best practices, but they don’t always deploy those skills on their sites and portfolios. Your portfolio site needs to put your best foot forward, demonstrating your capabilities and the level of detail and dedication that a potential client should expect from you.
“As a web designer, your website is your calling card,” says Sophie Bowman, co-founder of the Business Owner Society. “Your expertise will be judged entirely on your website. Having an ‘Under Construction’ page or a glitchy site is the kiss of death.”
At the same time, your site needs to be discoverable on search engines, requiring you to do the metadata and other SEO work required for proper indexing.
For how to get web design clients on platforms like Upwork, Bowman suggests “optimizing your Upwork profile to summarize what you do in a catchy line. To make your profile more visible, add hashtags for your field—i.e. #webdesigner and #webdesign—and don’t forget to add skills such as #seo or #logodesign.”
9. Avoid one-time assignments
It can take just as long to apply for a project that’s a single page or site as it does to apply for a project from a company that will need ongoing design work and help. Designers can optimize their time by focusing on companies with large properties or who continually post design needs on sites like Upwork.
“When you’re first getting started, it’s easy to apply for every opportunity that comes your way,” says Ricardo Pina, founder of The Modest Wallet. “However, if you want consistent work, it’s best to be selective and avoid applying to one-time gigs with false hopes that they’ll turn into long-term contracts. Try building long-term relationships with your clients and stick to longer contract terms when you’re a beginner. If a potential client wants to work with you, they’ll generally agree with your contract terms.”
Pina says he takes this approach to the multiple freelancers he works with each month.
Using a platform like Upwork can make this process simpler because you can look at a client’s job history just as easily as they can look at yours. Reviews, ratings, and contract length data make it easy to determine who’s looking for long-term relationships.
10. Target your email marketing
Most of the clients we asked who have looked for design help with an existing website say they get emails every day asking if they need help on a domain. Many companies or independent professionals that reach out this way send the same pitch to every email contact they have (or have paid for) and most of those emails get deleted.
“I have never received a single cold email that even piqued my interest,” says Paul Chittenden, owner of Bad Ass Work Gear and a marketing consultant. “You can tell they’ve blasted this same email to thousands of people. Instead, designers should do targeted outreach where they specialize. Imagine I’m a plumber named Mario. I’m looking at potential freelancers to redesign my website. All the freelancers have really nice designs in their portfolio, but I see this one that specializes in home service companies. Bingo!”
Your emails are less likely to be seen as spam when you’re reaching out to relevant businesses and highlighting your experience in their niche. Chittenden and others recommended that any hyperlinks in your emails take potential clients to pages with industry-relevant portfolio samples and testimonials to make the client decision easier.
Get more clients today
One of the hardest things for a new web designer to do is find people who are looking for help. Potential clients don’t often advertise their needs on LinkedIn or their website, but they do use services like Upwork to find top talent.
If you’re new to the web design freelancing world, sign up with Upwork and put together a portfolio to quickly get in front of potential clients. It’s a smart and straightforward way to find ideal clients and generate the interest needed to get your web design business off the ground.
