Watch This! Unlimited Leads at a Click of a Button.. Find out More

How To Get Website Design Clients When You Have No Portfolio

It seems that getting into web design as a freelancer or starting your own company is such a dream a lot of people have. Being your own boss, having the flexibility you have always wanted, financial independence are just some of the reasons people are so attracted to this idea.

Unfortunately to get started there are a couple hoops and hurdles you have to jump through. I discuss a lot of topics in my “Ultimate Blueprint: How To Start a Web Agency” that will help nearly anybody no matter how new or advanced they are. Today though, I want to discuss something that a lot of people struggle with when it comes to getting their first client.

How do I get a client or get started when I don’t even have a portfolio?

It’s tough… you can’t build a portfolio until you have clients and no client wants to work with you until you have a portfolio.

It really comes down to positioning and being in control of the conversation. Lets get started to help guide you through this catch 22.

Should I Work for FREE?

A common thought process among beginners is that they should work for free to build up their portfolio. They feel that if they can get a couple freebie clients they’ll be able to build their portfolio and it’s smooth sailing from there.

I understand the idea and why you would want to do that but it’s actually not a good idea.

See, free websites, free this and free that, takes just as much selling and convincing as it does to get someone to pay you for it. Heck, look at 1and1 and web.com with the massive amounts of commercials advertising “free” websites. They’re spending a LOT of money just to get people to go for the free stuff. They have big money to spend, and that’s an advantage you don’t have.

If you want a business to take you seriously and utilize your services then you need to be able to take yourself serious enough to charge for your time. I tell you the truth, if you are working for free you don’t have a business, you have a charity.

So let’s help you overcome this problem.

Stay updated every time an awesome piece of content is posted, enter your email below.

Your Own Website Should be a Portfolio

I was helping someone out recently that has been dying to get into this business, they bought some product about how you don’t even need a website in order to get sales for a web design business. He was marketing to prospects doing everything he could to get some business drummed up but it just wasn’t happening.

After 6 months of trying, he was about to give up, and that’s when we talked for a little bit and I helped him outline a plan of action. Obviously one of those things he needed was a website.

I never imagined I’d have to tell web designers they need their own website, but here I am, telling you that. Do you see how bad it looks if the service you’re offering has such little value to yourself that you don’t even have a website for your business but you’re trying to get other companies to pay you for one? YOU NEED A WEBSITE.

Joomla is my preference but if you want something easy, fast and still has a professional look then go ahead and install wordpress, it’s super easy and use a professional theme. One of my favorite supplier of themes is MythemeShop, in fact this blog is running the minimalist template they have.

Now I know most of you actually do have a website. What’s the impression it gives? Is your professionalism showcased on your website enough to set an example or expectation when a client visits the website? In other words, will they see your website and be impressed with your work?

Your Portfolio Section on Your Website

Just because you don’t have any clients doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a portfolio section on your website. In fact, this is probably the most important thing you can do when you’re first starting out.

Something you can do to populate the page or gallery you have for the portfolio is to use paid themes. Use screenshots of themes you can use for clients.

It’s important you don’t start off the relationship with dishonesty, so don’t claim them as your own work, and instead of saying this is my past work, say, take a look at these samples so you can see what’s possible.

Most potential clients you come across are not concerned with whether or not you literally have a portfolio of all happy clients, they’re more concerned about whether you have the ability to do what you say you can do. They are concerned with being able to see a design that they want for their business.

You don’t have to show them what you’ve done… you just have to be able to show them what is possible.

Client Acquisition With an Angle

Now it’s time to start getting some clients. You have a website that looks good, you have a portfolio that shows a business owner what is possible but now you need to reach out and close some deals.

I am very against giving out free services, however, when starting out I think it is okay to discount your services or give the appearance of a discount.

Let’s assume you’re cold calling some businesses trying to get a sale or at the very least trying to generate some interest and get leads. Instead of a regular pitch you can be honest and tell the owner of the business, hey, I’m new in the web design business, recently started out and I would like to offer you a discount to design your company website so I can continue building up my portfolio, is this something you’re interested in?

You would be surprised at how well that works. You’re helping the business owner out by designing their website and giving them a discount, but you’re also getting helped by the business owner by building up your portfolio, possibly giving you referrals and paying you!

You can generate a prospecting list by searching google, the phonebook, using a service like infofree, or if you’re really gung ho you can automate the entire process by using something like Mobile Renegade.

Another way to generate leads and eventually clients is email marketing. I’m not going to go in depth with the ins and outs of it but you can search out different websites, email the owner with the same type of script, and wait for a response or follow up with them by phone in a day or two.

Here’s a sample email you can send:

Dear Owner of Bob’s Burgers,

I’m Nathan with Income Bully and the reason I’m emailing you is because I’m a web designer, trying to continue building up my portfolio. I’m sure you’re aware of how expensive this service can be, but I wonder if we can help each other out? I really would love to showcase your business in my portfolio, and I can give you a great discount as well. Is this something you may be interested in for your company?

I really look forward to hearing from you soon. In the meantime, you can check out my website to get a better idea about me and what I offer here: incomebully.com

Thanks,

Nathan

That’s all it really takes. Now if you really want to increase the lead generation efforts, you can use Mobile Renegade to scrape different directories that display email addresses, and mass email. It’s one of my favorite techniques, and have had a humungous email list because of it.

Another thing you can do is hop onto LinkedIn and start networking with people. This is a great way to start to build relationships.

No Need for Free

There you guys have it. It’s not step by step detailed with super micro focus but it should allow you to get pointed in the right direction. There’s no need to feel like you have to offer your services for free anymore, in fact if you follow the strategy laid out in this short tutorial blog post you will be well on your way to not just your first client but maybe your first 10.

8 Comments

Add a Comment