Across time, freelancers observed that it is better to have a trustful client, one that is serious and respectable, that is honoring the deadlines than two or three who aren’t reliable. The current conditions of our society don’t assure the climate in order to possibly select the clients, much more, the companies are fighting to maintain the clientele in order to survive. No matter the economic situation, attracting new clients and maintaining the present ones were always permanent challenges, for both companies and freelancers activating in the web design industry. Under these circumstances, marketing became a mandatory part of our lives. Therefore, any worker in the online industry should understand that gaining well-paid projects from the most reliable clients isn’t only the exclusive kudos of the skills and talent, it depends also on other factors as the image created around.
The tips bellow create a solid base for everyone who wants to increase the number of clients, but no one should take it as the perfect recipe, it assures the necessary ingredients, but it isn’t enough to guarantee the success, work and endeavor can’t be replaced by nothing.
1. Offer only qualitative works
Creating a reputation as a good service provider is equivalent of having merely a full schedule. Definitely, the most important factor of being successful is to offer the best services or products on the market. Supposing that someone launched a super attractive advertising campaign that brings a lot of clients, he will have an impressing wave of customers, but once the first ones aren’t content all the efforts are in vain. It’s recognized that a client believes another client more than any cool advertising material.
(Quality Image via Shutterstock)
On the other hand, the quality must be added up with patience; the fame, or the brand how a marketer will say, is growing using the “avalanche effect” pattern, the beginning is difficult, the initial results are poor but, by passing it, the situation is exponentially improved.
2. Expose a stunning portfolio
(Portfolio Image via Shutterstock)
The portfolio is considered the website of a freelancer or agency where previous works or at least the best of them,are exposed. It’s a common misconception to consider the portfolio only the website, but this concept must be upgraded to any collection of various projects exposed online. It’s a portfolio also the profiles on Behance, Dribble or any job boards that allow uploading items. The potential clients who visit a nice exhibition of works are impressed and may or may not hire the owner of these,but in the unwanted case when anyone is visiting a portfolio containing a single decent piece and the rest are quality, surely will remain horrified by the less inspired project. It’s highly recommended to pay attention to the items presented, a single bad decision can ruin a long endeavor.
3. Maintain a strong relationship with the previous clients
(Handshake Image via Shutterstock)
An individual that currently needs web design services is quite probable to need, in the future, other similar solutions, if they were satisfied with the work done;it’s a great chance to hire the precedent service provider again. This logical enhancement has as conclusion that it is better for any freelancer or web design agency to keep barely an informal relationship with the past customers. The discounts or the new services offered may attract them, but also they could recommend to other interested people.
4. Make as many as possible ways of being contacted visible
(Networking Image via Shutterstock)
Another mandatory stage in having an increased number of clients is to facilitate the contact with them. The portfolio must have a contact form to receive any inquiry and all the ways to get in touch with: phone number, Skype/Google Talk/ Yahoo Messenger ids, email addresses, links to profiles on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn even the physical address.
5. Maintain a blog
Having a heavy visited blog is a real boost in getting more clients, but the existence of it requires a huge volume of work. The advantages of maintaining a blog are numerous:
(Blog Image via Shutterstock)
- articles describing the manner of work can be posted and the visitors may see the level of professionalism;
- it can bring reputation to the owner;
- it may be visited by other experts and they could contact the owner for various proposals, maybe collaborations;
- it’s forming a community around and some people from them may turn into clients;
- the blog may be monetized.
6. Offer freebies and discounts
(Discount Image via Shutterstock)
People who are interested in the services of somebody want to be safe about the investment that is to be made and it’s common to ask for more information. A wise method is to provide them these pieces of information before asking as offering free some samples and to make them more curios and interested, offer from time to time discounts and special offers.
7. Be dynamic, don’t expect for miracles
The ideas presented may work sometimes but it could happen attempts fail. This bad situation shouldn’t mean the end of the world, it’s just a common problem, and the remedy against this undesirable solution is to try again and again. The imagination is also important traits that help anybody in getting more clients; an original approach has more chances of having good results.
(Creative Image via Shutterstock)
The true specialists, that respect the clients and offer the best solutions, don’t need any promotional strategy for getting more clients, the quality of the project finished bring more and more new clients without any effort, therefore is better to focus on making happy the clients and they will bring others.
