Web Design Journey

[Cojo]

Hey guys, some of you might know me here.

I decided to create a progress thread to keep myself productive as I procrastinate a lot.

I haven't been able to get a web design client in a long time. Told a lot of people what I do. I did get some projects but it was low pay and not something I could use for my portfolio. The sites aren't even active anymore.

My current goal is to make $20,000 in the next 6 months. I know it may sound unrealistic but as I aim high, I can fall in that range.

Any advice will be very much appreciated. Thanks

 

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[DCG]

Hey guys, some of you might know me here.

I decided to create a progress thread to keep myself productive as I procrastinate a lot.

I haven't been able to get a web design client in a long time. Told a lot of people what I do. I did get some projects but it was low pay and not something I could use for my portfolio. The sites aren't even active anymore.

My current goal is to make $20,000 in the next 6 months. I know it may sound unrealistic but as I aim high, I can fall in that range.

Any advice will be very much appreciated. Thanks

Good luck, bro I hope you make even more than $20,000

 

[Cojo]

I'm thinking of trying out 4 things to get web design clients

• Cold calling
• Cold emailing
• Linkedin
• Twitter

I have been following @Kung Fu Steve advice on Cold calling.

Never realise how time consuming it can be. I'm even attending university and don't have much personal space to cold call properly.

I have been thinking if I should try and build relationships on LinkedIn and twitter as @Andy Black said but don't know if I would be able to meet my goal that way.

 

[Carbon45]

Hey guys, some of you might know me here.

I decided to create a progress thread to keep myself productive as I procrastinate a lot.

I haven't been able to get a web design client in a long time. Told a lot of people what I do. I did get some projects but it was low pay and not something I could use for my portfolio. The sites aren't even active anymore.

My current goal is to make $20,000 in the next 6 months. I know it may sound unrealistic but as I aim high, I can fall in that range.

Any advice will be very much appreciated. Thanks

I'm also trying to get some money by making websites rn, do you have a portfolio yet?

 

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[Cojo]

I'm also trying to get some money by making websites rn, do you have a portfolio yet?

I don't have one. I don't have any past works to show.

 

[Carbon45]

I don't have one. I don't have any past works to show.

I have a feeling it'll be easier to get clients if you have some sort of past work to show off, maybe you could make some mock websites or something. Although i'm really not an expert at this just heard some other people suggest it.

 

[Andy Black]

I'm thinking of trying out 4 things to get web design clients

• Cold calling
• Cold emailing
• Linkedin
• Twitter

I have been following @Kung Fu Steve advice on Cold calling.

Never realise how time consuming it can be. I'm even attending university and don't have much personal space to cold call properly.

I have been thinking if I should try and build relationships on LinkedIn and twitter as @Andy Black said but don't know if I would be able to meet my goal that way.

That's a lot of things to try. By all means have a go at each, but cinsider eventually focusing on one and get really good at it.

@Fox will have advice specifically for web designers in in his threads and program.

 

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[Cojo]

I have a feeling it'll be easier to get clients if you have some sort of past work to show off, maybe you could make some mock websites or something. Although i'm really not an expert at this just heard some other people suggest it.

Well, I have been planning to code some mockups. Getting clients has been difficult.

 

[Andy Black]

Well, I have been planning to code some mockups. Getting clients has been difficult.

Focus on getting clients for your mockups?

 

[Cojo]

That's a lot of things to try. By all means have a go at each, but try to eventually focus on one and get really good at it.

@Fox will have advice specifically for web designers in in his threads and program.

I actually want to test them out and see which one will be better to stick with.

Cold calling and emailing is time consuming and it doesn't help as I'm in university right now.

Linkedin and twitter seems like it will take a while to start getting clients so I'm not sure if I will be able to hit my goal.

 

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[Cojo]

Focus on getting clients for your mockups?

I meant getting clients to add to my portfolio

 

[Andy Black]

I meant getting clients to add to my portfolio

What I meant was:

If you're going to do mockups for free to show prospects then why not find businesses you can do a free or cheap website for in exchange for the testimonial and being able to use it as a case study?



Also, have a look at online communities such as Facebook groups of business owners or Facebook groups of people using paid tools.

 

[Cojo]

What I meant was:

If you're going to do mockups for free to show prospects then why not find businesses you can do a free or cheap website for in exchange for the testimonial and being able to use it as a case study?



Also, have a look at online communities such as Facebook groups of business owners or Facebook groups of people using paid tools.

That's a good idea. I even wanted to ask if anyone here will need a website

 

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[Cojo]

After thinking for a while, I think LinkedIn would be the best path to take.

As I can actually cold call and email the decision maker to get clients short term and create content to get clients long term.

 

[KSR]

Hey man!

Happy to chime in here.

First off, welcome! I actually run a small 7 person marketing agency with a main focus on website design and development. We do around $30-40k/mo right now. This time last year, I was sitting at around $6k/mo.

It's going to be extremely hard to get your first client from doing anything cold. I'd approach friends and family who have businesses/startups and offer to do them for peanuts. Build out your portfolio that way.

My first site was $400 for my brother's Physio clinic, second one was free for my gym (free membership and pays me $200/mo to maintain), third was $1,000 from a person who frequented my gym. The more websites you build, the more referrals you're going to get. It's a slog but you have to trust the process.

Use your current network to build your portfolio.

A few years later and our minimum project start is around $9-10k. My brother's Physio has grown and we're now doing his third website for $5,500. It's all a process.

 

[Cojo]

Hey man!

Happy to chime in here.

First off, welcome! I actually run a small 7 person marketing agency with a main focus on website design and development. We do around $30-40k/mo right now. This time last year, I was sitting at around $6k/mo.

It's going to be extremely hard to get your first client from doing anything cold. I'd approach friends and family who have businesses/startups and offer to do them for peanuts. Build out your portfolio that way.

My first site was $400 for my brother's Physio clinic, second one was free for my gym (free membership and pays me $200/mo to maintain), third was $1,000 from a person who frequented my gym. The more websites you build, the more referrals you're going to get. It's a slog but you have to trust the process.

Use your current network to build your portfolio.

A few years later and our minimum project start is around $9-10k. My brother's Physio has grown and we're now doing his third website for $5,500. It's all a process.

I did that in the past. Helped my uncle create a website but it wasn't something I could show off.

I created a website for a dental clinic. I got them from a cold call. Problem was she didn't have enough money to pay for hosting so I went for monthly hosting but she couldn't pay for it the following month.

She asked me if I could pay for it then she will repay me but I definitely couldn't do that.

 

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[BlackRabbit3PL]

What types of clients are you typically going after?

 

[Cojo]

What types of clients are you typically going after?

I'm targeting roofers in the United States and Canada.

 

[Andy Black]

I'm targeting roofers in the United States and Canada.

Maybe don't focus on a niche just yet? Keep engaging with business owners and follow your nose? Find out who you can get in front of, who raises their hand, who you can help, who you can't help, who you enjoy working with, etc?

I think your market/niche reveals itself over time as you keep putting one step in front of another.

Just a thought.

 

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[BlackRabbit3PL]

Maybe don't focus on a niche just yet? Keep engaging with business owners and follow your nose? Find out who you can get in front of, who raises their hand, who you can help, who you can't help, who you enjoy working with, etc?

I think your market/niche reveals itself over time as you keep putting one step in front of another.

Just a thought.

Exactly right. Start locally and go after everyone. I say local because you can stop by so they know you are for real. Get your branding/logo together and look as pro as you can. Go on IG and start adding local businesses and send them cold DMs. But by sending out I mean like hundreds per day. In a about month You'll get maybe 8-10 hot leads and from that perhaps 2-5 paying clients. I had a digital marketing agency a while back so I know the struggle. I only moved on from that because of another opportunity, but it was paying off for a while and we were doing well with only clients within a 20 mile radius.




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www.blackrabbit3pl.com




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www.blackrabbit3pl.com

 

[Andy Black]

Start locally and go after everyone.

See that Mother Theresa quote in my signature? There's wisdom in those few words.

Start by saying Yes. Scale by saying No.

 

[KSR]

See that Mother Theresa quote in my signature? There's wisdom in those few words.

Start by saying Yes. Scale by saying No.

I love this. My agency definitely grew when I started saying no.

 

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[Cojo]

Exactly right. Start locally and go after everyone. I say local because you can stop by so they know you are for real. Get your branding/logo together and look as pro as you can. Go on IG and start adding local businesses and send them cold DMs. But by sending out I mean like hundreds per day. In a about month You'll get maybe 8-10 hot leads and from that perhaps 2-5 paying clients. I had a digital marketing agency a while back so I know the struggle. I only moved on from that because of another opportunity, but it was paying off for a while and we were doing well with only clients within a 20 mile radius.

I don't know if I can target local businesses for this. Problem right now is that there's money scarcity where I'm from. Hardly anyone would be interested in a website here.

 

[Andy Black]

I don't know if I can target local businesses for this. Problem right now is that there's money scarcity where I'm from. Hardly anyone would be interested in a website here.

There's money scarcity everywhere. There's probably also people who understand the value in a website.

"Sales is a screening process."
- Blaise Brosnan

"Your job is to find out if the person in front of you sees the value in what you do, not just the cost."
- Blaise Brosnan

I'm curious. Where might people who see the value in a website hang out? Locally to you, or online.

 

[Cojo]

There's money scarcity everywhere. There's probably also people who understand the value in a website.

"Sales is a screening process."
- Blaise Brosnan

"Your job is to find out if the person in front of you sees the value in what you do, not just the cost."
- Blaise Brosnan

I'm curious. Where might people who see the value in a website hang out? Locally to you, or online.

I don't know about that. Most people in my area don't care much about those stuff and there's hardly any network meetings.

 

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[Andy Black]

I don't know about that. Most people in my area don't care much about those stuff and there's hardly any network meetings.

"Most" and "Hardly" isn't "All".

It's true that local might not work. But there's always online communities.

Keep chipping away. Figuring it out is part of the journey.

 

[DCG]

I don't have one. I don't have any past works to show.

If I were you I would be making a portfolio and developing the skill to be better at it. Then not only will you will have a portfolio to show to your clients but you will also be good enough to be able to sell websites to people.

 

[enlightened]

There are several online platforms like fiverr, peoperperhour or upwork which can help you to get that first client you are looking for. Try them and let me know how things go. Good luck.

 

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[Cojo]

Hey guys, it has been sometime. I have some news.

Not long ago, I made a LinkedIn post about the importance of having a roofing website. A roofer contacted me on LinkedIn asking for sites I have done and what will be the costs.

I wasn't expected to get inbound leads so quickly. My plan was to have some content then contact roofers on LinkedIn so I wasn't prepared for this.

This could possibly be my first client in years.

Right now, I am creating some roofing websites to show him. I think it will be better to create one with his company information instead.

What do you guys think?

 

[enlightened]

Hey guys, it has been sometime. I have some news.

Not long ago, I made a LinkedIn post about the importance of having a roofing website. A roofer contacted me on LinkedIn asking for sites I have done and what will be the costs.

I wasn't expected to get inbound leads so quickly. My plan was to have some content then contact roofers on LinkedIn so I wasn't prepared for this.

This could possibly be my first client in years.

Right now, I am creating some roofing websites to show him. I think it will be better to create one with his company information instead.

What do you guys think?

Yes adding his logo to the mock design will be a good idea, but meanwhile send him a small questionnaire asking him what designs he likes and what he doesn't, and gather some ideas on how the mock should be.