We’re leading off our five part web design process series by answering a question we get asked a lot: “How do I get web design clients?”.
It’s only natural to start the series addressing clients and relationships. After all, without clients, there are no projects. In this article I’ll walk you through our method for finding new business, initial conversations, and what to keep an eye on when evaluating a new client relationship. Let’s get started!
Ways we get web design clients
At 45royale, my job as Project Manager is to be an active participant in all of the web design projects that we are a part of. That includes onboarding every new client as they come through the door.
You might be asking, “So, how does 45royale get web design clients then?”. The majority of the clients we work with come to us in one of two ways. Either they’ve seen our work featured somewhere and reach out to us via our Get Started page or are referrals from previous clients.
Of those two methods, word-of-mouth referrals have been, by far, the best way for us to get web design clients.
Of those two methods, word-of-mouth referrals have been, by far, the best way for us to get web design clients. Once they’re referred, we immediately put them in to our onboarding process and get the ball rolling.
But the project is not a done deal yet. You’l want o make sure this potential partnership is a good fit. Let’s have a look at things to keep an eye on when starting a project relationship.
What to look for in a web design client
Deciding if a client is a match for your company is not always an easy task. Many companies take anyone and everyone that comes their way. I can understand that, we all have bills to pay.
However, if you want to ensure a successful and pleasant work experience for everyone involved, you might have to take a more judicious approach.
Sure, I might be fortunate enough to land us a lucrative and cutting edge project. But if the client is argumentative and unreasonable, it’s likely they will frustrate the team and adversely impact our ability to maximize creativity and hit deadlines. Make no mistake, these are red flags.
No matter how the client lands on our doorstep, it’s important to keep a top-level view of the situation and not be drawn in too quickly.
But it’s still early on in the process, so some of these red flags aren’t total deal breakers. Sometimes people have their guards up and there can be a certain level of posturing at the beginning of a project.
However, they certainly serve as your first clues in determining if this relationship will work out once the project begins. If the potential client is doing this now, what does this relationship look like 6 weeks from now with an intense schedule and a looming deadline?
Bottom line, go with your gut
As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is especially true when it comes to initial client meetings.
Is the potential client rude? Are they making unreasonable demands or setting unrealistic deadlines? Are they asking for deliverables before a contract is signed?
All of these shortcomings should be reason enough to pack your bags and head quickly towards the door. I know, it may seem hard to do—especially you’re anxious to get things started (or to cash that first check).
But believe me, you will be doing yourself a favor by making a quick exit now before the proverbial “shit” hits the fan.
What to expect in Part 2 of my series
In the next part of our web design process series we’ll cover web design contracts. And spoiler alert, you should definitely have one.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, please feel free to leave a comment below. See you in the next article!
