Getting your first client, or your next, is probably the most tough part of doing your business. When I started as a freelance web developer, it took me about 4 months before I got my first client, probably because I did not know what I was doing, but eventually it worked. In this post, I’m going to share with you 6 ways to get clients online, and this doesn’t have to feel like mere luck. Let’s start with the obvious one-
1. Get a website
Your main client stream will be and is probably referrals. They bring in solid, qualified leads, but they are unreliable and unpredictable. You don’t know when you are going to be referred and if you’re just starting out looking for your first client, this is a different story altogether. Therefore, you need a website to refer you to potential clients. The first step in getting your business online is a website. A website will communicate your unique value proposition to potential prospects. Your website should have a section or page with your previous work showing how you have worked with previous clients, it’s okay if you don’t have work to show yet. Leave a link to your Calendly, so your prospects can book you on each portfolio details page. Use the homepage to capture your visitor’s attention and engage them to take action. Provide more information in your services pages showing clearly how your prospect will benefit from working with you and again leave contact information on each service page, make it easy for them to contact you. Speaking of contact brings us to the next section. Your contact page.
2. Optimize your contact page
Remember, I said you definitely need a website, well it won’t do you any good if your prospects cannot reach you from your website. That is where your contact page comes in. This is where all the magic happens. It allows you to capture interested prospects directly from your site while vetting and qualifying them.
At its core, a contact page features a simple lead capture form designed to gain new clients. Most websites have some sort of contact section, but usually added as an afterthought, with little consideration of their impact or purpose. But you’re smarter than that. Here are a few things you should consider in order to avoid unnecessary friction when creating your contact form.
Provide context
Whenever you want your visitors to take action on your website, give them a reason to, and your contact page is no different. If you want your prospects to fill out a form, convince them why they should. Some websites do this by including some clever copy before the form in order to persuade prospects to take action. We often take this part for granted, but we shouldn’t. Providing context around the form allows you to set expectations and remove any perceived risks associated with the form. At the very least, I recommend:
Thank your prospects for their interest in working with you, and let them know you’re excited to help them.
Let them know how long it’s going to take to complete the form before they start. This will help reduce any perceived friction associated with the length of the form.
Ask the right questions
You need to capture as much information as possible about your prospect without scaring them off with long forms. This allows you to quickly qualify your leads and chose who you want to work with. Basically, capture contact information, email, phone, name. Project information is the most important part of your contact form since it provides you with the details to qualify their project and determine if it’s the right fit. Examples of these fields could include project type, estimated budget, estimated timeframe for completion, and even the goal they are trying to achieve.
Add social proof
Even if your prospect is satisfied with your portfolio, they may still be uncertain whether to work with you. That’s why it is important to include social proof on your contact page. The best way to do this is to add a few client testimonials before or after the form, to help remove any doubts. Having other people share the positive experiences they’ve had working with you will not only lend to your perceived credibility, but will also help even the biggest skeptic feel more comfortable working with you.
3. Start a blog
Your website is as good as nothing if no one visits it, and that’s where your blog comes in. You may have come across the term content marketing, it involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services. Use your blog to educate your prospects on the problems that they are likely to face. Write posts on the problems they can solve on their own. Be it simple things like how to arrange your kitchen unit, for example. This will build trust and allow you to position yourself in your prospect’s mind as the go-to expert for interior design. A blog will also give you stable traffic from Google and allow you to rank in search results. But that on its own is worthless. You need to promote your business in the posts to advertise, but not advertising.
4. Local SEO
At some point, someone is going to search on Google “Interior designers near me”. Usually, these people have done their research and are ready to buy your services, so it’s important and to be there among the results and this is where local SEO comes into play. Submit your business to Google My Business, so you can show up in the results. Add your website your phone number to make it easy for your prospects to contact you.
5. Social media
Interior design is a visual field, so it makes sense to put most of your efforts on visual platforms like Instagram and Facebook. I’ve noticed most interior designers are on Instagram because it’s easier to show what you can do. But if you’ve done your research, you know where your prospects are going to be. Create a professional account branded with your logos and links to your website. Engage with other accounts. Use social media to distribute your content and drive traffic to your website. Not all content is created equal. For example, after posting an article on your site, create a slideshow based on that article and post it on Instagram.
6. Paid adverts
Up to this point, it seems all this requires you to have previous clients to make it work, and here is how to do it. You need to spend money to make money. This might sound counterintuitive, but that’s how you avoid having to spend 4 months looking for your first client or even your next. Create a nice flyer with all the pricing information and services you provide and the benefit your prospect gets if they worked with you. Try Instagram or Facebook ads to get first clients and build your portfolio.
I hope you found this useful, and remember these tips are not mutually exclusive; they work best together and are not some get client quick scheme. It might take some time at first, but eventually, you will see results.
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