12 replies to this topic

[mikeyboy63]

I focus on one small business sector within 50 miles of my home. I send letters to the owners introducing my services and giving them reasons to have me set them up with a company website. I just keep hitting the same businesses again and again and again.

I just wonder how other web designers get customers?

[castyna]

I've worked for such a company - 3 or 4 freelancer worked together. There was one person who search for ugly websites on the Internet and the second person sent offer (e-mail or just call them). They were succesful at this. Not every time, but often.

[mikeyboy63]

castyna, on Jun 6 2008, 04:34 PM, said:

I've worked for such a company - 3 or 4 freelancer worked together. There was one person who search for ugly websites on the Internet and the second person sent offer (e-mail or just call them). They were succesful at this. Not every time, but often.

That never occurred to me! Find bad sites and offer to redesign them. I think I'll give that a try. It's free. You can't beat free.

[castyna]

Try - you know, there are some institutions or firm that aren't aware of matter of having own good website. They have website made few (e.g. 10...) years ago and have no updating Some of them have already site in prepare - that is most annoying while calling.
Good luck

[networker]

I've done freelance coding for a lot of mickey mouse web sites.
Any site really is sort of 'mickey mouse' if it doesn't
have a half decent google ranking.Getting a good google ranking
is the tough part.These people have a lot of initial enthusiasm for they're sites
and it's sustaining that attitude which is the problem.
Theres just too many 'fly by nighters'.

[Ousk]

Well one way to do it is the method described above, search on rentacoder, or other freelancing sites, or again direct marketing. Visit firms that don't have a web page and make an offer. A lot of people that own a small or medium business don't aford the prices that some web design companies ask so they don't bother to look for other offers or just has their kid do a 3s site in frontpage.
Or just put a name on yourself, make a brand,don't advertise like: I am a freelanced looking for work. my name is bla bla call me. Make a company up like InoWeb or something and make an add for that and lie a little, like that you a are a group of ppl bla bla you founded the firm in 2003 bla bla.

[rpgsearcherz]

Along with what they're saying, make sure that you have a nice portfolio ready to show them. Usually people will want to see your previous work.

And a couple of tips to keep in mind:

1)Do not overexaggerate your abilities. If you do this, your chances of ever getting another job with that person again is lower. Which also leads to #2.

2)The happy customers are important, but so are unhappy ones. Just as much as one happy person can get others to use your services in the future, an unhapy one can also have a huge effect on keeping people *away* from your services.

[Echo_of_thunder]

rpgsearcherz, on Jan 5 2009, 04:52 PM, said:

Along with what they're saying, make sure that you have a nice portfolio ready to show them. Usually people will want to see your previous work.

And a couple of tips to keep in mind:

1)Do not overexaggerate your abilities. If you do this, your chances of ever getting another job with that person again is lower. Which also leads to #2.

2)The happy customers are important, but so are unhappy ones. Just as much as one happy person can get others to use your services in the future, an unhapy one can also have a huge effect on keeping people *away* from your services.

Agreeing with #1 very very much. Nothing I hate any more than someone saying Oh I am so good at doing sites, you will have the best on the net. and then what happends? it looks just like any other site around.

Also word of mouth is always good. do some small but freebie. just ask that they put a designed and edied by: on the site and a link to your site or sites. anything to get the word out.

[rpgsearcherz]

That's another good point. Contrary to how it may seem, doing free work can make you more money in the long run.

More or less what it does, if you find someone who can actually help market you, is give your name out to a lot of others.

It's actually a common thing for lawyers. You take a big case for free(especially if it will be in the newspapers) and you will have so much business because of it(assuming you win...Obviously if you suck at what you're doing it's not going to help you) that you won't know what to do with it all, .

Same thing with websites. If you can find someone who's site you think will be successful, the amount of publicity that you gain from it is well worth the effort you put into doing it for free. All in all, both of you win, .

But if you're not that good, obviously you won't want to go do work for free. It will just make others want you to do free work for them as well.

[aloKNsh]

haaa u should
because i had never in gaf
and whenever i get in they said i am outbidden
but i think they will be impressed by seeing the portfolio
make a good portfolio and they will bid on you