How to Get my First WordPress Design Client?

Treehouse has some business courses for that:

• How To Freelance - Finding Your First Project
• How To Run A Web Design Business - Marketing and Promotion
• How To Market Your Business

To get an idea of prices in your area, you can contact local companies and ask for their typical rates. Or if it really varies, find a Wordpress site they've created and ask them how much "something like that" would cost. There are also a lot of agencies who outsource their Wordpress work to independent developers - it may be worth sending some of them your resume!

Thanks for the great response, Neal! I'm going to begin those courses right now!

I like your suggestion to work with an agency who outsources their work. My only concern there is what to put on my resume. I'm working on a personal blog right now where I discuss concepts in business books I read, and reveal to the world some of my own innovative and breakthrough business ideas.

I can put that on a resume as an example of my work, but I'm not sure what else I would include.

You will need a few sites or samples of work, even to get subcontracted work from other agencies. When I was re-establishing myself after a long hiatus, I went on some national sites that post Volunteer opportunities - where charities post their needs for pro bono work or needing volunteers. I found some listings of charities looking for re-designs of their websites and offered my services in exchange for using their work in my portfolio and for use as a reference/recommendation. They gladly accepted and it all worked out well.

For me it was a little different. I once had a successful web design firm and sold it to start another business. I decided I wanted to get back into web design/SEO so I had some sites I could still use from before, and testimonials. When I started that old firm, I got the majority of my work by buying mailing lists and sending a printed newsletter to people on the list. It only took a small percentage of respondents to give me a good ROI. However, this probably wouldn't work in today's environment.

As far as the pro bono, I went to VolunteerMatch and searched the Virtual opportunities and found a fairly large, well-organized group in TX that was animal rescue (a cause that I am passionate about). I looked at many before picking that one and talked to them about what I wanted out of it, and also the reasons I wanted to help them (love dogs, looking to build portfolio, etc.). The head of the group put a Testimonial on my LinkedIn profile when I was done, which I also use on my site and everywhere else. She also will talk to potential clients on the phone, if needed (never has had to) to give me a reference.

Also, volunteer to do your child's school FB page/newsletter/website (or child's anything - 4-H, paintball group, your church, etc.). The parents hear you are doing that and word gets around. Some will be business owners who will need your services. If you don't have kids, do you have a friend/sibling with kids? Parents tend to be trusting of other parents (aunts/uncles) and are likely to use you or at least recommend you. If there is a private school in your area, often the parents tend to be the area's business owners. If you can get a gig doing work for them (even free), it's a good way to get visible to that crowd.

Here are some other ideas:

E-leads (I have heard mixed results from buying leads from sources where they promise to deliver fresh leads from companies wanting services like yours. One designer swears by it and one says it doesn't usually get him much. They aren't cheap. I've never done it. I know of an IT company who has good results from some type of Appointment Setting company)

LinkedIn - try to post in Discussion forums, build your contact list (it's pretty easy), join groups. Get your name out there as an authority on what you do.

Put your name into as many Ad Agencies and big Web/SEO firms as you can, even in other cities far away, if you are willing to take their subcontracted work as a jumping off point. It doesn't pay well but it builds your portfolio and can sometimes lead to private work. You can't steal their clients but you can use the work you do to get "in" to a certain type of clientele.

Respond to Help Wanted ads looking for part-time web/SEO employees and sway them into using you as a freelancer instead (they will save on employment taxes, etc.). I have picked up accounts this way. These are usually small businesses (that's why they can only afford P/T). You can offer them a monthly flat fee for a certain amount of work and gradually increase your billing amount over time as they grow. You will see ads on Craigslist, ZipRecruiters, your local paper and all over.

I think someone said to team up with a company that is similar but not the same as you. For example, a company that produces trade show booths and signs would not do web/SEO but often have clients ask them if they do. Get your name out to companies like these and offer to send business their way too.

And the most tried and true but very time consuming method, find websites that have problems and email them and let them know. It can't be a canned email. It has to be something like "Hi everyone, I am a regular customer of your pizza shop - order every Friday night, in fact - and noticed that you don't show up in the search engines for Nameofyourtown pizza plus you don't have your menu on the site. I also can't see your site very well on my Apple iphone which prevents me from placing an order on the road, like I like to do.

I do web development and can make your site extraordinarily better, getting it strong Google placement and helping deliver more customers and sales. My number is 00000000 or email me. How about we talk this afternoon?" or along those lines. I'm sure you can write something better. It's not really spam, it is a customer inquiry. And if you send out enough, you will get some people calling you back.

Speaking engagements - I have not done these but my competition does which is helping them grow faster than me. I have a fear of public speaking and it keeps me from trying. If I could team with someone in my business who was good at public speaking, I would book engagements all over the place - workshops, conferences, whatever, starting with my local Chamber of Commerce and moving up It really establishes your credibility and the people attending are obviously interested in the subject or in possibly hiring you.

Hope those ideas help. I love to meet people but hate cold calling so I refuse. If something works for you that isn't listed here I would love to hear about it.

P.S. ALWAYS handwrite a thank you note to anyone who talks to you on the phone or meets with you. It sets you apart. Nobody does this anymore. And collect business cards everywhere you meet someone and organize and store them. It's a treasure trove - you'll see.

Speaking of "treasure trove," your email response was totally above and beyond! And incredibly helpful!

I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to type out all that valuable information, Mary. You have really got the cogs turning in my brain on how to get this wagon rolling!

I actually like the idea of doing speaking engagements. I was just told by a cab driver a few days ago that I have a "commanding voice," and I think my stature (I'm 6'4") and confidence help too. People naturally view me as a leader, so this sounds like a great way to take advantage of that. I guess I would just need to get a few paying clients, and then I could do my first lecture on the topic of getting your first few clients! haha Would a Word Camp be a good venue to look into for that? I know Zac from Treehouse, who is the teacher for many of the WordPress videos I've learned from, does speaking at those.

I also hate cold calling as well. I like meeting people and networking, just not when the other party is not expecting my correspondence.

I like the idea of hand writing a note. I still do that for friends and family occasionally, because as you say nobody does this anymore and it makes a more indelible impression. So why not do it in the business world as well.

One update on my end since my last message is that I met my first non-paid client in Las Vegas last weekend. I was there for my birthday, and had a flight delay that ended up keeping me there an extra day, during which time I ran into an artist I had met there 5 months prior. I offered to create a WordPress blog for him to display his work and write a few paragraph blurbs about the inspiration behind each. He is enthusiastic about the idea, and we have exchanged a few emails and phone calls to determine what he wants, so now I've begun work on an HTML prototype.

Based on all your feedback, do you think we could use this thread as a means of communication? Or perhaps some other medium if that works for you. I'd love to keep you informed how things are developing for me using your advice, and also hear what you're up to. Let me know.

Warm Regards,

Sam Fitz