How I Secure Long-Term Clients for My Web Design Business

Written By Ryan Octosa

1. I close business deals in-person

I work primarily online, but not when it comes to the process of closing clients (at least for now).

I find it much easier to find prospects around where I am or from my network, meet them in-person, secure the deal, and then deliver my services remotely after that.

There are much less competition, and it is a lot easier to build trust.

2. I always aim to describe my client expectations in 1–2 sentences

The formula I use describe client expectations is simple:

  • What will I deliver?

  • How often will I deliver it?

To answer these two questions, I have to first listen to my prospect, ask questions to understand their needs, and then summarize them into one catch-all expectation.

Client expectation examples:

  • One new webpage layout delivered every 2–3 days

  • Minor text/image changes performed every 1–2 days

3. I simplify my pricing

In the client expectation formula that I use above, I frame my offer in terms how often my service will be delivered instead of when. The reason for this is because I want to implant in my clients' minds that they can easily engage my services continuously.

Pricing offer examples:

  • $x,xxx per month

  • x% from revenue per quarter

Which brings us to the next point...

4. I charge by the month, never by the hour

Charging by the hour might seem straightforward, but it is actually very problematic:

  • Clients will frequently experience uncertainty on how many hours something will cost—this is a friction to a recurring revenue stream

  • I often solve problems in my head when I am away from my computer—how would I bill that by the hour?

  • Hourly rates incentivizes slower, less efficient work

  • I would also have to constantly negotiate against myself on how many hours something will take

  • and many other reasons

When I charge by the month:

  • I am making it easy for clients to engage my services continuously

  • I am incentivized to work more efficiently wherever I am—not only when I am in front of the computer

  • Clients are more relaxed when they shift away from associating their money with an hourly output

5. I talk business with clients

One reason why a lot of developers and designers are finding it hard to get work is because they keep talking about coding languages or design tools they know, instead of talking about business.

Compare this:

"I am skilled in Laravel 5678, AngularJS, and converting a TIFF image to PSD"

versus: 

"If I add this feature to your website, users will be able to directly compare all the services you have side-by-side to improve conversion"

Which do you come across more often in resumes and design portfolios?

6. I barely have a website for my services

Because my prospects are very targeted and I spend more time talking about business with them, I have not found a dedicated website describing my services to be necessary (yet).

If I need to show a portfolio, I use a simple one-page website that I create and can edit quickly in Carrd.

7. I negotiate like an absolute hotshot

I will try my best to show the value of the service I am selling, but I am always ready to walk away from any deal.

When discussing a deal, if a prospect wants something that I know will be too disruptive to my operations, I will tell them no, sorry, can't do that.

The purpose of negotiation is not just to close deals, but to ensure efficient operations once a deal is in place so that it becomes a long-lasting relationship.

8. I explore my interests

In my business, I have also made some money from a creating a blog on language and travel, which are personal interests of mine. I've earned ad revenues and recurring affiliate payouts from language learning websites.

However, money isn't the main benefit from this pursuit. In retrospect, I have upgraded my website skill over the years by nerding it out on my interests, which I then apply in other parts of my business.

Ryan Octosa