So, you want to book those high rolling, dream clients for your web design business? But you’re wondering, how do I make that transition? How do I attract these high-end clients?
The end product for your client is an important piece of the puzzle, yes, but you need to also be looking at how you put yourself forward AND your client experience.
Otherwise, those clients will quickly feel a disconnect between your services and the experience you offer.
Let’s look at the top 4 ways you can up-level yourself and your business to start attracting the clients you want.
Offer a complete, end-to-end experience for your clients
If you have read this recent post of mine, The Benefits of Diversifying Your Skillset As A Graphic Designer, you will know I am a big fan of providing a complete solution for clients, by becoming skilled in multiple areas of design. By refining my skills to offer diverse services, I can support my clients through their business journey from start to finish without having to hand them off to someone else at the website stage.
This means the client project will be consistent and on-brand the entire time, will be a much smoother process for the client, and places you in a position of trust with them. This will ultimately build your own reputation and will most likely prompt clients to refer you to similar caliber clients.
Provide a comprehensive client journey
From start to finish, your client experience should reflect the price that you are demanding. Client support can get a little lost when in the midst of a busy project, but if you see the project from the client’s point of view, that support and communication are some of the key aspects that they have with their project.
From your New Client Welcome Kit to an organised client project portal to the timely handover of deliverables, the experience should be smooth and efficient.
Communication and organisation are ultimately the two aspects of the client experience that you should focus on, which will put you forward as a high-end professional in the clients’ eyes.
This whole process can take a bit of tweaking, but there are so many programs that can help with the automation of this experience, my personal favourite being Dubsado!
Nail your aesthetic
If you want to book higher-end clients you need to be able to attract higher-paying clients. And to do so, your work should reflect the premium product that you deliver AND your personal brand aesthetic should reflect the high-end design experience that you provide. It’s crucial that both pieces of the puzzle are included, otherwise, those clients will quickly feel a disconnect between your services and the experience you offer.
As designers, it’s easy to often overlook our own aesthetics when we are so focused on our clients.
This will obviously depend on your branding and what kind of client you are looking to attract but always aim to be consistent across all platforms.
Practise your sales method
I know, icky. But this is still such a crucial part of any business as a freelancer.
And while a sales pitch may not come naturally to a creative like yourself, it’s something to work on if you aspire to hit those higher-income goals and book those dreamy clients. I understand the resistance to sales calls though; it can be especially awkward when so many of us are taught that talking about money is frowned upon or taboo. Saying numbers out loud and often to ourselves is so important to get comfortable with talking about money with your clients.
Try having the mindset of how your services will transform their business and the value you provide, instead of focusing on just the cost of the service. There’s no need to avoid it, though – a business owner will see the value or they won’t, and if they don’t, then they are not the client for you!
Do you think your freelance business could improve in any of these aspects?
If you are looking for a framework to improve your web design process, download my free e-book, The Web Designer Starter Kit: 5 Step Framework To Start Designing and Building Websites.
