![\"attract-better-clients-working\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/09\/attract-better-clients-working.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re under pressure and looking for traction, it can be tempting to take on these over-extended jobs just to get some money in the door. But as much as it\u2019s possible, do not compromise. You might make a quick buck, but what you\u2019ll really end up doing is sabotage. You\u2019ll dilute your brand, undermine your value, expend a ton of energy that you could be devoting to business-building, and find it that much harder to stick to your guns next time. Do yourself a favor and just don\u2019t go there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how do you climb up the client-quality ladder and start attracting better clients to your web design business? Here are five ways to get started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Get Really Clear on Your Ideal Customer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You need to know who your target is. Once you\u2019ve settled on the population that you serve best, start researching them. You probably already have a sense of where to get started, based on your previous interactions with these folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do your ideal customers want? What do they think they need? What do they think they\u2019re looking for, and what do they actually need?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve established who you\u2019re looking for, it\u2019s time to find them. Where do they hang out, in person and online? Start showing up in their watering holes. Guest blogging is a great way to do this, as is being active in Facebook groups, meet-ups, and the like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have a good sense of what your ideal clients want or think they need, gear your copy and brand messaging toward that. For example, a fitness expert isn\u2019t going to get any clients by selling a program that will \u201chelp you achieve optimum wellness\u201d when what the client really wants is to lose weight. You might know that they need \u201coptimum wellness,\u201d but no one lies awake at night thinking about how to achieve optimum wellness\u2026they\u2019re thinking about how they really want to lose weight. So that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to search for, respond to, and buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you get your clients on \u201cthe inside,\u201d you can educate them about what they really need (maybe, if it\u2019s necessary). But to attract them in the first place, you need to be the solution to the problem they think they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This might seem counter-intuitive, but it\u2019s a common tale to hear a designer raising his or her prices and suddenly getting more inquiries from better clients. There\u2019s a sweet spot of value-seekers (as opposed to price-shoppers) who understand that they\u2019ll have to pay real money to get something good. Your pricing will either attract or repel those potential clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So should you publish your rates? That\u2019s entirely up to you. Even if you don\u2019t make a price sheet available, you can build an \u201cunderstanding\u201d of your rates into your copy with context clues and even testimonials. You could also add a budget range drop-down in your client questionnaire to give your prospective client a sense of what an appropriate budget range could be. When you communicate your pricing, you might get fewer inquiries and even fewer customers, but the overall quality of your leads will go up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With things like scope creep and high-maintenance tendencies lurking around every corner, you\u2019ll really do yourself a favor by getting crystal-clear on expectations before onboarding a client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure your prospects know exactly what they\u2019re getting before they try to hire you. That means you\u2019ve clearly stated things like your availability by email and phone, your insistence on one point of contact, and your right to adjust the project fees when the client changes gears (or takes too long to respond). That way, if your ideal client wants to have check-in phone calls twice a week and you haaaaaate being on the phone, you\u2019ll know not to take this one on\u2026or to bump all your prices up 20% to account for the hassle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your best clients aren\u2019t unicorns. They probably hang out with other folks who would be ideal clients for you. A fantastic way to tap into those circles is to set up a referral-generating machine. Offer special deals or other incentives for your best clients when they come to you for repeat work and when they send referrals to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many designers advise against offering discounts, but you may want to consider using discounts or bonuses (like an extra month of maintenance or a free website review) for these clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [twitter_link]Attracting great clients is about finding them, understanding them, and keeping them happy.[\/twitter_link] Once you\u2019re able to nail all three of those down, you\u2019ll be set!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your biggest question when it comes to finding clients?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Are you familiar with the triple constraint? It\u2019s a project management term that deals with the three restrictions on any project: time, cost, and quality (or scope). As a project-based creative professional, your business lives and dies by this principle. The thing you must internalize about the triple constraint (also called the \u201ciron triangle\u201d) is…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":297,"featured_media":19188,"template":"","resource-topic":[],"resource-role":[],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-19077","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"attract-better-clients-facebook\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/09\/attract-better-clients-facebook.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Make Your Offer About the End Result<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Raise Your Prices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Set Expectations Right From the Beginning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"attract-better-clients-phone\"](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/09\/attract-better-clients-phone.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Build a Referral System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n