top of page
Writer's pictureMaida Barrientos

Landing Your First Wordpress Site Client


So you took a Wordpress course, now what? Do you want to land your first wordpress client?

Will you be able to get $1000 to 5000 per month instantly? THE ANSWER IS NO. NOT yet that is.

To be a successful freelancer using Wordpress you must be focused and you have to adapt the ever changing times.

If you truly believe you have a valuable skill to offer that would benefit another business owner or agency, don’t be afraid to let them know.

Here are proven tips to land your first wordpress site client : (I should know because this is the exact steps I've taken 15 years back and I'm pretty sure, it will still work now.)

STEP 1 : PRODUCE A MODERN MINIMALIST RESUME

Personally, I have been receiving a lot of resumes to work under me and my company but the ones I truly save and read are the more personable ones. There are a lot of online resume builders out there but these stand out for me.

Also it should be up on the web or hosted online, remember you want to get hired as a wordpress site manager right?

HOST your resume online for free

You can use DIDPROFILE.COM to host all your links in one site and add your resume link there as well.

They're free and you can even customize your domain name.

They're profile builder is sooo simple and sooo clean.

STEP 2. PREPARE YOUR EMAIL FOR REACH OUT

The ability to contact prospects over email is both a blessing and a curse — a blessing in that you have direct access to your ideal clientele.

If you’ve never sent a cold pitch via email, or you’re looking to buff up your current template, here’s an example you can build off of:


Subject: Chat about your website? (I’d love to help out)

Hey (prospects name),

I hope you don’t mind me reaching out — by way of introduction, my name is (your name) and I (job function) at (your business name). Over the last year, we’ve helped (number) companies like (company name), (company name), and (company name) solve their web design pain points by (your solution).

I thought we could help (prospect’s business) do the same!

Upon first glance, there are many things that your website is doing well:

  1. (compliment 1)

  2. (compliment 2)

  3. (compliment 3)

But there are also things that could be better:

  1. (suggestion 1)

  2. (suggestion 2)

  3. (suggestion 3)

This is where (your business name) comes in. If you’re interested in rebuilding your website, please let me know and I’d be more than happy to help you out! To get you started, I’ve attached a case study for (company name) — a company in a similar position, so you can see the benefits of this type of project.

Thanks for your consideration and please do reach out if you have any questions.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

(your name)

Say you just found someone on LinkedIn, and from what you can gather they are the living incarnation of your perfect client. You have the opportunity to meet them in person, so you’ll need a pitch that really wows them — or they may not give you the time of day. Ouch.

This is where an elevator pitch comes in handy. If you’ve never heard of it, an elevator pitch is a 30-second explanation of who you are, what you do, and why the person you’re pitching should listen. It’s based on the theory that, if you’re in an elevator with someone, you only have 30 seconds to get your point across.

According to MindTools, there are four components of a great elevator pitch:

  1. Introduce yourself and your objectives

  2. Explain what it is you do

  3. Identify what makes you unique (think USP)

  4. Engage your audience with a question

Put together, your elevator pitch might look a little something like this:


Hi, my name is Tanya Smith. My business uses web design and development to create custom ecommerce websites, and content management systems. This means business owners spend less time tracking orders and inventory in their online store, and more time focusing on crafting great products.

Unlike other companies, we take the time to survey our client’s target audience and user-test our end products. Because of this, our client’s see 20 percent more sales year-over-year than their competitors.

So, how do you manage your online store?

After the first contact

So, you’ve written your email, or practiced your elevator pitch, and you’ve reached out to your prospect. Now what?

Well, one of two things will happen.

If you emailed your prospect:

  1. You’ll hear back.

  2. You won’t hear back.

Or…

If you pitched your prospect in-person:

  1. You’ll get a positive response with a prompt to follow-up regarding your services.

  2. You’ll get polite conversation, but no real interest (identified through conversational “blow offs”).

If you hear back, or get a positive response, great! That’s the warm lead you need, to get more web design and development clients and work. Now you can move towards identifying if they’re a good fit, or at least qualify their potential as a lead.

But, what do you do if you don’t hear back, or get the cold shoulder? How can you be persistent about the benefits of your services, without being annoying to your prospect?

It’s all about timing, personalization, and patience.

STEP 3. LET'S FIND US SOME CLIENTS

Resume done. Hosted on Didprofile.com done. Now let's find some clients.

Here's my SECRET and not-so-secret anymore tip.

Yep, the old craigslist.

Why? It's free, and there are millions of people looking for people to work for them and they can be under jobs, or gigs.

See how I checked the tickbox on telecommute?

Now how would you approach a possible client using Craigslist? So of course you need to create an account right? And then you can email them personally and then send them your resume link.

2. RFPDB

Let’s start with this freebie.

The RFP Database (RFPDB) gives users the ability to browse RFPs from a variety of industries, with no monthly subscription fee — and has a pretty robust web development section.

You can even save searches and set up email alerts, making RFPDB a great option for businesses looking to start bidding on RFPs, or looking for an inexpensive way to find more RFP opportunities.

3. FindRFP

If you’re looking for contracts specific to the government and public sector, FindRFP is a service that allows both US and Canadian agencies to post their RFPs online.

FINDRFP offers a free trial, if your business is interested in trying it, with a low monthly price tag if you choose to continue with the service. For $19.95/month for up to four states, or $29.95/month for US and Canada-wide searching, there are plenty of web design and development opportunities to be found here.

Step in to automated way of finding job leads, everyone, hear hear.

You can avoid all of those hours of searching for leads by subscribing to RemoteLeads. We find the best leads, vet them, and send them to you via email. It’s a good way to make sure you have a steady stream of potential leads coming in.

STEP 4. MINE PERSONAL NETWORK and REFERRALS

That said, you generally can’t just sit back and wait for clients to come find you. Instead, you’ll need to get out there and network to show the world what you’ve got.

Networking can be done online (they’re called social networks for a reason) or in person. And it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds.

I have a friend who used to do the occasional freelance project management gig on the side for a small consulting firm. The job paid $25/hour — but after a while, she wanted to earn more because:

  1. The firm’s owner was very disorganized and non-responsive.

  2. $25/hour didn’t add up to as much as she wanted to earn.

So I suggested that she do two things: Ask her current clients for referrals and raise her price for them.

As it turned out, one of her favorite clients was more than happy to refer her to someone he knew at a different organization.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” she told me one day. “I quoted him $50 an hour and he didn’t even blink. Shit! I should have asked for more.”

YES! That’s what I’m talking about.

Here’s why referrals work so well:

  1. Always raise your price when you get referred. A lot of freelancers fall into the trap of keeping their rates the same when they get referred thinking that their old client told the potential client your rate (they didn’t). DON’T DO THIS!! Your old client added more value to your work by recommending you. Reflect that in a higher rate.

  2. More incentive to do good work. This is yet another example of why you want to treat every client that comes your way with respect while going above and beyond to provide them world-class service. There are always areas where you can add value, and it’ll only help your client and yourself.

  3. You get higher-quality clients. If you charge more, that means you’ll start to weed out the high-quality clients who can afford you from the lower quality ones. Also, by paying you more, they’re less likely to waste your time and money. It’s a win-win.

  4. Blow up your income. My friend went from $25 an hour full time ($52,000 per year before taxes) to $50 an hour ($104,000 per year before taxes). This is a MASSIVE WIN.

Referrals are a simple yet powerful way to start charging more. Not only does it allow you to increase your rates, but you’re also able to gain more clients.

And the best way to ask for a referral is right after you’ve delivered a high-value product to your client.

Did you…

  1. Just finish a landing page that generated a ton of qualified leads?

  2. Create an email campaign with a record-high open rate?

  3. Have a blog post go viral and increase traffic by 200%?

Once you’ve delivered great service, you can ask for referrals and rest easy in the knowledge that your client will want to tell others about your work.

In conclusion, when trying to find new clients, you should be focused and streamlined. You can do that 2 to 3 hours a day and there will be at the least 5 leads a week.

How did you land your first job as a WordPress developer? Are you thinking about trying your luck out as a freelancer? Let us know in the comments! 
0 views0 comments

Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet

Add a rating
bottom of page