There’s no doubt that nowadays it’s necessary to have a website if we want to have a competitive company. And, consequently, web development services are becoming one of the most demanded professions today.

The fact that we can do anything from a computer with just an idea in our minds is something we love. 

Below we will see how you can become a real web developer to exploit your skills to the fullest.

What is a web developer?

Let's start by defining what a web developer is. This is the professional who takes an idea and transforms it into a competitive website that solves the user's needs through commands and lines of code. 

This means that he is in charge of both the operational and the aesthetic part of the project, so he must have great knowledge about design and programming to achieve the objectives that were set. 

A website must always reflect the values and tone of the company so that customers see it as an extension of the company and so they can purchase the products and services they want. 

Thus, it’s a profession that has a great future and it’s time for you to take on the challenge to create a platform that catches the eye of users. 

How to find clients as a web developer?

Yes, being a freelancer is wonderful because you set your own fees and you work using your own schedule, but few talk about how complex it is at the beginning to get your first clients. 

Think about it, for a large company with a track record it’s quite easy to get a new client, but for someone like you who’s just starting out it’s quite the opposite. Nowadays the market is a sea of offers, where companies that develop web pages abound, but it’s not the same with clients, since you have to look for them even under the stones. 

In this sense, the key is to know how to offer your products and services to stand out from the competition and attract users for the quality of your work. Let's take a look at some tips to get your business off to a good start: 

1. Know your ideal consumer

The easiest way to offer something to someone is to know them inside out. It’s essential that you understand how the customer behaves, what needs he has, where he is in life and how he projects himself into the future. 

Here we recommend that you draw up a buyer persona profile so that you know exactly who you are targeting. Once you have it, it will be easier to communicate with them to offer them a service that will improve their quality of life. 

2. Create a reference website

Can you imagine going to a dentist whose teeth are a mess? Or what about a gardener whose garden is worse than yours? The truth is that it doesn't make much sense, and the same would happen if you offered a web service to a client with your website being worse than his. 

So, if you are going to offer this kind of service you have to make sure that your site is a reference. You cannot afford to have a project with errors because it will be your main enemy when it comes to getting new clients. 

The idea is that people see your website and want to have a similar one in their project. Therefore, dedicate time to the positioning and quality of the page and you will see how new opportunities will come to your business. 

3. Be honest with the public

Honesty will always be your friend no matter the circumstances. That's why we recommend creating a section on your page that explains who you are and what you offer through your services. 

The idea is to be specific and to mention those things that the client wants to know. Forget about boring biographies that do not contribute anything to the reader. 

If you are sincere and concise you will see how everything starts to work.

4. Give love to your blog

We have few words to explain how important it is to have a blog in your business. It’s the perfect tool to make yourself known to the public, show that you are a specialist in the field and position yourself at the top of Google. 

In this sense, you have to focus both on your services and on the quality of the content you publish on the blog. In this way, if you publish one article a week you will have 52 new chances of appearing in the top search results. 

Give it a try and watch the numbers start to grow. 

5. Create quality content

Closely related to the previous point: it’s not only about creating a blog and publishing texts; they must have the highest quality possible so that users see that you are the ally they need for their business. 

The idea is to combine pieces of content in different formats, i.e. one week you can focus on videos, another on a podcast and another on written content. Everything will depend on the analysis of your target audience to determine what they need at each moment. 

If your content is of quality and truthful, customers will trust you and will contact you confident that you are the person they need. 

6. Offer a subscription gift

It’s true that there are no magic formulas to get customers, but something that gives many results is offering a subscription gift right away for the customer to see what you have for him. 

Of course, to achieve this it’s essential that your content is useful and attractive, because no one will leave their data on a website that doesn’t respond to the user's needs. 

Once you have their data you can give them that gift that will improve their quality of life. This way you will gain their trust in a short time and you will have the opportunity to offer them your products and services. 

7. Focus on local businesses

Today Google's algorithm is completely different than it was years ago. Nowadays it gives a lot of importance to mobile searches and geolocation, so that's where you should focus. 

This way, if you notice which businesses are close to you, you will be able to offer them the web development service they need so much. 

Many small stores don't have websites because they don't have the knowledge and budget to hire large companies. However, if you come up with a suitable price, you will be able to give them a solution to their inconveniences. 

8. Get visibility

Visibility is key to success on the Internet. If you have a website, you want as many users to see your content as possible, because that way you will have a better chance of conversion and sales as long as it is the right audience. 

So, if you are starting out you can pay for campaigns on google ads and social networks to get that boost you need. Once you have a minimal presence it will be easier to get customers. 

9. Be omnipresent

You can't aspire to be successful as a web services company if you are not present everywhere. It may sound excessive, but clients need to see you on as many sites as possible. 

Once you have detected in which channels your users are active, you must dedicate time and resources to appear there. In this way and with a little patience you will get the traffic you need to get your first customers. 

10. Promote your business on social networks

It’s almost impossible to be successful on the Internet if you don’t promote your services on social networks. Nowadays most of the traffic to websites comes from social profiles, which means that customers first go to networks like Instagram and Twitter and then click on the links they are interested in. 

Therefore, focus on creating valuable content on the networks your audience uses, nurture your profile and develop a proper strategy to improve positioning on these platforms. 

11. Participate in online forums

Little is said about the importance of online forums when it comes to building a brand. Yes, most of the traffic comes from Google, but we cannot ignore the fact that discussion sites on specific topics are essential to improve your positioning. 

Twitter and especially Facebook have groups where very particular topics are discussed. So, your job is to do a keyword search to detect the virtual spaces where people talk about what your business is interested in.

12. Networking

Networking is defined as the ability to establish relationships with other professionals in our area to increase our database or to create an alliance. 

For example, if you are a freelance developer, it’s very interesting to talk to other colleagues to learn about their way of working or to make a collaboration that benefits both parties. 

This way you will soon make a name for yourself in the market and clients will come to you on autopilot. 

13. Talk about your company

From a young age we were told that it was not quite right to speak well of ourselves, but in the world of entrepreneurship this can be counterproductive. 

Who is going to talk about our brand if we don't do it ourselves first? So, start by attending events and don't be afraid to promote the services and benefits of your product. You might feel weird at first, but when you see the results you will forget any previous paradigm you have in your head. 

14. Participate and attend digital events

The more you participate in physical and virtual events, the more likely you are to be seen by your ideal consumer. Therefore, focus on creating valuable content and communicating with other entrepreneurs in your niche to get invitations to as many events as possible. 

Two stand out here: webinars and podcasts. The latter are very powerful, and the voice continues to generate that closeness that causes loyalty and recognition in users, so if you want to take your business to the next level you should create a podcast or get invited to one. 

15. Collaborate with other professionals

We are in the age of collaboration, not so much competition. Yes, it might sound strange, but with so much on offer nowadays it’s better to think about collaboration strategies than about trying to destroy the competition. 

So, if you are just starting out in web development, you can create strategies to collaborate with other freelancers who already have more experience in the market. Believe us that if you do so, you will have an advantage over those who decide to work alone. 

16. Get good testimonials

Getting clients is important, but having them speak well of you is even more important if you're looking to build a long-term brand. 

Therefore, every time a user is happy with your services, ask them to make a recommendation in your comments section. This way, in a very short time you will see how sales will increase dramatically, because there is nothing more powerful than word of mouth advertising.