By 
By Ram Kezel
The New Year will be here in five weeks. If you’re a freelancing developer, you probably would like the New Year to bring new clients for you. Well, it won’t happen on its own, but you can take care of it yourself. Here are 11 tips on how to start 2020 on the right foot by getting new clients.
#1 Tip: Take Care Of Yourself First
Even though you are thinking about new clients, the first step is to take care of yourself. We are talking about your personal website. When people need a developer, they tend to ask for recommendations and then check the recommended person online. When a potential client opens your website, you want it to work flawlessly.
Check your website design, update your portfolio with the latest projects, and be sure that everything will load seamlessly. A leading web hosting provider Hostinger data shows, approximately 25% of people leave a website if it loads for longer than four seconds. And you don’t want to lose those people who could become your clients.
#2 Tip: Get Into The Spotlight On Social Media
Like you are reading this article, to get useful information, your future clients are doing the same. They are reading tips on how to choose a developer. And one such article suggests this tip: “Before jumping into anything, know who you’re going to work with. Find the developer you’re considering on social media.“ Keep your social media account in perfect and representative shape.
#3 Tip: Make A Call, Even If It’s A Cold One
Cold calls might sound like an unpleasant task, but they do the trick. The data from HubSpot shows that only about a third of cold calls even result in a conversation. But if you make 50 calls, you might get 15 conversations. If you convince at least a third of those people to work with you, you end up with 5 new clients.
To be one step further, be smart about your calling list. Do a background check of the business you will approach. Check their activity to evaluate are they still in the industry. Investigate their website. If you can find a bug in it, it can be a good conversation starter. Avoid sounding judgmental. Offer your help instead.
#4 Tip: Organize Your Contacts Well
It’s a good idea to create a sheet of all your contacts so that no one would get lost. If you are making cold calls, mark all the answers. Even though people might decline your offer now, they might mention their plans. Note them. Make a list of your previous clients check them out occasionally. If you see that you can improve some little detail, give them a call. If clients see you as a caring professional, they’ll be more willing to recommend you for others.
#5 Tip: Check Your Friends’ Projects
It’s a great thing that you have found your calling as a developer. Now it’s a great time to check what your friends are up to. There is a good chance that they are starting their own business or projects, and your services would be useful for them.
Working with your friends can be beneficial on many levels. They are not only buying your services, but they can also encourage you. Forbes states that “friends remind you of your strengths, successes, and goals when you feel discouraged or defeated.” If you are new in the business, friends can bring you not only new projects but also confidence.
#6 Tip: Give Freelancing Tools A Try
Since freelancing is getting more and more popular, new tools like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal are appearing to help freelancers. The main advantage is that it saves your time. You create your portfolio and get offers suitable for your specializations.
Another advantage is the payment system. Since some people are trying to take advantage of freelancers, those tools ensure fair payment for your work.
#7 Tip: Visit Meet Up’s Once In A While
Cold calls can do the trick, but don’t miss out on opportunities to meet people face-to-face. Check your local meet up’s, pick the most suitable for you, and get to know people in your field.
People from a similar field might not become your clients, but there’s a chance for collaboration. When meeting new people, don’t forget your business cards. It might sound outdated, but the cards are irreplaceable in such places. So, print out your cards and go to a local meet up.
#8 Tip: Don’t Be Networking Hard, Do It Smart
If you aren’t a fan of small talks, you should be networking smartly. Look for people that might need your services more than once. For example, it could be an association of small businesses, which helps to launch new firms.
Or you could approach a publishing house. They might need a website for every new book they release. Get to know producers. They are discovering and promoting new artists. If you can impress someone like that, you can get several orders from a single person.
#9 Tip: Give A Helping Hand For A Non-Profit
Microsoft sees philanthropy as an essential value. On their website, they write: “We believe technology can be a powerful force for social good, but we know technology alone won’t solve the world’s challenges. That’s why we partner closely with governments, nonprofits, and the private sector to foster collective action.“
If you aren’t loaded with your current projects, do one for a non-profit organization. Social responsibility is valuable in the market. A person that takes care of those in need is seen as a trustworthy individual. Since non-profit organizations interact with many people, they are going to hear about their new website as well. In the long run, this might bring new clients to you.
#10 Tip: Find Yourself A Niche
When looking for new clients, you can try to narrow down all the possibilities and find yourself a niche. If you have several similar projects in your portfolio, people from related businesses might see you as a go-to professional for this field.
Check the current situation of various businesses: dental clinics, children’s daycares, or local camping sites. Those are the places that sometimes tend to ignore their websites, even though people look them up mostly online. SimpleProgrammer suggests searching for questions on Quora, which demonstrate the appetite for content around your niche.
#11 Tip: Be As Good As Possible And A Little Bit More
The most pleasant way to get new clients is over recommendations. But to be recommended, it is not enough to be just good. Be the best, both in your work and communication with the client.
Executive Director of Media at AutoAlert Joey Little states that consumers are 92% more likely to trust their peers over advertising when it comes to purchasing decisions. If you can get those recommendations, you can forget the need for advertising.
Hillary DePiano said: “We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.” If you want to start your New Year with new clients, pick at least one tip and begin today:
#1 Tip: Take Care Of Yourself First: make your personal website flawless.
#2 Tip: Get Into The Spotlight On Social Media: people will look you up, be ready for it.
#3 Tip: Make A Call, Even If It’s A Cold One: don’t be afraid to do that, cold calls work!
#4 Tip: Organize Your Contacts Well: mark every word people say and remain in touch.
#5 Tip: Check Your Friends’ Projects: if a childhood friend is starting a business, work together.
#6 Tip: Give Freelancing Tools A Try: tools are here to help you, give them a chance.
#7 Tip: Visit Meet Up’s Once In A While: face-to-face contact can start new collaborations.
#8 Tip: Don’t Be Networking Hard, Do It Smart: look for people who will need you more than once.
#9 Tip: Give A Helping Hand For A Non-Profit: be socially responsible, karma will pay you back.
#10 Tip: Find Yourself A Niche: instead of looking for clients, become the person clients look for.
#11 Tip: Be As Good As Possible And A Little Bit More: always make an extra step!
Kezel is Public Relations Coordinator at Hostinger. He could be reached: [email protected]
