Hi All,
Just wondering, how do all you web designers drup up new business? I doubt that many of you just stick up a web site and wait for the clients to come knocking. What works best in your experience - cold calling, posters, newspaper ads?

Also, when you do get a client, what's the best way to get paid? I've heard a third up front, a third on design completion and a third on go-live. Is that the way to go?
Thanks for reading.
Bearaman

Best way of getting business... word of mouth. I ran my business for 2 years without having my own website up there. All the business came from referrals. It's the exact same today. The site is only a way of showcasing the portfolio and for people to find me. If I think back at all the jobs I've had in the past 12 months, each of them have come from someone I know or worked with, passing on my name. Maybe some networking as well. Getting involved in a business network gets your name passed around.

I don't go looking for business, it comes to me. I know so many other designers/developers in the same boat. If you're good at what you do, you won't have to look for work. I know myself, and a good few others I talked to, that a lot of us are turning down business because we're so busy. I'm still trying to learn that magic word - "no" - and it's hard to do.

Every project is different but for brochure sites, I normally do 20% deposit, 20% on design approval, and 60% on completion. It leaves a nice lump sum at the end to give you that extra kick to get it done quickly. Everyones different though. It's whatever suits your needs and cashflow. For larger project that spread over a few months, I do a monthly contribution to the overall cost so that regular payments are coming in for different stages.

Rgds, Dave

__________________
David Behan
Web Design | Mortgages | Memorial Websites | Digital Printing | Golf Holidays Portugal | Conservatories

In my experience newspaper ads didn't do much, yellow pages were poor, haven't tried posters or cold calling.

A good place to start is family and friends with businesses. Once you're competent that you can deliver promote and market yourself, the more people that know what line of business you're in and how you can benefit their business the better. The more work and the better the job the more referrals.

Search Engines, PPC and other online methods can obviously work.

Best of luck.

__________________
Web Design Belfast
LinksPro ASP Directory Script

Thanks for the tips,
So it seems like word of mouth and recommendations are the best way to go along with web promotion. Makes sense I suppose.
Have any of you had any success with offering free website competitions? The thinking is that you offer a free website, gets lots of emails from people in the competition and then ask them do they want to have a site created for them? Seems like a good idea anyway.
Thanks again,
John

As David said, if you've been in the industry long enough and word gets out that you're freelancing or starting up your own business, work tends to find you!

__________________
Web Design | Flash Development | Property | Irish Fitness Forum

Paper advertising I can't see working.

The majority of people I've dealt with don't know any webdesigners so they ask someone they know maybe in IT .. a friend .. a business contact ... for a contact who can do a site for them ... having a little link to your own site on customers sites doesn't hurt either ...

__________________
Forbairt Media | Web Design & Development Galway / Dublin, Ireland - coming soon ... ( vague but descriptive isn't it )
Recent Work: Safari Club African Safari Holidays - South Africa Safaris
Other Stuff: FluffyLinkulator Rapid Inclusion Service Tools

Here's an interesting read...

» 101 Ideas to Get More Freelance Work and Generate New Client Leads FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog

Rgds, Dave

Great link Dave cheers ... looks like a handy site as well (well I least I'm enjoying reading through a few of the articles on there)

Yeah it's a good site. Great reads alright!

Yoink,
Printed and stuck on wall... the wallpaper will be a hit with the yang wans!

But seriously I'll be going down the list, thanks for it Dave.

Rgds
B

__________________
Innovative Solutions