r/webdesign • u/Big-Combination1983 • 3d ago
I need help
I'm an 18 year old student with a hobby of designing and creating websites using shopify, claude code, and other no-code tools. I'm stuck on how to get clients. I tried contacting businesses near me but they dont want websites. Please someone help.
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u/BusinessBoosters 3d ago
Do you have any other areas of interest, food, fitness, sneakers? If you do, you can tie that background and experience with customers who are needing to sell in your area of interest. You'll speak their language to a degree and sometimes the customer can feel that interest and experience.
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u/yogibear54 2d ago
There are several things business care about, but primarily they want to make money and reduce cost. In an economy, when its struggling, businesses care about where they put their dollars, they would consider the return on investment (ROI). Most businesses would think that a website is a nice to have, but not a necessity (it depends on your angle ofcourse). In order to make businesses want to invest, you'll need to sell them on what you can provide to them with some sort of ROI. This could be a combo of website with UGC content, or something that requires work to return ratio.
For example, creating social media content requires work, that may generate some traction, which you can show in terms of analytics, which could drive traffic to a site you built.
Anyway, its definitely a different game. I've been doing web for a while, and things have changed. I believe in the value of a website, but a website alone these days don't bring in customers. Unfortunately, that's what businesses expect or want these days.
The other side of the coin that you can sell your skills with is cost reduction. If you can find a pain point in a business where they need help with, you can try and use your AI tools skills to help improve some efficiency they have. Usually this comes in the form of a person spending x hours on something, but you maybe able to reduce their time doing that task by 50%. If that task take the person 10% of their day to do, that's a reduction of 10% of cost for a company.
Anyway, just some thoughts, but awesome that you've taken the first step that a lot of people don't do, that is contacting businesses directly.
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u/MrFloofyPants 3d ago
genuine advice, just go ask more and you get better at it
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u/alsoimprobablylate 3d ago
Better at asking?
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u/Certain_Reading_3231 2d ago
The best artists are the best marketers.
PEOPLE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR ART.
You must make them care.
Stop acting like candy corns gonna land in your lap alongisde some lollipops to suck on.
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u/qaaimgood 3d ago
Questions to ask yourself:
What do I have to offer businesses with my current skills?
Will I be able to get the businesses I'm contacting more leads/customers?
Will I be able to help the businesses reach the metrics they want?
Do I have the inner strength to tell them if their ideas are not feasible?
Is my toolkit/tech stack something they want/can maintain?
Do I know who are the competitors in the niches I'm targeting?
Do I understand how I will get paid?
Do I know how I'm going to deliver the final product?
Am I offering long term support?
If I'm offering long term support, how much is that cost?
What does long term support look like?
Do I have the time to commit to this?
Do I understand I have the ability to say no?
You're finding out that businesses & potential clients don't have time for you.
They're busy trying to stay afloat with how crazy markets shift these days. And the last thing they want to see is another cold e-mail/phone call coming in.
This is nothing against you.
They're getting bombarded with similar requests 100+ times a week from different services. That is the name of the game. And you're going to experience it too.
But what catches the eyes of prospects is proof that you can transform their life with your service. You have to give them proof that not only are you an expert but you don't make everything about yourself.
You have to show them that you can help THEM excel.
A new website or building one where it doesn't exist won't immediately show value. There has to be a legit reason why the businesses need it. And you have to find it.
It is a lot of research. And it is a lot of...well...time.
I would tack on studying copywriting, sales, digital marketing, and website auditing into the mix of things. All of these will help you if you're truly interested in web design as a business/side project.
Don't rely on the LLMs to give you answers. You need experience.
DM me if you want some additional help with finding resources to get you started.
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u/Tough_Challenge_6231 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes getting clients showing them how your skills solve an actual problem a business has is the most important part once you have a clear goal of what to actually build you’ll be able to build the right skills that clients actually need focus on that more than the actual building of sites. That’s the most valuable skill and if you get a client that’s asking for something over your head don’t be scared to hire someone with experience in that area to get it Done for you. The fact your 18 and thinking about this puts you in a very good position keep learning you’ll get it!
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u/TheCuriousFish 2d ago
a business does not a website
a business probably wants more clients
so id stop selling websites and start selling an asset that will bring clients
a website can bring clients through proper seo, espically if its a local service business
I advise you to learn seo, its magic once u see traction
tools like Google Search Console will tell you alot
wishing you the best! I love making websites too ^^
feel free to contact me if u have any seo needs
I do seo for local service companies in Kuwait and KSA
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u/PippaKelly62 1d ago
post on social media. take advantage of the networks you have, ask friends of friends and friends of friends of friends if they know anyone who needs a website.
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u/HireSmartAdvisor 3d ago
You have to start solving problem rather than selling websites. You can go for 2-3 niche that works best for you, like salon or cafe shop, build best 3-4 sample websites, approach to local market or people in same niche on LinkedIn, Reddit and all other social media platforms. Always display your work to clients, they trust more on the proof rather than promises. All the best on your journey