How to Get Clients for Web Development? (10 Easy Ways Explained)

Creating a website is one thing, and getting clients for it is another.

The brutal truth is your website won’t pay your bills unless it has someone to buy.

Nothing to worry about.

This guide walks you through 10 practical and effective ways to build a reliable client pipeline, from which you can choose any 1-2 channels that work for you.

Let’s take a look at this in detail.

10 Best Ways to Get Web Development Clients

Finding clients after building a website is becoming increasingly complex, especially in this highly saturated market. 

If you are also struggling to acquire clients, try these 10 ways to attract web development clients without putting in too much effort or burning resources.  

• Cold Emailing
• Referrals
• LinkedIn Outreach
• Calls & Networking
• Content Marketing
• Personal Branding
• Online Communities
• Freelance Platforms & Marketplaces
• Paid Ads
• Partnerships

1. Cold Emailing

Cold emailing is the most relevant and effective way to reach out to your clients.

Instead of waiting for them to hear about your work and reaching out, you directly show them you are interested in working with them.

It instantly opens doors for opportunities right away and initiates conversations at your own pace.

Why It Works:

Many businesses need website help, but they’re not actively looking for it. A cold email lets you reach them first—before they even think of your competitors.

How to Do It:

Let’s be honest, writing personalized emails, finding leads, and remembering to follow up can feel like a full-time job.

That’s where a tool like Saleshandy makes life easier. Here’s how you can run your cold email outreach without burning hours every day:

• Find the right people: Instead of guessing, use Saleshandy’s Lead Finder to uncover thousands of prospects in your niche and filter them down with AI.
• Personalize at scale: Write one solid email and let AI help you create natural variants. Add merge tags or spintax so every message feels written just for them.
• Never forget a follow-up: Set up automated sequences that send polite nudges until you get a reply, and you’d be surprised how many responses come on the 2nd or 3rd email.
• Stay out of spam: Saleshandy also handles the behind-the-scenes tasks, such as inbox warm-ups, sender rotation, and bounce protection, so your emails actually land in the inbox.
• Close deals faster: You’ll get notified the moment someone replies, so you can jump in while interest is fresh.

And the best part? Saleshandy makes it easy to get started — with ready-to-use templates and simple guides that can help you from day one.

Here’s one example –

For personalized and high-performing cold email examples, check out our personalization guide here.

2. Referrals

Satisfied customers are your strongest sales team. 

Being referred by your trusted clients can take your business to an entirely new level.

It helps you generate warmed-up leads and can build credibility faster.

Why It Works:

People trust people. A recommendation from someone they already know makes you instantly more credible and easier to hire.

How to Do It:

• Don’t wait for your client to refer you randomly; instead, send a follow-up email asking for feedback on your service and requesting that they refer it to their peers.

For Example: “We’re open for 2-3 new projects. Do you know any business owners in [their industry] who are struggling with [the problem you solved for them]?”

• Consider offering a small referral discount or thank-you gift.

3. LinkedIn Outreach

LinkedIn is where professional people and decision makers exist, which also includes your target audience.

Your focus should be on spreading awareness about your brand by consistently posting relevant content or addressing problems and proposing solutions. 

Being active on LinkedIn brings engagement and showcases your authority for the specific.

Why It Works:

Decision-makers are active on LinkedIn. Showing up with helpful content and direct outreach positions you as a professional, not just another freelancer.

How to Do It:

• Polish your account and specify who you are and what you do.

Banner: One-line offer with a CTA or Calendly link

Example: I build fast, clean websites for small businesses

About: 2–3 lines on what tools you use and who you help

Example: I help coaches and small brands build fast, mobile-first websites in Webflow and Framer. Need a speed fix or homepage redesign? Let’s talk.

Link to your portfolio — use a Notion page or Framer link

• Frequently post something that shows authority and expertise.

For Example, “five things I learned after starting web development”

• Search posts and groups on LinkedIn with filters like location, job title, and industry to get refined results.
• Send personalized connection requests and engage with their posts before targeting them as a customer.

Here’s one example for linkedin outreach which you can tweak and use as per your requirements:

4. Calls & Networking

Direct calls and in-person networking are still relevant and create an impact like no other.

Unlike other cold pitches, calls, and networking are two-way. You’re not just selling your services but listening to what they need, which makes people feel heard and more likely to be interested in what you are offering.

Why It Works:

Conversations build trust faster than text. When prospects hear your voice or meet you in person, they’re more likely to remember and choose you.

How to Do It:

• Before making any call or attending an event, research about them a bit, such as any specific problems they are facing, and identify where you can offer assistance.
• Identify businesses with weak online presence. Utilize Google Maps. Look for local, slow, broken, or outdated websites. Pitch them your service.
• The initial conversation should be about knowledge sharing rather than a pitch to make them familiar with the product.
• Call during low-traffic hours, i.e., 2 PM –5 PM works best, and avoid lunch and morning rush hours.

5. Content Marketing

Creating a piece of content that caters to the problems of your ideal customers works like a silent outreach.

Instead of constantly chasing customers, you can create valuable content that attracts the right people towards your business.

In this age, content that is entirely human-written, easy to skim, and offers valuable insights can be recognized by platforms such as Google, Reddit, Quora, and many others.

Why It Works:

Instead of chasing clients, content attracts them. Helpful posts position you as the expert they already trust when they’re ready to hire.

How to Do It:

• Turn each problem into a content piece.

For Example, “3 Reasons Your Site Is Slow (And How to Fix It)”

• Create a simple posting system like:

One blog post per month. Break that post into 2 LinkedIn posts, 1 Twitter thread, and one short Loom video.

Post them across the month.

• Always include a soft CTA

For Example: “If your site is struggling with this too, I’ll be happy to share ideas.”

6. Personal Branding

Every person or business has their own story to tell, and clients hire the people before the business.

It’s essential to maintain a polished and trustworthy brand, as it speaks volumes even before you do.

Why It Works:

Clients hire people, not just skills. A strong personal brand makes you look credible before you even pitch, lowering their hesitation to say “yes.”

How to Do It:

• Keep one photo across all the platforms, including your socials.

• Post “behind-the-scenes” content that showcases your process, tools, and workflow. Share your failures and what you learned from them to show authenticity and brand awareness.

• Purchase your own domain and maintain a professional business email account to enhance your online presence.

• Ask for mentions from your clients in a way that sounds genuine, like their experience collaborating with you or any feedback.

7. Online Communities

Online communities help you build and maintain relationships with people who can be your current clients or potential ones.

Communities are a medium to build goodwill and reputation from trusted sources.

Why It Works:

Communities are built on trust. By helping first, you stand out as the go-to expert people want to hire when they face similar challenges.

How to Do It:

• Join groups on Reddit, Quora, and Slack where business owners and marketers hang out.

• Engage in 15-20 minutes of asking questions and answering on Reddit, Quora, and Slack communities.

• Share tips and quick suggestions to bring engagement.

8. Freelance Platforms & Marketplaces

Freelance platforms and marketplaces help freelancers find clients, build their portfolios, and gain diverse project experience across multiple client bases.

It forms a solid foundation for connecting with businesses, building credibility, and generating initial interest in your services.

Why It Works:

These platforms already have businesses searching for developers. It’s like walking into a room full of potential clients who need you now.

How to Do It:

• Start by creating accounts on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and similar platforms.

• Be specific in your profile about what you are offering.

For Example, instead of writing “Full-stack Web Developer,” go for -“Shopify Developer for D2C e-commerce brands looking to boost conversions”

• Send personalized proposals instead of generic ones.

For Example-“Hi Sarah, I saw your mobile site is loading slowly. I fixed the same issue for another coach last week. Happy to help improve your speed score.”

• Don’t forget to ask for reviews and referrals after completion of a project.

9. Paid Ads

Paid ads let you pay to show up at the top of websites and search results, but only to those who are looking for what you offer.

It does cost you money, but at the same time, it helps you target specific audiences for your requirements.

Why It Works:

Ads put you directly in front of people actively looking for help. Instead of hoping they find you, you appear exactly when they’re searching.

How to Do It:

• Define the audience that you want to target.
  For Example, “SaaS founders in the US with 5–50 employees.”
  
• Create one irresistible firm offer.
  For Example, “Free website audit: Find three fixes to increase your signups.”
  
• Pick a platform as per your needs.

For Example, LinkedIn for B2B or Google Ads for people actively searching (“hire web developer for e-commerce”).

• Run small tests on a trial basis and continue based on results.

Let’s say, start with a $300–$500 budget and double down only on ads that bring calls/leads.

10. Partnerships

Instead of chasing leads every now and then, partnering with non-competitive individuals, such as designers and marketers, helps you maintain a steady list of clients.

Partnerships not only bring potential leads but also expertise for better quality work.

Why It Works:

Partnering with complementary professionals gives you a steady stream of warm leads — without spending time on prospecting.

How to Do It:

• Identify complementary partners to collaborate.
  For Example, Designers who need web development or marketing agencies that don’t offer web builds.
  
• Reach out to them with value.
  For Example, “I can take development off your plate so you can focus on strategy/design.”
  
• Offer white-label services to maintain a balance.
  Let’s say they handle the client relationship; you deliver the development work.
  

TL;DR & Wrap-Up: Get Clients With a Smarter Way

Cold Emailing: Direct, scalable, and works if you personalize + follow up.

Referrals: Ask happy clients for intros right after a project ends.

LinkedIn Outreach: Optimize your profile, share insights, and build conversations.

Calls & Networking: Quick chats build more trust than endless emails — show up where decision-makers are.

Content Marketing: Share solutions to real client problems through blogs, posts, and videos.

Personal Branding: Polish your LinkedIn profile, showcase your results, and post consistently.

Online Communities: Be helpful in niche groups — visibility leads to projects.

Freelance Platforms: Niche down, collect reviews fast, and graduate to premium sites.

Paid Ads: Scale only once you have a working offer and budget.

Partnerships: Team up with designers, marketers, and agencies for a steady client stream.

The goal isn’t doing all 10 at once — it’s picking 1–2 strategies, sticking with them, and building a repeatable system.

That’s how you move from chasing random gigs to creating a steady pipeline of web development clients. 

And when you pair these strategies with tools like Saleshandy for cold email and follow-up automation, you can shift client acquisition from being stressful to achievable.

FAQs on Getting Web Development Clients

1. How long does it take to land clients with cold email?

Cold email can bring results within weeks if you target the right prospects and personalize your outreach. However, consistency matters — expect to refine your emails and follow-ups before you start seeing steady results.

2. What if I don’t have case studies or testimonials yet?

Start by building small projects for friends, nonprofits or discounted clients to create a portfolio. Even one or two strong examples can make you look credible.

3. Should I focus on one niche or stay general as a web developer?

Specializing in a niche(e.g., SaaS, e-commerce, local businesses) makes it easier to stand out and win trust. Being a generalist works in the beginning, but niching down usually pays off faster.

4. Are marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr worth it?

Yes, but primarily for beginners or those building a portfolio. The pay can be lower at first, but it helps you get experience, reviews, and testimonials that you can leverage for higher-paying clients later.

5. Which method works best for consistent, long-term clients?

Cold email and referrals give the fastest wins. For long-term consistency, pair it with content marketing, LinkedIn, and partnerships. Together, they keep both short-term and long-term pipelines healthy.