Ways Clients Come to You

I believe it was a good idea of me to start this in high school.  Being a web designer as a 16 year old may seem odd to seem and I may get picked on occasionally being the geek but the more I think about it the better it becomes.  I have done a few sites and have enjoyed learning the process and the requirements very much.  I have not done much in the past couple of months just because lack of business however here recently I have 3 projects on my to do list for the holidays.  All three of these projects came from totally different avenues i’ll go over those briefly and why they are important.

One being an insurance company that was recommended by another insurance company (http://pcins.org) which I did a site for.  This goes to show that doing quality work for a client can often bring referrals later on as with this case.  It has been a few months since I did the Peoples Choice web site but now I got a call I wasn’t expecting from someone who liked my work and had a good report from one of my clients.  Always treat clients with your top priority and always be up front with them because it will pay off in the future.

Two,  I was sitting at a fast food joint enjoying free Wi-Fi when someone came up to me and asked me about my computer (which is a Mac ) and I was telling him about it and what I did (being a web designer).  He said he was in the art business and needed some web site work so we swapped each others information.  Well actually he gave me his card and I emailed him my information.  Good thing this was a nice guy and I got to talk to him for a good bit or else without a business card handy I could have lost a client or resorted to writing on a napkin.  Moral of this incident:  Always carry a business card with you.  Anyway, we talked over a price and he wants me to do a site for him as soon as I get done with end of the semester stuff for school.  You never know when you will meet a prospective client so always be on the lookout.

And third but not least,  family members.  We all have family members that have a business or has someone close that does.  Although you’re probably thinking yes, been there done that, it’s actually not a bad way to build your portfolio and have more happy clients.  Even though it’s family,  still treat them like you would a client and be careful not to run into harsh situations.

In every way, designing another web site cannot hurt you.  You will always learn something new and have a new experience with each and every site and that’s what makes web design so much fun.  You will always encounter new challenges you just have to work through and having a learning experience AND adding to your portfolio can never be a bad thing.  So take these option into consideration when someone comes to you wanting a web site.