Promote a Web Design Business

The first thing you should think about when promoting your web design business is what makes your business unique. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest in your answers — after all, you only hurt yourself and your business if you lie:
What does my company offer that no other company can offer?What makes my services unique or special?Why should someone choose my company over any other web design company?
A portfolio is the best way to show off your abilities and that of your business. So you should always have a list of the sites you have worked on, what made them unique or interesting, and screen shots of the site as well as a link to the live site (if it’s still available). Remember that when you’re creating a portfolio, you should keep screen shots or if your contract allows, copies of the site you developed on your own server. Websites change all the time, and if you’re not the design firm that the site owner chooses for the next redesign, your portfolio will quickly get out of date.
I recommend having at least five portfolio sites that showcase your strengths. Having a (color) print version of your portfolio is great for client meetings, but an online portfolio can demonstrate dynamic aspects of the pages like DHTML, Ajax, and Flash.
Many designers recommend never doing work for free, because it sends the wrong message. But if you have no portfolio items, it can be hard to get any without doing some free jobs. Contact organizations you know, like your church, local clubs, or up-and-coming politicians, and offer to build their sites for free or reduced cost. This gets them additional exposure, and gets you portfolio pieces. And just because a group you know has a website doesn’t mean they won’t accept help. Many non-profits have a difficult time keeping web designers around once the initial site is built. If you can provide suggestions for how they can improve their site, they will often be willing to let you do a redesign.
It helps to have a small (around 100 x 50 pixels, no larger) logo that you can use to promote your business unobtrusively. And then make sure to get that you want some acknowledgement of your work on their site in the contract. Many businesses don’t want a web designer logo on every page of their site, but if you can at least get something on their “About Us” page, along with a logo and link to your business site, that would help. If they are pleased with your work, chances are they will be more willing to link to you.
Your customers will appreciate having multiple ways to contact you including postal mail, telephone, email, and web form. Yes, there is the concern of spam, but if you’re trying to get customers, hiding from spammers means you’re hiding from customers too. Invest in a quality spam blocking program and make your email address available.
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