A question arises when you want become independent. How to find freelance customers ? The question of acquisition is systematically returns, whether beginner or confirmed. Getting the missions, expanding your network and ensuring the sustainability of your activity is everyday work.
At Codeur.com, we support thousands of freelancers every day in their search for customers. To help you start and develop your activity, here is a complete and concrete guide.
Find customers on freelance platforms
The quickest and most effective way to get your first missions to get through specialized freelance platforms.
Coder.com : generalist, our freelance platform allows you to find projects in web development, design, digital marketing, writing … Each day, hundreds of missions are published and you can respond directly. Customers also have access to a freelance directory to select the profiles corresponding to their needs.
Graphic designer.com : Ideal for freelancers specializing in visual creation (graphic identity, illustrations, UX/UI Design) who are looking for their first customers.
Redator.com : dedicated to web editors and content creators. It is the ideal platform to find freelance customers when you embark on web writing.
TRADUCE.com : a freelance platform specializing in translation. If you are a freelance translator, this is where you can find your first missions.
Other platforms exist to find freelance customers. Depending on your activity, you can also explore sites that match your favorite field. There are Freelance platforms Specialized for engineers or for photography for example.
Define its freelance offer and work on your communication
Registering on a platform is a first step to find freelance customers. But before you start, remember to define your offer well and work on your various communication media.
Offer a clear and suitable offer to the market
Identify your target and its problems is essential to find new customers.
Offer services aligned with the real needs of the market. Be sure that your products and services meet their objectives and problems.
Avoid price war: too low a price can return a poor quality image. Instead, opt for a psychological price that reflects your expertise. Attach your hourly rate so as to be profitable.
Offering an offer that meets consumer expectations is essential to find new customers. After identifying your target customers,
Work your communication media
Your communication media reflect the quality of your work. Negroke communication media will not help you find new freelance customers.
Your website : Offer a professional showcase, optimized for referencing, reassuring thanks to customer testimonies.
Your LinkedIn profile : Careful photo, clear description, skills highlighted, personalized URL, regular publications. Put all the odds on your side.
Your business cards : useful for your offline meetings, they convey your professional image.
Your email signature : Small detail for some, a good email signature participate in the credibility of your offer.
Develop your digital visibility
To develop your online visibility, there is a multitude of doing things:
- Create content to establish your expertise: guest articles, case studies, infographics, tutorials …
- Be active on social networks: personal publications, specialized groups to exchange with your peers and your prospects, collaborative articles …
- Be present on forums relevant to your sector, by providing useful and constructive responses.
- Set up an emailing strategy: weekly newsletter to maintain contact with your prospects and former customers.
In addition, you can test online advertising (Google ADS, LinkedIn ADS), once your first income stabilized.
Develop an offline strategy
Do not neglect the “real” world: your opportunities can also be outside the Internet.
Direct prospecting : The phone remains an effective and inexpensive tool. Prepare a script to present your services, understand the needs of your interlocutor and offer an appointment.
Physical networking : Participate in professional events (conferences, meetups, afterworks, fairs). Join entrepreneurial clubslocal associations or the CCI to expand your network.
Make on recommendation : Activate your personal network! Friends, former colleagues, teachers, employers. Ask your satisfied customers to leave an opinion and recommend yourself to their contacts.
Create partnerships with other freelancers : You make each other visible and can work together on additional missions. For example, a graphic designer can recommend a developer for the creation of a site and vice versa for the model and the graphic charter.
Adopt the right reflexes to last
Finding customers when you are freelance is not a punctual effort, but a continuous approach. To perpetuate your activity, adopt these good practices:
- Listen to your customers: their feedback helps you to improve your services.
- Observe your competitors: get inspired by the leaders in your sector and anticipate trends.
- Be persistent: word of mouth, natural referencing and notoriety take time, but your efforts will end up paying.
Take into account your customers' opinions
No matter your activity, expect to receive positive or negative comments from customers.
Your customers' requests and claims can help you significantly improve the quality of your offers. Therefore, it is necessary to listen and take each notice into consideration, in order to detect their real expectations.
It is also a question of retaining your customers. This will improve your reputation and above all, your e-reputation!
Read too :: Freelancers, invest to earn more and work less
Register on Codeur.com To find your first customers
To find your first customers as a freelance, do not wait any longer and Register for free On our freelance platform for coder.com contact!
You will put all the odds on your side to find missions and increase your customer wallet.
Work your offers to improve the loyalty of your customers and transform a signature into regular services, through monthly, annual follow -up, or by offering additional offers.