How to Get Clients as a Freelance Web Developer (Step-by-Step Guide)

Your backend architecture is robust and your front-end frameworks are cutting-edge - but is your sales pipeline just as reliable?

Finding a steady stream of work is often the biggest bug in a freelancer's system. In light of this, we’ve put together this practical guide to help you secure high-value clients and keep your schedule full.

We’ve also highlighted howWise Business can help you manage payments from international clients, allowing you to receive money in multiple currencies without losing out on exchange rates.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

Step	Summary
1. Ideal Customer Profile 👥	Picture your ideal client. What’s their age, income, behaviour, personality etc.? Also consider their pain points and the best ways you could deliver value to them based on who they are and what they need/want.
2. Personalise Your Pitch ✉️	Tailor your outreach by articulating the prospect's pain point and demonstrating how your service specifically addresses their needs. Always include proof of past results and a clear Call to Action (CTA).
3. Increase Visibility 💡	Establish an online presence on freelance platforms and social media, such as LinkedIn and Reddit forums. Supplement this by attending local industry events and conferences to network face-to-face.
4. Create a Reach-Out Plan 🗓️	Systematically organise your leads into cold, warm, and hot categories within a CRM or spreadsheet. Set specific, measurable SMART goals for your multi-channel outreach campaigns while ensuring compliance with UK data regulations.
5. Be Persistent with Follow-ups 🔄	Follow up consistently after the initial contact using a set schedule (e.g., 3 follow-ups over 10 days) as this significantly increases reply rates. Ensure follow-ups are polite, value-driven, and keep the door open for future contact.

Step 1: Create an ‘Ideal Customer Profile’

Before you start pitching, be clear about your ideal customer. Having a clear picture of your ideal customer profile (ICP) lets you target the right clients strategically, by attracting them (inbound) or seeking them out (outbound).

Define your niche

Many clients prefer working with developers who have in-depth industry knowledge. Pick a niche to specialise in, so that you can position yourself as an expert in specific industries.

For instance, instead of describing yourself as a web developer, you can focus on building e-commerce websites for small businesses. That’s more specific and will appeal to your target audience.

To pick a niche, start broad, then narrow down. Design different types of websites to figure out what type of web design project you enjoy and what kind of clients you love working with.

Find your ideal clients

Your ideal client is someone whose problems your solutions (products and services) fit perfectly. To figure out who they are, consider:

• Their demographics (e.g, location, income level, industry)
• The type of tool stack they use (e.g., applications, cloud services, etc.)
• Their preferred communication style
• Their preferred social media platform (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
• Their primary objectives and pain points
• The value of their products and services (e.g., luxury ships, kitchen utensils, etc.)

You can find some of this information on:

• Job platforms like Upwork¹ or Fiverr².
• LinkedIn company pages.
• The company’s blog.
• UK networking communities such as Founders Network³.

When you understand what clients care about, you can approach them as a partner who helps them solve some of their core problems.

Step 2: Personalise your pitch to your ideal customer

Personalised pitches grab your ideal customer’s attention by connecting your services directly to your prospect's pain points, increasing your conversion rate.

Personalisation can increase your email response rate by up to 17%⁴, while generic pitches can negatively affect your response and conversion rates.

Here are some tips to personalise your pitch to get better results:

1. Clearly articulate your prospect’s problem and outline how your web development service addresses their needs.

1. If your ideal clients’ website has low conversion rates because it takes forever to load, highlight how your website optimisation service improves speed and increases their conversion rates.

1. Show proof of work and your wins, especially from past clients that are similar to your ideal customer’s profile.

1. Add a strong call to action (CTA). Would you like them to get on a quick discovery call or check out your past work?

Here is an example of what a short personalised pitch looks like:

“Hi Tom,

My name is Kent, a freelance web developer with 4 years of experience helping retail stores like yours.

I noticed your online store loads slowly on mobile. I’ve helped several UK retailers, including (add your previous clients), reduce load times by 40%, which boosted sales. I’d love to explore similar results for your brand.

Would you be open to a quick chat this week?”

This kind of pitch works because it shows you cared enough to learn about the client, backed it up with real results from past clients, and ended with a clear call to action -an invite to a quick chat.

Step 3: Increase your visibility on the right platforms

Freelance platforms

In case you haven't already, consider registering on all major freelance platforms like Upwork, Toptal, and PeoplePerHour UK. Clients constantly look for freelance web developers on these platforms.

Build a strong freelance profile that clearly communicates the services you offer, the clients you serve and highlights some of your best work with reviews from previous clients.

Social media and communities

Join freelance communities for web developers or general freelance groups on Slack or Facebook.

If you are in a general freelance group, look for freelancers in related niches. For example, if a freelancer is offering SEO optimisation to their clients, you can pitch your website optimisation service to them. You'll optimise their clients' websites to reduce load times.

Share social media posts about your projects and process. This is a great way to build your freelance brand, attract inbound leads, and maximise your business reach.

You can use:

• X for quick insights and interactions with other freelancers and prospects
• LinkedIn to network with prospects and fellow freelancers
• Reddit forums, such as r/freelance or r/webdev
• Discord servers and Slack groups to connect with other freelancers and potential clients

Local networking

Although you can have a professional network online, face-to-face connections also matter. They let you build deeper connections and enhance personalised communications.

Attend industry events, local hackathons, and developer conferences near your area. You might walk away with clients, long-term collaborators, and friends.

Step 4: Create a reach-out plan

Start by opening a simple spreadsheet or CRM (customer relationship management) system to add your leads.

Group them to stay organised and consistent:

• Cold leads: businesses you’d like to work with.
• Warm leads: those who’ve shown interest.
• Hot leads: clients ready for proposals.

Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals on how you plan to reach out to the leads on your list. A SMART goal could be to “Send five personalised outreach emails every weekday for the next 3 weeks”.

Note: Ensure your cold outreach complies with UK GDPR and PECR regulations, specifically regarding the difference between sole traders and corporate bodies.

Also, always include a clear way for your prospects to opt out of your outreach campaign.

Here’s an example of an outreach plan you can follow:

Day	Channel	Action
Day 1	Email	Initial outreach, referencing their specific trigger (e.g. funding, new roles)
Day 2	LinkedIn	Send a connection request with a short, non-sales note
Day 4	Email	First follow-up offering a different angle or a piece of value (e.g., salary data).
Day 7	Email	Second follow-up (a brief, low-pressure nudge)
Day 10	LinkedIn	A final, brief check-in message or value-add post

Step 5: Be persistent with follow-ups

Reports show that the first follow-up email has a 40% higher reply rate than the initial email. This is why following up after the initial reach out is important⁵.

In other words, persistence pays - but there’s a balance to be upheld. So when sending follow-ups to your clients, avoid being overly persistent or generic in your approach and follow a set schedule (such as 3 follow-ups over 10 days).

Moreover, be polite, show value, and leave the door open for further communication. If you don’t hear back, remember that in most cases, clients aren’t ignoring you; they just have busy schedules.

Here’s an example of a follow-up:

“Hello Sam,

Just checking if you saw my earlier message. Happy to share ideas for improving your website. If now’s not a good time, we could reconnect next quarter.

Thanks,
(Signature)”

Following up after an initial outreach can be the difference between hearing crickets after your outreach and getting replies from interested would-be clients.

Also, note that retaining an existing client is easier and less expensive than gaining a new one. So, once you get clients, keep them and turn them into repeat customers. Aside from assigning more projects to you, repeat customers are more likely to refer you to other people in their network.

Some practical steps to keep clients coming back are:

• Deliver your tasks on time and communicate clearly.
• Offer maintenance retainers or ongoing improvements.
• Check in occasionally with insights.

Take your freelance web development business global with Wise Business

As your client base grows beyond borders, why let marked-up exchange rates eat into your hard-earning earnings?

Wise Business gives you the opportunity to hold and convert 40+ currencies in a single business account- and that too at the mid-market exchange rate, with no hidden fees.

You can also send money to 140+ countries - perfect for paying international subcontractors who might be helping you on your coding adventures.

Getting paid is just as seamless - you canreceive paymentsl with your own account details in major currencies like GBP, EUR, and USD without the headache of hidden fees.

And to top it off, you can even streamline your admin by connecting your financial data to accounting software. like Xero or QuickBooks.

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FAQs

How much should I charge as a freelance web developer in the UK?

Rates vary depending on factors such as experience, complexity, budget, and project type. As of 2025, the median daily rate of a freelance web developer in the UK is £431/day⁶.

What’s the best platform to find web development clients?

As a freelance web developer, you can find clients on platforms such as LinkedIn⁷, PeoplePerHour⁸, and Contra⁹.

How can I retain clients long-term?

Focus on open communication, being a reliable partner, and getting your clients' results. Clients who are satisfied with your performance are likely to become repeat customers and refer you to others.

Can I target UK clients only?

Targeting global clients can help you diversify your income, network, and opportunities. With Wise Business, you can receive payments from clients globally directly into your main account securely and efficiently.

Sources:

1. Connecting clients - Upwork
2. Our freelancers - Fiverr
3. Founders helping founders - Founders Network
4. Cold email statistics - Wood pecker
5. Follow-up statistics - Wood pecker
6. Real-time IT contract - IT jobs watch
7. Manage your professional identity - LinkedIn
8. Hire great freelancers - peopleperhour
9. A new way to work - Contra

Sources last checked on 19th November 2025