7 Ways to Attract Higher-Paying Clients (Web Designer Edition)

Running a digital agency (or being a solo web designer extraordinaire) is certainly not for the faint of heart – long hours, back pain, and sometimes: questionable pay.

Sometimes it can feel like attracting the no-fuss, high-paying clients of your dreams is just that – a dream. But it’s not actually as far beyond your reach as you might think.

Sure, it can take a lot of time and effort to get to the point where you’re exclusively dealing with higher-budget clients. But there are practical things you can do now to help you get on track with your financial goals and agency growth.

And I’m here to show you how. Let’s cut right to the chase.

How to attract high-paying clients in 7 simple steps

1. Start charging more for your services – yes, we’re going there first!

Do not skip this point if reading that title makes you uncomfortable!!

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Or, in this case, the high-paying client or the higher price tag?

It might sound counterintuitive (and it might feel very uncomfortable at first), but when it comes to refining your sales approach to start attracting high-end clients, charging higher prices for your services is a powerful step forward.

When you break it down, it just makes sense.

Clients with a big budget to spend on top-quality website design and development won’t waste their time looking at options that fall way below their price range. They view cheap web design services as just that: cheap. 

You want to attract clients who respect what you do and values the work you do. If money is no object, then they won’t be concerned with cutting corners or getting a deal. Instead, what they’re looking for is a talented, reliable partner that will get the job done and achieve the results they want.

You’re doing yourself a major disservice by waiting until a high-end client comes your way to increase your prices. 

It’s natural to be nervous about taking the leap – I’ve been there myself, multiple times over the years! But you’ve got to back yourself to get to where you want to go!

But what about your existing clients? Won’t a higher price point scare them off? I hear you. And yes, when you’re ready to pivot into the high-end agency world, you’ll inevitably part with a few low-paying clients if they can’t afford your new prices.

But you’d be surprised how many are willing to stick around and pay more to keep benefitting from your valuable services.

At the end of the day, you know how hard you’ve worked to get to this stage. You deserve to charge a fair price and receive a fee that actually reflects the level of dedication and effort you pour into your work.

2. Provide clear, consistent communication

Strong communication should always be a priority for your digital agency or web design business, no matter what client you’re dealing with.

But when you’re aiming to attract and retain high-paying clients, it’s super important to streamline your communications to make them feel cared for and catered to, right from the start.

Let’s go right back to the basics to ensure you’re doing everything right. Always remember to:

• Let them know the next steps. A defined process is a hallmark of an established web design agency
• Respond to clients within a reasonable timeframe (at least the same day)
• Be super clear, straightforward, and respectful in all communications
• Implement edits and respond to feedback in a timely manner
• Schedule regular check-ins to update them on your progress (weekly check-ins keep them happy and the project on time)
• Ask them for feedback and how they’re finding working with you

And as with most things, consistency is key for effective communication. It’s a good idea to find a communication model that works for you and use it with all of your clients. 

Bonus tip! Find a project management tool that works for you to help you keep all communication in one place. This can keep projects from going off the rails and important messages from slipping through the cracks. Trust me, a streamlined process makes life easier for everyone involved.

And remember, you’re targeting high-paying clients because your work is worth a higher price tag. You want to impress them to win their business, but you’re offering them true value for their money. Be confident when communicating with potential customers and assert yourself as an equal partner, excited to work together to help them (and your agency!) succeed.

3. Show up and look the part

You spend all day every day making your clients look good.

But when you’re so busy tending to their every need, it can be hard to save enough energy to give your own brand that same love and attention.

You already know just how important professional branding is. But sometimes, we could all use a friendly reminder that it might be time to update your own brand – especially when 55% of brand first impressions are visual.

I totally get it, it can be hard to find the time to identify where your own branding needs improvement, let alone actually getting around to sorting it out. I struggle with the very same thing myself! I see something I want to change on my company website and pop it on my to-do list, and before I know it, weeks have passed and that little post-it note is rotting away on my desk.

But if you want to attract potential clients who are willing to pay a higher price for a service that’s as sophisticated as they are, you have to lead by example.

All the visibility in the world won’t do you any good if your brand looks out of date or a little too ‘I did this all myself’. 

Do an online audit of yourself and be honest: if you had $90,000 to invest in a new website, would you buy from your company?

In those crucial first few seconds of exposure, you want potential clients to be able to see themselves in your brand, eliciting an emotional purchase response and making them more likely to commit to your services. At the end of the day, branding is all based on emotion, so keep that at the core of what you do!

4. Be super visible online

As we just covered: when it comes to the crème de la crème of clients, optics are incredibly important.

Think about it. Big businesses and luxury brands want to be perceived as powerful, influential, and reliable. They’re not going to get involved with companies that don’t openly reflect those same values.

You don’t have to be everywhere at all times online to prove you have those qualities. But when it comes to bagging your dream clients, your services are only as great as they’re visible to and perceived by the public.

In fact, a whopping 50% of consumers are more likely to opt for businesses with a logo they recognize. That’s why being as visible as possible is key if you want to attract high-end clients and open up to a market with a higher budget. It’s all about being seen. 

From maintaining a super slick and professional website (like you do for your clients) to engaging audiences across all social media channels – there’s no room to take your foot off the gas when creating a strong online presence.

Not only does online visibility make it easier for your ideal clients to find you organically, but it helps establish credibility and trust – the perfect way to attract your next high-paying client.

5. Showcase your expertise

You’re a star, a talent, a genius in your industry. I know it. You know it. Your ideal client just doesn’t know it yet.

You’ve put immense time and energy into getting your knowledge and skills to the level they’re at today. Why keep that under wraps?

If you want a high-paying client to spend money on your content packages or web design services, you’ll have to work just as hard to establish authority in your niche as you have on honing your craft.

People are willing to pay a higher price for a better quality service – that’s just a given. That means there’s no room to be shy when it comes to making your expertise known to your potential clients online.

• What industry qualifications do you/your team have? 
• Has your agency won awards? 
• Do you have a unique background that gives you an edge over your competitors?
• What amazing things have you done for current clients?

Give yourself the best chance of earning the attention (and business) of those ultra-high-paying clients. Share these accolades loud and proud on your agency website and across all social media platforms.

6. Show off your past successes

Once you’ve established your authority, building online trust is another incredibly important way to attract high end clients. How? With social proof: showcasing your work for past clients and their success stories and  highlighting positive reviews and testimonials where potential clients can see them.

In other words, let your happy past and present clients do the talking for you.

If you haven’t already, gather up some glowing client testimonials and place them prominently throughout your company website. If a client has had a particularly positive experience working with you, kindly ask them to leave a Google review of your business, too.

Bonus tip! Customer testimonials are gold mines for quality content ideas, as they highlight problems and solutions directly from your customer’s perspective! 

To earn the trust of potential high-end clients, it’s also essential to have a solid portfolio of your web design services and other work for website visitors to peruse and be dazzled by. 

Feature your most impressive work and innovative designs, as well as any jobs you’ve done for high-profile clients.

If you can curate and refine a few case studies to demonstrate the success of your website builds and other work beyond their visual appeal? Even better. Gather all your website audit data and lay out just how impactful your content and websites are, and how they’ve helped take your clients’ businesses to the next level through outstanding performance.

7. Network, baby

Does the word ‘networking’ send shivers down your spine? Honestly, same.

But networking doesn’t have to be gross! I promise!

If you want to find and connect with the right kinds of new clients, then you’ve got to look for them in places where you see your business fitting in.

Don’t waste your time and energy chasing down leads that will never bite – or worse yet – following leads that wind up being bad fit clients and costing you in the long run.

Instead, if you want to attract more high-paying clients, focus on meeting and networking with like-minded people who share the same goals and values as you.

Where better to start than by joining The Admin Bar Community?

We’re an online community of friendly and experienced digital agency owners and freelancers who are always here to help each other out, share our experiences, and offer advice to anyone who needs it.

Not only is it a fantastic way for you to keep up with what’s going on in the industry, but there are endless opportunities for meaningful networking, too.

Join The Admin Bar Facebook group today. Who knows, it may just lead you to your next big client. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!