Getting your first client in website development can feel like climbing a mountain—especially when you’re just starting out. You may be asking yourself:
- “Where do I begin?”
- “Do I need a portfolio?”
- “Should I run ads?”
- “Will clients even trust me?”
The truth? You don’t need fancy skills, thousands of dollars in ads, or years of experience.
What you need is a plan that works — and the discipline to take consistent action.
This guide will show you the exact step-by-step strategy used by thousands of freelancers to land their first paying website client. Whether you’re 18 or 38, you can follow this and start earning within a month. Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Learn WordPress (No Code Required)
If you’re completely new to website development, the best place to start is with WordPress. It’s the world’s most popular website-building platform and requires zero coding knowledge.
Here’s your learning roadmap:
Free learning resources:
- YouTube: Search for “WordPress website design tutorial for business” and follow a beginner-friendly course.
- Trader School (TR School): A freelancing-focused platform that teaches WordPress and client-getting skills. Many students have used it to land their first clients.
Break your learning into 3 levels:
- Level 1 (Days 1–10): Learn WordPress basics (dashboard, themes, pages, posts)
- Level 2 (Days 11–20): Explore plugins, contact forms, mobile responsiveness
- Level 3 (Days 21–30): Build 2–3 demo websites to practice your skills
Pro Tip: Don’t wait to finish all 30 days. You can start looking for clients by Day 10 once you’re confident enough to build a basic site.
Step 2: Call Local Businesses (The Fastest & Easiest Method)
Once you have the basics of WordPress, it’s time to find your first client — and the best method?
Cold calling local businesses that don’t have a website.
Here’s how to do it:
- Search Google for local businesses in your city:
- Examples: “Pet shops near me”, “cafes in [your city]”, “salons nearby”
- Click on each business listing and see if they have a website:
- If yes → move to the next one.
- If no website or a broken/outdated one → they’re a potential lead.
- Get their contact number and make a simple pitch: “Hi, I’m [Your Name]. I help small businesses build modern websites in 7 days. I noticed your business doesn’t have a site, and your competitor [name] is already online and offering free delivery. I’d love to help you go online — would you like a quick chat?”
Your goal is not to close a deal on the first call. Your goal is just to start the conversation.
Step 3: Make It a Numbers Game – Call 30 People a Day
This is the secret sauce.
Instead of worrying about the outcome of each call, make it a game:
- Call 30 businesses a day for 10 days
- That’s 300 businesses in total
Let’s do the math
Even with a worst-case conversion rate of 0.5%, you’ll get around 4–5 clients.
Imagine this:
- You charge just $180 per website
- 4 clients = $720 in a month
- No portfolio, no paid ads, no magic tricks — just pure hustle
You don’t need luck you need consistency.
Bonus: Scale with Paid Ads (Part 2)
Once you’ve got your first few clients, you can scale your freelance career using paid ads.
Here’s how:
- Run a Meta (Facebook + Instagram) or Google Ad with a clear offer: “Need a website for your business? We’ll build you one in 7 days. Call us now for a free consultation.”
You can target small business owners in your city and generate leads daily.
If you’re interested, I can share a detailed Part 2 on how to create these ads step-by-step.
Final Thoughts
Getting your first client in website development is not about luck. It’s about taking massive, focused action.
If you can:
- Learn a skill
- Pick up the phone
- Handle a few rejections
Then congratulations — you’re on the path to building a profitable freelancing business.
Don’t wait for someone to hire you. Go out and find your own client. You’re capable.
If you want client call scripts, proposal templates, or ad copies, drop a comment and I’ll create a full toolkit.
