Generating leads from existing clients

As a web developer / web agency you are more often that not busy with the day to day builds. You are working out a bug, or designing an awesome layout. Perhaps you are booked up in multiple project meetings, and feel like time is being eaten up. At the back of your mind is that niggling thought… where are my next sales coming from? Who is my next customer?

If you do connect with the above, be sure to check out episode 39 of the WP Innovator podcast, as keeping your eye on the pipeline is imperative.

Who is your next client?

An amazing untapped resource of fresh leads and sales is your existing customer base. Web agencies can often deliver an amazing site, but then communication ends. The project has been delivered and that is that! On with the next.

This however should not be the case. A client with a shiny new website that has been produced is a future and ongoing relationship. Following up with them a few weeks later to see how they are doing and then checking in regularly helps to keep the conversations going and continues to build upon the relationship.

For example: A site that was fit for purpose in Jan 2016, may now be lacking in a new required feature in August 2016 because the client’s business has expanded it’s offering, pivoted or evolved it’s workflow.

Keeping open channels of communications with existing clients ensure that you can pick up on these opportunities to add value. It is not selfish up-selling, but in fact an essential part of creating a long lasting partnership where you continue to add value and support your client in their online growth.

Lead generation ideas for existing clients

Free website review

Its been 6 months and the client never took on a support contract? Then now is about the time you can do a full site review. Let them know what is good, and what is bad. Bad you say? (Don’t get offended)… So bad might be that some of the plugins are now out of date or WordPress needs updating. 6 months ago a certain plugin may not have been available that you believe will add value to the clients website and so on. Sending them a report and letting them know what should be fixed, or updated and why can be a good way to generate some work.

If my local mechanic offered me a free review of my car, then pointed out there was a potential issue with my breaks, I’d more than likely ask him to fix that and pay his/her bill.

Post live analysis

Once a site has been made live, holding a meeting to discuss how the process went and how the site is currently performing is a great learning opportunity, and can most definitely helps build ongoing trust with the client if nothing else. However, it is very likely that during the build process, the client thought of things, or expressed things that they had not in the initial briefing process. You can help unpack these in more detail and come up with a phase two proposal that will be able to commission. Plus, I bet your client will have at least ONE feature they wished they’d asked for before go live! Here is their opportunity.

Sharing success stories

Do you have clients in a similar industry? What has worked for some of your clients? You could share them in an email, or a conversation if appropriate. “Hey, did you know that with Acme Ltd, we integrated their forms with their Salesforce CRM and they showed a 40% increase in web to lead conversion?”. NOW you got my attention :)!

Takeaways

The takeaways from today’s share:

• there are opportunities within your client network that you could be missing (bad for them and you)
• if you haven’t been talking regularly to your customers, start today (some ideas above)
• selling to existing clients is not money grabbing, it’s you partnering with them to help them grow

How do you generate leads from your existing client base? Share in the comments below.

In Episode 39 of the WP Innovator Podcast, we talk with Dan Englander on this very subject! Enjoy.