How to raise your prices and get better clients in 8 steps

When I began freelancing and started my design and development agency, Bourn Creative, I was like any other designer trying to make their way in the world.

I looked at a ton of other designers’ websites to see what I needed to include and say on mine because I had no idea what to say.
I created a website that was all about me, what I could do, and even the software programs I knew. It was like my resume but in website form.
I did everything and said yes to everything and built a wide and varied portfolio that was all over the map.
I even began networking and was excited to share what I did with others.

Eventually, I began to notice that when speaking with prospective clients, the conversation not only always seemed to come down to price, but they always wanted the lowest price. It was frustrating and disheartening.

The problem was that because I sounded like every other designer, looked like every other designer, and acted like every other designer, prospects had little to no criteria to compare when evaluating options.

Because they couldn’t see a clear difference between me and my competitors, their only choice was to make a decision based on price.

How do you raise your prices without losing business?

It was at that point that I realized I needed to change things up. I needed a way to stop being just another choice and instead be the only choice. If I stood out, was clearly different, and could communicate my value, I would not only get more clients, but I would be able to land better clients at higher rates.

Instead of being a generalist, I began to specialize.

I differentiated myself and created a signature system that no one else had, added bonuses to my service offerings, overhauled my website and added case studies and testimonials, began blogging, speaking and attending conferences, and focused on big opportunities for brand visibility — and, it worked like a charm.

Within just a few months, I noticed a change in who was reaching out about new projects and the fees I was able to get, and within a year, I more than tripled my fees and had a completely booked roster of awesome clients and a waiting list.

8 ways to become the only choice for your ideal web design clients

Here are the eight changes I made in my freelance business to stop being just another choice and become the only choice for my ideal clients:

Select a specialty.
Differentiate yourself.
Create a signature system.
Add valuable bonuses.
Create a website about your clients.
Leverage story-driven case studies and testimonials.
Position yourself as an authority.
Be seen consistently.

Let’s look at each of these strategies in more detail.

1. Select a specialty

While a generalist or jack-of-all-trades can be useful, it’s the specialist that commands the highest fees and the most respect. For example, doctors are respected and paid well, but surgeons command greater respect, earn more money, and have more power.

If you want to easily attract the best clients who are happy to pay your full rate, you need to specialize or choose a niche.

While most people believe that choosing a niche or speciality means choosing an ideal client, that’s not always the case. You can specialize by choosing to:

Serve a specific type of client (freelancing single moms).
Be an expert on a specific industry (health and wellness businesses).
Offer a specific type of service (eCommerce websites).
Help clients achieve a specific goal (launch a podcast and get it on iTunes).
Solve a specific problem (double your leads).

Choosing a niche or specialty also doesn’t mean that you’re suddenly going to turn away new clients who don’t fit that exact profile.

Landing new clients works the same way as a game of darts:

Hitting the center circle on the bullseye with a perfect throw means you get the most points, while hitting an outer ring still earns you points, just not as many.
Landing an ideal client who is a perfect match for your specialty is like hitting the bullseye, while other clients who align with some of your specialty are like hitting the outer rings.

Choosing a niche doesn’t mean alienting all other clients. The degree in which a client aligns with your specialty will vary and it’s up to you to decide when to say yes and when to say no.

2. Differentiate yourself

It is imperative that you find a way to stand out and differentiate yourself from your direct competitors and others in your niche — and let’s just get this out of the way: providing great customer service is not a differentiator, it’s an expectation.

Now, while great customer service isn’t a differentiator, customer experience is. So think about:

What makes what I do different?
How can I package my services in a way that makes the offer unique?
What can I offer or provide that no one else is?
Is there a way I can put a unique twist on what I’m doing or offering?
Why do people need what I offer and why am I the best choice?
Where can I add surprise and delight to create extraordinary experiences?
What is missing from the process my competitors follow or use?
What concerns do prospective clients have and how can I mitigate them?

3. Create a signature system

With no system in place to support you, it’s highly likely that you’re flying by the seat of your pants, starting over with every new client, and risking important things falling through the cracks. But with a system in place, you have a strong foundation to support both you and your clients during your work together, which results in a smoother project flow and happier clients.

The best things about creating a signature system that you follow are:

A system is repeatable, which means that the templates, tools, checklists, resources and other materials can be used over and over with each new client, which will save you time and increase your effective hourly rate.
A documented system can be delegated and automated as needed to free up your time to focus on serving your clients to the best of your ability and moving your business forward.
You can share your signature system with prospective clients to demonstrate your professionalism, commitment to quality, and desire to provide a remarkable experience.
A signature system positions you as more credible and trustworthy, and differentiates you from other fly-by-night service providers because you have checks and balances in place to make sure nothing is forgotten or missed.

4. Add valuable bonuses

If you’re struggling to differentiate yourself, consider adding valuable bonuses and extras to your service package that no one else offers. Ask yourself, what can you add to increase the perceived value of your offer that helps the client, moves them closer to their goals, and makes the process easier?

A few ideas include:

Checklists.
Training and educational materials.
Tips sheets.
Recommended resource guide.
Glossary of terms.

Just remember that the bonuses you add should be incredibly useful to your clients and don’t simply add bonuses to justify a fee increase. Bonuses are meant to increase the perceived value and make investing in your service package a complete no-brainer.

5. Create a website about your clients

I hate to break it to you, but your prospective clients don’t care about you until they first understand what you can do for them, how you can help them achieve their goals, and what they are going to get out of their investment.

They care about themselves first and foremost. Then, only after deciding that you can deliver what they want and need, do they care about who you are and your background.

When creating your website, put the client front and center. From the messaging and content to design and the buyer’s journey, make everything about your clients, their needs and struggles, and how you can help them.

Here’s what your website needs to do:

Confirm that prospects are in the right place.
Let prospects know you understand their challenge or problem.
Provide affirmation that their problem is important and needs to be addressed.
Share that you have a proven solution and can help.
Offer case studies and testimonials to show others have invested with you and experienced success and the same results your prospects want to achieve.
Provide information about your services and qualifications/background.
Lead them to the logical next step to take action.

It doesn’t need to be your resume and it doesn’t need to list the software you’re competent in, because let’s be honest, no client really cares what software you use.

6. Leverage story-driven case studies and testimonials

In all aspects of your sales and marketing — not just on your website — you can leverage project case studies and client testimonials to tell the story about:

Who you work with.
What you do.
How you’re different.
The results you help clients achieve.
The benefits of working with you.

Case studies and testimonials are highly effective tools to demonstrate your value and land new clients because they communicate everything listed above without making it all about you.

Case studies are all about the project — the project objectives, work completed, challenges overcome, results achieved, and any notable or unique characteristics of the project. Case studies help prospects identify a project similar to theirs and get a glimpse into how their project may go.

Testimonials are all about the client — they are sharing the story of their experience working with you in their own words. Testimonials, when done right, help sell you to the prospective client without being salesy.

The key to writing powerful case studies and acquiring client testimonials that sell is gathering the right information from your clients so you can tell a compelling story.

Consider providing your client prompts like:

Before we hired {COMPANY]...
[COMPANY] helped us...
What I loved / really appreciated was...
Now we...
The results so far have included...
What I would say to others who are on the fence is...

7. Position yourself as an authority

The fastest way to become the only choice in the eyes of your prospective clients, and to raise your prices, is to become their trusted resource for information, recommendations, tools and tips. You want to position yourself as the first person they think of when they need the service you offer or someone they know needs the service you offer.

A few simple ways to position yourself as an authority in your niche include:

Publishing blog posts and guest posts.
Being a guest on podcasts your audience listens to.
Publishing YouTube videos.
Applying to speak at events.
If you have a large list, mentioning the size “join 10,000 others…”
Leading webinars and other opt-in trainings.
Offering a free email course.
Hosting an event or meetup.

Just remember that any marketing efforts you pursue must be done constantly and consistently. The more often you take action, the more often you’ll be remembered when your prospective clients are ready to buy.

8. Be seen consistently

You may have heard the phrase that 80 percent of life is simply showing up. You can also think of it as 80 percent of the work is simply being seen.

Think of it this way: when you go to a party, no one remembers how long you stayed, just that they saw you there. Visibility matters and it’s exactly why some service providers, maybe those less talented than you, seem to achieve more success, receive more recognition, have more fans, or land clients more easily than you do.

As a freelancer, you’re also a marketer. You have to be visible, so you’re top of mind when your potential customers are ready to get started.

The reality is that no one can hire you, if they don’t know you exist or don’t remember that you’re even an option. The minute you start freelancing and start a business, you also become a marketer who is responsible for getting your name and work out into the world for others to see. And, because people don’t buy when it’s convenient for you, but when it’s convenient for them, that means you have to be visible all the time, so you’re top of mind when they’re ready to get started.

To stay top of mind, you need to consistently:

Be active and engaged on social media.
Send an email newsletter consistently.
Advertise your offers.
Attend local networking events.
Attend major conferences.
Apply to speak at events.
Create and publish a variety of new content.
Showcase your expertise through media and interviews.

Just make sure every time you show up, you’re doing so in a way that adds value, helps others, affirms your expert status, and moves your business forward.

Becoming the only choice

If you’re tired of being just another choice and are tired of chasing new clients and convincing them of your value, you can end that struggle by becoming the only choice so that your ideal clients begin to chase you and seek you out. When you implement the eight steps outlined above to be the obvious choice for your perfect-fit clients, you’ll close sales with greater ease, earn better clients, and be able to charge and get higher rates.