I build websites, and finding clients was the hardest part of the job. I used to search for businesses by hand, it took hours, and I kept losing track of who I had already contacted. This is the method I settled on. It needs nothing but Google Maps, WhatsApp and a spreadsheet.
1. Pick one business type and one area
Choose a type of business that depends on people nearby finding it: clinics, salons, coaching classes, gyms, CA offices, caterers. Pick one neighbourhood you know. A small, specific search is easier to finish than "businesses in Mumbai".
2. Look for listings with no website
On Google Maps, search the business type and the area together, for example "dental clinic in Ghatkopar". Open each listing and look for the Website button. No button means Google has no website for that business.
If there is a link, open it. A Facebook page, an Instagram profile or a Justdial listing is not a website, so that business is still a lead.
3. Check before you pitch
Google sometimes has no website for a business that does have one. Search the business name and city on Google, and check the bio on its Instagram or Facebook page. It is awkward to tell an owner they have no website when they do.
4. If it already has a website, open it on your phone
Look for problems an owner can understand in ten seconds:
- The browser shows a "Not secure" warning.
- You have to pinch and zoom to read it.
- It loads slowly.
- The footer still shows a copyright year from years ago.
Naming one or two of these beats offering to "improve your website".
5. Send one short WhatsApp message
Keep it short enough to read in one go: who you are, how you found them, the one thing that is missing, and one small next step. For example:
Hi, I'm [your name], a web developer in [your city]. I found [business name] on Google Maps and noticed there's no website listed. A simple website helps new customers find you on Google, see your services, and contact you directly. I'd be happy to show you a free sample. Would you have a few minutes to talk?
Send it yourself, one business at a time. Messages sent in bulk read as spam.
6. Follow up twice, then stop
Owners are busy and miss messages. Follow up about 3 days later, then once more about 7 days after that. After the second follow-up, move on.
7. Track everything
Keep a sheet with the business name, number, date contacted and status: contacted, replied, won or skipped. Without it you will message the same business twice.
Doing it faster
Doing this by hand takes hours, so I built a tool for it: Signboard (signboard-app.com). It runs the Google Maps search for an area and a business type, ranks the businesses by how likely they are to pay for a website, checks any site they already have, writes the WhatsApp message in English, Hindi or Marathi, and reminds you to follow up. It is built for India and free to start. I made it, so keep that in mind when you read this.
I wrote a longer version of this guide here: https://signboard-app.com/how-to-get-clients-for-website-development
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