If you can ship a clean Framer or Webflow site, you're already ahead of most people on the "can build" side. The part that trips developers up is getting found by the right clients. Here's a system that treats client acquisition like an engineering problem: define inputs, run experiments, measure.
Define your spec (positioning)
Write one sentence: who you help, what outcome you deliver, how fast, and proof.
"I build editable Framer marketing sites for seed-stage SaaS teams, typically live in three weeks."
Treat it like an API contract. Anyone reading it should know what to send you and what not to.Pick a niche for 90 days
Don't think of it as forever. It's a hypothesis. Candidates:
Industry (fintech, dev tools, health tech)
Company stage (pre-seed first site, Series A rebuild)
Project type (launch page, CMS blog, rebrand)
Check your past projects for overlap: which ones went smoothly, paid on time, and referred you?Make the portfolio a landing page
Headline = your spec from step 1
3 to 5 projects, ordered by relevance
Each project: problem, role, outcome
One CTA, repeated
Fast load time (you're selling websites, so yours should be quick)
No client work in your niche yet? Build a clearly labeled concept redesign of a real product's landing page and explain your decisions.Price in packages
Hourly billing punishes you for getting faster. Use fixed-scope packages with defined revision rounds, take a deposit, and offer good/better/best tiers. Raise prices after a few easy "yes" answers in a row.Pick channels like you'd pick a stack
You want one of each:
Type
Examples
Inbound
Directories, template listings, content
Outbound
Researched outreach to founders
Relationship
Referrals, partnerships with copywriters/brand designers
For the inbound slot, directories where founders search by platform are worth testing. For example, •ThemesMotion.com
(https://dev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-•amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tz1xoj70keqdymxy1p8g.png)
(https://dev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-•amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/qn7bmagsdod7kdzgoh9h.jpg)om organizes experts and templates by category (Framer, Webflow, Figma, React, Next.js) and, per its pricing page, offers a one-time $39 membership that includes a public expert profile and unlimited template listings. Treat it as an experiment: tag the link, and compare lead quality after 60 to 90 days.Outreach that doesn't feel like spam
A message template with four parts: specific observation, relevance, low-friction offer, easy exit.
Text
Ten researched messages beat a hundred templated ones.Qualify before you code
Ask about budget, timeline, decision-maker, and content readiness before writing a proposal. Red flags: "we'll know it when we see it," free sample requests, no named owner.Instrument the funnel
Track: messages sent → replies → calls → proposals → closed. Add a "How did you hear about me?" field to your intake form. After 30 days, drop the worst channel and double down on the best.Retain
At 30 to 60 days post-launch, offer a review and propose a retainer for updates, new pages, and experiments. Retainers cover baseline income so you can say no to bad projects.
Qualify early: budget, timeline, decision-maker. Publish a starting price. Full guide with scripts and a 30-day plan. Just click the link below.Themesmotion.com
Top comments (0)