How to attract clients that bring you joy with your website
When you get down to it, some clients are fun to work with, and some aren’t.
Some make your life difficult, creating that sinking feeling of resentment that churns in your stomach at night.
(you know I’m gonna blame it on the client, not the huge pack of Trader Joe's chocolate almonds I just consumed…)
Others are happy to pay your fees, appreciate your effort, and communicate in a way that feels good.
(ahh, relief)
There’s no shame in keeping those difficult clients happy. You’re running a business after all. You have a reputation to uphold, and bills to pay (or vacations to save for).
But if you’re looking for a way to put a stop to those swarms of can you just add this one little thing? clients, you’re in the right place.
Because with the right words, your website can bring in leads who know your value, respect your process, and are excited to work with you, before you even talk to them.
And with some reflection and thought, those words will become obvious.
But if you stick with that generic copy template you got for $10? It’ll keep attracting generic clients.
So let’s get specific, shall we?
There are three questions to ask yourself before you’re ready to take your website to the next level:
Who exactly do you want to work with?
Before we can attract the people who light you up, we need to know what exactly makes those extra special clients so great.
Let’s take your favorite client as an example - we’ll call them Marie.
As great as it’d be to scream “if you’re anything like Marie, please reach out to me!” on your website, unless your product involves mind reading, it’ll probably backfire.
But you can call out specific details that you love about Marie to attract more people like her into your circle.
If you know what those details are.
So ask yourself some questions about Marie:
What exactly was it about your project with her that felt so good?
Was it her…
Communication style
Goals
Expectations
Personality
Sense of humor
Flexibility
Attentiveness?
And (this might be a big one), what was her budget like?
Really dig into those details. I’m talking nitty gritty here. Because once you pinpoint exactly what it was that made everything fall into place so smoothly, you’ll be well on your way to repeating that wonderful experience with more clients.
And now, drum roll please…
Pull out some sticky notes or your favorite spreadsheet software, because it’s time to repeat this exercise with at least 5 of your all time favorite clients.
(sorry for the homework, but you’ll thank me later)
Because maybe Marie’s quirks were a one-off joy, but not really what makes a client fun to work with. But if three of your favorite clients have overlap? That’s the bud of a pattern forming, and a good indicator that you like working with people with that specific vibe.
Got your list? Time for #2.
2. Why do they want to work with you?
Spoiler alert - what you liked about your favorite clients might not be what they liked about you.
And - another spoiler alert - the people who land on your website aren’t there wondering how they can make you happy.
They want to know why you’re a good fit for them.
Now, this reason is going to be different for different kinds of people.
So make sure you ask the ones that you like why they chose you.
To get this info, you can go through your testimonials. I like to do 3-5 customer interviews for my copy clients too. It’s up to you how detailed you get, but the more you dive into it, the richer your info will be.
Then, make a running list of all those kind words. And pull out the main themes of what attracted the Maries of the world to you.
Now hold on to that for a minute while you answer one last question.
3. What kind of work is your favorite?
Ok ok, this isn’t exactly about clients, but it’s something I see so many people overlook.
Maybe you offer a whole slurry of services to potential clients. You’re hoping to have a little something for everyone to make sure you bring in the paychecks every month.
But if you’re here, in a position where you’re ready to get choosy about your clients, you’re probably in a good spot to get choosy on the kind of jobs you take too.
If you offer something that’s a major time suck, or makes you want to crawl back under the covers every morning you have to tackle it, no client in the world is going to make you love that work.
So if you’re ready to get choosy, make sure you’re clear on which services you want to offer first.
(I have a hard time saying no too, but try it with me?)
Taking it from the brainstorm sheet to the website
Now comes the fun part - weaving your overlapping love languages into your website.
Time to take all this cold hard data and turn it into cool words that make you money (<- ever wondered what a copywriter does? That about sums it up).
You like working with people who are super detail oriented? Sneak that into your about page.
Your favorite clients wanted someone who would squash their overwhelm? Add in a testimonial that highlights exactly how you do that.
It’s all about taking what you know works, for you and your kind of people, and putting it into your messaging. That’s how you’ll draw in more of the people you love to work with.
Now, this process of weaving what you love and what your clients love into your website has worked for me and my clients time and time again…
But sometimes, going with the facts will go against your better instincts.
You may think your main selling point is your educational history. You’re convinced that’s what you should highlight in your about page. But everyone else is oohing and awing over how organized you are…
Or maybe you think your professionalism keeps people happy. But your clients are all raving over those couple of Stranger Things references you let slip.
Now, I’m serious about this: if you liked working with those clients, mention those silly references on your website, even if it doesn’t feel “professional”. Talk about how organized you are, even if you think it’s an obvious skill.
If it’s what your favorite people are mentioning, you should be talking about it.
Use your data. Use what works for you and your people, and you're bound to get more of what you want.
I’m off to eat some chocolate almonds, but if you’re enjoying this whole “words can make my business better” thing, we should hang out more.
My newsletter shares tips like these every Wednesday. We keep it light, casual, and productive. Subscribe here if you want to join.
Or, if you’re wondering how a copywriter can make this magic happen for you, without spending weeks figuring it out yourself? Check out my done for you services here.
