Key takeaways
- Contacting local businesses that have no website is the quickest route to a first client: 21.5% of UK local businesses in our data list no website, rising to 54.6% of barbers.
- Pick one niche so your examples, prices and pitch speak to that trade.
- Lead with a specific idea, such as a mock-up of their homepage, rather than a list of your services.
- Check the rules before contacting anyone: sole traders need to consent to marketing emails and texts, and every number you call must be screened against the TPS and CTPS.
- Referral partners such as accountants, printers and signwriters send warm leads at little cost once the relationship is set up.
Where UK web design clients are
Most first-time web design clients are small local businesses, and a surprising number still have no website at all. Of 706,013 local businesses in UK open map data, 151,820 (21.5%) list no website, according to our UK research. Owner-run businesses that win customers through walk-ins, booking apps and social media lead the list.
- Barbers
- 54.6%
- Nail salons
- 45.0%
- Pet groomers
- 42.6%
- Beauty salons
- 42.3%
- Auto detailers
- 41.6%
- Butchers
- 35.8%
- Hair salons
- 32.1%
- Cafés
- 31.4%
- Painters & decorators
- 29.8%
- Car repair & garages
- 20.7%
Source: NoSite Leads UK research, Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. Categories with 1,000+ listings.
A business without a website isn't automatically a client. Some are happy with a booking app, a Facebook page or word of mouth. But they are the easiest conversations to start, because the gap is visible to both of you: search for their name and a marketplace profile or a competitor comes up first.
Before you start: pick a niche and build proof
Choose one type of business
A pitch to “local businesses” is a pitch to nobody. Pick one trade you understand, or one where the numbers are on your side, and learn what its customers need to find online. A barber's customers want prices, opening hours and a booking button. A café's want the menu and whether it does private hire. A garage's want MOT prices and how to book. Once your examples, price list and wording speak to one trade, every conversation gets easier. The industry guides show what to pitch twelve of the most common no-website businesses.
Have two or three examples ready
You don't need paid client work to show what you can do. Build two or three sample sites for the niche you chose, using made-up businesses or, with permission, a friend's or family member's business. Better still, build a quick mock-up homepage for the specific business you're about to contact, using its real name, services and prices. A mock-up turns “I build websites” into “here is yours”, and it's the most persuasive thing you can bring to a first conversation.
Ten ways to find web design clients
The methods below are roughly in order of how quickly they tend to produce a first client. The first five are direct outreach: you choose the business and start the conversation. The rest build a steadier flow of work over time.
| Method | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Businesses with no website | Free by hand, or a paid scan | Fast | First clients in a chosen niche |
| Walking in | Free | Fast | High-street shops, salons, cafés |
| Phone calls | Free (TPS/CTPS screening may cost) | Fast | Trades and busy owners |
| Email to limited companies | Free | Medium | Companies with a findable director |
| Businesses with weak websites | Free | Medium | Redesigns and bigger budgets |
| Referral partners | Referral fees | Slow to start, then steady | A reliable pipeline |
| Past-client referrals | Free | Steady | Anyone with one happy client |
| Local networking | Membership fees | Slow | Long-term local reputation |
| Marketplaces and lead sites | Fees or credits | Medium | Filling gaps between projects |
| Your own local search presence | Free, plus time | Slow | Inbound enquiries for years |
1. Find businesses that have no website
Search a category and town on Google Maps, open each listing and note the ones without a website link. It's free, but slow: you can only see a few listings at a time and you have to check each one. A NoSite Leads scan does the same job for a whole postcode area, returning the businesses with no website listed, their phone numbers and addresses as a CSV. Whichever route you take, check each lead before contacting it, because some businesses have a website that simply isn't on their listing. The guide to finding businesses without websites walks through the checks.
2. Walk in
For shops, salons, cafés and barbers, a short visit at a quiet time often beats any message. Introduce yourself, mention what you noticed about their online presence and leave a printed one-page mock-up or a card with a link to it. Pick the time carefully: a barber on a Saturday or a café at lunchtime won't thank you. Face-to-face conversations aren't covered by the PECR marketing rules, but be polite, keep it short and take no for an answer.
3. Call them
Most businesses without a website list a phone number: 88.4% of the no-website listings in our data have one. A two-minute call that mentions something specific and offers a free mock-up gets far more replies than an email nobody opens. Before you call, screen every number against both the TPS and CTPS registers, say who you are and don't withhold your number. The web design cold calling script has a full script and answers to the objections you'll hear.
4. Email limited companies
You can send marketing emails to limited companies and LLPs without their consent, as long as you say who you are and give an easy way to opt out. Sole traders and most partnerships are different: they're treated as individuals, so you need their consent first. Check the Companies House register to see which a business is. The cold email templates are written for businesses with no website, and the UK cold emailing rules explain who you can contact and how.
5. Upgrade businesses with weak websites
Some businesses have a website that works against them: it isn't secure, doesn't work on a phone, shows last year's prices or is a free page on a builder's subdomain. These owners already believe in having a website, so the conversation is about improvement rather than persuasion, and budgets tend to be bigger. In a scan, listings that link only to a social profile, booking page or directory are flagged as needing verification: these are often the easiest upgrades to pitch.
6. Build referral partnerships
Find businesses that meet new or growing companies before they think about a website: accountants and bookkeepers, business bank managers, printers, signwriters, shopfitters, photographers and business coaches. Offer a referral fee or a reciprocal arrangement, and make it easy for them by giving them a one-line description of who you help and a link to your examples. One good partner can send more work than a month of cold outreach.
7. Ask every happy client for referrals
Business owners in the same town and trade talk to each other. When you hand over a finished site, ask for a Google review and whether they know anyone else who needs one. Include a small “Website by …” credit in the footer, with the client's agreement, so other owners who admire the site can find you.
8. Network locally
Chambers of commerce, Federation of Small Businesses events, BNI chapters and local business groups on Facebook or LinkedIn put you in a room with owners who need help. Networking works slowly: go to learn about their businesses rather than to sell, follow up with something useful and let the work come later. In online groups, follow the rules on self-promotion and answer questions instead of posting adverts.
9. Use marketplaces and lead sites carefully
Freelance marketplaces such as PeoplePerHour, Upwork and Fiverr, and lead sites such as Bark, put you in front of people actively looking for a web designer. The catch is competition and fees: dozens of designers may answer the same request, and you pay platform fees or credits whether or not you win. They're useful for filling gaps between projects, not for building a business on.
10. Make your own site findable locally
Practise what you sell. Set up a Google Business Profile, publish a page for each town or trade you serve, show real examples with results, and collect reviews from every client. It takes months, but searches like “web designer near me” and “website for barbers” bring enquiries from people who have already decided to buy.
Turn interest into a paid project
When a business owner says “maybe”, book a short call or visit to ask what they want the website to do: more bookings, fewer phone calls about prices, online orders, more enquiries for a particular service. Then send a short proposal built around those goals with a clear price, timeline and payment terms. The web design proposal template covers what to include, and the UK website pricing guide helps you set a price you won't regret.
Common mistakes
Pitching every business in town
A generic pitch sounds generic. Owners can tell when a message could have gone to anyone.
Solution: Pick one niche, learn what its customers need from a website and build your examples and offer around it.
Leading with your services instead of their business
“I build fast, responsive websites” is about you. “Your prices aren't visible without downloading the booking app” is about them.
Solution: Open with one specific observation about their business and a concrete offer, such as a mock-up of their homepage.
Ignoring UK marketing rules
Emailing or messaging sole traders without consent, or calling numbers on the TPS or CTPS, breaks PECR and can lead to ICO fines and complaints.
Solution: Check whether a business is a limited company before emailing, screen numbers against the TPS and CTPS before calling, and keep a do-not-contact list.
Giving up after one attempt
Owners are busy, and a first message often arrives at the wrong moment.
Solution: Plan two or three polite follow-ups over a couple of weeks, then stop and record the outcome.
Underpricing to win the first job
A very low first price sets expectations for every referral that follows.
Solution: Price a smaller, well-defined package instead of cutting your rate, and put the scope in writing.
Quick reference: a 30-day plan
| Week | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choose a niche and an area; build two sample sites | Examples and a one-line offer |
| 2 | Find and verify businesses with no website | A checked list of 50 or more prospects |
| 3 | Visit, call or email (within the rules) with a specific idea | Five to ten conversations and mock-up requests |
| 4 | Follow up, send proposals, approach two referral partners | Proposals out and a first partner agreed |
UK outreach rules
Under PECR, sole traders and some partnerships count as individuals: only send them marketing emails, texts or social media messages if they have consented. Limited companies don't need to consent to marketing emails, but you must say who you are and offer an easy opt-out. Before calling, screen numbers against both the TPS and CTPS registers. See the ICO's business-to-business marketing guidance or our guide to UK outreach rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Common questions
How do I get my first web design client with no portfolio?
Build two or three sample sites for the niche you want to serve, then make a quick mock-up homepage for each business you contact, using its real name and services. A mock-up of their own site is more persuasive than any portfolio, and it shows you've done your homework.
Is cold calling still worth it for web designers?
Yes, for local businesses. Most businesses without a website list a phone number, and owners who never open marketing emails often answer the phone. Keep calls under two minutes, mention something specific about their business, and screen every number against the TPS and CTPS registers first.
Can I cold email businesses in the UK?
You can email limited companies, LLPs and other corporate bodies without consent, provided you identify yourself and offer an easy opt-out. Sole traders and most partnerships count as individuals under PECR, so you need their consent before emailing, texting or messaging them on social media.
How many UK businesses don't have a website?
In our analysis of 706,013 UK local businesses in open map data, 151,820 (21.5%) list no website. The share is highest among barbers, nail salons, pet groomers and beauty salons.
Which businesses are most likely to need a website?
Owner-run businesses that rely on walk-ins, booking apps or social media: barbers, nail and beauty salons, pet groomers, car valeters, butchers and cafés have the highest shares of listings with no website in our UK data.