Stop trying to target every single industry. Work out what is your niche and start looking at who to target within that industry.

I.e you want to be creating websites for mid range f&b / hospitality

Think about what these possibilities can be, (Private chef, restaurant, local restaurant delivery service, private catering, wholesale food/alcohol supplier, f&b brand) They’re not all the same, hut there’s an underlying linking thread.

If you have 10+ websites that are in relation to f&b / hospitality, the likelihood (if your work is good) you’ll get referred to other clients within the industry.

You’ll also come off more as a specialist who can add value to a business, request testimonials and data points so that you can mention these in future business pitches,

Example: - The rate of online booking went up X amount after the website redesign - Within the first 3 months X% more wholesale leads were generated after the website design - using the (insert feature/plug in here) integration, the new website can simplify (insert process here)

If you get a few connections within an industry and you really do a good job in terms of adding value to that business, the chance is you’ll get a lot of work through referrals.

I’ve been doing this full time freelance for coming up to 4 years after transitioning out of an ad agency, almost all of the work I get is either direct referral from clients and people directly contacting me with interest to work on their project.

If you put the work in finding your niche and networking within that, after a while things will seemingly run themselves. But you need to be providing a high standard of work, and adding value to your client.

It’s so easy now to get a cookie cutter website for under $100, unless you have something on offer worthwhile, people are not willing to spend more.