Rant: I stopped chasing new customers for a month and my revenue went up 12%

My small web design shop in Phoenix was stuck, so I ignored all new leads for 30 days and only called past clients for repeat work. I landed three upgrade projects from people I'd already done sites for. Do you think focusing on existing customers is a better use of time than always hunting for new ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

umabailey4mo ago

My Portland agency chased new clients for years before realizing old ones bring steady cash.

emerychen2mo ago

and that's the thing about chasing new clients all the time, it's like a hamster wheel where you're always running but never getting anywhere. once we started putting real effort into our existing client relationships in portland, the referrals started coming in naturally without all that cold calling nonsense. the maintenance plans thing is huge too because it turns a one time project into something that keeps paying out every month. plus old clients already trust you so there's none of that awkward getting to know you phase where you're both trying to figure out if it's a good fit. its way easier to upsell someone who already knows your work is solid than to convince a brand new person to take a chance on you. honestly feels like the whole industry is so focused on growth numbers that they forget the people who already said yes.

the_oliver4mo ago

Totally did the same thing last year! My shop in Austin focused on maintenance plans for old clients, and it was way less stressful than chasing new leads. The repeat work just kept coming in.