How do you get clients online as a freelancer or a small business? Whether you're an electrician in Elda, a plumber in Elche, a dentist in Valencia or a carpenter in Alicante, many people who could hire you start on their phone: they search, compare reviews and get in touch with the business they trust. This guide is for the self-employed (autónomos) and small and medium-sized businesses in Spain, whatever language your clients speak.
Often the issue isn't a lack of potential clients: they just can't find you, or don't see why they should choose you. Here are simple ways to change that.
Why look for clients online?
Because that's where many people start when they need a service: before they call anyone, they search, compare a few options and read what others say.
According to the INE's household survey on ICT use (Encuesta TIC-H), almost everyone in Spain aged sixteen to seventy-four had used the internet in the previous three months. Even when a neighbour recommends you, people often look you up online first. Before getting in touch, they want to know:
- what you do and where you work;
- whether you're good at it, judging by photos and reviews;
- roughly what it will cost;
- how to reach you fast.
Start with your target client and your offer
Before trying channels, take an afternoon to think about who you want to attract: if you speak to everyone, your message connects with no one. Write down:
- who they are: individuals or companies, and where they are based;
- what they need: a repair, a renovation, advice;
- the way they search: the words they type and the apps they use;
- what makes them decide, and what holds them back.
Sum up your offer in one sentence
Say what you do, for whom, where and why people should choose you, for instance: “Plumbing repairs in Elche, with a fixed quote and same-day replies on WhatsApp.” It's easier to stand out as “the kitchen carpenter in Alicante” than as one more carpenter.
Make your pricing easy to understand
Many people hesitate to get in touch when they have no idea of the cost. Say what each service includes and, where you can, give approximate prices or explain what a quote depends on: it can help build trust.
Your website: the base for winning clients online
This is the one channel you fully control: Instagram or Facebook can change their rules or reach at any time, while your own page stays where it is. The aim is enquiries, not just visits: someone arriving from their phone should understand in seconds which service you offer and how to contact you.
What your page needs
- A headline with your service and area, such as “Electrician in Elda: repairs and installations”.
- A section for each of your services.
- Real photos and examples of your work.
- Your phone number, a WhatsApp button and a short contact form in view.
- Reviews from real clients and the legal texts: legal notice, privacy policy and cookie policy.
Check it on a phone first, since many visitors will look at it there. Our checklist of what to include covers the rest.
What it costs
With WebAutonomos, your site costs €15/month with no setup fee and no commitment, or €349 as a one-off payment. We prepare a demo with your details in less than 24 hours and you see it before you pay; if it doesn't convince you, you pay nothing. Compare the options in our price comparison for freelancers.
Search engines: be found by people looking for your services
SEO (search engine optimisation) means preparing your pages so that search engines show them higher and people looking for what you do can find you.
Use the words your clients type
Note the searches your clients would make: your service plus your town, specific issues (“power cut in my flat”) and questions (“cost to replace a shower tray”), and use those words naturally. Here's how to choose local keywords.
If you work in one area
Keep your name, address and phone number identical wherever you're listed, mention the towns you cover and get links from other local businesses. Ranking higher takes time, often months, so combine it with faster channels. See our local search handbook for freelancers.
Your Google Business Profile and reviews
When someone searches for “locksmith Valencia”, Google shows a map with a few businesses, their star ratings and their opening hours. A free Business Profile can help people find you on that map. To make your listing stand out:
- choose your main category carefully;
- fill in your hours, area, phone and web address;
- add photos of your best work regularly;
- publish updates now and then.
The full process is in how to appear on the map.
Ask for reviews at the right moment
Reviews help convince people who don't know you yet. Every time you finish a job, ask for one, not only when the client seems happy, and make it easy: send the link directly on WhatsApp. Reply politely to every review, including negative ones. Never buy reviews or invent them: platforms can detect fake reviews and remove them. More ideas in how to get more reviews.
Testimonials and case studies
Show proof of your work: testimonials from real clients who agree to be quoted, never invented ones, and short case studies of jobs you've done, with photos of the result. Pictures of a finished renovation in Elche say more than any slogan.
Social media: choose one or two platforms
You don't need to be everywhere. Pick the platform that suits your business best: where you'll find your potential clients and where you can stay active every week.
- Instagram, if your work is visual: renovations, beauty, food or crafts.
- Facebook, to reach adults in your area through local community groups.
- LinkedIn, if you sell to other businesses.
- TikTok or YouTube, if you're comfortable on video.
Facebook groups and local communities
Neighbourhood groups and groups for the English-speaking community in Spain are full of people asking for recommendations, such as “Does anyone know a good electrician near Elda?” Join a few active ones, read their rules on promotion and be helpful, answering with practical advice instead of posting adverts. A past client tagging you counts for more than any post of your own.
LinkedIn for business-to-business services
If you sell to companies, as a consultant, accountant, translator or designer, LinkedIn is the professional network to work on: share examples of your work and news from your sector, and keep connecting with people you've worked with.
Whatever the platform, add a next step to every post: a link, WhatsApp or a call. See which networks suit the self-employed.
Referrals: turn past clients into new ones
Word of mouth also travels online: a referral from a happy client who shares your number in a WhatsApp group introduces you with the trust of someone who has worked with you. You can help it happen:
- at the end of each job, say: “If you know anyone who needs this, I'd be glad to help”;
- stay in touch with current clients, for instance with a seasonal reminder;
- send a short message with your link, so it's easy to forward;
- thank whoever recommends you and tell them how it went.
Partner with complementary businesses
A plumber and a renovation company, or a physiotherapist and a gym, serve the same clients without competing. Build a network of partners, share each other's posts and link to each other's pages; those links also help your ranking (see how to get local backlinks).
Email and WhatsApp: keep in touch with your leads
People who find you aren't always ready to hire straight away. Email is a good way to stay in touch, and WhatsApp keeps the conversation going.
Build an email list, with permission
Invite people to join your list in exchange for something helpful, such as seasonal reminders, and get clear consent, as data protection rules require; never buy contact lists. Then send one email a month with a tip, news or a recent job, so you land in their inbox when they need you. Our introduction to email for beginners covers the first steps.
WhatsApp Business: reply fast
Many people would rather write than call, and replying within minutes instead of the next day can decide who gets the job. WhatsApp Business is free and offers a business profile, a catalogue, quick replies and an away message: see our step-by-step tutorial.
Content: answer what your clients want to know
Content marketing means attracting clients with helpful articles, guides or videos instead of chasing them. Each article on your blog answers a real question, helps people find you and can bring visits long after you publish it. A few ideas:
- indicative prices, such as what affects the cost of a bathroom renovation in Valencia;
- comparisons between two materials or options;
- checklists, such as what to check before calling a technician.
Add one article a month, based on the questions clients ask you. If writing isn't your thing, see how to create content without being a writer.
Paid ads: when is it worth paying?
When your listing and your own pages are ready to turn visits into enquiries. Ads help you reach potential clients from day one, but they don't fix a weak offer or bring sales on their own.
Search ads
Your ad can show above the search results when someone types, say, “emergency plumber Elche”, and you pay per click, which suits urgent services. See our introduction to Google Ads.
Facebook and Instagram ads
You choose the area and age range of the people who see the ad, which suits an opening or a seasonal offer. If you're going to try either type, set a maximum budget: start small, measure the enquiries each campaign brings and keep only what works.
Follow up every lead
Reply as fast as possible: if someone has asked for several quotes, an early answer gives you better chances of winning the job. A spreadsheet or a CRM is a simple way to keep track of what each contact needs and the next step. If a quote gets no answer after a few days, a friendly message can save the sale, and once the job is done, it's the right time to ask for a review and a referral.
Measure what brings you clients
Google offers two free tools to help you see which channel works, and your listing shows its own figures:
- Search Console: the searches you appear for and the clicks you get.
- Analytics: how many people visit and where they come from.
- Listing performance: calls, direction requests and clicks.
Also ask new clients how they found you, and look at the results once a month. More in how to measure your visits and enquiries.
Your action plan: what to do first
Don't try to do everything at the same time. A sensible order for getting contacts early without neglecting the long term:
- Write down who you're targeting and your offer in one sentence.
- Create or review your listing and ask recent clients for reviews.
- Put your phone, WhatsApp and a short form on a simple homepage.
- Set up WhatsApp Business with quick replies.
- Choose one or two platforms and post every week.
- Publish one useful article a month and start your email list.
- Try ads once the rest is working.
- Measure every month and keep what brings you clients.
If you'd rather hand over part of the work
If you're short of time, WebAutonomos prepares your pages from your real details, such as your Business Profile and your photos, and you see a free demo in less than 24 hours before paying anything.
We also offer Local SEO for €15/month and management of your Google Business Profile for €29/month (€49 to create it if you don't have one yet). The first includes 4 blog articles a month, local keywords and a monthly report; the second covers optimisation, 4 posts a month and replies to reviews. Both are available without the site, and social media management and advertising can be arranged on request.
Common mistakes that cost you clients
- Trying to be everywhere and keeping nothing up to date.
- Taking hours or days to reply.
- A page that doesn't work on a phone or hides your number.
- Not asking for reviews, or ignoring negative ones.
- Paying for ads too early.
- Emailing people without their permission.
More in mistakes small businesses make online.
No single strategy works on its own: your listing, reviews, content and profiles reinforce each other. Choose two or three, apply them well for a few months and measure what brings you clients before adding the next.