How to Find Web Design Clients on Instagram
To find web design clients on Instagram, search local hashtags and location tags, open the business profiles you find, and look for bios with no website or only a link tree or booking link. Check each one on Google. Then send one short, honest DM that names something real about their page. Keep a simple sheet so you know who you wrote to and when to follow up.
I have run a marketing agency for 15 years and worked with 100+ agency clients. Instagram is a good place to find small local businesses. It is a poor place to blast out messages. Nobody can promise you a reply, and this guide does not.
Why Instagram works for finding local clients
Many small shops, salons, cafes and tradespeople run their whole business from one Instagram page. Some never built a website. You can see what they do, who runs it, and start a small talk. The catch is that the owner did not ask to hear from you, so your message must be polite, short and useful.
Step 1: Get your own profile ready first
Before you message anyone, spend ten minutes on your own page. An owner will tap your name to see who you are.
- Use a clear photo of your face or a simple logo.
- Write one bio line about who you help and where, such as "Simple websites for local shops in Springfield."
- Add a way to contact you, and post two or three real things, like a small preview page you built.
Do not use fake reviews or invented results. If you have no clients yet, say you are new. See how to get your first web design client with no portfolio.
Step 2: Search local hashtags and location tags
Pick one town to start. A small area is easier to work than a whole state.
Try these searches in the Instagram search bar:
- Town and business type hashtags. For example, a town name plus "barber," "bakery," "nails," "plumber," "cleaning" or "landscaping."
- Town hashtags. Local "shop small" and "supporting local" tags for your town often show owner-run places.
- Location tags. Search the town or a main street, then open the tagged posts. Look at which business accounts show up again and again.
- Who tags whom. Open the tagged tab of a busy local business. Customers and neighbors tag small places there.
Open each profile. Skip big chains and accounts with no posts in months, since they may be closed.
Picking one type of business, such as salons, makes your messages sharper. See how to choose a web design niche.
Step 3: Spot the bios with no website
Now look at the top of each profile. This takes about ten seconds per account.
| What you see in the bio | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| No link at all | No website. They may take orders by DM or phone. |
| A link tree page | They have a page of links, but no site of their own. |
| A booking or ordering link only | They use a third party page. They may not control it. |
| A link to a Facebook page | Their web home is a social page. |
| A link to a site that looks old | They have a site, but it may be hard to use on a phone. |
Also look for owners who keep answering "Do you have a website?" or "What are your hours?" in the comments. That is a real sign a simple page could save time.
Step 4: Check the business on Google
Do not message anyone yet. Take two minutes and look the business up.
- Search the business name and town on Google and Google Maps.
- Does it have a Google listing? Is there a website button? Where does it go?
- Are the hours, phone number and address the same as on Instagram?
- Are there recent reviews? That tells you the business is open.
This saves you from an awkward message. If you say "you have no website" and they do, you look careless. See businesses with a Google Business Profile but no website and Facebook page vs website for a local business.
Write down the name, the Instagram handle, the town and what you found. Only keep the ones that are open and have no real site, or a weak one. You can also paste any web address into the free SiteRevive website check to see how a site holds up.
Step 5: Make one small thing to show
For your best few prospects, build a one-page preview from facts you can see. Do not invent prices, reviews or claims. Say clearly it is a preview. How to find web design clients covers the wider picture of where preview pages fit.
Step 6: Send a short, honest DM
A good DM is short, personal and easy to say no to. Here is a sample. The names are made up.
Hi Pat, I found Maple Corner Cafe through the Springfield tag. Your pastry photos are great. I noticed the bio link goes to a menu page, and I could not find a site with your hours. I build simple phone-friendly websites for local shops. I made a small preview using only what is on your page. Want me to send the link? No worries if not.
This works because it names one real thing, says what you noticed without blame, and gives them an easy way out.
Keep it under five lines. No prices in the first message, and no promises like more customers. You cannot know that. A message landing in "requests" is normal for people who do not follow you.
Email can work better for some owners. Read web design cold email and is cold email legal for web designers.
What not to do
- Do not spam. The same message to hundreds of accounts looks bad and can get your account limited.
- Do not use bots that follow and message for you.
- Do not insult their page. "I could not find your hours" may get a reply. "Your page is bad" gets a block.
- Do not lie. No fake clients, numbers or urgency.
- Do not keep pushing. If they say no, or stay quiet after one follow-up, stop.
How to follow up
Wait about four days. Then reply in the same chat with something short. For example:
Hi Pat, just a quick nudge in case this got buried. The preview is here if you want a look: [link]. If it is not for you, just tell me and I will not write again.
That is it. If there is no answer, stop and move on. Do not send a third message. If you want more wording ideas, see web design follow up email.
If an owner replies, be fast and friendly. What to say when a business owner replies has scripts.
Track every account in one simple sheet
Do not trust your memory. A plain spreadsheet is enough. Make columns for the business and handle, town, what you saw, what Google showed, the date you messaged, the follow up date and the status. Once a week, count how many you found, messaged and heard back from. If nobody answers, change your message or niche before you send more. Anyone who says stop goes on a do not contact list, and you never write to them again.
Where SiteRevive fits
Instagram is slow by hand. SiteRevive finds the leads a different way. You pick a type of business and a U.S. state, and it finds local businesses with old or missing websites. With Run with your AI, your own AI builds a one-page preview for each and drafts or sends a short note from your own inbox.
See current plans on the pricing page. You also need your own AI plan, which the AI company bills you for. There is no setup fee and nothing to install. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. It covers local U.S. businesses only, and it does not promise replies or sales. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts.
To see the whole idea on one page, visit the SiteRevive home page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find local businesses on Instagram that need a website?
Search local hashtags and location tags, then open the profiles. Look for bios with no website link, or only a link tree or booking link. Then search the business on Google Maps to see whether it has a real site of its own.
Is it okay to send a DM to a business owner I do not know?
Yes, if it is one short, honest, personal message and you stop if they say no. Do not send copy and paste messages to hundreds of accounts. Say what you saw on their page and offer help.
What should I say in my first Instagram DM?
Name the business, say one true thing you noticed, say you build simple websites, and ask if they would like to see a quick idea. Keep it under five lines. Do not put prices or big promises in it.
How many times should I follow up?
Once, after about four days, and then stop. A second message is a kind reminder. A third starts to feel like pressure. Write the date in your tracking sheet and move on.
Can I do this with no portfolio or past clients?
Yes. Build one small preview page for a real business using only facts from its own listing, and show that instead. Be clear it is a preview. You do not need to claim past clients you do not have.
Does SiteRevive work for finding Instagram leads?
SiteRevive does not search Instagram. It finds local U.S. businesses with old or missing websites from the business type and state you choose. It does not promise replies or sales. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts.