John

[Tomas | Client Acquisition Wizard @Tom730518611806]

I make €2,200/month before I open my laptop.

12 clients. €150–250/month each.

Retainer income is the closest thing to a salary in freelancing.

Here's how to build it 🧵

Most web designers are stuck in feast-or-famine.

Good month: 2 clients, €4,000.

Bad month: 0 clients, €0.

Retainers fix this completely.

What I offer on retainer:

- Website hosting management
- Security checks (monthly)
- Small content edits (up to 2hrs/month)
- Speed optimizations
- Software/plugin updates

Price: €150–250/month per client.

Sounds small. But it stacks fast.

5 clients = €875–1,250/month
10 clients = €1,750–2,500/month
12 clients = €2,100–3,000/month

All recurring. All predictable.

When to pitch the retainer:

Right after you deliver the project.

I send a "what's next" email to every client 3 days after launch.

It includes 3 options:

1. Retainer plan (maintenance + support)
2. Google Ads landing page
3. Blog/SEO service

I don't pitch it aggressively.

I present it as a natural next step.

30–40% of clients take at least one upsell.

Existing clients are your best clients.

They already trust you.

The pitch line that converts:

"Your site is live — great. But websites need maintenance just like a car. I offer a simple monthly plan that keeps everything fast, secure, and up to date. Most clients find it's worth it on the first emergency alone."

One hosting issue, one broken form, one security breach — and the retainer pays for itself instantly.

This is the most underrated income stream in web design.

Build it from client #1.

I put the full retainer pitch, email scripts, and pricing tiers in a FREE guide.

Comment "RETAINER" below 👇

Must be following so I can DM you.

Retweet so other freelancers see this.

[John @TomasVorel68]

@Tom730518611806 RETAINER

[Tomas | Client Acquisition Wizard @Tom730518611806]

€0 to €8,400 in one month.

At 17, I was sitting in my room watching my account. Zero euros. Parents told me to get a "real job."

I spent 6 months learning Webflow on YouTube. Sold nothing.

Then one night I found a dentist's Instagram. His website was a disaster. 11 second load time. Broken on mobile. No contact form.

No portfolio. No experience. But I sent a 90-second Loom video showing exactly what was broken.

Sent the DM at 11:47 PM.

He replied at 7:15 AM: "When can we start?"

€800 first payment. First money I ever made myself.

5 days later: Website live. He was blown away.

He referred me to a gym owner. Gym owner referred me to a contractor. Contractor referred me to a lawyer.

3 months in: 6 clients.
6 months in: €4,200/month.
11 months in: €8,400 in ONE month.

Comment "ZERO" + RT and I'll send FREE Websites Masterclass

[John @TomasVorel68]

@Tom730518611806 ZERO

[John @TomasVorel68]

@Tom730518611806 Thanks for value g

[Tomas | Client Acquisition Wizard @Tom730518611806]

You don't need 20 portfolio pieces.

You need 3 great ones.

Here's how to build a portfolio that gets clients - even if you've never had a paying client 🧵

The biggest lie in web design:

"You need experience to get clients."
"You need clients to get experience."

Both feel true. Neither one is.

Here's how to break the cycle:

Step 1 - Pick one niche.

Dentists. Gyms. Lawyers. Restaurants.
Pick one.

Step 2 - Build a spec site for a fake business in that niche.

"Prague Dental Clinic" - doesn't exist.
But the website looks real, converts well, and demonstrates everything.

Treat it like a €3,500 project.

Step 3 - Create a case study, not just a screenshot.

Show:
• The problem the business had
• Your solution and why you chose it
• The result (or projected result)

"Gym websites typically lose leads because mobile sign-up is buried. Here's how I fixed it."

That thinking is what clients pay for.

Step 4 - Repeat twice. Different business types.

Now you have 3 case studies.

That's a portfolio.

Step 5 - Present it on a live Webflow site.

Your portfolio site is also a product demo.

If it's fast, clean, and converts — they already trust you before you say a word.

You don't need 20 projects to look credible.

You need 3 that show you understand business.

Repost to help someone stop waiting 🔁

[John @TomasVorel68]

@Tom730518611806 you are g

[Tomas | Client Acquisition Wizard @Tom730518611806]

I made €12,400 last month from web design.

Here's a full breakdown of every euro - and the exact systems behind it 🧵

Revenue breakdown:

• 3 new website projects: €8,400
• 12 retainer clients: €2,640
• 1 upsell (Google Ads landing page): €1,200
• 1 SEO add-on: €160

Total: €12,400

Here's how each stream works:

New projects (€8,400):

I have a productized offer: "Conversion-ready website in 7 days."

3 clients this month at an average of €2,800 each.

All closed via cold DM + discovery call.

Total call time: ~3 hours.

Total build time: ~18 hours.

Effective hourly rate: €350+/hour.

Retainers (€2,640):

12 clients at an average of €220/month.

2–3 hours of actual work per client per month (usually less).

This hits my account on the 1st of every month.

No invoicing. No chasing. Automated.

Upsells (€1,360):

After delivering a site, I always send a "what's next" email.

1 client took a Google Ads landing page (€1,200).

1 client added basic SEO/blog setup (€160).

30–40% of clients take at least one upsell.

I never pitch it aggressively.

I just present it as the logical next step.

Total hours worked this month: ~65

Revenue per hour: ~€190/hour

I work 25–30 hours/week on client work.

The rest goes to content, outreach, and systems.

I was making €150/project 3 years ago.

The only thing that changed:

• Better positioning
• Productized offer
• Retainer system
• Upsell process

None of this required more skill.

It required better business thinking.

I put the full business system — pricing, retainer setup, upsell email scripts — in a FREE guide.

Comment "SYSTEM" below 👇

Must be following so I can DM you.

Retweet if this was useful.

[John @TomasVorel68]

@ItsAndraz Same for me

workout is great refresher

[John @TomasVorel68]

@soltim1 Fear.

[John @TomasVorel68]

@thevirgilbrew WOW.

[John @TomasVorel68]

@ChurrLimm It rewards hard work

[John @TomasVorel68]

@ItsAndraz thanks g

[John @TomasVorel68]

@tvbzify grinding

[John @TomasVorel68]

@kaydeesign love them kaydee, shoot me a dm, we will stay in contact

[John @TomasVorel68]

@livewithnoregrt none of this

I'm the first millionaire of my family

[John @TomasVorel68]

@mindfulmaven_ Spending money so they get validation from people they would never take advice

[John @TomasVorel68]

@DearS_o_n No.

[John @TomasVorel68]

@harry_ngala10 The only limit your in made in your mind

You have to break them