How we grow our agency with zero advertising
Discover how we grow our web development agency through word of mouth by delivering excellence and learning from client feedback - without spending on advertising.
When we first launched our agency, we, like many others, assumed that getting clients would require a lot of advertising. We spent hours reading guides on winning clients, most of which emphasized the power of word of mouth, but we struggled to believe that such a thing was possible—especially when you’re just starting out. Yet, as time went on, we found out that word of mouth wasn’t just possible—it became the core of our growth. And the best part? It cost us nothing in advertising.
Here’s how we did it, and how you can too.
Commitment to excellence
From the beginning, we made a decision: no matter how big or small the project, we would always aim to deliver excellence. It didn’t matter if the job was a small task for a local business or a larger project for a more established client—we treated every single one with the same level of care and attention. Why? Because we realized early on that every client has the potential to bring in more work.
That “small” client may turn out to be your biggest referral source, or they may come back with a bigger project themselves. We’ve experienced this cascading effect firsthand. One excellent job led to another, and then another—without us ever spending a dime on advertising.
The lesson here? Never underestimate the impact of doing excellent work. Every project is an opportunity to impress, build trust, and grow your reputation.
Zero advertising cost does not mean zero cost
While we didn’t spend any money on advertising, that doesn’t mean we didn’t make an investment. Delivering excellence comes with its own hidden costs. Sometimes, you’re not always paid for the effort you put in. For example, when a client pays $500 for a small website, it might not seem justified to spend dozens of hours on it—but we did. Especially when you’re a small agency, those hours are still worth spending.
Why? Because investing the extra time and effort upfront is what plants the seeds for future success. That $500 website may lead to a long-term client, repeat business, or referrals that are worth much more down the line. For us, delivering excellence wasn’t always about immediate financial reward—it was about building a reputation that would pay off in the long run.
The value of feedback
While delivering excellent results is critical, knowing how to improve is just as important. In the early days, we didn’t have much experience in areas like client communication, offer creation, drafting contracts, delivery estimates, or managing scope of work. We learned quickly that one of the best ways to improve is to ask for feedback.
From our very first client, we made sure to send feedback forms. We wanted to understand what we did well, but more importantly, we wanted to know where we needed to get better. Did we communicate clearly enough? Were our delivery estimates realistic? Were our clients satisfied with the quality of our work?
Over time, that feedback helped us refine our processes and avoid pitfalls. The insights from clients gave us the opportunity to continuously improve, which in turn led to better client experiences and, as a result, more referrals.
If we were to give any advice to bootstrapped agencies just starting out, it would be this: deliver excellent results and actively seek feedback. This combination will help you grow, improve, and create a reputation that fuels word-of-mouth growth.
Excellence is self-defined, no checklists here
One thing we’ve learned along the way is that excellence is not something you can define with a checklist. Sure, there are best practices and standards to follow, but at the end of the day, excellence is a feeling you have about your work. It’s that gut feeling that tells you whether what you’re delivering is truly great or if it has room for improvement.
This feeling comes with experience. You’ll know from the moment you finish a project whether you’re proud of it or if there’s something more you could have done. No one else can really define what excellence looks like for you—it’s something you develop a sense for over time. A list of what makes an “excellent deliverable” might give you some direction, but true excellence goes beyond ticking boxes.
Always keep learning
Despite the progress we’ve made, we know there’s still a lot to learn. Our commitment to growth is ongoing, and we’re always looking for ways to improve. Whether it’s refining our processes, learning new skills, or improving client communication, we know that the key to long-term success is to never stop learning.
So, if you’re a small agency looking to grow without a massive marketing budget, take this as proof: word of mouth works. Deliver excellence in everything you do, listen to your clients, and keep refining your processes. Your reputation will do the advertising for you.
In the end, it all comes down to doing good work and creating positive client experiences. When you focus on quality, the clients—and their recommendations—will come.
