How Web Agencies Can Win New Business from Day-One Companies
Every web agency has the same problem: where do the next clients come from? Referrals are great but unpredictable. Paid advertising is expensive and competitive. Freelance marketplaces drive prices to the floor. But there's a lead source that most agencies completely overlook — newly incorporated companies.
Over 2,500 new businesses are registered at Companies House every single working day. Every one of them needs a website. And the vast majority don't have one yet.
Why new companies are the perfect web agency leads
Not all leads are equal. New company directors are uniquely well-suited prospects for web agencies for several reasons:
They have a genuine, immediate need
A newly incorporated company doesn't have a website. They don't have branding, a domain, hosting, or a Google Business Profile. In most cases, they don't even have a logo. Everything needs to be created from scratch — which is exactly what a web agency does.
Compare this to the typical "redesign" client, who already has an existing site, existing branding, legacy content to migrate, and strong opinions about what they want. New company projects are cleaner, faster, and more profitable because you're building from a blank canvas.
They haven't chosen a competitor yet
This is the key advantage of targeting day-one companies. When you approach a business that's been trading for two years, they either already have a website (meaning you're selling a redesign) or they've decided they don't need one. Either way, it's an uphill battle.
A company that incorporated this week hasn't spoken to any web agencies yet. You're not competing against an incumbent — you're filling an empty slot. First mover advantage is enormous in this space.
They're in buying mode
New company directors are actively setting up their business. They're making purchasing decisions every day — accountant, insurance, bank account, phone system, and yes, a website. They're psychologically primed to invest in their business. You're not interrupting someone who's busy with day-to-day operations; you're reaching someone who's in active setup mode.
How to find new company leads
Every company incorporated in the UK is registered at Companies House, and the following data is publicly available:
- Company name
- Director name(s)
- Registered office address
- SIC code (industry classification)
- Date of incorporation
You can access this data directly through the Companies House website or API, but it's not designed for lead generation. The most practical approach is to use a data service like NewCo Data, which pulls every new incorporation daily, classifies it by sector, and delivers filtered reports with director names and addresses.
Which sectors to target
Some sectors are better prospects for web agencies than others. Companies most likely to need a professional website include:
Sectors to deprioritise include property holding companies (SPVs), dormant shelf companies, and highly regulated industries where web presence is secondary to compliance.
Outreach that converts
Having the data is only half the battle. The quality of your outreach determines whether that data becomes revenue. Here's what works:
The letter approach
Yes, physical post. It might seem old-fashioned, but in an age of overflowing email inboxes, a well-crafted letter to a company director stands out. New company incorporation data includes the registered office address, which in many cases is the director's home address for newly formed companies.
A one-page letter, professionally printed on your agency's letterhead, that congratulates the director on their new business and offers to help them establish their online presence can achieve response rates of 2-5% — significantly higher than cold email.
The email approach
If you can find the director's email address (through LinkedIn research, their personal website, or email finder tools), a personalised email can work well. The key principles:
- Keep it short. Under 150 words. New directors are busy.
- Be specific. Reference their company name and sector. "I noticed [Company Name] was recently incorporated as a [sector] business" shows you've done your homework.
- Lead with value. Offer something free — a quick audit of their digital presence, a checklist for new company websites, or a 15-minute consultation.
- One clear call to action. Don't offer five options. Ask for one thing: a quick call, a reply, or a click to your portfolio.
Pricing for new companies
New companies are typically price-sensitive. They're investing in multiple services simultaneously and don't yet have revenue. Consider creating a "new business starter package" specifically for newly incorporated companies:
The initial project value may be lower than your typical engagement, but the lifetime value is significant. A company you onboard at day one is likely to come back for redesigns, e-commerce additions, SEO, and ongoing maintenance as they grow. You're not just winning a project — you're winning a long-term client relationship.
Case study: the numbers in practice
Here's a realistic scenario for a web agency using new company data:
Two new clients per month from a single lead channel, at a data cost of under £50/month plus postage. Compare that to the cost of Google Ads or a business development hire.
Scale up by sending more letters, adding email outreach, or targeting additional sectors, and the numbers grow proportionally. Some agencies we've spoken to send 200+ letters per week and have built their entire client acquisition system around new company data.
Automating the process
The beauty of this approach is that it's highly systematisable. Once you've refined your letter template and identified your target sectors, the process becomes:
- Morning: Receive your daily NewCo Data report via email
- Review: Quickly scan the list (most will be relevant if your sector filters are set correctly)
- Send: Print and post your letters (or outsource to a mail fulfilment service)
- Follow up: Track responses and book consultations
Total time investment: 30-60 minutes per day. The rest of your time is spent doing what you do best — building websites.
Fill your agency pipeline with new company leads
Get daily reports of newly incorporated UK companies, filtered by sector. Director names and addresses included — perfect for targeted outreach campaigns.
Start Your 7-Day Free TrialKey takeaways
Newly incorporated companies are ideal web agency prospects — they need a website, haven't chosen a provider, and are in active buying mode. Over 2,500 new companies form daily, creating a constant pipeline of potential clients. Physical letters to directors achieve higher response rates than cold email for this audience. Starter packages priced for new businesses win the initial project and create long-term client relationships. With a systematic approach, even a small agency can generate 2-4 new clients per month from this single channel. NewCo Data provides the daily lead data, filtered by sector, to power this strategy.