Websites Made Simple: How to have a successful website design business

Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.Sent the walkthrough video, chased twice, and still nothing back from your client? You're not on your own, and there's plenty you can do about it.Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.In this episode, I'm talking you through how to get a website project back on track when a client is ghosting you. I'm explaining why it happens (it's usually overwhelm, not rudeness) and the boundaries I use so it rarely happens to me any more.We get into:Why getting everything up front makes a website project so much easierWhy gathering content is a whole extra job for your clientsAgreeing a content deadline, and the check-in email I send a couple of weeks before itWhy I ask for feedback within two working days of every walkthrough videoMy sunset clause: what happens after two weeks of silence, and the friendly email I sendArchiving a project, reactivation fees, and why you should always build on a staging siteRe-quoting when a project goes past three monthsWhat to do if your existing clients never signed a terms of serviceBeing firm, and still being genuinely helpfulIf you've ever had a project stall because your emails are disappearing into the ether, this one's for you.Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected] a ghosting story? Email me or leave me a voicemail through the contact form on my website. I might even read some out on the show.Mentioned in this episode:Website Designer's Contract Pack: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/website-designer-contract-pack/And here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/Skip to the good bits:00:00 When your website client ghosts you01:51 Why clients go quiet (it's not you)04:16 Step 1: Terms of service and a content deadline07:24 Step 2: Set a feedback window08:45 Step 3: The sunset clause11:55 Step 4: Re-quote, and what if you don't have terms yet14:23 Step 5: Be firm, be kind

If you've had a quiet month and you're tempted to drop your prices, please don't. There's usually money sitting in places you haven't looked yet.Check out my group - https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.In this episode, I'm helping you work out a plan to make more money in your web design business right now. Some of it brings in cash quickly, and some of it builds a steadier pipeline, so web design doesn't have to be feast or famine.We get into:Why the website is only one part of what your client is paying for, and why you still stand firm on your pricesMy payment terms, and why content deadlines stop you building next year's website at last year's pricesWhy your previous clients are your quickest win, and when to ask them for a testimonial and a referralHow hosting and maintenance bring me steady monthly income, and what to offer if you design on Squarespace, Wix, Webflow or ShopifyWhether your niche is so tight that people can't find youWhy I tell web designers not to work at an hourly rateWhat to charge for a power hour, and why mine often turn into website buildsHow I deliver website audits, and my website glow-upIf you want more money coming in without cutting your prices, this one's for you.Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected] in this episode:Website Designer's Contract Pack: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/website-designer-contract-pack/My Website Clinic: https://thisdemandinglife.com/website-clinic/Mike Cottam, WordPress specialist (white label site care): https://mike-cottam.com/Jo Lott: https://joannalottcoaching.com/And here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/Skip to the good bits:00:00 Feast or famine? It doesn't have to be04:18 Your quickest win: past clients05:41 Recurring revenue from maintenance07:47 Is your niche too tight to be found?11:31 Price properly, and show your prices13:08 Power hours, and what to charge15:17 Website audits and the glow-up

Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.If you've ever had a client say yes, pay the deposit, and then go quiet for weeks, it's rarely because you did something wrong. It's usually because they weren't quite ready to work with you.Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.In this episode, I'm talking about how to attract the clients who come to you ready to buy, so you can save yourself all that back and forth. I also tell you the story of the time I was the person who wasn't ready, why I was never Hinge's ideal customer, and why it did not go well.We get into:Why niching means the right clients find you when they're ready, not just shopping aroundThe huge gap between "not quite ready" and "sign me up, here's the money"What happens when a client pays the deposit and then goes quietWhy I was never Hinge's ideal customer, and what that teaches us about clients who aren't readyWhy long, specific search phrases beat "web design London", and how I found a holiday cottage with ChatGPTThree questions to ask your past clients about how they found youHow FAQs and blogs answer people's questions so you don't have toWhy you shouldn't hide your prices, and what to say about hosting, licences and renewalsWhy case studies reassure the clients who are about to say yesWhy getting clear on your messaging takes patience, and why you shouldn't keep changing itIf you want clients who are ready to say yes and a lot less back and forth, this one's for you.Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected] in this episode: SEO F-ing What with Nikki Pilkington, episode 38, "Your Portfolio Page Title Is KILLING Your SEO": https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-portfoilio-page-title-is-killing-your-seoAnd here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/Skip to the good bits:00:00 Why ready-to-buy clients make life easier02:34 The gap between 'not ready' and 'sign me up'04:16 My Hinge story: the day I wasn't the ideal customer07:26 How your ideal clients actually search11:03 Answer their questions before they ask12:52 Don't hide your prices (or what's included)16:24 Case studies that reassure17:49 Anchor your messaging

If you're busier than ever, marketing harder than ever, and still turning over the same money year after year, it's usually not because you need a new skill.It's because the thing holding your web design business back is you — the price you drop before the client has even spoken, the £38 jobs you're doing at £150 an hour, and the evenings you're working for free.My Sparks group is a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.In this episode, I'm getting real about money mindset: why so many website designers get stuck at the same figure, how we quietly become the bottleneck in our own business, and what it actually takes to level up without burning out.We get into:Why “learn a new skill” is rarely the answer when your income has flatlinedThe one thing to do the moment you've said your price: pauseWhat to say when a client says “that's more than I was expecting”Why payment plans for hosting and maintenance are the recurring revenue most designers missWhy £3,000 coming into the business is not £3,000 you've earnedHow a £38-an-hour VA frees you up for £150-an-hour workJust because you can do everything in your business doesn't mean you shouldHow working every evening quietly halves your hourly rateWhy letting go is how you build a business that runs without youIf you want to charge what you're worth, stop undercutting yourself, and finally get out of your own way, this one's for you.Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected] to the good bits:00:58 Inspired by the Sparks and Phoenix mentees01:25 The money boundary01:51 It's money mindset, not skillset02:52 Hands up if this sounds like you03:13 Dropping your price mid-call04:29 Put the price out there and pause05:36 What to say when it's more than they expected06:27 Earning a bit more vs properly levelling up07:04 Payment plans: the recurring revenue you're missing07:47 Big jumps: higher prices, more sites, white labelling08:07 Quick break08:15 What's really stopping us is us09:10 You quoted £3,000. That isn't your salary10:17 Invest money to make money10:54 The £38 VA vs the £150 hour12:21 Just because you can doesn't mean you should13:00 Working every night halves your hourly rate14:10 Mentors, VAs and getting out of your own way14:54 Letting go: a business that runs without you15:24 Get out of your own way15:41 Work with Holly

If you've started to fall out of love with web design, it's usually not the design that's the problem.It's the invoices, the contract wording, the awkward client emails, and all the other bits that crept in and took over your week. Let's fix that.Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.In this episode, I'm talking about how to work out which parts of your web design business you actually love, how to hand over the parts you don't, and why that usually costs a lot less than you think.We get into:Why getting stuck “in the weeds” makes good designers fall out of love with the workHow to identify the parts of the business you genuinely enjoyWhy not every web designer loves designing, and why that's completely fineHow designers and developers work brilliantly hand in handWhat to do if you're a techie who struggles with the design sideWhy outsourcing makes you money rather than costing you moneyWhether you're selling the website, or selling you as the person who builds itHow to bring team members onto a project without the client feeling droppedWhy there's a hard ceiling on how many websites you can build in a yearThe five income streams I run, and the freelance team behind themHow to map what you love, what you don't, and what you could delegateIf you're busy but no longer enjoying it, this one will help you get the good bits back.Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected] here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/Skip to the good bits:00:00 How to do more of what you love00:38 When you fall out of love with web design01:40 Work out which parts you actually love02:25 Not every designer loves designing02:53 Why designers and developers need each other03:44 What to do if design isn't your strength05:22 Outsourcing is how you make more money06:28 “But I don't charge enough to outsource”06:54 Are you selling the website, or selling you?07:49 Bringing in your team without losing the client09:40 The ceiling on building websites alone10:00 Holly's five income streams10:43 The freelance team behind the business11:51 Map what you love, delegate the rest12:29 Where to find Holly