10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting a Web Design Business

Last Updated on February 25, 2018 by Work In My Pajamas

The journey to become a successful business owner isn’t smooth one. It’s filled with bumps, forks, and unexpected detours.

Surprisingly, most business owners wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a badge of honor that we proudly display.

That doesn’t mean that there have been mistakes that I wish I hadn’t made. Not that I’m embarrassed. These mistakes have helped me get to where I am today. It’s just that if I could have prevented them, the journal could have been just a bit smoother and less stressful.

Freelancing on the side to earn extra income is all well and good. But if you want to start a business that generates a full-time income, here are some things to know from Little Giant website design.

1. Web Design is a Commodity

Low barrier to entry and an abundance of do-it-yourself options means clients have too many choices and no basis upon which to make the best decision. The sooner you acknowledge this, the easier it will be to break out of the commoditization trap.

2. Sales is a Skill You Must Acquire

If you’re unable or unwilling to learn how to sell your services, consider partnering with someone who can. Otherwise, don’t quit your day job. A key to successfully sharing and selling a product, service or idea, is to ask questions and then listen quietly and carefully to the answers. Many of us try too hard to convince people to buy instead of discovering what our future customer or client really wants, needs and desires from us.

3. Prospecting for Business is not Optional

“Sales” is everything that occurs after a prospect agrees to meet with you. Finding people willing to meet with you requires prospecting. While it’s not impossible to grow quickly through word-of-mouth alone, it’s the exception, not the norm. Just like SEO, word-of-mouth requires time; it doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re just starting out and need clients right away, go out and find them.

4. Cold Calling Works

Being a salesperson requires ongoing customer and client communication. The biggest fear most salespeople have is being rejected, by the caller on the other end of the telephone. Cold calling is not easy; in fact, it can be frightening. Same as writing blogs about cold calling. Despite claims to the contrary by so-called experts, cold-calling is one of the most effective means to obtain new business. Unless clients are beating a path to your door, don’t be too quick to dismiss cold-calling.

5. Prospects Aren’t Buying What You’re Selling

Business owners don’t value your HTML skills or your time. They value vendors who produce results. Business owners are concerned with what puts money in their pocket or what keeps money in their pocket. If your service doesn’t directly impact their bottom line, you’re not selling what they’re buying.

6. Your Biggest Competitor is Not Who You Think

Over the years, I’ve lost more deals to the decision to do nothing than other web firms. Before getting too cozy with that prospect, find out whether this project is mission-critical, or if “doing nothing” is an option. As Seth Godin says: “Are you really worth the hassle, the risk, the time, the money?”

7. Never Offer a Proposal

Writing a proposal is a poor way to close a deal. But when I first started out, I’d offer to write one instead of simply asking for the sale. Once I learned otherwise, I found I could close a deal on a verbal agreement, then write the proposal to finalize the sale. So don’t write a proposal unless your prospect has agreed to sign it.

8. Never Agree to “Final Payment Upon Completion”

Obtaining content from the client is one of the most challenging aspects of web design. You are on dangerous ground when your contract stipulates that the client can make final payment upon completion. Conceivably, a client can delay the project for any number of reasons that are beyond your control and you might never see that “final payment.”

9. Clone Your Best Clients as Soon as Possible

Attracting clients doesn’t happen just by doing the recommended marketing tactics. Yes, marketing tactics are important, but they are nowhere near as important as having a plan, and not just any old plan. Just like any old blueprint won’t get you the house you want, any old plan won’t get your business to where you want it to be. You need a plan centred around who you want to attract, and that will help you determine which marketing tactics and strategies to use. Chances are, you’ll stumble on some good clients by accident. You know the type—the ones who give you plenty of ongoing work, always pay on time, never badger you for a lower price, and send you a gift basket at Christmas. Once you land a few of those, figure out what characteristics they have in common … then go after others like them.

10. Two Are Better than One

Having been in business as a both sole proprietor and a partnership, I can say that I prefer the latter. That said, a bad partnership can be nearly as disastrous as a bad marriage. But considering that partnerships generate more revenue than sole proprietors, I’d say it’s worth the risk.