Web Design Business with Josh Hall

Recurring revenue…the two most lovely words in web design (or any business for that matter.) Having enough recurring income to cover my family's bills is what changed the game for me, it’s what helped get us through a 56 day NICU journey and it’s what ultimately led to me creating my first course on how to launch and sell website maintenance plans. One of my students Marc Hyde went through that course back in 2021 and within three years, his maintenance plan is now over 30% of his business revenue. And he’s on track for well over 6-figures this year in 2024. Recurring revenue allowed him to grow his business to become profitable and stable enough to go full time and now support a wife and family of 8 kiddos. Today, he’s on the podcast sharing exactly how he came into web design, built, launched and sold his maintenance plan to clients and now how he’s offering his new passion for SEO and marketing plans alongside his standard web design and maintenance plans. We cover everything from: Marc is one of the most engaged members of my community Web Designer Pro™ and is a great example of every sense of the phrase. I hope you enjoy learning from him and take from his example of putting an emphasis on creating recurring revenue through better client relationships! It all compounds to a stable, sustainable web business very quickly. Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/336 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

In the early days as a web designer, it’s common to say “yes” to any project that comes your way just to make some money and build a portfolio. But it doesn’t take many “bad client experiences” before you’re ready to weed out those bad-fit clients. But what makes a client bad-fit? Are they cheap? Do they not understand your value? Are they a bad personality fit? Are they super-intensive with communication and a drain on your mental bandwidth? All of the above? If you seem to attract a lot of these folks, it’s because you don’t have a weed-out funnel (or filter in place. And that’s exactly what we cover in this podcast episode. I was recently on Kady Sandel’s Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast sharing the ins and outs of my weed out funnel and I’m excited to share that conversation with you! There’s no right or wrong way to filter out leads but I’m sharing, in depth, what worked for me and what works for hundreds of members of my community Web Designer Pro™. We cover: We also dig into how to stand out in an oversaturated market of web designers, nightmare client experiences that led to me being more stern about weeding people out and more! Want my proven, weed out process for your business? I’ve packaged up my funneling framework for you! Included is: Normally this is $47 but you can snag it now for only $7! Use coupon code FUNNELCLIENT40 to activate your discount. https://joshhall.co/product/web-design-client-funneling-framework/ Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/335 View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Ah privacy policies…your favorite aspect of web design, right? Yeah me neither but day by day, it’s an aspect of websites that becomes more and more important with new privacy laws being passed in the states along with other countries, even outside the EU with regards to GDPR compliance. So, to help us make sense of where things are at with website privacy policies, I’m excited to bring back on to the podcast, my friend and privacy policy expert Hans Skillrud of Termageddon. In this chat, we cover: I highly recommend using Termaggedon for your auto-updating privacy policies. You can use it as an upsell on your hosting/maintenance plan or sell it one off to clients so they don’t have to worry about it! It’s what I use on my privacy policy page and what my agency uses as an upsell for our plan. Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/334. View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

This is probably ignorance on my part but my eyebrow always went crooked when I heard digital agencies, hosting companies, saas products, or any online entrepreneur talking about how they’re a “green” company. It’s not like we’re a manufacturing company or chemical plant with waste and pollutants. We work on a computer at home…so how can we “go green?” Use less paper? Recycle old equipment? What else can we do? Well, it turns out there are a lot of ways to contribute to sustainability and to do our part in protecting our environment even while working from home or in a coworking space as a web designer. That’s why I’m excited to bring back onto the podcast Adela Mei, a trusted source for this topic because, while she’s a web designer and strategist, she came from a previous career in environmental work and saw much of what most of us don’t see first hand while working in the amazon. From what we as web designers can do day to day to help contribute to sustainability, to the surprising toll data storage takes on the environment globally and more, I found this conversation very educational and eye opening. And side note, if you heard the recent podcast on getting grant funding, one aspect to help your cause is to have green initiatives in your business (and on your website). So you could take what you learn in this convo and apply it to your green page if you’re looking for just one additional aspect to help you get grant funding in your business. We cover: If you have any other tips for “going green” as a web designer, feel free to drop us a comment at joshhall.co/333. View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

I recently did a live training on how to Scale Your Web Design Business for Brad Hussey’s web design community CreativeCrew. We did a live Q&A session afterward and had some amazing questions come in. Brad and I got to riff on scaling a web agency, the lessons learned from our experience, what we both may have done differently and what we felt worked really well. I’m pleased to share the entire Q&A portion with you here in this special edition episode of the podcast! We cover topics like: Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/332 View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

One of the benefits of being a web designer is your option to build recurring revenue. As a WordPress web designer, I learned that one of the best ways to do this was to offer a hosting and maintenance plan. Or “care plan” as it’s more commonly referred to these days. For years, it was my assumption that if you use self-hosted platforms like SquareSpace, WixStudio, Webflow, Showit, etc then you can't offer care plans because there's no plugins to update or advanced security to monitor. But I was wrong...you CAN offer care plans (even if you're NOT using WordPress!!) A great example of this is Eleanor Mayrhofer, a SquareSpace web designer and member of my community Web Designer Pro™. On a recent weekly coaching call, Eleanor and I chatted together about how she could build up more recurring income as a SquareSpace designer and we came up with offering an “SOS” plan. ​​SOS stands for "Strategy, Optimization & Support" Eleanor launched her SOS plan and literally overnight generated a few hundred dollars per month of recurring revenue with this plan and her clients are loving it! She’s on the podcast this week pulling back the curtain on her plan! We cover: Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/331 View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

I’ve met a lot of 6 and 7-figure agency owners over the years and there’s always often a recurring theme…many are completely burned out, disgruntled OR they’ve sold or left the agency altogether. It’s probably the main reason I personally prefer the “small shop or studio” route as a solopreneur web designer with a lean and mean contractor team but at the same time, there’s value in truly creating a “business” in the form of an agency. But…are ALL agency owners burned out? No - despite meeting many owners who fit that profile, there are the exceptions. One is Greg Merriless of Studio1Design.com who’s been running his 7-figure agency for over a decade and most impressively is one of the few who is NOT burned out! Maybe it’s his chill, Aussie presence or maybe it’s how intentional he was about building an agency that is profitable, sustainable and geared around the work he WANTS to do in house. We cover a lot in this one including: How his 7-figure agency began getting high-profile clients How to focus on your core services (and hire out the rest) How to build partnerships with agencies who you can collaborate with How to find and hire a team Staying profitable (even as a team of 20+ employees) And more. Honestly, how amazing is it that through this podcast, you and I can learn from multi-7 figure agency owners who literally share exactly how they’ve built and scaled their business?!?!? It’s just too cool. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did. Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/330 View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

I recently caught up with my friend Shannon Mattern, fellow web design business coach who has a group coaching program called The Web Designer Academy. We often talk off-the-record but decided to record our most recent catch up, an honest conversation about what’s working for web designers in 2024. Shannon and I are both in a unique position to be able to oversee many web designers, some early on in the journey making less than six figures and some who are established web biz owners running six and multi-six figure agencies. So we both have a good pulse on what’s working for web designers today. And that’s why I’m extra excited to let you in on our recent catch up. Some of the topics explored are: Personally, I love having conversations with friends in the industry with no specific topic, agenda and I hope you do as well! If you do, leave us a comment for this one at joshhall.co/329 to share your thoughts. Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at: https://joshhall.co/329 The Web Design Business Podcast is available on: Apple - https://apple.co/36wnnc3 Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36ttME or wherever you get your podcasts View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Hey friends, Josh here popping in with a bonus episode sharing a mid-year update for both personal and business side of things. Together we'll cover: Hope you enjoy this personal mid-year check in. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, hit me up at joshhall.co/contact Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

In this podcast, Jake expands on how a few key relationships (with no hard selling or cold pitching) has led to the growth of his 6-figure web agency which exclusively serves landscaping companies. In This Episode 00:00 - Relationship-First Approach to Web Design Clients 07:02 - Success Strategies for Small Agencies 11:35 - Labor Allocation and Marketing Strategy 17:03 - Client Acquisition Through Authenticity and SEO 31:35 - Building Trust and Fostering Relationships 43:04 - Template Emails and Agency Growth 47:07 - Coopetition and Referral Partnerships in Business 56:02 - Client Retention and Communication Strategies 1:02:35 - Building Relationships for Business Success Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/327 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Lisa has done 6 rounds of strategy calls with her hosting/maintenance plan clients (to this point) which has led to an additional $25,000+ boost of revenue for her. She has refined this strategy to be a well oiled, revenue boosting machine and she’s opening up about how she does it for you so that you can do the same! We dive into all of the questions above and more in this one but if you want more, Lisa recently did an entire guest expert training with visuals, templates and more inside of Web Designer Pro™! As a founding member, I’ve seen her take this from idea to slick revenue boosting strategy all within 18 months. Can’t wait to hear how it helps you too! Get instant access to her full training as a part of your membership when you join our community Web Designer Pro™ In This Episode 00:00 - Boost Revenue With Quarterly Strategy Calls 10:32 - Quarterly Strategy Call Implementation 21:10 - Quarterly Call Management and Future Scaling 30:43 - Quarterly Strategy Calls for Client Growth 43:12 - Moxie CRM Course Creation and Success 56:15 - Podcast Subscriptions and Reviews Thank You Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/326 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Considering starting a podcast to help build your web design business and get clients? Podcasting is AMAZING for expanding your network, deepening your relationship with customers and building trust with potential clients but I'm not going to lie...it is hard work. And it's not for everyone. To make it work, you have to set yourself up for sustainability to do it consistently and in this special Q&A session, I'm answering many common questions from web designers who are interested in starting a podcast with the goal being to get clients and grow your business. I'm opening up about all the pros and cons of podcasting, the tough lessons I've learned and a clear roadmap of how to do it successfully. I'm also sharing an "alternative" method of podcasting that you can do as a trial or test run to see if podcasting is for you. In This Episode 00:58 - Podcasting Tips for Web Design Business 12:07 - Tips for Starting a Podcast 21:30 - Podcast Production and Equipment Recommendations 34:07 - Getting Guests for Your Podcast 43:00 - Podcasting for Client Acquisition Success 47:23 - Mastering the Podcast Production Process Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/325 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

I’m excited and a half to welcome back to the podcast, WordPress agency legend Troy Dean who shares exactly how you can offer growth plans anywhere from 2k to 10k+ per month for your clients. As the founder of AgencyMavericks.com Troy and his team oversee hundreds of agencies of all sizes with a core focus on growth plans and paid discovery so he knows what’s working TODAY, what rates people are charging and what services get results for clients. In This Episode 00:00 - Building Recurring Income With Growth Plans 04:17 - Importance of Recurring Revenue Plans 10:44 - Fractional Digital Strategist Business Model 19:35 - Digital Strategy and Paid Discovery Process 22:38 - Website Design Strategy and Planning 32:54 - 'Recurring Revenue Strategies for Web Designers 42:33 - Effective Agency Growth Strategies 54:14 - Implementing Growth Plans in Your Business Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/324 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Kady Sandel, founder of Aventive Academy and host of the Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast is back on the show sharing some incredible insight on how to get past the 100k annual revenue mark with your web design business. If 6-figs is the goal, honestly don’t miss this one. In This Episode 00:00 - Achieving Six Figures in Web Design 04:22 - Navigating Six Figure Income Expectations 09:25 - Raising Rates and Business Growth 13:57 - Building a Six-Figure Web Design Business 26:19 - Effective Pricing Strategies for Web Designers 38:14 - Growing a Design Business 50:27 - Scaling and Success in Entrepreneurship 57:37 - Show Growth and Gratitude Message Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/323 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Josh shares a recent Q&A session sharing insight and honest thoughts on the TheAdminBar 2024 WordPress Professional Survey Results. This is a good look at what is working (and what isn’t) in web design today regardless if you’re a WordPress user or not. In This Episode 01:01 - Web Design Business Survey Insights 16:32 - Shifts in Web Design Trends 22:08 - Web Design Income and Success Strategies 27:50 - Building Recurring Revenue With Strategy Calls 34:13 - Web Design Builder Trends 39:55 - The Importance of Web Design Niches 50:53 - Scaling Your Business for Growth 55:42 - Survey Results and Web Design Community Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co./322 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

If you’re a graphic designer who’s capped at a revenue level, it might be time to transition to web and luckily, there are so many ways to do it in a way that works for you. I hope my journey helps give you a proven path to follow 🙂 In This Episode 01:01 - Graphic Design to Web Design Transition 13:44 - Challenges and Opportunities in Web Design 23:19 - Digital Marketing Strategies for Graphic Designers 32:52 - Expanding Roles in Graphic Design 39:21 - Web Design and Branding Similarities 50:36 - Pricing and Challenges in Web Design 56:52 - Challenges and Solutions in Web Design 1:01:00 - The Impact of AI in Design 1:10:33 - Web Design Horror Stories 1:17:21 - Exploring Web Design and Community-Building Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/321 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Ran Segall, founder of Flux-Academy.com shares his insights on how to craft the right offers today as a beginning web designer and how to package up your services in a way that builds your web business sustainably in 2024 and beyond. In This Episode 00:00 - Web Design Services and Referral Partners 05:26 - Webflow and Trends 18:12 - Web Design Challenges 30:02 - Building Community and Partnerships for Success 36:05 - Transitioning From Courses to Community 49:59 - Web Design and AI Cooperation 53:39 - Webflow and Flux Academy Discussion Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/320 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

If you're a web designer who's serious about starting or building your web design biz, I'm guessing there are some glaring challenges and struggles you're going through. And if you feel alone in those struggles...you're not. There are so many common challenges I hear from web designers who are serious about starting, building and growing their web design business which we're going to solve here in this special coaching Q&A session. Alexia, an early-stage web designer who has been stuck starting her web design business while combating analytics paralysis, finally took the leap to join my community Web Designer Pro™ and she graciously allowed me to repurpose a recent coaching chat for you! We cover: ✅ How to decide what services to offer ✅ How to decide what website platform to use ✅ How break out of the content consuming cycle and actually get stuff done ✅ What pricing model and rates to start off with ✅ How to overcome the dreaded imposter syndrome and more Again, a big thanks to Alexia for sending in these questions and allowing us to take this publicly because I know she's not alone. I hope this helped you out as well! If you'd like some more help with getting your web design business off the ground, more free resources are ready for you at: 👉 https://joshhall.co/build In This Episode: 00:00 - Introduction & what we're going to cover 01:23 - What services to offer 07:43 - Which website platform to use 14:43 - How to go from content to action 21:33 - Pricing and pricing model 28:15 - Overcoming imposter syndrome Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/319 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Kyle Prinsloo, founder of freelancerfam.com, a private (and free) discord community for web design freelancers shares how he started as a freelance web designer with a “value ladder” approach to getting clients. In This Episode 00:00 -Introduction 07:32 - Web Design Journey 12:51 - Learning the Basics 17:38 - Being in a Community 22:13 - Clients around the World 27:41 - Platform Transition 31:43 - Create Recurring Income 38:39 - Doing What you Enjoy 44:58 - Value Ladder of Knowledge 47:53 - Pricing with Different Platforms 56:59 - Giving it Time to Build Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/318 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro

Copywriter & Brand Messaging Strategist Sarah Guilliot shares how to create client case studies to make more and easily attract new web design clients based off of client stories and results. In This Episode 00:00 - Creating Effective Web Design Case Studies 04:51 - Uncovering the Power of Case Studies 08:17 - Effective Case Studies for SEO 13:46 - Creating Effective Case Studies 25:01 - Improving Business Results With Real Numbers 31:00 - The Power of Casual Conversations 35:44 - Benefits of Case Study Interviews 44:10 - Maximizing for Marketing Get all links, resources and show notes at: https://joshhall.co/317 Support the Show. Join Web Designer Pro™ before we hit the 250 member cap! https://joshhall.co/pro