Frequently Asked Questions About The Business of Web Design
I get asked the same questions a lot so I made this to answer those questions in depth.
How do you get clients?
I get clients through cold outreach via socials (and sometimes email). Sharing work and the process of everything across socials. If I’m not showing work, I’m still giving updates on the studio. I like partnerships with other agencies as well to do development and/or design work. All of that then leads to getting work—then referrals come from that work, and the cycle continues.
How do I deal with difficult clients?
Setting Expectations: When it comes to difficult clients, before you even know that they’re going to be difficult it’s important that you set clear expectations from the start. Make sure the client understands the scope of work, timelines, deliverables, and payment terms. This minimizes misunderstandings down the line and saves you a back and forth on what was said. It’s just good to always keep things in writing and keep a paper trail.
Know when to walk away: If a client is unreasonable, doesn’t respect your boundaries, or straight up refuses to pay for extra work outside the scope, it might be time to end the relationship. Just walk away, the second you feed into your emotions, the second you’re vulnerable to ruining your rep, bad reviews, etc.
How do you price your work?
Currently, we offer two routes. $15K to start a project with a fixed scope, timeline, and check-ins at any time. Then, we offer a retainer of $5,000 per month to focus on a task list of fixes, updates, etc. Truth be told, I learned how to calculate cost from Michael Janda—I interviewed him back in the day, so I still pay attention to what he’s up to.
Here’s a resource: https://michaeljanda.com/blog/how-to-calculate-your-cost-to-produce-a-project/
What was the best & worst lesson you learned hiring your first employee?
Best: You have to have enough money. It sounds simple, but I remember putting together plans for my first full-timers and figuring out how I could reach their desired monthly income. How much I needed to make, and what that looked like in terms of projects.
It felt really crazy seeing others buy cars, rent places, go on trips, etc., from working here. It's crazy to think about. Above all, people need stability, and you have to be able to provide that. If not, the work, communication, and willingness to show up will suffer. They'll go elsewhere—it's that easy for them to do that. The lesson in this is you need to be sure you can do it, and I’d recommend handling as much as you can solo first before you find help.
Worst: On the other hand, as I mentioned in my other post—hiring without paying closer attention to soft skills was detrimental.
What inspired you to get into design as a career?
I’ve always been into creative careers from my background in photography. I still wanted to do something that was creative, paid well, and allowed room for growth both as a creative and in career development. It was a bonus if I could do it from home. I wanted to do something permanent because I was tired of being a "jack of all trades." When I thought about my future, the idea of being known for one thing sounded better to me—and I could go all in on it. I'm the type of person that once it clicks and I have a plan, it's easy to get lost in work.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Easy. Books:
Borderless by John D. Saunders
Run Studio Run by Eli Altman
Design as a constant source of inspiration as of right now:
I take inspiration from everywhere to shape my life. Design is a big lever for my consumption of anything, so with that said, I don’t just look to design work to develop taste.
Curated.design
Maxibestof
Dead Simple Sites
Curves by Sean Brown
House of Errors
OMA Studios
EME Studios