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Good web design can provide great added value to organizations and businesses in all areas.
However, just being good at building websites isn’t enough to sell web design successfully.
There is a big difference between building good websites and selling web design services.
It has to be more than just a service: It has to be a marketable product. And that shift can be challenging at first.
It’s about strategic planning, marketing, and sales, as well as networking, customer satisfaction, and having a profitable business.
Selling Web Design Services: How to Make a Successful Pitch
First of all, this is not a step-by-step guide to pitching to potential clients. But since we are successful founders of an agency ourselves, we know what is essential before you start selling web design services.
Of course, a convincing pitch is essential for your success. However, what you may not realize right away is the fact that you will find potential customers at different levels.
This means that you also have to adapt your sales strategy, including the pitch, accordingly to influence prospects in the best possible way.
We like to break down such potential clients into three distinct levels:
Newbies
People who are just starting their web design research may already have a client base for their business but not yet a thriving online presence.
These clients typically want their website to go beyond the established community and organic opportunities.
To them, redesigning a website aims to increase its reach. Since they’re willing to invest, it’s your job to quantify the core investment and explain what they can expect in return.
Intermediate
At this level you are speaking to prospects who have already invested in web design and may have been disappointed.
For such customers, you should demonstrate your knowledge of the latest web design trends and guarantee with a confident demeanor that the investment is really worth it this time (but only if you can actually guarantee it, of course).
The primary aim is to optimize an existing website so that core aspects such as the user interface or individual buttons are better received.
Experts
Established business people are concerned with user-friendliness and page speed.
The original setup works, but they’re looking for improvements to beat the competition.
These customers also tend to have metrics to measure page speed and are familiar with terms like ROAS and ROI.
For you, this means that above all other improvements, you must find every opportunity for the highest ROI related to their website.
Potential Clients to Sell Your Web Design Services To
Finding clients and building a client base is not easy, especially when it comes to selling websites.
With the right approach, however, you can soon make a name for yourself with your web design agency and benefit from acquaintances and recommendations.
The magic word for this is networking. Social media is particularly helpful for this, especially LinkedIn.
Using professional networks like this to build that initial momentum is a great way to attract potential clients.
Other platforms such as freelancermap or uplink help freelancers to get in touch with clients and start new projects.
You can also ask around in the area when looking for new clients and business partners. Join local business associations or email local businesses.
With the right pitch and a self-confident appearance, you will not only sell your services but also strengthen and maintain your relationship with other businesses.
Our Tips for Selling Web Design Services
Selling any product or service is about building relationships.
But that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a good deal of professionalism, a lot of patience, enough know-how, and a bit of luck. But a few pieces of advice can’t hurt.
Here are a few tips to get you off to a successful start selling web design.
Be pragmatic and transparent
Of course, a beautiful website is a work of art. Unfortunately, most companies aren’t interested in buying art.
They are looking for results in the form of return on investment and increased customer satisfaction. The website must solve their problems or meet their needs, and if it looks good as well, all the better.
Even if you like to be creative and you put your soul into your web design service, you should not only sell aesthetics. When it comes to looks, let your portfolio do the talking.
Instead, be a little more factual to show the customer how your service or product will help them achieve their business goals. Transparency in price and realistic goals are always highly appreciated.
Show your prospects some of the opportunities that come with good web design and SEO:
- Payments
- Subscription options
- Content management
- Sales
- Structured data collection
- Newsletter signups
Don’t be afraid to point out these benefits, and also provide clear numbers or statistics. This will give your prospect a chance to know where he stands with you.
Better products with the right tool
If you want to offer web design services, you also need the right tools to not only be able to run a successful agency but also to be able to turn your creative ideas into reality.
Probably the most well-known tool for web design is WordPress. The CMS provides the perfect basis. To work even better than your competition, you can expand your work with WordPress with GREYD.SUITE.
It helps you to create global styles in responsive design for all websites and end devices. It also allows you to design intuitive and adaptable content for any customer request.
You don’t need any separate plugins or complex CSS adjustments for this. The GREYD.SUITE offers you individuality and flexibility for your professional web designs.
Everything you need for a creative, fast website in one tool.
GREYD.SUITE offers you possibilities that go far beyond the well-known WordPress standards. Design websites even faster and according to your taste!
Sales Demos
Of course, this idea is not a must, but rather well-intentioned advice if your business is not yet running as you’d hoped.
Offering a free design demo can often work wonders for customers. Most of your potential buyers will want to see your performance with a real-life example before making a final decision.
After all, you wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it first, right?
Being able to see a free design demo is far more effective than showing sample pages from your portfolio. It makes it clear to the customer which improvements are possible with certain changes.
In addition, a demo can speed up the sales process, as it significantly influences the prospective customer’s decision-making process.
Positioning
In order not to be a follower of the masses, you need creative ideas and unique selling propositions that differentiate you from the rest.
When creating your strategy, you have to position yourself clearly with your service. This is the only way you can create an elaborate plan and perfectly address your target group.
Your specialty should be more than just “web design”. Find a niche, know the problems of customers in this area, and come up with unique solutions.
How about, for example, an agency specializing in web design for restaurants and hotels? People in this field of work are faced with various challenges on a daily basis that you could solve.
A better table reservation system, a customer-friendly feedback section, an easy-to-use tool for creating employee rosters, etc.
With clear positioning, you will not only better reach your target market, but you will also be able to stand out from the competition more easily.
More Than Just Web Design
As already mentioned, competition in web design is fierce. That’s why it can make sense to sell more than just websites.
Even if your primary interest is building and selling websites, you should consider offering additional options to expand your services and reach more customers.
The design of various media products is broader than pure web design and thus also increases your radius of potential customers or partners.
Some value-added services include
- Setting up social media profiles
- Website management and hosting
- Website aftersales services
- Various digital marketing services
- Graphic design
- Rapid prototyping
- SAAS consulting
These value-added services show potential clients that you care deeply about the success of a business.
Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Web Design Services
Too often we see young entrepreneurs making the same mistakes. Sure, you learn from mistakes. But it can also make sense not to make some mistakes in the first place.
- Taking on projects you can’t handle
This is a classic rookie mistake. Out of sheer euphoria about new projects or pressure because of the upcoming payments, inexperienced web designers feel like they should take any opportunity for a job.
The problem? On the one hand, beginners tend to take on too much workload in a case like this, which ultimately leads to delays and exhaustion.
And on the other hand, you may end up taking on projects that you are just not able to handle.
Sometimes it’s just necessary to admit to yourself that you don’t yet have enough expertise for certain jobs.
- Having a bad portfolio
An informative, attractive portfolio is essential if you want to start your own web design business.
Surveys show that 80% of customers agree that the experience a company provides is just as important as its products or services.
Your portfolio is often the first point of contact that prospects have with your business. This allows them to form an opinion about your performance.
Don’t forget to keep it up to date and record your progress in it.
Nothing is more disappointing than a dusty portfolio that no longer has anything to do with your current skills and work.
- Pricing
Pricing is never an easy topic. However, you shouldn’t complicate things unnecessarily.
Customers don’t like complex pricing models.
For example, instead of charging per page, you could set a flat rate for landing pages and then create packages. For example, packages of 8, 15, and 50 pages. This method makes the package more attractive to customers and easier for them to choose.
The price should always be based on the expertise of the team and the hours it takes to create a website. Don’t undersell yourself just to land as many customers as possible.
- Billing
Let’s move on to another financial topic. Many people initially make the mistake of asking the customer to pay for the entire service in full in advance.
This not only comes across as unprofessional, but also it doesn’t seem very trustworthy.
Reputable web designers require a deposit. The client and the company then agree on a payment plan that lasts until the website is up and running.
Now that you know a few valuable tips and tricks, you can focus even better on implementing your business ideas. Whether you are a career changer or a young entrepreneur, the web design industry is incredibly diverse. If you do it right, you will achieve long-term success.
Did you want more? With GREYD you can actively experience the further development of WordPress and will benefit from it in the long term.
