Ask Me Anything: Web Design Business

[virtualman89]

I will be upfront, I don't know everything since I've been doing it for about a year. My techniques may not work for everyone. And there might be better ways to do it.

But I feel like I still have some valuable information to give about the Web Design Business.

Ask me anything if you are a beginner looking to get started.

 

[Gogol]

What tools do you use, for doing your job? Asking this since I am in a similar market, and it doesn't hurt to hear what others are using to get their job done.

Also, how do you accuire your clients? No need to be detailed though.

 

[paydette]

How do you find your clients?

 

[safeSEOboost]

Hi @virtualman89, I made many sites myself all the way from scratch, but I am not a web designer. So I guess my sites look ok, but not great.

So my questions are:
- what are the main steps you use to make a design?
- how do you start?
- how do you get inspiration?

Thanks

 

[virtualman89]

What tools do you use, for doing your job? Asking this since I am in a similar market, and it doesn't hurt to hear what others are using to get their job done.

Also, how do you accuire your clients? No need to be detailed though.

I do know HTML and CSS and I recommend if you are going to be a web designer to at least learn this. But I use WordPress.

Then I have the lifetime membership of the Divi Theme from Elegant Themes. This is a drag and drop page builder for those that don't know.

I have tried to use Elementor Pro, but what I really like about Divi is that they have 136 layout packs. They are complete packs so it comes with the Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, etc.

I honestly just tweak those for my clients. I try to only focus on static WordPress pages. But if someone wants an 2-5 products ecommerce store I don't mind doing that.

I will be upfront, all my clients are lower paying clients. They pay from $200-$500. $500 being rare.

I get my clients from craigslist. I get about 1-2 clients per week. Which is not a lot if you live in a high cost of living country. But can work if you don't.

 

[virtualman89]

How do you find your clients?

Ironically I use craigslist. But I only get about 1-2 clients on craigslist per week. But I could get more if I posted more. They are not high paying clients though.

 

[virtualman89]

Hi @virtualman89, I made many sites myself all the way from scratch, but I am not a web designer. So I guess my sites look ok, but not great.

So my questions are:
- what are the main steps you use to make a design?
- how do you start?
- how do you get inspiration?

Thanks

My biggest advice is just get started. May sound cliche.

1) I use the Divi Theme. It's a page builder. It comes with 136 layout packs, and I just tweak those. My clients usually are just looking brochure style type websites.
2) Find clients and start. I get my clients on Craigslist. But you can run Facebook ads, Google Ads, Bing Ads etc. You can get higher quality clients with Facebook, Google, Bing, etc.
3) If you mean how do I get inspiration to design a website, I get it from asking my client a ton of questions about what they need. And I also require they send me 3 websites they really like already, so I can give them something similar.

 

[Gogol]

I do know HTML and CSS and I recommend if you are going to be a web designer to at least learn this. But I use WordPress.

Then I have the lifetime membership of the Divi Theme from Elegant Themes. This is a drag and drop page builder for those that don't know.

I have tried to use Elementor Pro, but what I really like about Divi is that they have 136 layout packs. They are complete packs so it comes with the Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, etc.

I honestly just tweak those for my clients. I try to only focus on static WordPress pages. But if someone wants an 2-5 products ecommerce store I don't mind doing that.

I will be upfront, all my clients are lower paying clients. They pay from $200-$500. $500 being rare.

I get my clients from craigslist. I get about 1-2 clients per week. Which is not a lot if you live in a high cost of living country. But can work if you don't.

Lol ok. Yeah I know my shit and I know what you're saying. I used to be a moderator in elegant themes, fyi.

Probably, you shouldn't be doing an ama, but ok.

 

[virtualman89]

Lol ok. Yeah I know my shit and I know what you're saying. I used to be a moderator in elegant themes, fyi.

Probably, you shouldn't be doing an ama, but ok.

Everything I said is a fact. If you have a better way, that's great! I don't claim to know the best way.

But believe me, there is plenty of people here that will find value from this.

 

[Gogol]

Everything I said is a fact. If you have a better way, that's great! I don't claim to know the best way.

But believe me, there is plenty of people here that will find value from this.

Good for everyone. Subbed!

 

[H33VEN]

Hey, thanks for this thread!

Could you tell me why you dont use Elementor instead of Divi?

 

[William702]

I do know HTML and CSS and I recommend if you are going to be a web designer to at least learn this. But I use WordPress.

Then I have the lifetime membership of the Divi Theme from Elegant Themes. This is a drag and drop page builder for those that don't know.

I have tried to use Elementor Pro, but what I really like about Divi is that they have 136 layout packs. They are complete packs so it comes with the Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, etc.

I honestly just tweak those for my clients. I try to only focus on static WordPress pages. But if someone wants an 2-5 products ecommerce store I don't mind doing that.

I will be upfront, all my clients are lower paying clients. They pay from $200-$500. $500 being rare.

I get my clients from craigslist. I get about 1-2 clients per week. Which is not a lot if you live in a high cost of living country. But can work if you don't.

Ironically I use craigslist. But I only get about 1-2 clients on craigslist per week. But I could get more if I posted more. They are not high paying clients though.

My biggest advice is just get started. May sound cliche.

1) I use the Divi Theme. It's a page builder. It comes with 136 layout packs, and I just tweak those. My clients usually are just looking brochure style type websites.
2) Find clients and start. I get my clients on Craigslist. But you can run Facebook ads, Google Ads, Bing Ads etc. You can get higher quality clients with Facebook, Google, Bing, etc.
3) If you mean how do I get inspiration to design a website, I get it from asking my client a ton of questions about what they need. And I also require they send me 3 websites they really like already, so I can give them something similar.

Thanks OP, I'm sure this will be a useful thread for all involved but please be sure to use multi quote to avoid making multiple replies.

 

[virtualman89]

Hey, thanks for this thread!

Could you tell me why you dont use Elementor instead of Divi?

I got used to using Divi. That's the first Page Builder I ever started using extensively.

So you can say it's the one I know inside out.

But I really like that Divi has full websites layout packs. They have the Home, About Us, Services, Contact us, etc.

It makes my life a lot easier. Elementor Pro, only has the landing page (Home page), from my understanding.

Since my clients are lower paying clients, it helps me pump out websites faster.

Also when I started I didn't have much money. Divi was cheaper.

But Elementor Pro is a great page builder. And many claim it's better. I wouldn't argue against that. But I got used to Divi, and haven't found a need to use Elementor.

 

[H33VEN]

I got used to using Divi. That's the first Page Builder I ever started using extensively.

So you can say it's the one I know inside out.

But I really like that Divi has full websites layout packs. They have the Home, About Us, Services, Contact us, etc.

It makes my life a lot easier. Elementor Pro, only has the landing page (Home page), from my understanding.

Since my clients are lower paying clients, it helps me pump out websites faster.

Also when I started I didn't have much money. Divi was cheaper.

But Elementor Pro is a great page builder. And many claim it's better. I wouldn't argue against that. But I got used to Divi, and haven't found a need to use Elementor.

Alright, thanks for letting me know!

Could you share any estimated monthly earnings with us?

 

[William702]

Alright, thanks for letting me know!

Could you share any estimated monthly earnings with us?

He already did, normally 1 - 2 $200ish orders a week. so probably $1000 - $2000 a month.

 

[H33VEN]

He already did, normally 1 - 2 $200ish orders a week. so probably $1600 - $2000 a month.

Ahh oops my bad! Thanks!

 

[vedeus]

This comes just in right time man!

I play to do cold-emailing but never thought about Craiglist..

So Craiglist works? How does it works? Man 2 clients per week is still awesome..

Craiglist website looks so confusing to me.. I never used it before

Thanks!

 

[virtualman89]

Thanks OP, I'm sure this will be a useful thread for all involved but please be sure to use multi quote to avoid making multiple replies.

You are right. Thanks for the advice. First time I do one of these.

Alright, thanks for letting me know!

Could you share any estimated monthly earnings with us?

I make about $1000-$1500 monthly. But there is clients who would pay $1000-$5000 for a website. I have never gotten one of those clients, but I know they are out there if you market yourself outside of Craigslist.

This comes just in right time man!

I play to do cold-emailing but never thought about Craiglist..

So Craiglist works? How does it works? Man 2 clients per week is still awesome..

Thanks!

Yes Craigslist works. You will get the millennial, and older generation on there. There is a lot of competition for Web Design. But I always get clients.

And I only usually post in 1 location per week. I know that this can be scaled if you use the right tools.

Craigslist does charge $5 to post in the service section though.

 

[virtualman89]

Here is another way to have recurring payments from the clients to increase your income.

Disclaimer: I don't do this

But having a monthly hosting package will work. Because about half of my clients don't have web hosting yet. So you can increase your income this way.

 

[cheva]

My friend with all due respect you are in the website selling business not website design business. This is coming from someone whose been in the website design and website selling business for a number of years.

I would suggest you up your prices. I dont touch projects that are under 1600usd with my average client paying me 2800 for a 3 to 5 page wordpress website. That being said I design pages from start to finish then develop custom themes. There are exceptions where a client has been with me from the start.

Recently a prospect approached me to install a theme and create 3 pages from that. He already had the theme I quoted 500. He didn't respond, I am not bothered.

I have also done multiple Magento projects that paid me on average 12k per project from the same group of clients.
And you wont believe it but in the last 3 years I have not personally approached a single client, not through ads, not through email. They come to me and I could possibly learn a little more to find new clients but its been almost that long or longer where I have not had to.

Edit.
Its probably relevant to add that I have had the good fortune of partnering on some top selling wordpress themes on tf where now I just get paid from them. And i am always actively working on personal or partnership projects to sell on themeforest. That also probably explains why I dont have to seek out clients anymore.