In fact, the push towards online retail is so great that 57.7% of SME\u2019s are planning on investing on building or improving their website.<\/p>\n
They are realizing the absolute necessity of a high quality website which offers a great user experience. In fact, the less friction business websites have between the customer entering and paying, the higher the rate of successful sales.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, in order to get a good conversion rate, meaning visitors are actually purchasing, websites need to have a good speed. If company websites load in 2.4 seconds, they enjoy a 1.9% conversion rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alternatively, if company websites load in 3.3 seconds, that rate drops to 1.5%.<\/p>\n Great design, great user experience, less friction, and great speeds\u2014all of these mean that your new web design agency will be in great demand.<\/p>\n As these types of trends continue on, especially boosted by increased mobile usage, businesses of all sizes realize the need for professional web design.<\/p>\n In our guide today, we\u2019ll look at everything you need to know in order to get your web design agency started.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n I. The Different Web Design Services<\/a><\/p>\n II. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Your Web Design Agency<\/a><\/p>\n III. The Fundamental Aspects of Your Business<\/a><\/p>\n IV. The Qualifications, Licenses and Insurance Your Web Design Agency Needs<\/a><\/p>\n V. How to Price Your Web Design Services<\/a><\/p>\n VI. How to Get Clients for Your Web Design Agency<\/a><\/p>\n VII. Summary<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n There are quite a few different types of jobs tucked in with each web design agency. Some focus on certain aspects more than the others, but regardless they are all crucial.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at the 4 areas your web design agency should cover.<\/p>\n In your team, you\u2019ll need to focus on UX (user experience) as a prominent part of the website design.<\/p>\n Normally, UX is based on research about the ideal visitors the website hopes to attract\u2014how they find information, where they click, how long they spend on each page, and how to lead them to the desired goal.<\/p>\n This looks at the overall experience that the visitor has with the website, and making sure that that experience is optimal.<\/p>\n Developers involved in user interface design work on connecting the visitors with the backend processes. They are involved in using coding that results in website aspects that are easy to use and easily accessible.<\/p>\n This involves using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other in order to produce a smooth result for the end user. UI designers usually work with graphic designers in order to realize the final product.<\/p>\n Mobile designers work exclusively on creating mobile platforms.<\/p>\n These types of designers create functional designs that are optimal for mobile devices. Because they are also involved in the aesthetic displays needed for mobile designs, they need to have a great amount of knowledge in various programming languages.<\/p>\n Information architects are involved with recreating your client\u2019s ideas into a graphic mock-up. This mock-up is sent to the developers, and therefore information architects act like the middlemen.<\/p>\n They meet with the clients to understand what they want, do market research and suggest features for optimal user experience. That’s why a good\u00a0custom web design agency<\/a> will make sure it understands the needs of the clients and delivers exceptional results that meet their requirements.<\/p>\n Before we go into what you need in order to start your web design agency below, you need to know what you\u2019re in for.<\/p>\n There are many wonderful things ahead for your web design agency, but there are also a lot of pitfalls if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go over the most important for each.<\/p>\n From your perspective, as an entrepreneur getting ready to start your web design business, the advantages are spectacular. These are the major ones:<\/p>\n As your own boss, you will be able to work whatever time you want. If you are a night-owl, you can go for 3pm to midnight, or part in the morning and part at night.<\/p>\n You can also decide who your clients are. However, both of these points should be taken with a grain of salt, because your customers are still king. You\u2019ll have to be reachable and at the beginning you\u2019ll probably just want to get any clients.<\/p>\n One of the great things about web design is that you can work on a few projects at the same time. This is an important advantage because it allows you to diversify your day.<\/p>\n That way, you don\u2019t get into rut or get bored working on just one project every single day. This also allows you to add greatly to your portfolio which will lead to more clients.<\/p>\n For the most part, it is assumed that you actually really like web design. If not, you probably wouldn\u2019t be starting your own web design agency, right?<\/p>\n Well, now you can get to do your hobby and get paid for it. That is perhaps one of the greatest joys, as getting paid to do what you like is a dream of most working adults.<\/p>\n The web design industry is only set to grow and grow for the foreseeable future. As more people are getting online and ecommerce<\/a> is booming, more businesses will need a highly-qualified web design agency\u2014and pay a high price for it.<\/p>\n While that\u2019s all fine and dandy, we can\u2019t forget the flip side of it all: the pitfalls. If starting your own web design agency was so easy, many more would\u2019ve started and succeeded in it.<\/p>\n No, there are some disadvantages and you need to be aware of it in order to secure your new business.<\/p>\n We go over this in depth in section VI \u2013 How to Get Clients for Your Web Design Agency \u2013 but it is still a fact: getting those first clients can be tough.<\/p>\n This is a bit difficult for web designers who are happiest just coding, rather than doing the work of talking to people and convincing businesses to use their services.<\/p>\n This first part, in which you are looking for clients, can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. In that time, you\u2019ll have your expenses and your employees to take care of.<\/p>\n Because the web design industry is pretty much a low-upfront cost business, there are many designers looking for clients as well.<\/p>\n This is even more confounded by the fact that, as with most internet services, your competition can come from down the road or across the globe.<\/p>\n Because it is related to the internet, web design requires you to stay on top of your game. You need to be aware of new design trends, coding, infrastructure, mobile, and many other aspects.<\/p>\n Because it\u2019s your hobby, it shouldn\u2019t take a lot of energy, but it will still take a lot of time. If you aren\u2019t up-to-date, it will be harder to secure your clients and impress them.<\/p>\n Getting your web design agency set up is more than just getting clients and creating websites. It will also require that you take care of the backend of your business, making sure all the pieces are in place to ensure your success.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at the most fundamental parts of your new web design agency.<\/p>\n Here at InvoiceBerry we\u2019ve discussed the worst business plan myths<\/a> that many new entrepreneurs believe. One of the most egregious is the idea that you probably don\u2019t need a business plan at all.<\/p>\n That couldn\u2019t be more wrong. The reason why that is so far off base is because those people view business plans as documents intended only for securing funding. To them, it is an outward-facing document that you create once and forget about.<\/p>\n In reality, business plans are primarily inward-facing. They are about you and your web design agency, about getting the structure for it on paper, the goals and mission, and of course the financial forecast.<\/p>\n It also helps you and your team get on the same page about the direction of the business, and therefore acts as a roadmap. You should come back to it from time-to-time adjust it as your business changes.<\/p>\n In order to have a complete business plan, you should answer questions in the following sections:<\/p>\n These questions differ in levels of complexity, and for your web design agency you should answer them as well as you can.<\/p>\n After all, if you don\u2019t know much about your competition, you are just setting yourself up for failure.<\/p>\n Here at InvoiceBerry, we\u2019ve already put together an epic, 8,000-word business plan guide<\/a> to help you understand exactly what you need to have a perfect business plan.<\/p>\n There are lots of great software solutions for web designers. However, we’re going to look only at the non-design tools that will help your business succeed.<\/p>\n Evernote is a deceptively useful app that seems simple and limited, but actually is great for nearly every business, including web design. It’s easy to take and store notes and share it across all your devices.<\/p>\n When you are working with your clients, you will need an easy way to store and send files. This is especially true for quite large files that can’t be seen by email.<\/p>\n Dropbox helps you do that, and being on the cloud, that means that you won’t risk losing your files.<\/p>\n There’s more to your web design agency than just designing websites. You need to take care of business as well, which is where InvoiceBerry comes in. You can create and send your invoices<\/a> in just 60 seconds\u2014helping you stay focused on your designs.<\/p>\n In your web design agency team, you’ll need to find a great project management solution.<\/p>\n Trello is normally at the top of the best of lists, and that is due to its great user experience, interface and useful features.<\/p>\n Before we can begin to look at what pricing strategies you need to employ and how you can get your first web design clients, let\u2019s look at what documentation you\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n This includes qualifications and requirements, licenses and insurance.<\/p>\n Web design, like other professions related to the arts and design, don\u2019t normally require much in the form of qualifications.<\/p>\n What this means is that you may not need to have any specific degree in a design field, although a bachelor\u2019s degree is useful in general.<\/p>\n For many of your clients, your main (or only) qualification will be your portfolio. They want to see what type of designs you can make for them.<\/p>\n However, having specific skills will be included in the creation of that portfolio. These skills include:<\/p>\n If you are working on starting your own web design agency, it is assumed that you have mastered or are mastering these crucial requirements.<\/p>\n If you are still a bit in the gray about your skills, there are luckily (besides formal education) plenty of free online web design courses<\/a> to get you caught up.<\/p>\n In every corner of the world, assumedly, if you are starting a business officially, you will need to get a license or a permit of some sort.<\/p>\n The type and the process you have to go through to obtain a license will depend on the city, state, or country your business will be located.<\/p>\n For many places, however, there is no specific license that a web design agency needs to get. The general business license, in accordance with local laws, will suffice.<\/p>\n If you get involved with clients in certain industries, however, such as food, telecommunications, or defense, you may be required to get extra documentation or permits.<\/p>\n You may also decide to open your agency as a limited company<\/a> or LLC, although other options are available<\/p>\n There are generally three types of insurance that are normally recommended for web design agencies (and the third one is geared towards web design agency teams).<\/p>\n One that is often recommended, general liability insurance, is at the bottom of the must-have insurance types and seems unnecessary in comparison.<\/p>\n You are a professional, and your web design agency will reflect professionalism. However, sometimes no matter how well you work, there may be some problems.<\/p>\n Professional liability insurance is also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. It covers claims of negligence, damages, subcontracting claims, defense costs and more.<\/p>\n This insurance is a combines the benefits of general liability with equipment and data protection for your business.<\/p>\n This includes any work-related injury and the medial bills, property damage, loss of work or data due to damage, etc.\u00a0 It is also great in case you have financial losses due to equipment damage or data loss in the scope of your work.<\/p>\n As I mentioned above, this is only applicable for agencies that have employees.<\/p>\n In certain locations, this is mandatory if you have any number of employees. Other states or countries will have a minimum before you are required to get it.<\/p>\n This type of insurance helps cover you and your employees if there are any injuries or illnesses in the line of work. This is a particularly low risk for web designers, but it is important to be covered just in case.<\/p>\n Pricing is one of the most important things we need to look at now. After you\u2019ve got the documentation and basics figured out from above, you need to start looking at your services and prices.<\/p>\n This can be quite difficult to do. It requires careful thinking and knowledge of your ideal customers as well as your own business costs.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s overview the three most used pricing strategies for your web design agency.<\/p>\n One of the first pricing methods that web designers use in general is the hourly pricing strategy. This is quite effective for new entrepreneurs, as it allows you to get paid all the work you do.<\/p>\n It is important, however, that you use a rate that takes into account your agency\u2019s margins and costs<\/a>. You can also use different rates for different team members, depending on their experience and seniority.<\/p>\n This method has the further advantages of being easy to plan your work and gaining experience on how to price jobs. This is important as you\u2019ll want to move to a different pricing strategy when your business has developed further.<\/p>\n The disadvantages will pile up eventually, however. The main one is that your clients will generally be questioning charges and your processes, rather than focusing on your results.<\/p>\n Furthermore, there\u2019s no real incentive for you to work more efficiently. Since you\u2019re getting paid by the hour, the faster you work the less money you\u2019re making.<\/p>\n Pricing your work by the project has a lot of great advantages. In this method, you give a specific price for the project, detailing the scope, and then deliver the results in the agreed-upon time period.<\/p>\n The advantages of this is that the more efficient you are, the better it is for you as you\u2019ll finish your work faster and be paid the same price. That way, you can dedicate the remaining time to other projects.<\/p>\n Your clients are also certain of the final price and will look forward to the results, rather than having to worry about what the final invoice will be.<\/p>\n However, the disadvantages are important to note. If you don\u2019t have much experience scoping projects, you could end up undercharging for your services.<\/p>\n Beyond that, your clients may also have many changes along the course of the project. These changes could alter some, a lot or all of the projects tasks, meaning you could end up getting paid differently than what you\u2019d expected.<\/p>\n This particular pricing strategy may be best reserved for very experienced web designer agency teams. Here, you are being paid not according to the resulting product (the website), but rather based on what the value of that website brings to the client.<\/p>\n You can get paid based on the royalty or commission on your client\u2019s revenues. However, it is difficult to gauge exactly what the end value of your services will be, or to justify that to your clients.<\/p>\n In this way, you are aligning your and your client\u2019s objectives. The better your product is, and the more revenue it brings for your client, the more money you will earn.<\/p>\n However, you\u2019ll have to be quite confident to present this option to your client. Beyond that, you\u2019ll have to do great research to know how much value your services bring and how to explain that to the client.<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve got it all set up, we need to actually go out and get your service in front of the right eyes. Your marketing will be crucial, as it\u2019s the only way to actually get your money flowing in.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll look at the most popular ways you can get word out about your web design agency. This includes traditional marketing methods and digital marketing.<\/p>\n Although the traditional ways are falling out of favor fast, they can be quite effective.<\/p>\n The main reason that many new businesses don\u2019t use these is that they can be quite cost-prohibitive, especially when looking at radio or TV advertisements.<\/p>\n However, there are other ways to go old school when it comes to marketing your web design agency.<\/p>\n One of the tried and true methods of finding clients it to physically find your clients. This means you need to be finding speaking opportunities, workshops, meetups, conferences, and other events where your ideal clients are likely to be.<\/p>\n If you can find and meet them, and you have your pitch ready, you could come away with a nice list of leads, some of whom could turn into actual clients.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re just starting out and your portfolio is thin, you\u2019ll need to bulk it up quickly. One of the most effective ways to do that is to give out your services for free.<\/p>\n That\u2019s right, you\u2019ll do the website for free. However, in return you can use that in your portfolio. Additionally, your \u201cclient\u201d should also agree to provide a testimonial if she\u2019s satisfied with your work.<\/p>\n Another important thing to do is to realize that your services would work very well with related industries. These partners include marketing agencies, developers, PR firms and others.<\/p>\n You may end up sharing the same clients, or offering discounts for their services to your client, as they\u2019ll offer discounts to their clients for your services.<\/p>\n Of course, digital marketing is going to be the main focus of most of your marketing efforts. We\u2019ll look at the most important ones you should utilize for your web design agency.<\/p>\n Obviously, if you are selling web design services, your website should be at the highest level. Not only should your website contain all your best work, but your website should technically be your best work.<\/p>\n Your client will use that as a prototype for your style, user experience, aesthetics and much more. If it isn\u2019t impressive, you won\u2019t have much luck at all.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying that if you have a business in 2017, you need to be on social media. It is where your customers are, and therefore it is where you need to be.<\/p>\n You should make sure that your business is easy to find. On your Facebook page, for example, you should include all the important details for your potential clients to contact you.<\/p>\n You should also include links to former sites you\u2019ve worked on (with your client\u2019s approval) and images of your portfolio.<\/p>\n Our free ebook\u00a0The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Small Businesses and Freelancers<\/a><\/em>\u00a0provides more information.<\/p>\n Blogging can be a great way to get your customers to come into your space to find answers they desperately need. This is known as inbound marketing, where you attract your ideal clients with valuable knowledge.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have your own blog, then you should be working on getting guest blogging opportunities. This will put you in front of the right eyes and can potentially drive huge amounts of traffic to your site.<\/p>\n In order to succeed in your new web design agency, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered.<\/p>\n In digital marketing, there are 4 services you should provide:<\/p>\n Before diving into the basics of your design agency, let’s look at the advantages:<\/p>\n Of course, on the other hand, there are some\u00a0disadvantages as well:<\/p>\n You then need to cover your web design agency basics:<\/p>\n There are some qualifications, licenses and insurance you’ll need:<\/p>\n Make sure you set your web design prices strategically:<\/p>\n To get your first web design clients, use:<\/p>\n These are only the beginning of your new web design agency, but it’s a great start.<\/p>\n Once you get up and running, you’ll be set for great successes.<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The rise of the internet and online retail and ecommerce is directly related to the rise of the web design agency. The more one increases, the more they\u2019ll need the other. According to recent statistics, as of June 2016 there were 320 million internet users in North America. 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\nI. The Different Web Design Services<\/h2>\n
1. User experience<\/h3>\n
2. User interface<\/h3>\n
![\"These](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-areas-web-design-agency.png?resize=690%2C1179&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n3. Mobile<\/h3>\n
4. Information architecture<\/h3>\n
II.\u00a0The Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Your Web Design Agency<\/h2>\n
1. The Advantages<\/h3>\n
![\"There](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/the_benefits_of_x-e1467287994863.png?resize=690%2C218&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nYou\u2019ll get to work when you want, with whom you want (technically)<\/h4>\n
You can work on a variety of projects<\/h4>\n
You\u2019ll be doing your hobby\u2014professionally<\/h4>\n
You can potentially earn a lot<\/h4>\n
2. The Disadvantages<\/h3>\n
![\"You](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/the_disadvantages_to_x-e1467288048774.png?resize=690%2C218&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nYou need to constantly look for your clients<\/h4>\n
It will be difficult in the first part<\/h4>\n
There\u2019s a lot of competition<\/h4>\n
You need to keep up-to-date<\/h4>\n
III.\u00a0The Fundamental Aspects of Your Business<\/h2>\n
![\"These](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/web-design-fundamentals.jpg?resize=690%2C345&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n1. Create Your Web Design Business Plan<\/h3>\n
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2. Software for Web Designers<\/h3>\n
Evernote<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"Evernote](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/evernote-logo.png?resize=690%2C192&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\nDropbox<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"Dropbox](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/dropbox-logo-e1481614712979.png?resize=690%2C176&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\nInvoiceBerry<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/invoicing_software-e1480068504983.png?resize=690%2C154&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nTrello<\/a><\/h4>\n
![\"Trello](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Trello_logo.png?resize=429%2C120&ssl=1\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\nIV.\u00a0The Qualifications, Licenses and Insurance Your Web Design Agency Needs<\/h2>\n
1. Qualifications and Requirements<\/h3>\n
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2. Your Web Design Agency Licenses<\/h3>\n
3. Insurance for Web Designers<\/h3>\n
Professional Liability<\/h4>\n
Business Owner\u2019s Insurance<\/h4>\n
Worker\u2019s Compensation<\/h4>\n
V.\u00a0How to Price Your Web Design Services<\/h2>\n
![\"It's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/web-design-pricing.jpg?resize=690%2C345&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n1. By the hour<\/h3>\n
2. By the project<\/h3>\n
![\"When](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/pricing-strategies-web-design-agency2.png?resize=690%2C1034&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n3. Based on the value<\/h3>\n
VI. How to Get Clients for Your Web Design Agency<\/h2>\n
1. Traditional marketing<\/h3>\n
Find your ideal clients<\/h4>\n
Pro bono in exchange for testimonial\/portfolio<\/h4>\n
Network for partnerships<\/h4>\n
2. Digital marketing<\/h3>\n
Your website<\/h4>\n
Social media<\/h4>\n
Blog or Guest Blog<\/h4>\n
VII. Summary<\/h2>\n
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