Paid Discovery is a HOT topic right now in web design.

The idea of getting paid for a discovery call – before wasting an hour of your day with someone who has a budget of $300 – is dang intriguing for pretty much every web designer.

But then the questions come up…

• Is it just a consult/strategy call?
• How much do I charge for it?
• What if I don’t have enough experience or expertise?
• What’s included in paid discovery?
• What if I don’t want to be viewed as a digital marketing agency?

Welp, we tackle all of those questions and more in this episode with Racheal Graham, an established web design agency owner who has a proven $2,000 paid discovery offer and who graciously pulls the curtain back on her entire process.

Enjoy!

Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/382

I'm away with my family for vacation this week but, aside from skimming back through the podcast catalog, here are some recommendations check out this week!

Curated podcast playlists, head to:

joshhall.co/playlists

Recap of our first ever WDP CON in person conference:

webdesignerpro.com/wdpcon2025

*** special offer to join Pro with 50% OFF your first month ***

Free training - 10-step action plan  for starting your web design business:

joshhall.co/start

Free training - 3 ways to start scaling your web design biz, your way:

joshhall.co/scale

A full recap and look-back with takeaways, lessons learned (and a breakdown of expenses) of the amazing weekend that was…Web Designer Pro’s first in person event conference WDP CON 2025!!

Go to the full post with pictures, video embeds and more here:

https://webdesignerpro.com/wdpcon2025

Watch the highlight reel here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKg3eMUEA_E

Here's a walk through of one of my real world, paid 15k web design proposals. I walk you through what I included, how I structured it and the 3 keys I recommend that every web design proposal have.

This audio is taken from a recent video I posted on my YouTube channel so I highly recommend checking out the video version if you'd like to see all the visuals!

⏯️ Watch the video version here

And you share your thoughts, feedback and questions at the show notes for this one which will be at joshhall.co/380

Quick tips:

Web proposals don't need to be complex PDF brochures to be effective—they need to clearly communicate goals, deliverables, and pricing to help clients make decisions quickly.

• Website proposals should focus on three key elements: goals and expected results, a simple outline of deliverables, and clear costs presented as investments
• The most effective proposals are scannable documents of 2-3 pages, not 20-page brochures that overwhelm clients
• Include 10-15 high-level deliverables rather than an exhaustive checklist of every task you'll perform
• Separate core website development from add-on services like SEO boosts or e-commerce functionality to create clear line items
• Consider your proposal's audience—often they need to share it with CEOs or boards who need to quickly understand what they're approving
• Real examples of successful proposals show consistent structure across different project sizes, from $4,000 to $15,000
• Payment schedules should be clearly outlined with 50% upfront for smaller projects or 30/30/40 splits for larger ones

I recently had a private coaching session with my friend Jason Gracia, founder of Swyft Sites, who’s interested in starting a podcast but isn’t sure of the best strategy to take.

Jason has kindly allowed me to share it with you!

Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/380

Here's the replay from the most recent live Q&A that was held on my YouTube channel!

Special offer extended to you as a podcast listener 👇

Use code MAY50 to get 50% off your first month of Web Designer Pro, either for the courses or community tier. This offer expires at the end of May 2025.

https://webdesignerpro.com

In this one, we covered:

• How to point a new site to an existing URL
• Designing for web vs print vs vehicle wraps
• Personal brand vs business name – pros and cons
• Structuring website subscription pricing models
• Monthly payment plans for web design projects
• Understanding and using sitemaps for SEO
• How to value and sell your web design business
• Transitioning clients when retiring from web design
• 50 ways to get web design clients
• Online vs in-person marketing strategies
• Using LinkedIn, Instagram, and social media for leads
• High-converting lead magnets and freebie ideas

⏯️ Watch this replay on YouTube here

Recently, my friend Shannon Mattern interviewed me on her The Profitable Web Designer podcast all about what's working well for web designers killing it in 2025.

She's kindly offered to let me repurpose the whole convo for you! 

It's a bit of a 2-parter with part 1 being all about becoming more than just a web designer for clients, but a growth partner for bigger MRR (monthly recurring revenue)

Part 2 covers more of what I went through in pivoting from selling information to selling transformation. Very parallel to web designers moving from selling a nice website design to selling a high-converting sales tool for clients. All the same lessons apply.

Enjoy!

Having a ton of maintenance plan clients is awesome - especially for the recurring revenue. But with ongoing support clients come with ongoing support requests.

Managing this with a dozen or so clients is pretty easy. And as we all know – not all clients ping you every month with requests. But once you get to 30, 40, 50, 100 + maintenance plan clients, you’ve got to have a system for support.

That’s why I’m pumped to share this chat I had with Phil Storey, founder and CEO of Glow.

This one is interesting because, not only did Phil have some solid advice for handling support requests but it was also a chance for me to learn more about his platform.

I’ve been using ManageWP since 2016 and while it’s still my preferred tool for managing multiple WordPress sites, you can’t link in non-WordPress sites and there’s no native support ticketing system.

That’s one of the big value-props of Glow as you can add non-WP sites and their big differentiator in the market is the native support ticketing system.

We dig into all of that and more!

Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/378

Do you remember your first year in business as a web designer? Are you there now?

One thing is common for all of us in the first year…it’s a rollercoaster of highs and lows, ups and downs, incredible days and perhaps dreadful days. But if you can survive that first year, chances are you’re going to make it.

I’m so excited to bring onto the podcast Megan Fletcher who just crossed her first year official year in business and at the same time, had her biggest revenue month to date pulling in over 8k!

She’s now got her sights set on a 6-figure business and has an incredible foundation to get there in year 2.

In this chat, she shares all her lessons learned (both good and bad) from the first year of her business and most importantly, how she weathered a couple storms and got through the tough times.

As a member of my community Web Designer Pro, I have to say these success stories are some of my favorites because I often see all the challenges, hardships and coach members when they’re in the thick of it…but I know there’s always a brighter future right ahead if they just stick with it!! And that’s exactly what Megan has done.

Enjoy!

Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/377

Jump into Web Designer Pro™ for your first month at 50% off with code APRIL50 at webdesignerpro.com. This special offer expires at the end of April 2025, so don't miss your chance to access all courses and join our thriving community!

In this Q&A session, we dive deep into what's working right now in the web design industry, answering listener questions on topics from SEO to networking strategies, CRM systems, and leveraging AI effectively in your business.

• SEO fundamentals remain largely unchanged despite AI advancements with core principles of good structure and quality content still driving results
• Local networking is most effective when you focus on accessing others' networks rather than directly selling to group members
• CRM systems like 17hats can dramatically improve workflow efficiency through automation of proposals, contracts and client onboarding
• Adding quarterly strategy calls to maintenance plans can generate significant additional revenue while strengthening client relationships
• White label services require consistent value demonstration in communities rather than simply asking for work
• AI is most effectively used beyond just site building – leverage it for business development, finding networking opportunities, and streamlining operations
• The most successful designers focus on helping clients grow their businesses with websites as a tool rather than just delivering websites
• Raising your rates regularly is essential for business sustainability, especially as your skills and results improve

Watch the full replay here