Web Design Business with Josh Hall

Clients don’t really want a pretty website…they want a 24/7 sales machine.

You work hard creating beautiful designs that are built solid and have intentional messaging and copy…but how do you know all that work is paying off for your client?

How do you measure results?

How do you keep your clients coming back for ongoing work over and over again?

Well, at the end of the day…one of the best ways is to offer some sort of CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) as a service.

But I’m sure you have a lot of questions on how to do this practically and how to sell it to clients so I can’t think of anyone better to dig into this topic with than Leigh Scott, a conversion rate optimization specialist.

As the founder of zainatain.com, a design and conversion consulting company, this is her bread and butter.

We get into the weeds on this one including:

• Mapping out sales funnels for clients
• Micro goals vs macro goals
• Common CRO metrics
• Creating a CRO roadmap for clients
• Selling result-based CRO services

A big thanks to Leigh for opening up her playbook on this one!

If you want to learn more about CRO, she’s the next industry expert who’s doing a live training in my community Web Designer Pro! If you’re catching this the week it comes out, you can join Pro and watch her presentation live, otherwise when you join, the replay with all links and resources will be available for rewatch on-demand for you.

And be sure to check out the show notes for this page which has all the links and resources mentioned at joshhall.co/348

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

I recently published a newsletter sharing 5 ways I would get clients if I were starting out in web design today in 2024.

It got a lot of great feedback from both early-stage web designers and established web designers looking for a revenue boost alike - so I decided to expand on these 5 strategies as a full podcast!

We’ll dive into each of these strategies, how I would go about them and how I would execute on them in detail.

In short:

• Join a referral group
• Utilize LinkedIn
• Create local SEO targeted YouTube videos
• Host an interview series
• Start a monthly newsletter

Again, even if you’re established as a freelancer or web biz owner, you can implement some of these strategies as well to get more clients.

But man if I was an early-stage web designer…I would’ve loved to have this roadmap when I got started! So I hope it helps. 🙂

To get more help starting or building your business, be sure to pick up my free training here.

Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:
https://joshhall.co/347

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

We just added new listening pathways on the Podcast Playlists page!

🎙️ joshhall.co/playlists

New playlists added:

• Accessibility
• Self-care for web designers
• Content marketing
• Copywriting
• Platforms and builder chats
• Ai
• Speed & optimization
• Legal and privacy

Also added a new quick link menu to help you zip around to your ideal listening path.

If you’re an established web designer, think back to your first year in business. What was your highest paid project? Aside from some exceptions, I’m guessing it was in the low-thousands…or hundreds.

Well, Ben Forred, a web designer who’s still in his first year of business, building it as a side hustle alongside full-time corporate employment recently landed a $7,500 website package and in this podcast chat, shares the entire journey on how he did it.

We cover:

• What Ben did to speed-learn and be able to build websites from start to finish in a few months
• How Ben created and refined his offers and price-points
• How he utilized his background to discover an untapped niche
• His genius process of selling a low-ticket item first to build trust
• How he turned a $1k website project into $7,500

This is a bit of a 2-part convo because we also dig into Ben’s desire to leave his corporate job to have the freedom and flexibility he wants in his personal life as a Dad to a growing young family.

Ben’s story on how he got into web design really sets the stage for the quick progress he’s made in less than a year. It’s evident that he’s serious about this web business and is going for it - and as one of our top engaged members of Web Designer Pro™…I feel honored to have a part in his journey.

Incredible first year that he expands on here. Next step…6-figures and freedom!


Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:
https://joshhall.co/346

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

It’s been a little while since we’ve talked about accessibility on the podcast and one area we haven’t covered at all to this point is specifically how to make accessible eCommerce websites.

Everything is more complex with eCommerce sites and accessibility, while complex even at the basic level, gets even trickier. 

So, to help understand all of this, accessibility expert Bet Hannon (CEO of accessicart.com) is on the show as we dive into:

• The very basics of accessibility
• Easy accessibility wins you can achieve on your sites
• The common accessibility traps for eCommerce sites
• The #1 accessibility culprit for restaurant websites
• Offering accessibility from the start of your projects

And more.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with accessibility - perhaps because it CAN be extremely robust but every time I speak with an expert in it, I’m reminded that the most important thing is to have the basics covered. So if you do everything we talk about in the first 10-15 minutes here, that’s a great start.

And while we do get into some of the accessibility penalties that have been circulating, I don’t want you to feel intimidated or scaled by web design as a whole. Accessibility is a lot like privacy and security in terms of the “rare events (aka lawsuits and penalties)” making the headlines.

The goal is simple, make websites as accessible to everyone as possible.

Build sites with that in mind and you’ll be far ahead of most other web designers and you’ll make the web a better, more user-friendly place for all.

Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:
https://joshhall.co/345

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

You’ve heard of work/life balance…but what about life/work balance?

What if, instead of prioritizing our work and living life around that, we set our calendars, schedules, and weekly routines to have our work revolve around our ideal week?

As freedom based lifestyle web designers, that’s exactly the option we have available to us

But it takes a proactive approach to make this happen, otherwise calls, meetings, design and troubleshooting will take up our entire week.

So, to help dig in on how to do this practically, I can’t think of anyone better to learn from than Oscar, the CEO of Lifedge who’s at the forefront of this life/work balance movement.

Covered in the episode:

• How to set boundaries between family and work while working from home
• How to turn your “business mind” off after hours
• How to make it work when your spouse is in business with you
• The game-changing practice of a “look ahead” weekly meeting with your spouse or family
• The seasonal approach to hustle

Personally, I love these types of conversations because, as someone who loves my work and who likes to work, I constantly need to be prompted and reminded to make sure I’m not out of balance with my wife and family.

A healthy approach to balancing work and family = doing this sustainably without burning out.

Get all the show notes, and view a full transcription of our podcast chat now at joshhall.co/344

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

I’ve noticed a common thread among web designers who always seem to have no trouble getting clients - they’re easily ‘referable’ 🤝

It might be a niche, it might be a skillset, it might be something they're known for but in all cases, they’re easily referred to. 

For example, here are some Web Designer Pro members who fit the “easily referred” bill:

• Want a web designer who also helps you with email marketing? Talk to April who specializes in websites and email sequences at aprilraycreative.com
• Want a web designer who specializes in church websites? Talk to Marc who I referred to my old church because when they reached out, Marc had told me “church websites are my jam” - easy referral! And, he even has a church websites page on his site which made it even easier to refer to and show examples to.
• Know a coach who needs a website? Talk to Jason with SwyftSites who specializes in websites for coaches.
• Need help with local SEO? Talk to Sam who’s become the ‘King of SEO’ here in Pro via his site thencandesigns.com
• Need help with high-converting website copy? Michelle has a service tailored JUST for that called “copy boost” - so clear, so easy to refer.
• Email problems? Amr is THE email guru who’s unbelievably easy to refer because very few web designers want to specialize in that!

In all cases, these folks are easily referable; easily remembered, and often top of mind.

So, what can you do to make yourself more “referable”??

In this podcast episode, I’m expanding on my top 6 tips to make it easier for clients and colleagues to refer you and help you get more web design clients!

Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:

https://joshhall.co/343

The Web Design Business Podcast is available on:

Apple - https://apple.co/36wnnc3
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36ttME

or wherever you get your podcasts

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

Web designers often ask me “how long will it take to get to 6-figures in my web design business?” And it's a tough question to answer. There are a lot of variables to how fast you can build your web design business. Your background, your time availability, your area of focus or expertise, your aversion to risk, work ethic, etc are all factors.

But I can tell you, there are folks who go from zero to 6-figures in less than a year.

One of those folks is Sam Sarsten, a member of my Web Designer Pro community who joined BEFORE he even had a paying client and in less than a year, is closing in on 6-figures with (as of August 2024) $7,197.00 in monthly recurring revenue. And that’s just monthly MRR, not including one off web design projects and hourly work.

If you’re curious about what he did to get to this level so fast, you’re in luck because Sam is on the podcast sharing exactly what he did!

We cover:

• What in the world Sam was thinking when he quit his day job with 0 paying clients
• How Sam began to get web design clients and instant cash flow
• How he fell in love with one area of web design (Local SEO) and made that his primary service
• How he sells SEO services to build recurring income
• Sam’s plans (and challenges) with such quick growth

One of my favorite aspects of Sam is that he’s an open book. We talk numbers, real sales data, and proven strategies that work in this one.

Sam has consistently been one of the most engaged members of Web Designer Pro and has quickly become the “go to Pro” for Local SEO which has not only been a huge help to his business but also for our community as he recently did a full expert training on How to Rank Websites Locally which you can now watch on my YouTube channel!

Even if you’re not yet a member of Pro, we want to give you some hot tips for local SEO because, as Sam has shown, it can really help you build your recurring revenue and be a great addition to your web design business.

Sam just launched a sub-community of Web Designer Pro “Local SEO Academy” which you can check out now at https://localseoacademy.co/josh which is a great additional place for you who are interested in diving deeper into local SEO!

We cover a lot of the fundamentals and most important SEO strategies for web designers in Pro but since that’s not our primary focus, I’m so excited to have partnered up with Sam who is diving deeper into it. And quite frankly, who better to learn local SEO from than the man who went from $0-$7k+ in MRR in one year??

Get all the show notes, and view a full transcription of our podcast chat now at joshhall.co/342

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

What’s the most terrifying phrase that hovers in the back of all our minds as a web designer and web business owner? Well, aside from “email down” it’s likely “burnout.”

You may have seen a fellow web designer go through this or experienced it yourself. And the harsh reality is, burnout is where all roads can lead if we’re not careful.

The onslaught of clients, fulfillment, design, development, troubleshooting, sales, support, administration, calls, meetings, content creation, your OWN businesses work, learning, marketing, team building, and scaling years on end will catch up to you.

I’ve seen it happen to a lot of web designers and business owners I know.

But GOOD NEWS - burnout can be avoided. 

I’m 15 years into my journey as a self-employed web designer and entrepreneur and I’m still loving it. But it hasn’t always been a smooth journey. And boy howdy do I wish I would’ve heard this conversation earlier on because on the podcast is CEO of Time Boss, Andrew Hartman, who is sharing some “take your time back” GOLD in this convo!


We cover:

• What burnout often looks like (and what signs to watch out for)
• How to protect your sanity and sustainability
• My weird but helpful categories of Work, Fork, Lork & Sork
• How to turn off your mental load
• How the new trend of “4 day workweeks” often leads to more stress and burnout

And much more. All helpful, practical tips for you to help get more time back, no matter what stage of business you’re in.

Spend some time listening then get some time back my web designer friend!

Show notes, links and full transcript live now at joshhall.co/341

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast

We’re doing a first for the podcast on this episode…I’m featuring a recent Web Designer Pro coaching call!

If you didn’t know, in my web design community Web Designer Pro, I host a live coaching call every week. These coaching calls typically include:

• Member website reviews
• Member hot seats 10-15 min coaching sessions)
• And AMA (ask me anything) time

Today, I’m sharing a recent call that had some great topics of discussion with you to help you in all these areas in your business and to give you a glimpse of what’s going on in Web Designer Pro.

This session includes:

• A hot seat with Shannon, one of our OG members who’s back and whose business is rockin' with managing 50+ maintenance clients. But she’s had a slow last few months so we talked about proactive revenue growth strategies including a monthly newsletter, repurposing portfolio work for case studies, sprinkling in before/afters on social media and networking in person
  
  
• Angela has a full suite of services to help her wellness clients go from planning/strategy to design/building and to growth/marketing but the lines have been blurry between them all. We talked about how to draw very clear lines between the offers and how she can offer a “Business Plan Strategy” as a low ticket lead-in offer and put her “Growth Plan Strategy” into a 30-60 day, $1,000-$1,500 coaching sprint for her top clients who want a more intensive consult period.
  
  
• Freya whose excitement on sales calls is one of her strengths but clients don’t always “nerd out” about the tools, tech and strategies like we do. So we came up with a good plan to avoid overwhelming clients by putting that excitement into the “results” that her clients are after then following up with an action plan (in phases) for ongoing work.
  
  
• Landon one of our youngest members of Pro just sent out a $2,800 proposal and wondered if it was too much…too little…confusing…not enough specifics?!? Well, considering Landon’s just a few months into his biz, it’s a great starting point and he’ll continue to raise those rates as his offers become more clear. The proposal was super clear and succinct which is more than most of us can say that early on! Go Landon and let us know if they move forward. Again, great start.
  
  

And I have an exciting update since this call…Landon LANDED that proposal!! Way to go dude. What a bunch of awesome PROS here.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this coaching call and implement some of these takeaways and strategies.

Again, this is the type of thing that’s happening EVERY WEEK in Web Designer Pro and things are just getting more, as the kids say these days, LIT in Pro.

Ready to join the fun?

You can now go to the newly redesigned (with Divi 5) Pro page at:

WebDesignerPro.com

Check out all the links mentioned in this episode at joshhall.co/340

I was recently interviewed on the EverBros Agency Growth Podcast about my journey in fumbling through starting and scaling a web design agency.

It was a really good, casual chat with tons of important topics for web designers (early stage and established alike) so THE BROS were kind enough to let me repurpose our chat here for you!

Don’t let the name fool you, these are not your typical marketing bros. In fact, they’re super down to earth, sustainably minded, and have a very, very successful niche agency in the landscaping company marketing world with a focus on SEO and marketing. Oh and they’re Divi guys so of course we hit it off.

We cover:

• How to avoid comparing yourself to other agencies
• Being a student, not a follower (when following influencers)
• Proven strategies and layouts over creative design
• Ironically getting great SEO results with the “slow Divi theme)
• Whether or not bropreneur culture is thriving or dying

Enjoy friends! I believe this is one of the longest we’ve aired on the show but it flew by.

And you can check out their podcast by searching Ever Bros Agency Growth Podcast wherever you listen.

Get all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:

https://joshhall.co/339

The Web Design Business Podcast is available on:

Apple - https://apple.co/36wnnc3
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36ttME

or wherever you get your podcasts

View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcast