Websites Made Simple: How to have a successful website design business

Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.

If you've ever had a client say yes, pay the deposit, and then go quiet for weeks, it's rarely because you did something wrong. It's usually because they weren't quite ready to work with you.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I'm talking about how to attract the clients who come to you ready to buy, so you can save yourself all that back and forth. I also tell you the story of the time I was the person who wasn't ready, why I was never Hinge's ideal customer, and why it did not go well.

We get into:

Why niching means the right clients find you when they're ready, not just shopping around

The huge gap between "not quite ready" and "sign me up, here's the money"

What happens when a client pays the deposit and then goes quiet

Why I was never Hinge's ideal customer, and what that teaches us about clients who aren't ready

Why long, specific search phrases beat "web design London", and how I found a holiday cottage with ChatGPT

Three questions to ask your past clients about how they found you

How FAQs and blogs answer people's questions so you don't have to

Why you shouldn't hide your prices, and what to say about hosting, licences and renewals

Why case studies reassure the clients who are about to say yes

Why getting clear on your messaging takes patience, and why you shouldn't keep changing it

If you want clients who are ready to say yes and a lot less back and forth, this one's for you.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode: SEO F-ing What with Nikki Pilkington, episode 38, "Your Portfolio Page Title Is KILLING Your SEO": https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-portfoilio-page-title-is-killing-your-seo

And here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 Why ready-to-buy clients make life easier

02:34 The gap between 'not ready' and 'sign me up'

04:16 My Hinge story: the day I wasn't the ideal customer

07:26 How your ideal clients actually search

11:03 Answer their questions before they ask

12:52 Don't hide your prices (or what's included)

16:24 Case studies that reassure

17:49 Anchor your messaging

If you're busier than ever, marketing harder than ever, and still turning over the same money year after year, it's usually not because you need a new skill.

It's because the thing holding your web design business back is you — the price you drop before the client has even spoken, the £38 jobs you're doing at £150 an hour, and the evenings you're working for free.

My Sparks group is a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I'm getting real about money mindset: why so many website designers get stuck at the same figure, how we quietly become the bottleneck in our own business, and what it actually takes to level up without burning out.

We get into:

Why “learn a new skill” is rarely the answer when your income has flatlined

The one thing to do the moment you've said your price: pause

What to say when a client says “that's more than I was expecting”

Why payment plans for hosting and maintenance are the recurring revenue most designers miss

Why £3,000 coming into the business is not £3,000 you've earned

How a £38-an-hour VA frees you up for £150-an-hour work

Just because you can do everything in your business doesn't mean you should

How working every evening quietly halves your hourly rate

Why letting go is how you build a business that runs without you

If you want to charge what you're worth, stop undercutting yourself, and finally get out of your own way, this one's for you.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

Skip to the good bits:

00:58 Inspired by the Sparks and Phoenix mentees

01:25 The money boundary

01:51 It's money mindset, not skillset

02:52 Hands up if this sounds like you

03:13 Dropping your price mid-call

04:29 Put the price out there and pause

05:36 What to say when it's more than they expected

06:27 Earning a bit more vs properly levelling up

07:04 Payment plans: the recurring revenue you're missing

07:47 Big jumps: higher prices, more sites, white labelling

08:07 Quick break

08:15 What's really stopping us is us

09:10 You quoted £3,000. That isn't your salary

10:17 Invest money to make money

10:54 The £38 VA vs the £150 hour

12:21 Just because you can doesn't mean you should

13:00 Working every night halves your hourly rate

14:10 Mentors, VAs and getting out of your own way

14:54 Letting go: a business that runs without you

15:24 Get out of your own way

15:41 Work with Holly

If you've started to fall out of love with web design, it's usually not the design that's the problem.

It's the invoices, the contract wording, the awkward client emails, and all the other bits that crept in and took over your week. Let's fix that.

Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I'm talking about how to work out which parts of your web design business you actually love, how to hand over the parts you don't, and why that usually costs a lot less than you think.

We get into:

Why getting stuck “in the weeds” makes good designers fall out of love with the work

How to identify the parts of the business you genuinely enjoy

Why not every web designer loves designing, and why that's completely fine

How designers and developers work brilliantly hand in hand

What to do if you're a techie who struggles with the design side

Why outsourcing makes you money rather than costing you money

Whether you're selling the website, or selling you as the person who builds it

How to bring team members onto a project without the client feeling dropped

Why there's a hard ceiling on how many websites you can build in a year

The five income streams I run, and the freelance team behind them

How to map what you love, what you don't, and what you could delegate

If you're busy but no longer enjoying it, this one will help you get the good bits back.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

And here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 How to do more of what you love

00:38 When you fall out of love with web design

01:40 Work out which parts you actually love

02:25 Not every designer loves designing

02:53 Why designers and developers need each other

03:44 What to do if design isn't your strength

05:22 Outsourcing is how you make more money

06:28 “But I don't charge enough to outsource”

06:54 Are you selling the website, or selling you?

07:49 Bringing in your team without losing the client

09:40 The ceiling on building websites alone

10:00 Holly's five income streams

10:43 The freelance team behind the business

11:51 Map what you love, delegate the rest

12:29 Where to find Holly

If accessibility has never really come up in your work, it isn’t because you’re careless — it’s because almost nobody teaches it. Not the courses, not the diplomas, and definitely not the platforms we all build on.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode of Websites Made Simple, I'm joined by Rachel Mess of The Inclusive Design Company, a website designer and trainer who specialises in accessible websites. Rachel got into accessibility because her sister is visually impaired — and was mortified to realise that in years of web design training, not one course had mentioned it.

Together we cover the single biggest accessibility failure on the internet, why the drag-and-drop components you trust might be unreadable to both screen readers and Google, why “let the website breathe” is an accessibility decision, the argument that finally brings a reluctant client round, why “click here” hurts you twice over, and the free tools you should be running on every site before you hand it over.

🔗 Rachel Mess — The Inclusive Design Company: https://inclusivedesigncompany.co.uk

🔗 Sparks group mentoring: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/

🌐 More from Holly: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk

✉️ Email Holly: [email protected]

🎙️ Podcast produced by Podknows Podcasting: https://podknows.co.uk/

Connect with Holly on LinkedIn: Holly Christie.

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: Rachel Mess

Chapters:

00:00 Meet Rachel Meess, accessible web design specialist

01:08 How Rachel got into accessibility

01:50 Why accessibility never came up in her training

02:46 “I can’t charge for a website somebody can’t access”

03:09 Web design is a self-taught industry

03:40 Why the platforms are part of the problem

05:21 Accessibility has to be front of mind as you design

05:39 Colour contrast is the biggest issue on the internet

06:14 Dropdowns, div blocks and what a screen reader hears

07:03 If Google can’t read it, nobody sees your content

07:45 Holly’s pet hate: emojis as bullet points

09:07 When industry experts quietly ignore best practice

10:57 Lived experience is good for business

12:49 Consulting with Diversity Scotland

13:38 DEI, blog images and seeing yourself on a website

14:44 Accessibility is the infrastructure inclusion sits on

17:32 Accessibility in your blog posts

17:58 Let the website breathe

20:46 How to bring a reluctant client round

21:32 Why Shopify sites keep coming up

22:42 The contrast checker every platform should build in

24:06 Why “click here” is a problem

25:30 Stop stuffing keywords into alt tags

26:29 Test with Lighthouse and WAVE

27:36 Graphic designers are not website designers

29:04 Where to find Rachel

If your clients keep coming back with “How do I log in?” and “How do I change an image?”, it isn’t because they’re difficult.

It’s because nobody ever handed them a manual for the thing you just built them.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I create a website user manual for every single client: what goes in it, how it’s built, and how it went from a job that ate my time to a template I barely have to touch.

There’s a free template to go with this episode, so you can start your own straight away: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/website-manual

We get into:

Why a user manual is the difference between a delighted client and endless “how do I…” emails

How to build yours in Canva and send it as a PDF, and why I never host it on my own site

What to tell clients about themes, plug-ins and premium licences before they’re your problem

The front page details that protect you months down the line

The five minute “Welcome to Your Website” screen recording that shows them the back end

Why a page speed screenshot on handover day saves you an argument with an SEO later

The dedicated log-in page that kills half your support emails

How to record your tutorial videos once and reuse them on every single website

The troubleshooting page that says “clear your cache” in ten different ways

Where to point clients for extra help, and how you want them to contact you afterwards

If you want fewer support emails, happier clients, and a handover you can repeat without thinking about it, this one will sort you out.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 How to create a website user manual

00:46 My confession about website handovers

01:33 Why user manuals became my biggest win

02:16 How web designers actually hand over websites

02:58 Why video and written content work best together

03:25 Build it in Canva, send it as a PDF

04:22 Themes, plug-ins and licensing

05:05 What clients need to know about premium licences

06:21 The front page: logo, date and screenshot

07:32 The table of contents

07:57 The “Welcome to Your Website” video

09:01 Page speed screenshots that protect you later

10:06 The log-in page everyone forgets

11:07 Keeping the site updated, and key things to remember

12:01 Record once, use everywhere

14:03 The troubleshooting page

14:53 Additional resources and knowledge centres

15:37 How clients get in touch after handover

16:21 Grab the free template

Mentioned in this episode:

Join my Sparks Group Mentoring Programme

If you’re overworked, underpaid, and doing every single part of your web design business alone, the problem usually isn’t your skills.

It’s that no one ever showed you how to build the business around the work: how to price it, structure it, and share the load so it actually lasts.

In this episode I mention my Sparks mentoring community. You can join here: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I’m talking about how to build a sustainable web design business, one that pays you properly, doesn’t burn you out, and works for you and your clients, whatever stage of your career you’re at.

We get into:

How undercharging and “building a portfolio for free” quietly stalls your business

Why collaboration, not competition, with designers, copywriters and SEO specialists grows your income

Why every website project really starts with copy and brand, not the build

How to work out your offer and review it so it keeps working for you

Why going limited and separating your finances protects you through feast and famine months

Why the money from a website build is business income, not your salary

Where to outsource so you stop overworking and stop burning out

Why you have to step off the tools and spend time working ON your business

How to spot the money gap between what you charge and what you actually want to earn

Why a mentor is the single biggest lever for growing your business

If you want a business that earns well, runs smoothly, and doesn’t leave you exhausted, this one’s for you.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk

Email me at [email protected]

00:00 Building a web design business that lasts

00:20 The undercharging trap

01:31 Collaborate, don’t compete

03:41 Why copy and brand come before the build

05:49 Inside Sparks Group mentoring

06:53 Work out your offer, and review it often

08:35 Go limited and separate your finances

10:24 Website payments are income, not your salary

11:13 Outsource what isn’t worth your hourly rate

14:15 Work ON your business, not just in it

18:54 Mind the money gap

Mentioned in this episode:

Join my Sparks Group Mentoring Programme

Nobody handed most of us a manual for this.

Web design is a self-taught industry, so we all arrive from different angles, with different tools, and it's far too easy to decide you're "doing it wrong" the moment a louder voice tells you their way is the only way.

*whispers in your ear* - if this episodes sparks your interest, check out my mentoring group: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I'm talking directly to designers and developers in their first few years, sharing the practices that helped me build confidence, better websites, and a stronger business, without pretending there's one "right" way to do it.

We get into:

• How investing properly in your setup (themes, insurance, compliant contracts) slowly builds your confidence
• Why "spend money to make money" applies to web design more than you think
• Picking one area to go all in on each year, from accessibility to SEO
• Building a rigid onboarding process so content arrives before the build starts
• Getting known for one or two things instead of being "just another designer"
• Why staying in your lane beats watching the competition
• Collecting reviews properly (and actually following them up)
• Why a mentor pays dividends long before you feel you can "afford" one

If you're early in your web design journey and just want a bit more support in your corner, this one's for you.

Come and find out more at - https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk

Or email me at [email protected]

If you'd like to talk about mentoring for new website designers and developers, come and say hello.

00:00 Who this episode is for

00:33 Web design is a self-taught industry (and tech shaming)

02:02 Invest in your web design business

05:57 Pick one area to master each year

08:54 Get your onboarding right — content up front

11:29 Marketing yourself and the know, like, trust factor

12:17 Get known for one or two things

14:36 Stay in your lane, ignore the competition

15:59 Collect reviews and actually use them

17:17 Why you should get a mentor

A messy sign-off leaves a messy memory — and it’s one of the easiest things to fix with the right checklist in place.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

Check out: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.

In this episode, I’m walking you through my full website sign-off process — the checklist I use every single time to make sure projects end cleanly, clients are set up properly, and I can actually close the project and move on.

We get into:

• Holly’s website “pack-down” checklist and why you need one
• Cookie notices, GDPR, and what to check before you go live
• Why you should run a Page Speed Insights report and screenshot it every time
• Setting up admin accounts (the step Holly has forgotten more than once)
• Website manuals: why every client should get one and how to create them
• Hooking up analytics, pixels, and code tracking before handover
• How to test on incognito browser and mobile before you call it done
• Getting written sign-off from your client — and the wording that matters
• Migration, SSL certificates, and enforcing HTTPS after moving a site
• Contact form testing, SMTP, and GDPR-compliant database saving
• How to organise client training and what Holly’s personalised video manuals look like
• Setting up client logins and making sure they know how to run WordPress updates
• Asking for reviews at exactly the right moment
• What is and is not your responsibility once a project is signed off

If you want every project to end with a clean, confident handover — this one will help you build that process.

Grab Holly’s sign-off checklist at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sign-off-checklist

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

And here’s the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 The sign-off feeling and making sure clients come back for the right reasons

01:46 Build your website pack-down checklist

02:50 Cookie notices and GDPR compliance

03:53 Run a PageSpeed Insights report and save the results

06:20 Create an admin account for the client

06:55 Website manuals and why every client needs one

07:37 Hooking up code tracking before handover

08:48 Testing on incognito browser and mobile view

10:27 Getting written sign-off from your client

11:10 Tying sign-off to payment

11:35 Migration, SSL certificates and enforcing HTTPS

14:21 Contact forms, testing and GDPR compliance

15:39 Organising client training

16:17 Holly’s personalised video walkthrough manuals

17:12 Getting the client logged in

17:58 WordPress updates and making sure clients know how

18:40 Ask for a review at the right moment

19:09 Your responsibilities after sign-off

If you’ve ever been made to feel that your tech stack is wrong, or that using a page builder makes you less of a “real” developer, this episode is here to give you a reality check.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I’m talking about tech stacks, tech shaming, and why the platform you build on matters a whole lot less than what you’re actually delivering.

We get into:

• What we’re actually being hired to deliver — and why the tools are irrelevant
• Why client ease of use should drive every tech decision you make
• The difference between a proper handover and abandoning your client at the door
• Why locked-down websites cause problems for everyone, including you
• How imposter syndrome fuels tech shaming in the web design industry
• Why personality and trust win clients over tech stack every single time
• The disappearing developer problem and how to be the designer clients return to

If you’ve been tech shamed, or you’ve been second-guessing your tools, this will help you refocus on what actually builds a sustainable web design business.

Check out my mentoring group offer:

https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 What really matters about your tech stack

00:36 Welcome to Websites Made Simple

00:50 Holly’s experience of tech shaming on LinkedIn

01:50 Sparks Group Mentoring explained

02:36 It’s not about the platform — it’s about the results

03:41 Why client ease of use should come first

04:24 Page builders, locked-down sites, and client access

05:26 Clients should always be able to access their own website

06:25 The disappearing developer problem

07:11 How to sign off a website properly

07:48 Client training, Zoom handovers, and user manuals

08:24 Building for two people: your client and their visitors

09:11 Why tech shaming is really just imposter syndrome

10:03 Why clients choose you for personality, not tools

11:30 “In 20 years, I’ve never gone back to the same designer twice — until now”

If you're putting in the work, showing up, doing everything you can — and still turning over the same amount of money year on year — this episode is for you.

Check out my popular group mentoring programme: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/

It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments.

Hi and welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode, I'm talking about the money mindset patterns that can sometimes keep web designers stuck, what it actually means to outsource and invest in your business, and how to get out of your own way so you can finally start earning what you deserve.

We get into:

• Why so many web designers drop their prices before the client has even had a chance to respond
• The power of the pause
• Why payment plans for hosting and maintenance are non-negotiable recurring revenue
• What a money mindset ceiling looks like, and why it keeps you stuck at the same figure
• The real maths behind outsourcing to a VA
• Why website designers bottleneck their own businesses
• My personal story of working every evening after the kids went to bed
• How to get out of your own way, stop doing everything yourself, and start running a business that actually works for you

If you're working hard but not seeing the financial results to match, this episode will show you exactly what's holding you back — and it might just be you.

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 What's really holding back your web design business

01:17 Turning over the same money year on year — why it happens

02:00 What levelling up really means

02:44 Self-sabotaging behaviours — do any of these sound like you?

05:47 Why even getting a client on a call earns your seat at the table

07:27 Money mindset ceilings: stuck at the same income figure

10:03 Outsourcing to a VA: the real numbers

12:19 "You're halving your hourly rate" — the hard truth from a good friend

13:55 Get out of your own way and earn what you deserve

Mentioned in this episode:

Remember to sign up for our blogging masterclass!

Go to https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/masterclass

Blogging masterclass