Web design is your business. You’ve got the creativity, eye, and talent to design a website and make it compelling to draw people’s attention.
Of course, you’ve also got the right tools and techniques to use. Everything seems going in the right direction according to plan. And now, you find yourself wanting to grow your web design business.
If you want your clients to come, stay, and refer you to more people, it’s high time to find ways to take your web design business to the next level. Know how to grow your web design business this year by reading the following below.
Automate Your Bookkeeping And Accounting
Every business needs to have an accurate billing process. If you want not to worry too much about generating and sending invoices, it’s essential to embrace digital technology in your web design business.
So, why not use a cloud-based accounting solution to accommodate your bookkeeping and accounting needs and processes? You can check out online reviews to help you find the right accounting software program for you, such as FreshBooks review.
Here are the advantages of automating your web design business’s bookkeeping and accounting:
- Reliable Invoicing And Payment Processing: Using accounting software can help you track all old, current, and pending invoices. You can open and edit invoices, set up recurring invoices, and set up online payments. It’s possible to send overdue payment reminders automatically, allowing you to manage payments hassle-free. Also, you’ll find a software program that’s compatible with multiple currencies for billing or invoicing your international clients.
- Seamless Project Management: Besides invoicing, some of the best features of a bookkeeping and accounting software program include project management features such as task deadline dates assigning, file sharing, and project status overview.
- Streamlined Time Tracking: Choosing an accounting software with a time-tracking feature allows you to record work time and convert work timesheets into invoices to send to your clients.
- Promotes Good Project Collaboration: Using accounting software can help your team members work as one to accomplish all tasks and deliver great results more efficiently. Make files accessible to authorized stakeholders through team permissions setting. Also, you can store project files, and other sensitive information in one place to keep everyone on the same page to meets all targets.
Revamp How You Charge For Your Web Design Services
Smashing Magazine explains the three ways you can charge clients for your web design services to determine the perfect rate for your time and hard work.
When pricing your services, you need to consider the type, size, and complexity of the website your clients want you to create.
You can charge a flat rate, an hourly rate, or a monthly rate for your web design services. Each charging scheme has advantages and disadvantages. Make sure to weigh the pros and cons to determine the right scheme for you.
Check the other factors you need to consider when charging your clients for your web design services:
- Sales Process: Most clients prefer a fast sales process. Flat rates make this process easier but only limit it to certain types of websites. For complex work or web designs, you can create a pricing sheet to send to your prospects for easier rates reference.
- Efficiency: Create a workflow template to automate repetitive tasks and outsource anything not included in your template to maximize your profit margins.
- Website Value: Not all websites have the same goals. The more features and benefits a website provides to its target audience, the higher its monetary value. Will the website be used in gaining more members, as a portfolio reference, or to sell goods? The greater the conversion boost, the higher you should charge for your services.
Kickstart Your Social Media Marketing
If you haven’t started your web design business in social media, then today is a perfect time. You can begin by creating a great logo with an online logo maker that will help you stand out in the marketplace and make you successful. People connect, tell stories, and refer to brands on social media platforms.
Hence, many businesses choose to advertise their products and services on social media networks.
Look at the following social media marketing tips to grow your web design business:
- Collaborate With Influencers: You can work with other brands or influencers in promoting your web design services to their followers. In exchange, you can offer some of your services for free to them, such as a free business logo design or theme for their website.
- Aim To Increase Conversions: Convert your followers into paying customers by offering giveaways or free services. It’s one way to build your email database and online followers. Hold a contest and send the details to your social media accounts. Direct followers to enter by clicking on your website link and provide their email addresses. Create an email subscribe pop-up or an engaging landing page, to collect their information.
- Take Advantage Of Digital Radio: Build your web design company reputation by appearing on digital radio and even podcasts. You can share your web design expertise with listeners to attract new followers and generate new leads.
- Highlight Your Designs: Social media platforms are the best place to highlight your web designs. Post screenshots or images of your winning web designs so potential clients can have a sneak peek of your projects. Include engaging descriptions such as the purpose of the website and how you came up with the design.
Don’t Miss Content And SEO Marketing
Of course, it’s expected that you have a great-looking and functional website. But how about your content? And how about your ranking in search engines?
Many freelance and professional web designers are offering their services worldwide. Hence, the competition is tight.
While you probably have established clients in your local area, you can grow your business in the national or international arena by investing in your content and search engine optimization or SEO.
Content and SEO marketing are important to draw more people to your website. Here are some content and SEO marketing tips to grow your web design business:
- Be A Thought Leader: You can share your expertise in web design on the blog section of your website to help start-up website owners and aspiring web designers create a good-looking and user-friendly website. Sharing your expertise can make people look up to you and consider your website as a reliable resource hub for their web design questions and needs.
- Make Your Content Engaging: Create fun and easy-to-read content such as FAQs, Q&As, how-to guides, and video tutorials. Inspire people to make their websites interesting, attractive, and versatile by sharing some helpful tips and your best web design practices.
- Hire An SEO Specialist: SEO can be a complex or technical matter to you. It involves intensive keyword research, link-building strategies, and continuous monitoring of your SEO metrics.
- Promote Your Content: Content marketing isn’t only applicable to your website. You can promote your business by posting to other websites and sharing your website link as a contributor or what is known as guest posting. Make it a point to update your content regularly, at least twice a month for search engines and readers to know that you’re active.
- Video Marketing: Many people love to watch videos online, even those who want to find prospective web designers. They appreciate those who can show their portfolio on video marketing platforms to help them decide what web design professional or agency to hire.
Grow Your Connections
A great business has an established network of professional connections. Because the web design industry is tough, you must think of ways to gain an advantage over your competitors.
One way to do it’s to partner and collaborate with other professionals and businesses.
Here are some helpful tips to grow your professional connections:
- Work With A Marketing Agency: Marketing agencies deal with businesses every day. If you know a local marketing agency in your area, you can offer your services to them.
- Work With Web Developers: Web developers are most sought to develop the programming or coding technical aspects of a website. Therefore, working with them is at your utmost greatest advantage.
- Set Up Your Digital Professional Profile Account: Set up an account online via professional networking sites. These websites create professional connections automatically. You’ll receive updates and reminders as to the professionals tied up with your business.
Don’t Limit Your Services
As you gain more clients, you need to adapt and expand as well. So, keep projects pouring by hiring off-shore web designers who can do the tasks for you without paying that much for a full-time web designer in your area.
The good thing about hiring or outsourcing web designers includes not being tied up with any employment contract. You can hire a good freelance web designer in Asia and deliver excellent results as you do.
Now, you become your own CEO of your bigger web design company and reap a greater return on investment without worrying about overhead costs. Of course, you also get to help other web designers, making this strategy a win-win solution for everyone.
Conclusion
You can grow your web design business in so many ways, from revamping how your billing and accounting work, managing your projects, up to marketing your business using various marketing strategies. Win new customers by boosting your social media presence and online presence. Grow your professional network of connections through collaboration and partnerships.