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

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.
Skip to the good bits (Chapters):
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

If a client has ever asked you "When will my website be found on Google?" — and you didn’t quite know how to answer — this episode is for you.
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 where your role as a web designer ends and where an SEO specialist’s begins — and why knowing that difference could genuinely change the quality of the websites you deliver and the reputation you build.

We get into:
The difference between building an SEO-friendly website and delivering SEO services
What you ARE responsible for in every build (and where the line is)
How to find an SEO specialist you actually like working with
Why you should bring them in before the build starts, not after
What an SEO specialist actually produces and how to show clients the value
How to handle clients who don’t want to pay for SEO support
Whether to build the SEO cost into your website price
Why the relationship goes both ways — and how SEO specialists can become a referral source for you

If you’ve ever felt unsure about where SEO fits in your process, this will help you get clear, get confident, and start building better websites with the right people around you.
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:

01:15 “When will my website be found on Google?”
01:41 What web designers ARE responsible for in SEO
02:34 SEO-friendly ≠ SEO services
02:57 Nikki Pilkington
03:44 Find an SEO specialist you vibe with
04:44 Bring them in before the build starts
05:03 What your SEO specialist will actually produce
06:14 When the client won’t pay for SEO
07:03 Build the SEO cost into your website price
08:24 It goes both ways: the referral relationship
Mentioned in this episode:
Remember to sign up for our blogging masterclass!
Go to https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/masterclass
Blogging masterclass