MAX SESSIONS Hi, my name is Emily Tenenbaum, and I work at Squarespace. Today, I'm here to talk to you about increasing your earning potential by offering web design services to your clients. Perhaps you've considered web design before. Or maybe this is the first time you've thought about monetizing your design experience through websites. Wherever you fall in the spectrum, I'm excited to talk you through why web design is such a lucrative and sustainable business venture and how to incorporate it into your offerings. You may know Squarespace from our Super Bowl commercials, or maybe you know it as a platform that hosts your favorite restaurant or yoga studios website. It might even be the place where a fellow graphic designer showcases their portfolio. For those who aren't as familiar, Squarespace is an all-in-one platform with a focus on functionality and beautiful design. The platform offers domains and hosting, as well as solutions for building mailing lists, sending email campaigns, creating online stores, setting up member-only areas, optimizing SEO and more. Squarespace caters do a range of businesses and practitioners like restaurants, fitness instructors, artists and retail stores, to name a few. The platform's user-friendly interface makes it possible for anyone to build a website without coding knowledge. For those who do want to take things a step further, the platform is robust enough for custom code, meaning it's possible to achieve a client's wildest dreams for their online presence. Squarespace's drag-and-drop content editor and built-in customization tools help web designers add elements to a client site like animations, video backgrounds, bold typography and other branding must-haves, which I'll show you later in the presentation. Web designers who use Squarespace often tell us they appreciate how easy it is to handoff completed sites to clients. Their clients tell us that they appreciate being able to manage their own site rather than needing to contact a developer to make a small change, like adding a product to their online store or updating a blog post. Clients also get the benefit of award-winning Squarespace support, meaning web designers can rely on us to handle clients technical questions. But why am I here? I help run Squarespace's partner program, Circle, which represents about 100,000 creatives, including web designers and developers, graphic designers, entrepreneurs, SEO experts, copywriters, branding masterminds and others. Really, the program supports anyone who uses Squarespace for client projects. We call these folks Circle members. Some Circle members have been building on Squarespace since we launched more than 20 years ago. Many have logged over ten years of experience, while others may be newer to the industry. No matter where someone is in their web design journey, Circle is there to offer guidance and support. Having worked with so many experienced Circle members, I'm here to share the knowledge I've collected about how digital creatives venture successfully into web design and highlight how you can leverage your current skills to do so too. Plus, I'll show you how simple it is to get started by sharing a mockup of my portfolio website built using one of Squarespace's out of the box templates. So, what exactly do I mean when I say web design and what does it mean to offer web design services to clients? Fundamentally, web designers build or update websites for clients to help them achieve a specific goal, such as booking new patients, establishing expertise or selling products or services. But as you can see in my example services, the scope of web design has expanded greatly, and it's no longer just the practice of building websites. Today's web designers wear the hats of branding consultants, social media and marketing experts, SEO specialists and copywriters. They set up email campaigns, third-party integrations and scheduling functionality. They even sell custom templates, redesign logos and create courses to teach fellow web designers. With so many avenues and income streams to pursue, web design has become a business venture with opportunities for growth and serious earning potential. Adding web design to your services means increasing the amount you can earn on projects. In a 2022 study, we found that websites go for an average of 1,500 US dollars, and take about two weeks to complete. Because multiple websites can be worked on concurrently, it's very possible that over the course of a year a designer could average four or five websites per month and earn six figures annually. Compensation for web design projects ranges based on how extensive a project is and how much experience a designer has. In fact, some web design projects can go for $5,000 to $7,000. These projects are often more than a website build and include some of the services I just mentioned, setting up integrated scheduling, optimizing the site for SEO, and maybe even developing a brand identity or logo. This $1,500 number is a benchmark for you to think about when considering the earning potential of web design projects. And speaking of earning potential, you can establish your own based on your experience and interests. You already have the foundation for what it takes to become a web designer. You've got an eye for design. You have essential skills for developing brand identities and you have experience using Adobe tools. We know that most Circle members use Adobe suite in the process of designing websites or logos for clients. While they'll design directly on Squarespace, they leverage Adobe to create something special for clients. For instance, many Circle members use Illustrator to develop mockups ahead of the official site build to show the client how the site will look. Designers who work with clients on brand identity may mockup the logo, colors, fonts and website to show the client how the brand will look cohesively. This makes it easy to collaborate with clients, get feedback early on in the process and streamline a workflow. Circle members also use Illustrator to create or edit vector graphics, like icons and logos that they place directly on Squarespace sites without any custom code needed. Another way Squarespace designers use Adobe is to improve images. For this, they often use Photoshop to resize and optimize images that could potentially speed up their clients site load time. Additionally, they edit images to make them more vibrant and match the style of the website. Now, that you have a basic understanding of what it means to be a web designer on Squarespace, let's talk about how to get started. To begin, create an online portfolio. This is where you'll want to flex your skills, highlight your services and areas of expertise and define your niche. Your niche can be the industry you serve, the areas of web design you specialize in, and/or the esthetic that anchors your design. You'll want to build your portfolio in a way that shows clients the work that you do and what your abilities are as a designer. Include past client work or graphic design projects that speak to your abilities. If you don't have client websites to share just yet, create mockups of websites that you can share with potential clients. The goal here is to help them understand your skills and visualize what it would be like to work with you. Once you've created a website, it's time to let the world know that you offer web design services. To start, ask for referrals. We found that referrals are the number one way designers find and land clients. Don't be afraid to ask past clients to share their good experiences. You'll want to collect these testimonials and add them to your site as I've done on my About page. Social proof is a great way to establish trust with potential clients and give them a glimpse as to what it's like to work with you. If you don't have past clients, you can provide a testimonial. Another option is to ask family and friends to share your new web design offerings with their networks. This is another great way to get referrals. To continue to spread the word about your new services, you can employ social media. Spruce up your bios to include your new title and links to your website. Take some time to ensure your bios and content match across social accounts. If clients search for you, you want them to understand that you're a designer and that you offer web design services. In your in-feed posts, include calls to action that direct traffic to your new portfolio site. Double check the experience by clicking through that call-to-action and ensure the site is set up for prospects who want to learn more. It always helps to have an extra set of eyes. You may want to ask a friend or family member to check your work, see if they're confused anywhere and then make changes accordingly. To maximize your launch, hop on a job board to source projects and engage with potential clients. Job boards like Squarespace Marketplace connect experienced and vetted web designers with clients who are looking for these services. Job boards can be a great way to build up a portfolio if you don't have a strong one yet. They often afford the opportunity to work with international clients with varying design needs. This will not only give you some experience fulfilling web design projects, but you can add their testimonials to your website as added social proof. Depending on the job board and the amount of work you complete on it, you may even see a boost in the SEO of your business name. It adds an element of legitimacy when clients search for your business name and they see your website, your socials and maybe a job board profile come up in search results. If you're not ready to start fulfilling projects just yet, you can also use job boards to vet and interact with potential clients just to gain some client-facing experience. Another great way to make use of job boards is to see what other professionals with similar experience and niche charge for web design services. Lastly, don't forget about your existing clients. If you've ever designed a brand logo, consulted on a brand identity, or developed any type of marketing materials for a client, you'll want to share your new service offering with them. Identify those that may be amenable to this message and send out an email blast.

Reaching out to clients is also a great way to upsell completed projects or refresh existing websites. For instance, if your client already has a website, you can offer to spruce it up with a fresh design or updated content. You can even offer to set up a newsletter for their subscribers or perform regular maintenance and site upgrades.

When you're meeting with a new client, take it as a cross-sell opportunity and let them know you offer web design services. You can see if they need a site refresh or if they want to migrate an existing site over to a platform that's easier for them to manage. When starting any new freelance venture, web design included, it can often feel overwhelming to set prices. A quick search shows there's a ton of variation in what designers charge for a website and any related services. Depending on the designer's experience and the client's needs, web design projects can look quite different when compared side by side. I'll talk you through a few options so you can decide what works best for you. CHARGE BY THE HOUR IF YOU EXPECT EVOLVING SCOPE. Here are three ways to price your services. Charging by the hour offers more flexibility, ensuring you get paid for the time you actually put into a project. It's an ideal pricing model for projects with evolving scopes or frequent changes. If you do go this route, incorporate other elements of your work into the rate, like the cost of your workspace, stock photos and even electricity. Charging a flat rate can be more predictable as price is agreed upon upfront. It also lets you factor in all of your costs and decide how much profit you want to earn from the project. This is a good way to set your client's expectations ahead of time. Flat rates are ideal for well-defined projects with a clear scope, minimizing the risk of unanticipated expenses. Some designers package their services for a flat rate, including a certain number of pages, limited period of support, and a specific number of revisions in the cost. The benefit here is avoiding scope creep or the progressive addition of work that wasn't originally part of the project brief. Anything beyond the initially agreed upon scope of work can earn you an additional fee. I've also seen Circle members offer what they call designer days, in which they work one-on-one with a client for five to eight hours, depending on the designer. This allows the client to see their site changes happen live, ask questions in real time and learn from the professional. It's great for a designer as they'll know exactly how long they'll work on a project and they'll get a fixed-rate. Regardless of the route you choose and you may want to test out all three, you'll want to consider the cost of your equipment and workspace and factor in competitive pricing, your level of experience and any outsourced work when setting your prices.

I've learned that Circle members have different methods of charging for a flat rate project. Some will charge the lump sum up front or upon completion of a project. This works well for a smaller project and one that requires little to no back and forth. Others will split the payment based on milestones. For instance, they'll charge 25 or 50% up front, while the remainder will be charged when they finish the site.

Designers also use this milestone model when charging based on page. For example, they may charge less for a homepage than for a product page, which requires more work as products, descriptions, e-commerce functionality and more need to be set up, from their clients pay when the page or pages are completed. Lastly, some designers will charge flat rates based on time. Some clients will want to work with you for a longer period of time or have you on retainer for ongoing maintenance and website updates. In this instance, you could charge $4,000 for the year and have them pay $1,000 each quarter for maintenance work that you're doing. For both pricing methods and quote types, test a few methods out that cater to your clients and their projects and see what works best. Here's one last tip before I move on. Before building sites or pricing services, get to know the platform you intend to use. Try making a few tests or trial sites to get comfortable with the product. Get a sense of the services you'd want to offer and how long it will take you to do that work. Once you're clear on these three items, you might find it easier to create your services and package offerings and to price them accordingly. As a professional web designer on Squarespace, you're never alone. Through the Circle program, Squarespace is committed to helping you to either get started with web design, upskill your work or even embark on a web design career. Membership is free, as are the benefits. So, let's talk through some of these Circle benefits. I'll start on the top left with incentives. Circle members receive 20% off all annual website and add-on product subscriptions, which they can use themselves or pass along to their clients. We also offer referral payment benefits, which gives Circle members the opportunity to earn commissions on the sites they make and tools they set up for their clients. Let's look at perks. Members get extended six month website trials, giving them time to play with the platform and develop websites without having to spend any money outright. Circle members are also invited to join Product betas, so they can play around with the new products or features not yet made public and offer their feedback directly to product managers. We also often engage Circle members in user research to understand how we can provide more value with the partner program itself.

Now, I'll talk about community. Circle members enjoy access to a members-only forum where they can troubleshoot projects, collaborate with their peers, voice their opinions about improvements or changes and even hire or get hired by one another. The forum is extremely active and Squarespace product managers take an active role in requesting and responding to feedback.

Monthly webinars and events bring Circle members together for regular networking and educational opportunities to expand their knowledge and hone their skills. Let's now chat about access. Weekly emails feature product updates and upcoming events, arming Circle members with exclusive knowledge so they can be prepared to adjust their workflows and answer client questions.

Because Squarespace highly values our professional customers, the product team will release new features to Circle prior to the general audience to give them time to learn and ask questions.

Finally, let's cover status. Circle members tout their status with an official Circle badge, signaling to clients they have certified expertise and experience in Squarespace. They also receive priority support from Squarespace's award-winning customer support team, meaning client projects are always taken care of, no matter the complexity of the question. Circle membership is exclusive to Squarespace customers who have built or are contributors on at least three Squarespace sites. This means you don't necessarily need to build them all yourself. Here's an insider tip. Ask friends or colleagues who have Squarespace websites to add you as a contributor. Once you've been added to at least three sites, you can go to squarespace.com/circle and fill out the form to join. This way you can poke around, see how different sites are built and learn what other sites look like on the back end. You'll also be able to check out the members-only forum to ask questions, network or learn from pros. And if you want more information before diving in, you can scan the purple QR code on the right to view our guide to getting started on Squarespace. Thanks so much for joining today.

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Increase your Earning Potential: Venturing into Web Design - VS709

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ABOUT THE SESSION

The key to sustainable growth for designers and agencies is increasing the value you provide each client — and the amount you can charge for your work — not simply taking on more clients. You may have been hired for your strategic thinking and creativity, but now you can learn how to apply those skills to website design — and how to integrate this service into your current client offerings. By employing a low-code solution, you can make web design a natural extension of your existing digital creative work.

In this session, you’ll learn:

  • Tips for using Adobe tools and translating your design skills into website design
  • Resources on pricing your web design services and marketing your skills
  • Strategies to use social media and personal branding to attract your ideal client
  • Blueprints for incorporating web design into your sales process — from outreach to upselling

Technical Level: General Audience, Beginner, Intermediate

Type: Session

Category: How To

Track: Creativity and Design in Business, Graphic Design, Photography, Education, Social Media and Marketing

Audience Types: Art/Creative Director, Business Strategist/Owner, Educator, Front End Developer, Graphic Designer, Motion Designer, Photographer, Post-Production Professional, Print Designer, UI and UX, Web Designer, Illustrator, IT, Social Media Content Creator, Executive, Marketer

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