How to Start a Web Design Business: 15 Steps to Help You Get Started [+Expert Tips]

Starting your own business is no walk in the park — it’s no wonder people say, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” But the truth is, with the right preparation and mindset, launching a web design business is more achievable than you might think.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the essential steps to start your own web design business. I’ll also share my personal journey working at a software development agency where we made web design a core part of our business. With insights and practical tips, you’ll have everything you need to hit the ground running.

Table of Contents

• Challenges of Starting a Web Design Business
• What are 5 tips for people starting a web design business?
• Starting Your Web Design Business: Key Takeaways

Challenges of Starting a Web Design Business

Entering a Competitive Market

I think one of the biggest hurdles when launching a web design business is distinguishing yourself in a competitive market. The most effective way to stand out is by showcasing a strong portfolio, but as a newcomer, you might not have client projects to showcase yet.

In such cases, creativity and resourcefulness become your best allies. I would recommend highlighting hobby projects or personal work, presenting them in a way that underscores your unique style and capabilities. Turn even the smallest project into a testament to your potential.

On the other hand, if you’re already operating a related business, like a software development agency, transitioning into web design services can be smoother.

Case in point: In my previous role at a software agency, we primarily worked on web development projects. While web design wasn’t a core service, we managed a few website design revamp projects for our clients. Those projects laid the groundwork for a portfolio that eventually enabled us to offer web design services confidently (I’ll talk about building a portfolio in the steps below.)

Staying Ahead of Industry Trends

Another significant challenge is staying ahead of industry trends. Design is a dynamic field, constantly influenced by technological advancements and shifting client demands. Take, for example, the buzz around AI-generated images when OpenAI released DALL-E.

The design community was divided, debating the best way to incorporate this technology into their work.

My opinion? The real challenge here lies not in chasing every trend but in understanding what’s relevant to your niche and delivering solutions that align with client expectations.

Overcoming these challenges requires a mix of adaptability, creativity, and a clear understanding of your target audience. Each obstacle is an opportunity to refine your approach and grow your business.

That said, let’s discuss the steps you can follow to start a web design business.

How to Start a Web Design Business: 15 Steps

1. Identify your website design business niche, if you have one.
2. Figure out your working arrangements.
3. Pick a name.
4. Create a mission statement.
5. Determine what you want to offer.
6. Establish a business plan.
7. Build your portfolio.
8. Seek legal advice.
9. Check off administrative tasks.
10. Identify pricing.
11. Create templates and establish workflows.
12. Design your website.
13. Start building your social presence.
14. Train yourself on anything you're not sure about.
15. Network in person and online.

1. Identify your website design business niche — if you have one.

Niche or no niche, that‘s the question. There are pros and cons to both — if you choose a niche, you can become the best in that industry and establish a reputation. Alternatively, if you don’t choose a niche, you can garner a large pool of clients across industries.

One way isn‘t better than the other; they’re just different.

Macey Miller, the owner of Be Bold Design Studio, has created websites for “all kinds of businesses,” though much of the sites she's made have been for woman-owned companies. Miller initially became interested in website design because she wanted a creative outlet when working in marketing at a hospitality technology company.

“I have a lot of friends who own businesses, and they need websites,” she shares. "And so I started my business out of really an outlet for creativity, but then also as friends and family needed websites and logos and designs. I was always like, yeah, I can hop in. I'll do that. It was a nice break after all the analytical meetings and just all the things that came with … marketing."

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In My Experience

When my company was deciding on a niche for our web design services, we considered three options: brand identity, branding, and UI/UX design. Ultimately, we chose UI/UX design because it aligned best with our expertise.

The wireframing process naturally transitions into web development — after creating designs in Figma, we could implement those designs seamlessly. As this meant leveraging our extensive experience in building websites, this approach felt like a perfect way to integrate design and development under one roof.

Pro tip: Your own portfolio and professional experience should guide your decision on whether to focus on a specialized niche in web design or offer a broader range of services. For instance, if you only have experience creating websites for consumer packaged goods products (CPG), stick with the CPG industry. Or, if you've created websites for educational institutions, food and beverage, entrepreneurs, and more, you may consider sticking with a no-niche agency.

2. Figure out your working arrangements.

The next step is to figure out your working arrangements. I recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Will I work from home or rent an office?
• Will I meet clients virtually or offer a space for in-person meetings?
• If I choose home, do I have a private, professional setup?

Address these questions upfront. This way, you'll know how to better set your business up for success.

My Tips

• After figuring out your working arrangements, ensure you have the right tools — like a comfortable chair, a reliable computer, and a monitor if needed to work effectively.
• To do website design, you'll likely need to sign up for Adobe Creative Suite subscriptions. (If you‘re not launching your business ASAP, you don’t need to sign up for the software right away to avoid paying for it when it's not in use. However, you should have your physical hardware ready to go.)
• I know that bills can quickly add up when you‘re first starting a business. If you’re buying a computer, I recommend considering a lightly used one as they're reasonably priced. Or, purchase a gently used desk from a local thrift store to cut costs.

Source

3. Pick a name.

I know — picking a business name is tricky! It should be descriptive but also not too long. Reflective of your mission, yet clever. Unique but simple. That's a lot to keep in mind.

Psst: If you need help selecting your business name, check out these 300+ examples of business names we love for inspiration.

In some cases, you may want to use your own name as the title of your business. If you believe yourself to be the face of your brand, then maybe using your name is a good idea. Of course, there's also the search engine optimization (SEO) value if you have an uncommon name.

My Tips

• I suggest doing some research before you commit to your name. When you Google it, if a lot of other agencies pop up, you might want to pick an alternative. If there are already a ton of other businesses with the name, you'll have a hard time securing social media handles, too.
• I also advise you to test out your business names in front of family, colleagues, or friends. Or, you can run a poll on LinkedIn to ask others in the industry which they prefer.

Picking a moniker is a serious commitment, so be sure you're willing to stick with it for a while.

4. Create a mission statement.

Before you begin ideating your company mission statement, I suggest you check out some examples from businesses you admire. (May I humbly suggest HubSpot?)

In my company’s case of launching a new website design services, we chose our mission statement to be the following:

My Tips

• Your mission statement doesn't have to be too long or intricate. The best mission statements are straightforward and succinct, and they are focused on impact.
• I suggest including your mission statement on your homepage, footer, or on its own page — depending on how much emphasis you'd like to place on it.

5. Determine what you want to offer.

With your name, mission, and niche settled, it’s time to define your services. Will you offer full website design, including branding, logo design, or photography? Focus on website revamps? Provide ongoing maintenance?

If you're building your business with a co-founder, Mindy League, VP of Experience Design at JP Morgan Chase, suggests that you consider picking someone with expertise in the opposite of what you do.

“When you're getting started, you don't necessarily think of looking for someone who does the opposite of what you're doing,” she says.

However, by thinking about this in advance, you can reduce the likelihood that you'll need to outsource help.

(Note: That doesn't only apply to business offerings. For instance, if you have the creative portion under control, consider working with someone more analytical who can tackle the finances.)

In My Experience

Although we focused primarily on UI/UX design, we opted to offer branding services as a complementary offering. To showcase this, we included a few branding examples in our portfolio. Here's one of them:

Source

Pro tip: Your offerings should align with your skills, but remember: a more comprehensive service menu can help retain clients who prefer one-stop solutions.

6. Establish a business plan.

In my opinion, writing up a business plan is arguably the most daunting part of learning how to start a web design business.

My Tips

• I recommend providing a clear summary of your organizational strategy for success. Use your business plan to acquire funding from investors or help forecast your business demands.
• When starting out a business, your business plan should highlight your goals and the way you plan to achieve them. This is also where I suggest tying in your mission statement and business purpose.

The good news? You don't have to do it yourself — this robust guide to creating a business plan will offer you a life raft. Use one of our free templates to set you on the right track.

For me, taking a look at other business's plans always helps in figuring out what I want to build on my own. These 24 sample business plans are a great place to start.

7. Build your portfolio.

We‘re finally at a fun part of the web design business creation process. You’ll have to make your portfolio before you begin to share the news of your business online.

In My Experience

When building our portfolio, we were fortunate to have some work that highlighted our range of design styles. To feature something vibrant and eye-catching, we included the following design:

Source

Similarly, to showcase our work in another industry, we included a website wireframe that showcased a seamless balance between text and imagery.

Here are a few of my branding tips to keep in mind when building your portfolio:

My Tips

• Consistency is key — choose a color palette, style of photography, and a few fonts. Then, stick with them. This will give your business a professional flair.
• Create a logo that's not too detailed. If it is, the details will get lost when you shrink it down.
• Avoid already popular color pairings because they'll subliminally remind your visitors of other, more famous brands. Use these color pairings to get inspiration for your business's color palette.

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8. Seek legal advice.

At this point, before moving forward, I think it’s a good idea to consult a lawyer experienced in small businesses to ensure compliance with local laws. They can help you determine if you need a license, decide on a business structure (sole proprietor, LLC, or corporation), draft client contracts, and guide you on liability insurance.

While legal fees may seem costly, avoiding potential legal issues is well worth the investment.

My Tips

• If the cost of working with a lawyer is prohibitive, I recommend you try to find one willing to do the work pro bono. I‘ll admit, it can be tricky to find a lawyer who’ll do the work for free. But ask around — you may have a connection willing to help out.

9. Check off administrative tasks.

Starting a web design business involves more than just the creative work — it requires handling administrative tasks.

Health Insurance

Just like setting up any other business, you’ll need to secure health insurance, whether through a parent’s plan, a partner, or on your own. This becomes even more important if your business grows and you hire a team.

Retirement Plans

Next, consider setting up a retirement plan, like a Roth IRA or HSA, and consult a financial advisor for guidance.

Vacation and Holiday Policy

Don’t forget to create a vacation and holiday policy. As your own boss, it’s vital to stay accountable. Setting clear expectations for delivery — like promising to finish work by a specific date — is crucial for building trust with clients.

Pro tip: If you're struggling with administrative tasks, I highly recommend talking to other small business owners you know who have taken their business full-time to learn more about how they handled administrative tasks when starting out.

10. Identify pricing.

Your first step when identifying pricing is to take a look at your competitors' pricing.

I suggest creating a spreadsheet that clearly identifies competitor pricing and addresses the following:

• How much is your competition charging for a website wireframe?
• What about logo design?
• Branding?
• Custom packaging?

Make notes of what your top 5-10 competitors are charging. This will inform your rates.

Then, decide if you want to charge a flat rate for a project or hourly. If you go the project route, consider how many hours it will likely take to complete the project and break that down into hourly wages.

Next, start thinking about your business's overhead. Do you need to budget for a workspace? Have you factored in how taxes will impact expenses? What about the software you’ll need to keep everything running smoothly? And did you remember to include insurance fees when calculating the overall cost of running your business?

From there, subtract your overhead per project from the rate you’re thinking of charging. This leaves you with your profit.

My Tips

• When doing your budgeting and calculations, keep in mind that you deserve to pay yourself a livable salary. Price projects by breaking them down into phases. See my chart below.

• I also think adding testimonials to your website can help you feel more confident about your rates. These testimonials demonstrate the value of your work, and you can easily point to them when conferring with potential clients about budget. For some inspiration, check out HubSpot's Customer Reviews page.

11. Create templates and establish workflows.

Before you officially open for business, take time to set up templates and workflows. Having these in place will make onboarding your first client seamless. Use a project management tool like Asana, Trello, or Notion to stay organized and ensure timely deliveries.

My Tips

• Prepare your contracts, client onboarding checklist, website launch steps, supporting documentation, and invoice templates. These will ensure you operate professionally from day one.
• Choose a time-tracking app to monitor how you spend your hours — many integrate with project management tools for added efficiency.
• Having an onboarding checklist at the ready ensures you're fully prepared when your first client arrives. I’m of the view that it also leaves a lasting impression, showcasing your professionalism and attention to detail.

12. Design your website.

You already know how to do this, so I'll leave this one to you. (But in case you need some inspo to get you started, check out this curated list of the 25 best creative agency websites.)

Overall, your goal on your business website is to reduce friction in any way you can.

Here are some key points to keep in mind when designing your website.

My Tips

• Create with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind.
• Include mindful CTAs, or calls-to-action. (Psst: You shouldn't only have one place for visitors to go to reach out to you — that CTA should be sprinkled throughout your site so visitors can contact you the moment they feel inclined to.)
• Feature cohesive branding.
• Include testimonials and examples of past work.
• Make sure your site has a sense of personality so visitors know who you are and why they should trust you with their website.
• Hire a proofreader or ask a family, friend, or mentor to look over your site. Ask them to read through it for clarity and accuracy.
• Don't ignore website accessibility best practices when building your website.
• If you have resources, consider maintaining a blog on your website and writing posts that provide thought leadership in your area of expertise.

13. Start building your social presence.

You‘re almost at launch day! Not it’s time to start building your social presence. Whether you contribute to collaborative articles on LinkedIn to showcase your web design expertise, create your own X posts with a link to your portfolio site, or begin filming trendy TikToks about web design misconceptions, the internet — erm, I mean the world — is your oyster.

When deciding which social media platforms you want to hone in on, consider these questions:

• Where is my audience?
• What platform can I go viral on? (TikTok is great for this because regardless of whether you have five followers or five million, you can go viral.)
• What platform feels intuitive for me to use?
• How can I best tell my brand story?

My Tips

Ideally, you‘ll be able to create content for multiple social media platforms. I would recommend focusing on one or two as it’s easier to maintain and will help reduce stress. Dial in on wherever you’re seeing the largest return on investment for your time.

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14. Train yourself on anything you're not sure about.

Maybe you‘re a natural-born designer, but sales calls don’t come easy for you. Or maybe you've always loved rebuilding websites, but you struggle with offering bespoke logo design services.

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses — but your weaknesses don't have to stay weaknesses. You can seek out training to learn more and improve your skills.

“I think it's easy for people to say like, well, I'm not good at admin, or I'm not good at sales calls, and that's just an excuse,” says Macey Miller.

“Why don't you go in and learn how to do a sales call? Like, I've done two to three sales trainings, which have been very helpful because sales is a part of owning your own business. And if you're not comfortable with selling in a way that is natural and authentic but also just natural and authentic to you, then you won't be able to last.”

Pro tip: HubSpot Academy has plenty of free courses that can help teach you more about different facets of marketing, sales, and beyond. You can even earn free certifications, which look great when you‘re trying to build authoritativeness. I’ve gone through several courses, and I found them to be both educational and engaging.

15. Network in person and online.

This final step is one of the most important: spreading the word about your new business. Share the exciting news with your family, friends, colleagues, and mentors.

Keep your mind open when it comes to finding clients. Be sure to spread the word so everyone you know can have their feelers out in case anyone they know needs a designer.

My Tips

• If you have the time and resources, my first recommendation would be to design your own stationery — something that you can proudly carry everywhere. Here’s an inspiration on how to do it:

• I would also recommend keeping business cards handy when meeting people — better yet, bring extras so your friends can pass them along to others. You never know who might become your first client!
• Leverage your online presence by announcing your launch on both personal and professional social media platforms.
• Reach out to business owners in your social network to let them know you’re officially open for business and ready to help with their design needs.

What are 5 tips for people starting a web design business?

These five tips from Mindy League and Macey Miller — people who have actually gone through the process of building a web design business themselves — can help set you up for success.

Tip 1: Remember that potential clients are everywhere.

League recounts that when she owned her agency, she was living in Austin, Texas, where she had a large network.

“There were a lot of folks that I knew,” she says. “And so I would just make new clients at the retail stores, or wherever I was, I would just meet people. Or they knew someone, and then we referred.”

A valuable lesson to keep business cards with you at all times, indeed.

Tip 2: Give back to your clients.

League also suggests the idea of using “swag” to gain momentum for your business.

“We gave a lot to our customers,” she says. "We had parties and gave them swag. So when we had profit, we really gave them things that we thought they would enjoy.

We [were] really appreciative of them. We were constantly giving them mugs, and we made up cute campaigns around it, like a social media campaign. [With the cups, we asked clients to] send us your ‘mug shot.’”

Tip 3: Keep in mind that things ebb and flow.

The reality of owning your own business is that things will ebb and flow; there will be busy seasons and slower ones. However, to keep your business afloat during tougher times, Miller suggests you get creative. “There are a lot of different ways to make money as a website designer,” she shares.

"One tip is being open to potentially white labeling. There are a lot of agencies that white-label their services and that need freelance graphic designers to kind of come in and help with the workload.

When you start your own business, a lot of times you think, oh, it‘s just going to be me, all by myself. I’m going to be getting all these clients, but in those slow seasons, it's nice to lend your services to an agency or even take on some retainer clients and do maintenance work or graphic design work."

Tip 4: Customer service speaks for itself.

Another key learning from Miller? That customer service really can set you apart from your competition. “I found that the reality of building a healthy business and a client base requires serving your clients, marketing, networking, and a strong online presence, but really more focusing on serving your clients,” she says.

“A lot of people focus more on the design and the creative part, but I truly believe that customer service is almost as equally important as the beauty of creative design. It takes time to build a client base and to establish a reputation.”

Tip 5: Expect to wear a lot of hats.

Depending on the client, you may have to wear more hats than just the assigned “web designer.” For instance, League mentions that entrepreneurs are sometimes more anxious regarding where their money is going than large corporations, as it‘s their hard-earned cash they’re spending.

“They would get really nervous before the launch because it was the unveiling of their idea,” she explains. “And so that, that was something I didn't realize, [that] I had to be so much of a psychologist, making that transition from the bigger agency, you know, to the smaller agency. There was a lot more psychology. Granted, when you work with an agency or with any client, you have to worry, think of, and be empathetic towards them.”

Starting Your Web Design Business: Key Takeaways

Now that you know how to start a web design business, it’s up to you to decide if you’re ready to take that leap and become your own boss. My advice? Keep your “why” at the center of everything you do, and make customer service your top priority. If you stay focused on those two things, you’ll be off to a great start.

Every successful business starts with a dream and the courage to take that first step. There will be challenges. But having a solid plan and a passion for what you do will help you push through. Trust your skills, keep learning, and stay flexible as the industry evolves.

And don’t forget to celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Starting your own web design business isn’t just about making money — it’s about creating something meaningful and helping your clients succeed.

So, take that step. Build your portfolio, put yourself out there, and bring your unique ideas to life. I can tell you from experience — the feeling of seeing a vision come together is absolutely worth it.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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