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Options and Tips for Creating a Web Design Business Plan

Don’t get too intimidated by writing a web design business plan, a lot of it just means getting down onto paper things you likely have been considering anyway. According to Entrepreneur “Writing…

Estimated Read Time:   40 minutes

Don’t get too intimidated by writing a web design business plan , a lot of it just means getting down onto paper things you likely have been considering anyway. According to Entrepreneur “Writing out your business plan forces you to review everything at once: your value proposition, marketing assumptions, operations plan, financial plan and staffing plan.”

If I can do it – and go from 1 to 10 people in three years, you can too 😉 My wife will tell you… I’m no genius.

Table of Contents

Main Points in a Web Design Business Plan Outline:

1. business concept –.

What is the web design industry like in your immediate area and region? What are the high-level possibilities for the success of your web design business? What are the prime differentiating factors and how you will set yourself apart from the competition?

2. Who is the market for your web design firm?

Who are your customers? Are you serving only mid-sized businesses? Only editorial publications? Churches? Non-profits? Teenie tiny mom and pop shops? Fortune 500 companies? What niche are you looking to serve? What is the demand like for the service? And this leads us into our next question.. What does your pricing need to look like to serve these customers? And it’s not always getting your price down into affordability; maybe you need to price higher so that your company seems more professional and that you can offer above and beyond service. “Price high and justify.”

3. Income and Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet etc.

“Start by estimating the revenues generated by an average sale. Then subtract the costs that change with each transaction, like sales commissions and costs of producing the products sold. The result is your “unit contribution.” Next, predict your monthly overhead, or expenses that don’t vary directly with sales volume, such as rent, salaries, utilities, legal fees, and accounting expenses. Finally, divide your monthly overhead by your unit contribution. That number will tell you how many transactions you’ll need per month to break-even.” From this article on Inc. of The Basics of a Business Plan by the Numbers.

Get started with this One Page Web Design Business Plan

General Principles for writing a Web Design Business Plan:

1. Keep your business plan short and simple.

Go for it right now with this One Page Web Design Business Plan .

2. Use visual charts to quickly show key numbers.

3. Do what you do best, and make it look professional.

4. Ask key questions like what will be it’s annual revenue in a year, and in 5 years.

5. What things can I delegate? Sales, Technical or others? How will you attract these people to help, and what will be your key differentiators of process and culture?

6. Is the business plan going to help you raise money? 

7. How much of an initial investment will the business need?

Tools for Creating a Business Plan:

1. LivePlan.com – Visual planning tool, helpful if you really don’t know where to start. It will give you the sections and the template is already there.

2. The Art of The Start 2.0 (Book by Guy Kawasaki) – “It’s most relevant for technology or IT companies, but he has a way of writing that’s very clear, very to the point. There’s not a lot of pedantic info that you’ll find in textbooks.”

3. Score – Business Planning Templates –  Quickly assess your marketing plan, Free business listing list for search engine optimization, Marketing must haves etc.

Thank you for reading! Share the love. 🙂

Keep the content coming, by tweeting this.

Other Links related to Web Design Plans:

• Web Design Sample Business Plan – Executive Summary
• 9 Steps to starting your freelance web design business – Business Tuts
• Plan a Web Development Business Part Two- BPlans
• How to Make a Business Plan for a Website Development Startup – Color Whistle

Getting Your First Web Design Clients

My first web design client was my future mother-in-law, a real doozie. A non-profit, I was paid $500 and an iPad. I’ve also been paid as little as – negative $ for making a website, because I was so eager for real world experience. Do you want a website? I want to give you one.. just let me pay for your hosting and I’ll make the website out of the salt from the sweat of my children.

Don’t sell yourself short. Charge a decent amount.

So the first real website I sold was a couple months later. I was just learning WordPress and I sold a site for 10 monthly payments of $250 dollars. Because it was a fairly simple marketing website and didn’t have a ton of custom features on it, this was actually a pretty solid deal for a starting out web designer.

The first half of selling yourself as a web designer is evidence. Let’s see the goods.

Make sure you have a decent portfolio out there, that you made yourself..

I don’t care if it’s on WordPress, straight HTML, or Ruby on Rails. Get that thing out in the open, give it the best you got and make sure it shows the best of your best work. Code up a non-profit’s website for free if you have to, and show as many real projects as you possibly can. I iterated on my website 3 times, with 2 live at my domain before I ever got my first real set of clients. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to exist.

Here’s my site I made in 2012 (click here to see it in the Internet Wayback Machine):

Here’s the site in 2013 (click here to see it in the Internet Wayback Machine):

Yes.. I agree my portfolio was a little weak at this point, but guess what? I was getting clients. I wasn’t by any means, raking them in, but people I knew were coming to me and asking if I could help with their website or help them make a new website. I was eager to be of service, and make enough money to stop bussing tables.

Let the world know you’re making websites now.

Change your job on Facebook to ‘Self Employed Web Designer’, change your LinkedIn –  don’t put Aspiring Web Designer in your Twitter profile, put Web Designer. You’re a big boy (or girl) now. I personally took a good hard running jump at web design, and with one client and one month covered in expenses jumped out into the market as a web designer. No more restaurant job (which for me didn’t pay THAT well anyways.) When people hear that’s what you do, and you take a friendly and helpful attitude when they reach out, or you offer your services you can quickly earn some awareness around the new service you offer.

Don’t wait until you have it perfected, just go for it.

I’m not suggesting you make the new 3M website, or try to sell yourself as a ten year veteran of website design. You can, however, say you will go above and beyond for a client as you are starting out fresh and will do everything in your power to make them an excellent website. If you’ve created a couple of examples, then that can help adjust expectations and although you may need to put ungodly amounts of time into your first couple websites you will earn your chops in the struggle. You’ll figure out how to z-index a logo over the top of overlapping nav div.

In defense of the designer-developer.

Yes, I’m suggesting you will have to write code. Can you sell a website for $2,500 dollars and give half of it away to a front-end developer when you’re starting out? Perhaps, perhaps not. I personally couldn’t, and so… I learned to code. Basics at first, how to modify WordPress themes ever so slightly with CSS. Then cutting and splicing bits of PHP, then eventually writing my own themes from scratch. This is why I suggest having a couple of websites under your belt before really having someone pay you for your web design services; you can find the rhythm that works for you. If you are an epic visual designer who can confidently charge $5,000 for your first website you could potentially find the right person to develop it for you and you can pay them adequately to make it good. It’s really to each is own, because I preach design/development, and you have an equally right  person 2 doors down who wouldn’t touch a CMS to save his life. Literally … my old neighbor above me would sell sites for 7-8k and I thought he was an internet god. He would write the HTML, CSS, and Javascript (In Dreamweaver, hello throwback,) and then outsource custom Content Management System development for 2k. I just wanted to learn how to not pay that 2k .

Other ways to promote your new web design business

• Look for ways to trade your services for advertising : I sold my services in an auction by a Minneapolis newspaper  in exchange for adspace in their lifestyle magazine VitaMN.
• Get every viable social media handle/url under the name you’re using to freelance , promote yourself vigorously on TWO of these, and understand you’re not going to do ALL of them well .
• Make a list of all the acquaintances who have small businesses, and that could use a website. Send them a quick note, and always be of the mind that you’re there to be of service – not sell.
• Go old school and create a flyer : I put boots on the ground and peddled my wares (a one page services sheet – without pricing on it) around every business that I could open the door to in my area of Uptown Minnesota. I focused on what I did that was different. Alot of times this is personal service, since you likely have less clients and more time and attention than alot of web design shops in town. – To be perfectly honest, this didn’t get me a client. Maybe what I’m really suggesting here is hustling your ass off and being as present as possible… take every opportunity to share what you do until you gain momentum.
• Put out content on a blog on your website and promote it on social media : Don’t sell dude. Don’t do it. You can still see my oldest posts on this blog that are salesy… it’s not going to kill your blog, but it’s really boring and no-one wants to read those. Just give as much value as you can, share your experiences and focus on the ONE SERVICE you are really trying to sell and things you’re learning in that discipline. Use it as an opportunity to dig deeper into your craft, and to share as you go.

Price High and Justify

After you promote the living shit out of yourself on social media, talk to your long lost friend with a supplement or house painting business, and make a few mistakes it’s time to price high and justify . You have to charge what people will pay, but as soon as you can push that number up as high as it can reasonably go. Why? If you have high prices it means you can make more excellent work! Justify the price with above and beyond service and you’ll feel great about what you do. Your work will mean more profitable businesses that benefit from the excellent websites you make. It feels good to help people feed their families by helping them get the word out about what makes their business special. And in the end, that’s what it boils down to for me.

Make Sure Your Process Differentiates You from Competitors

It’s important to recognize what your business’s competitive advantage is, and unless you want to build a business that depends upon what’s special about YOU as an individual you have to draw out and nurture the special things about your process. To focus on your own unique specialties alone builds a prison fortress around you, and if you ever want to hire or contract out parts of the business you’re stuck with a business that only works with you sweating away at the center of it; the wizard behind the curtain, slowly getting too tired to perform at the same level.

So for me the key pieces of my web design process as I am learning to define them are:

1. responsiveness to changes that clients need..

– Example: Client asks for a lighter color scheme in development, instead of fretting we work hard to satisfy the request and push back when appropriate to keep within a reasonable budget.

Key to fulfilling: Web design services should not be dirt cheap, and if they are they aren’t taking into consideration the time it takes to build something fully customized for the business’s needs. Templated solutions get generic unfulfilling results. (However, I still feel that for some customers templated solutions such as Squarespace.com and WordPress Themes from Themeforest without custom code can occasionally fulfill their needs and suggest that they try those routes if their budget doesn’t allow to really hire someone to do it right.)

2. Examining the overall market for the client and tailoring the content on the site to the scenarios that could be useful to their favorite kinds of clients.

– Example: Your site is serving people who just suffered hail damage to their home, we assess that a key to surprising and delighting these types of customers is serving up content that is about how to buff out hail damage on their car.

Key to fulfilling: It’s crucial we think about the psychology of the people coming into the site. This is the number one question we ask when making a website: “how can we serve your ideal customer with this content, this imagery, the messages we’re sharing and the story we’re telling.”

3. Building out the main service pages of the website in the hope that the content will attract new customers, making key items like ‘contact us’ and ‘buy now’ super easy to access on the main promos, sidebars, and at the end of content.

– Example: Adding bigger content pieces after key visual blocks on service pages so that the service page is indexable by Google and people who want to really dig into what you have that option. Big old juicy buttons that say “Contact us now” or “Request a quote” are super obvious and surrounded by trust factors such as positive testimonials, industry badges, a phone number, or 3 key differentiating features in bullet points.

Keys to fulfilling: It’s important not only to think about how people are going to perceive this site when they get there but how they are going to get there in the first place. By thinking about big content pieces that could provide big value for the client during the design process, the website can be built in a way that emphasizes and makes those big content pieces that are serving a real need available and to the forefront of the site with menu structure, and other pieces of navigation and structure.

4. Imagery is outside the box, and elicits a positive emotional response from key individuals your business is targeting.

– Example: A Death to Stock Photo image that feels less stock photo-esque and more candid than most stock photos.

Even better, you and your storefront, your set of tools. An ACTUAL satisfied client, smiling and holding your product or enjoying your work.

Keys to fulfilling: Often this involves imagining what a positive interaction between your business and your client will look like. Is it you sitting with them, them smiling, and a chart of upward momentum on the computer screen in front of you? Is it freshly cut grass without them lifting a finger, so they get to smile and sip fresh lemonade on their porch? This is the story we want to display. We want the imagery to feel candid, real and maybe even a bit unusual. But a visitor should be able to see it and think to themselves, I want to be there. They should be able to imagine themselves in the place of the person pictured on the site.

5. The copy is written in a way that quickly explains the core benefit/value from your product or service, invites the visitor to participate, and explains why it will be awesome for them.

– Example: A moving company could say “Your back will thank you, call us for a custom quote today.” A remodeling company could say, “You’ll feel as good as your home will look.” with a call to action button that says, “Get a quote for a fresh look.”

Keys to fulfilling: Never be generic! Shake out the cobwebs in your marketing brain right now. Seriously, every single product or service has a unique and special story behind it, and the customers you serve need to know why anyone would choose you . Why have they in the past? I speak to the business owners and people representing businesses in their marketing teams, and I ask: “Tell me the story of positive customer experience, that you’re aware of.” What does that look like. Tell that story on the site. The more you get curious about these stories and the core benefit a product or service is providing, very few things are truly boring. The more you get interested in the story of the product or service, and tell that positive experience story the more you’ll see that almost anything can be interesting.

And the moral of the story is:

As you can see, the key differentiating features of this design process is a personal connection, customizing the solution to the industry and those specific businesses prime differentiating features, and enthusiasm. That enthusiasm through every piece of the puzzle is crucial. It’s important to note at every step of the process that this is for a business composed of REAL PEOPLE, whose food and shelter depends on telling the story to the world, and REAL PEOPLE who benefit from the product or service being served. This is the real end value. So anyone I work with, or for feels that: the enthusiasm and the genuine intent to provide value. This is key to this design process. 

How to Speak About Design to Establish Trust

“I thought you might like the flourishes in the header, it has that bohemian, natural feeling you were talking about when we first met up to discuss the project.” = FIRE ME . “Thought you might like,” “Going for that feeling,” and “I was inspired to take a fun direction,” all scream of whimsical dainty little artist types who could literally die from the harsh realities of designing for real economic pressures. The real economic reality is that families food and shelter depends on the success of a business, and a key component of how a business does is how that business presents itself to the world through design.

I’m not saying you can’t feel a feeling and apply it to your work in design, but design isn’t art. It is meant to solve real world problems. So instead of focusing on your feelings while presenting to the client, focus on design principles, web design best practices, and the persona’s and scenario’s you established during your discovery phase. Focus the conversation around:

• Design Principles
• Web Design best practices
• Persona’s and scenario’s

Why do design principles even matter?

I’ve had a couple situations lately, where someone seems to be questioning why a font choice even matters. They rolled their eyes when I mentioned a study that called Baskerville the most trusted font. It got me thinking. How am I presenting this wrong? Because I know in my heart of hearts that design matters. <- FIRE ME,  but I can’t seem to always make it dead obvious to people I’m presenting work to.

I want to show them two ads side by side, one with high quality fonts that were chosen with serious intention and one with quickly chosen free fonts , and ask them which of them makes the product they represent seem more expensive, or which one makes the product seem more quality. Because good design does indeed represent products and services in a better light, and makes them seem more high quality. You know that, and I know that, but:

But how do we make the value of design dead obvious?

1. Resolve to help them find solutions to pain points. – Your website looks like shit on mobile, let’s fix that. Your logo has gradients and shadows in it to the point it’s hard to use on shirts and in other simple ways. Let’s address those and work from there how design can help solve problems you’re aware of now. Maybe it expands from there; as a designer, you’re a problem solver and the more you can identify and come up with creative and solid solutions for, the more design solutions you get to get paid for.

2. Dive into their world and become aware of what they value. – For web design you might realize the client cares more about looking cool than contact form submissions. You might realize they value their relationship with their family deeply, that a certain type of customer is their favorite . Once we realize what they care about deeply… pause pause pause …we can help them communicate those values through the design.  By diving in, visiting their shop, asking a lot of questions, and being present we can then better let them know how good design will help them do that.

3. Focus on the things they do understand like ‘Trust factors’, ‘color psychology’ and ‘telling the story.’ – ‘We have to tell the story of your business better,’ is going to resonate with some people better than my fascination with the font Baskerville. Even though I deeply care about typography, it’s just not always as accessible of a topic, or as interesting to clients. What they do understand is how adding a Better Business Bureau badge next to the contact form will help increase the likelihood of people contacting them, and how blue is associated with trust and how green get’s associated with natural, fresh, or innovative. This really depends on the particular client, as some clients can go deep without a lot of prep.

Let’s circle back for a bit and make sure you’re working with the right kind of client:

The client defines the value and the designer discovers it. Ask the client what their business or organization does and why is it important to their target audience. If they don’t give you a quick comprehensible answer they are not ready to work with a designer or an agency. If they do answer the question you should next ask them what success looks like and what their goals are. DO NOT lead them toward what you think success might be. Let them define it.

When you get their feedback, dig deeper. A good way to do this is by asking who their target audience is and what their target audience needs are. If they can’t answer this they are not ready for the value a designer or an agency will provide. The client needs to have experience communicating with their target audience in order to set proper goals. If there’s no goal, how will you know whether or not a project is successful? Here are some red flags to look out for in the beginning stages of communicating with a potential client. I asked a fellow designer, Brenna French to share some thoughts on this issue:

“You sit down at a coffee shop excited to talk to a potential client about the project and the first thing they say is, I want to build a website how much would that be? This is a red flag because this means their mindset is already focused on getting a deal and not on the value you can provide for their business or their target audience.

This goes both ways in the relationship by the way, you never want to position the project or conversation around money. If you talk about money right away this shows the client that you are money hungry or desperate for work. Remember you are a professional and you are serious about your work and the value you can provide. Positioning the conversation around value sets the tone for the whole relationship in a positive way.

Say you get past that money conversation and everything is going well so far so you start talking about the project. The client starts to explain that they are wanting a one-page website design and they also want the main colors to be blue and orange because to them those are beautiful colors, oh yeah they also want a picture of themselves in the main header. This is a red flag because they have too many ideas of what they are visually wanting the end product to look like.

As a design professional, I don’t want to execute the client’s wants in mind. I design the best possible solution for the client’s target audience so the client will reach their business goals. From my experience, a client that has a specific visual direction is difficult to work with. Position the conversation around value. By the end of the conversation, you both are excited to get started. You set clear expectations and attracted the client by positioning the conversation around value.”

– Brenna French

Ask these questions of new possible clients: Is the client sure of their target audience?

Is the client aware of their target audience’s needs?

Are they able to answer right away, what is it that you do and why is it important to your target audience?

Do they start talking about their budget right away? (If they do it might be a red flag – try to change the conversation to talk about value that you’ll provide, not an arbitrary number you come with on the fly without fully understanding the project.)

Do they give off the impression that they understand you’re the expert, that they understand that are only responsible for Content – and Business Goals?

Do they have alot of ideas already about how the website should look? – A possible red flag.

That last one is challenging, and occasionally working for small businesses it’s important to kindly educate your clients on what is your responsibility and what is yours. But needless to say, if they come out of the gate giving strong layout suggestions and explaining their specific vision for look and feel you’re being pigeon-holed into the position of technician implementing someone else’s design, not the dynamic problem-solving designer.

Ways to talk and words to use

Talk confidently and make sure to include examples of previous work where you solved a specific goal-oriented problem. Now is the time to ask what their primary objective is, and to set up a metric for the design you’re working on currently. 100 e-mail list subscriptions, 15 contact form submissions by legitimate prospects, 20 sales the first three months of launch. Make specific goals have a date attached to them. Gathering this information after the design should be part of what you’re being paid to do, and part of what you’re selling.

Do user testing on the old site when they come in, if it’s worth testing. Talk about testing critical things. Words and phrases to use: research, effective, goals, trust-worthy, tell your story, appeal to your core demographic. Always do research on their industry before getting into the site design. Their competitors, and brand positioning. By doing this you better understand what they are up against and you position yourself as the expert with a unique understanding of their dilemma. This is another reason to hold off giving a price for the work until you fully understand the problem at hand.

Share research. You don’t always have to have it on hand when you are discussing a particular issue. But you should do your due diligence, if they want a pop-up newsletter subscription box then you should be able to go find the research on which way of doing that is most effective (right away, timed, or exit intent,) or general tips on making a pop-up effective. I find it especially effective to share these bits of research right before you show the design at all. Come up with three pieces of research to support points that might be contentious or that push their comfort level on the design. Share them briefly before going over the design.

When you get into showing the design, avoid the real estate tour; ‘here’s the logo,’ ‘here’s the nav,’ etc. Go straight for the heart of why the design serves their goals. Talk about flow and conversions, and especially focus on how the design presents their story in a unique and compelling way to appeal to their core demographic. Never ask for feedback, ask if they have any questions. In this way, you can further ingrain yourself in their mind as an expert. I think of it as a bit of swagger. Humble swagger, but you have to have some swagger in this industry.

Content Strategy for Web Designers to Attract Ideal Customers

Devising a workable and effective content strategy can be difficult for any company or brand, as the needs and desires of readers, clients, and businesses always vary from individual to individual, and from day to day. With a bit of work and the following content strategy guide to get you started, you should be well on your way to developing a stellar web design content strategy ! The most important part is that you start, and these practical and actionable strategies will help you get your ass in gear.

Begin with an Introspective Evaluation

Before taking that first step down the road of content creation, the best tactic is to initially spend some time to evaluate where your company, your content, and your brand currently stand. Begin this evaluation by honestly answering a few simple questions:

How is our brand currently perceived in the marketplace?

What are good and bad aspects of the brand’s existing content?

What content-related goals would we like to achieve?

How does our brand match up to other web design competitors?

With these basic questions answered about your brand and where your company currently stands, you can move onto an overall content strategy design by answering “The Five Ws”:

Who is the audience of our content?

When should particular content be available?

Where (in which channels) should the content exist?

Why is the content relevant (or) why will the audience care?

What is the message or purpose of the content?

For example, throughout this article I’ll illustrate examples with a fictional up-and-coming web design firm called Green Lemon Design. The Green Lemon team — who are looking to establish themselves in the web design market as a talented, young, and energetic choice for lower to mid-tier web designs — might answer these questions in the following (simplified) form:

Potential clients: Users seeking low- to mid-range website design and consultation services.

Existing clients: Users who have worked with us in the past.

Most content on the website should be available 24/7, while content that is time-sensitive (such as a month-long new client special deal) can be temporary.

Onsite, Blog, Email, Twitter, Facebook

The audience should be seeking professional and affordable web design services that we can offer (for potential customers) or additional customer support and services (for existing clients).

To inform and educate our audience on the skills and capabilities of our brand, to impress with our past successes and portfolio, and to establish good rapport and relationships with both potential and existing clients.

Establishing Brand, Voice, and Tone Guidelines

With the basic questions answered that inform you of a need to change your content strategy , now is a good time to evaluate the brand, voice, and tone guidelines you’ll utilize throughout the content.

Brand guidelines can cover logo design to color pallette and everything in between. For content strategy , the best places to start are:

Fonts and typefaces : What fonts will be used throughout the content? How about sizes for various elements (paragraphs, headers, testimonials, etc)?

Colors and palettes : What colors best suit your brand or company and can be utilized throughout the content? – Example above includes a distinctive color palette that could be applied to other elements.

Images and logos : Which particular static images or logos should be prominent throughout the content? – It’s useful to repeat symbols such as the ‘greenish lemon’ throughout this piece. This may be particular to the content you put out on your site in general, or a particular blog post or content hub.

Videos and animations : As above, are there any video clips that should be frequent or readily available somewhere in the content?

Voice & Tone

Determine early in the process what kind of voice and tone you wish to attach to your content and thus associate with your brand. This can be difficult at first, particularly without much in the way of experienced writers on staff, but finding an appropriate voice can be a huge boon to your content strategy as a whole.

For example, Green Lemon Web Design may elect to take on a very informal, even humorous tone throughout their content. As a young and fresh company, they may feel most comfortable keeping their tone light-hearted and fun, to attract the business and clientele of smaller, younger companies like themselves.

Onsite Content: The Bread of Your Content Strategy Sandwich

Time to get down to the real core of your content strategy by first devising the outline of content that should exist onsite. Remember, anything  that exists on the company or brand website (with the exception of the blog) is considered onsite content and should be under your complete control.

For our fictitious Green Lemon Web Design, the outline for onsite content strategy might include the following sections:

Voice & Tone : Errors/alerts, testimonials, FAQ, portfolio should have a fun and humorous tone, while a more serious, business tone is necessary for transactional and billing-related messages.

Images : In addition to the logo and color palette established previously, we’d like some professional photography to splash through the core onsite pages (about us, contact us, etc), but with a refreshing twist: Each photo should contain a small green lemon strategically placed and tucked somewhere in the graphic, to bring a branded element into the design for brand awareness and maximum impact.

Portfolio : A list of clients we’ve assisted in the past with small testimonials from business partners from each when relevant.

About Us : Details about how Green Lemon came to be, including headshots of all employees with short, fun bios from each. Employees must provide a quote (think high school graduation yearbook quote, or ask a curious question to get your team showing their true colors.) In my experience looking at analytics for a lot of sites, people visit these pages more than you might initially think. It make sense, because we want to know about the people in your business. Tell us more, give us the inside scoop, tell your story.

Contact Us/Get a Quote : Standard form with name, email, and (optional) telephone fields for potential clients to get in touch. Should we include our company promise to establish return correspondence within 4 hours?

FAQ : Answer basic questions, primarily focused at potential customers. What is our typical turnaround time? What post-design support can we offer? Include a handful of fun and humorous questions at the end as well.

Services : Describe all services we offer, broken into categories (consultation, marketing, technology, industries, etc).

Errors & Alerts : 404 error should be squeezed green lemon with one final drop of juice falling out. Logged in clients with unread messages or invoices should see amusing flash message on each screen until dismissed. Little alerts and responses to contact form inquiries can be an opportunity to show a bit of the companies friendly, human character as well as display being adept with technology and attention to detail.

Blog Posts: That’s the Good Stuff

While strong onsite content is of course critical to the success of any strategy, very often the real meat and potatoes of your online presence is contained within the blog. The blog offers an avenue for expressing ideas and sharing content that is timely, relevant, and inspirational for the audience.

A blog is also a more appropriate channel to take risks — even slight ones — with the content your brand produces. Blog content can be anything from industry news and competitor-vs.-self comparisons to tutorials and how-to guides.

A successful blog is a channel for content that relates to the brand or company, but then extends well beyond the purview of the brand to provide relevant and interesting content for the audience to consume.

Don’t get caught in the old-school idea of a blog, where one or a handful of curators post personal stories and anecdotes. While that type of content is certainly acceptable and sometimes appropriate to a modern blog, try to expand the content well outside the bounds of that traditionally small umbrella.

For example, Green Lemon might highlight some potential blog ideas for their new web designer content strategy :

Leveraging Influencers

A post discussing highly influential creatives in the design space and how they have inspired Green Lemon and other designers. We should emphasize the great projects these creatives have worked on over the years to entice our readers by illustrating how Green Lemon understands the industry and that our team (or freelancer) strives to meet the same standards of excellence.

Discuss the importance of social media contact, even amongst these influences, by tagging them on Twitter with a link to the blog post. An ideal tactic is not to directly ask a question of the power user in question, but to ask a question of our general Twitter audience (e.g. “Designers: How has @Influencer inspired you in your own projects? #GreenLemonDreaming”).

Content Hub Posts

Posts that emphasize a highly-curated and relevant series of links and posts found elsewhere that relate to a particular topic, such as web design. Since a popular group of articles gathered in this singular “content hub”-style post will drive a lot of SEO traffic and referral linkbacks to our site, we can be confident that the effort in putting together these posts is worthwhile and will generate a great deal of buzz and traffic for Green Lemon.

Emphasizing Keywords

As a relatively new company, we cannot be afraid to try emphasizing localized keywords to drive interest and traffic to Green Lemon and bring in potential clients.

A great technique is to create a series of blog posts that highlight particular keywords and heavily focus the relevant aspects of the content on those keywords.

To drive localized traffic we can start with “Web Design in Minneapolis” and “Web Design in Minnesota,” which should feature some location-specific content mixed into the standard information. This can be as simple as pictures or mentions of local attractions in the city or state that residents of these areas who read the article will relate to.

Conversely, we’ll need more broad language and images to accompany our post about “WordPress Web Design,” which should shy away from localized content but instead contain information solely about the techniques and technologies (CMS organization, colors/typefaces, content release schedule, etc).

Inactivity is a Death Sentence

While the initial questions and answers when getting started in the content strategy process as seen above might seem at first to provide only a very rudimentary insight the steps to implement a strategy, there is one key lesson to learn when it comes to anything related to content: Don’t get bogged down by the minutiae and thus never take action .

The biggest mistake anyone can make when it comes to content strategy is to be too passive, to over-assess and over-plan to the point of inaction. Particularly in the online space — where content moves at the speed of light (both figuratively and literally) — failing to act at all on a new content strategy is far worse than taking action and modifying or adjusting the content strategy plan as you learn and grow along the way.

That’s not to say planning and strategy are not important, but in many situations for both companies and clients alike, it is far more important to just “get out there” with the content so the audience can begin to interact with the content or brand than it is to delay far too long with nothing to show for it from a public perspective.

Maintaining Your Flexibility

Content strategies come in all shapes and sizes and should not be solely thought of as a brand-wide, all-inclusive methodology for every piece of content the brand creates.

Instead, content strategies can and should be developed in a modular fashion. Similar to a well-crafted website, an interchangeable content strategy allows for flexibility throughout the process over time, as variables change and the success (or failure) of a particular strategy evolves over time.

This technique should most commonly be used to distinguish between the various channels in which your content resides. A strategy module that suits email campaigns is likely not as well suited for handling social media interactions on Twitter, just as the static onsite content used throughout the site will differ significantly from the content posted on a blog.

Embrace these differences and freely develop multiple modules of your content strategy to fit each appropriate channel. You can and should still maintain an overall parent strategy that infuses elements into every child strategy below that (fonts, colors, common logos/images, etc), but much of the content beyond that will shift as the medium changes.

The Necessity of Taking Risks

A very useful tool when first developing a content strategy is to evaluate the various levels of “risk” involved in any given style or example of content. That is, when a reader or user engages with that content, how likely are they to expect it versus how likely are they to be pleasantly surprised? Additionally as the content creator, how likely is a piece of content to feel standard and safe versus something risky that could fail or be taken poorly, but provide benefit if successful?

There are numerous risk strategies out there, but a solid standard for content strategy used by Portent, Inc. is the 70-20-10 rule .

This rule effectively states that 70% of your content should be safe and expected, 20% should be moderately risky and challenges the standard 70% of your content, and the last 10% should be very risky , such that it is entirely unexpected content or may horribly fail in some way (but will offer large benefits if successful).

For the fictitious Green Lemon Web Design, they have elected to disperse their content using the 70-20-10 rule in roughly this manner:

70%: Most onsite stuff, such as About Us, FAQ, Services, Contact Us/Get a Quote, etc.

20%: Most blog posts that relate to the industry; those that provide assistance to clients, potential customers, or casual readers.

10%: A handful of blog posts that go against the normal, such as emphasizing the great work our competitors have been doing in the past few months or a post about a seemingly unrelated topic to drive traffic and user interest (books, gaming, fishing, etc). We’d also like to add a comparison chart of services and pricing between Green Lemon and popular competitors, which may include features we are weaker at than others but may ingratiate readers to us for our honesty.

Whatever the exact risk assessment is that your own brand settles on, it is vital to not be too afraid of taking risks from time to time. Being a little out there or edgy with your content will make a lasting, memorable impression instead of the countless other examples that are boring and forgotten after a short glance.

A Handful of Content Examples

Below you’ll find a list of example content titles that a new web design firm like Green Lemon — or even you — might find useful to pursue, roughly categorized by intended audience and/or creators.

For Web Designers

Web-for-All: Accessibility for Modern Web Design

Why Improved Design Cannot Solve Content Issues

Content Optimization for Mobile Platforms

Why Email Requires a Responsive Design

And Dash of That..: How A/B Testing Dramatically Improves User Experience

A Bridge Too Far: When Additional Feature Requests Should Be Ignored

This Ain’t Your Granddad’s Pixel: How Modern Displays Are Changing Web Design

Creating Beautiful Graphics and Logos in Pure CSS

The Homepage: When Automation Must Take a Back Seat to Human Control

For Web Marketers

Identifying Your Audience and Content to Meet User Demands

Community is Everything: Why Building a Community is Critical to Content Strategy

Risk vs. Reward: Why Safe is Often the Least Safe

Cultivating Client Relationships

I Like You: Spreading Your Content via Third Party Services

Localization, Love, and Liberation: Why i18n is Critical to Content Strategy

For Clients

Miniature Adults: How Children Utilize the Web and Interact with Your Site

Stay Awhile and Listen: How to Genuinely Engage with Readers

Establishing a Content Strategy for Personal Websites

Online Trapdom: Why Free Services Rarely Are

Just You Being You: How Social Media Encourages a False Sense of Self

Look At All My Resources!

While this article should provide a great starting point to establishing your own web marketer content strategy , there are multitudes of resources online with great information to boost your knowledge and get you down the right path toward content nirvana.

Below are a handful of prime resources to chew through at your leisure, so please enjoy!

Creating a Content Compass : Explores the diverging content strategy of a particular web project across the entirety of a brand’s content universe.

The Magic Content Marketing Ratio: Email Conversion Rate

4 Keys to Capturing a New Audience for Your Content Marketing

Being Real Builds Trust : Discusses why trust with users and clients is among the most vital components of strong marketing content strategy .

Help Your Content Go Anywhere With a Mobile Content Strategy

Future-Ready Content : Developing a web design content strategy that is as future-proof as possible, not just technically but in the manner in which content is created.

Contently Comic: Sponsored Insanity : Explores the pitfalls and trouble that can come from unnecessary sponsored content.

The Most Important Audience for Your Content Marketing : Your Own Employees : How brand and businesses should ensure employees fully understand and adhere to the marketing content strategy .

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Website Design Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their website design businesses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a website design business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Website Design Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your website design business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Website Design Agency

If you’re looking to start a website design business, or grow your existing website design business, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your website design business in order to improve your chances of success. Your website design business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Website Design Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a website design business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the lender will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

Personal savings is the most common form of funding for a website design business. Venture capitalists will usually not fund a website design business. They might consider funding a website design business with a national presence, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an investment, and an individual location could never achieve such results.  With that said, personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for website design businesses.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

If you want to start a website design business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your website design business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of website design business you are operating and its status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a website design business that you would like to grow, or are you operating website design businesses in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the website design industry. Discuss the type of website design business you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of website design business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of website design businesses:

• WordPress website design : this type of business builds websites with WordPress, due to its capabilities, plugin options, and templates.
• Custom website design: this type of business involves developing both the front end and backend of a website using coding, programming, databases, forms, etc. without a content management platform.
• Other platform website design: this type of business uses a variety of other platforms to develop specific types of site, such as e-commerce. Platforms like Shopify or Squarespace make specific site development relatively easy.

In addition to explaining the type of website design business you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of websites launched, the types of sites developed, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the website design industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the website design industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your website design business plan:

• How big is the website design industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your website design business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your website design business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of website design business you operate. Clearly, large corporations would respond to different marketing promotions than nonprofits, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most website design businesses primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.  

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other website design businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes individuals who prefer to use template-based platforms to build their website on their own, or from dedicated in-house design teams.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other website design businesses with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be website design businesses located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• Do they specialize in specific site types (i.e. content sites, e-commerce sites, etc.)?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide either a wider range or more specialized range of services?
• Will you offer features such as social media integration?
• Will you provide superior customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a website design business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of website design company that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to WordPress site development, will your website design business provide custom design options?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your website design company. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, will you operate from a physical office, or will you primarily interact with clients online and/or at their home or place of business? In this section, discuss how your location will affect demand for your services.

Promotions : The final part of your website design marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Signs and billboards
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your website design business, including marketing, providing consultations, programming, troubleshooting, keeping abreast of new technology, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to launch your 100th e-commerce site, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to open a website design business in a new location.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your website design business’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing website design businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in programming, or successfully running small businesses.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you complete/launch one website per week, or will you have teams working on multiple projects at once? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your website design business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a website design business:

• Office build-out
• Cost of buying or leasing a company vehicle
• Cost of office supplies such as computers and software
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office lease, or an overview of the services you offer.  

Putting together a business plan for your website design business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the website design industry, your competition, and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful website design business.  

Web Design Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my website design business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Website Design Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of website design business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a website design business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of website design businesses?

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Web Design business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how a Growthink business plan writer can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How to Start a Web Design Business: Expert Tips from People Who Did It Themselves

Updated: January 09, 2024

Published: January 02, 2024

Have you heard the expression, "If it were easy, everyone would do it?" That saying certainly applies to starting your own business. However, with the right preparation, you'll discover that learning how to start a web design business isn't as hard as you might think.

I talked to two web design business owners who filled me in on everything you need to know about how to start a web design business. I'll walk you through the steps you'll take, plus some pro tips to help you make your launch a success. 

How to Start a Web Design Business: 15 Steps

• Figure out your working arrangements.
• Identify your website design business niche — if you have one.  
• Pick a name.
• Create a mission statement.
• Determine what you want to offer.
• Establish a business plan.
• Seek legal advice.
• Check off administrative tasks.
• Identify pricing.
• Make your branding.
• Create templates and establish workflows.
• Design your website.
• Start building your social presence.
• Train yourself on anything you're not sure about.
• Network in person and online.

Whether you are figuring out how to start a web design business from home or eventually want to open up your own brick-and-mortar location, there are a lot of items to check off before you're ready to take on clients. Here are 15 steps you can follow when learning how to start a web design business. 

1. Figure out your working arrangements. 

Your first step is to figure out your working arrangements. Will you work from home or rent out an office space? Will you interact with clients virtually or offer a brick-and-mortar location where you can meet? And if you're working from home, do you have a professional, private space where you can conduct business? 

It's possible to learn how to start a web design business from home, but by addressing these questions upfront, you'll know how to better set your business up for success. 

Mindy League, UX Director at Elevated Third,  owned a web design agency that one of her clients went on to acquire. She knows her stuff — League has worked in digital marketing with B2B giants, including HP, IBM, Thermofisher, and more. When recounting her experience as a web design business owner, League mentions that she feels it's easier to start a business now in a world where working from home is normalized. 

She recounts, in a pre-pandemic world, needing to have a brick-and-mortar storefront where she could work with her team or meet clients. "Now, we have this really more acceptable work from home," she says. "I think it would be easier to start a business now than it was then. Because [then] it was expected that you had a brick and mortar, which was a high cost, a high expense. It was almost validating that you're in business." 

Once you've figured out your physical working arrangements, consider your hardware and software arrangements too. When learning how to start a web design business from home, keep in mind that you'll need all the bells and whistles you would in an office, such as a comfortable seat, functioning computer, and monitor, if you like using one. 

You may need to purchase a new laptop or monitor for your web design business work. Or, maybe you'll 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. 

Pro Tip:  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. What matters most is that your equipment is reliable. 

2. 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. You should trust her advice because, since starting her business in 2018, she's created more than 120 websites. What started out as a side gig became so successful that Miller was able to quit her full-time salaried role in six months.

"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." 

Pro Tip:  If you're stuck, let your portfolio and professional experience inform your decision about whether you'll pursue a niche subcategory of website design or offer more holistic services. 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. 

3. Pick a name. 

I know —  picking a business name  is tricky! It should be descriptive but 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. 

I advise you to test out your business names in front of family, colleagues, or friends. 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. 

Pro Tip:  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.

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 ?) 

I also love  Be Bold Design Studio's mission statement . It's straightforward, focused on impact, and I love how Miller clearly displays it on the footer of the studio's homepage. 

Your mission statement doesn't have to be too long or intricate. The best mission statements are straightforward and succinct, and they showcase your company's values. 

Pro Tip:  You can include 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.

You have your name, mission statement, and niche all picked out. Your next step is determining what you want your business to offer. Ultimately, you can make your business as all-encompassing (or niche) as you want. Do you want to offer complete website design services that include add-ons such as branding and logo design or photography? Or do you want to work mainly on website rebuilds? What about maintenance — do you want to offer it or leave clients to their own devices? 

It is  your  business — so you can decide what you want to offer based on both your skills and experience. However, keep in mind that if you don't have a well-rounded menu of offerings, clients may take their business elsewhere, where they can get their website created, logos created, and branding established all in one place. 

Pro Tip:  If you're building your business with a co-founder, League 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. (Psst: 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.) 

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. 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.

Your business plan should provide a clear summarization of your organizational strategy for success. You can use your business plan to acquire funding from investors or help forecast your business demands. Most importantly, when starting out a business, your business plan should highlight your goals and the way you plan to achieve them. This is also where you'll tie in your mission statement and business purpose. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of writing your business plan, use one of our free templates to set you on the right track. For example, I love this one page business plan template.

It's concise, asks the right questions, and makes it easy for you to keep all your crucial information in one handy location. You can download it here . 

Pro Tip:  Taking a look at other business's plans can help you figure out how to build out your own. Here are  24 sample business plans  to get your creative juices flowing. 

7. Seek legal advice. 

Congratulations; you're about halfway through the process of learning how to create your web design business from home. Give yourself a pat on the back — and take a deep breath because it can be overwhelming. 

Before you go any further in your business ownership journey, it's time to seek legal advice. Your best option is to find a lawyer who has experience working with small businesses and helping ensure they're compliant with all the laws in your jurisdiction. You may need a license to operate your business, depending on what it is and where you live. Or, you might need help deciding whether you want to be a sole proprietor, open an LLC, or start a corporation.

While no one likes shelling out cash for legal fees, the repercussions of not doing so and accidentally violating a law can be massive. Your lawyer can also help you draft the contracts that you'll share with clients when entering into an agreement with them. Getting liability insurance for your business is also a good idea, and your lawyer can advise more on the steps you should take to do so. 

Pro Tip:  Lawyer fees can be expensive — especially when you're just starting out. 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 that'll do the work for free. But ask around — you may have a connection willing to help out. 

8. Check off administrative tasks. 

I told you learning how to start a web design business isn't always glamorous, didn't I? I promise it will be well worth it. Your next step is to complete various administrative tasks you need to check off your list before your business can open its doors. 

For example, now that you're starting your own business, you'll need to think about how you're going to get health insurance. Maybe you can still be on your parent's insurance, or you have a partner who can take you under their wing. However, if this isn't the case, you need to think through the ways you'll be able to get healthcare.

I know this doesn't seem directly related to starting your own web design business, but it's an important administrative task you need to check off. When you're just starting out, you'll only need to think about getting healthcare for yourself. But if your business grows and you hire teammates, you'll have to think about their insurance, too. 

The next thing you'll want to think about is your retirement plan. You can consider opening a Roth IRA or a Health Savings Account. (Of course, if you want more guidance about what's best for your financial future, I suggest you speak with a financial advisor who better understands your particular situation.) 

Lastly, think through your holiday and vacation policy. You're your own boss now, which means you'll have to be accountable for getting stuff done. Creating a clear vacation and holiday plan is an excellent way to keep you on the right track. Miller believes that holding herself accountable for getting work delivered in a reasonable amount of time is partially why her business has flourished. "I think it is very important to… be true to your word," she says. 

Miller continues, "If you say you're going to deliver something on Tuesday, you need to deliver something on Tuesday. A lot of times with a website design business, you know, it's creatives, and it's hard to pin us down within the website design business. You can be a creative, but you also have to be very, very careful with that more creative energy and focus on making sure that your clients are being served well and efficiently and on time." 

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. 

9. Identify pricing.

Now that you know what you have to offer, it's time to decide how much you're going to charge for it. 

Your first step when identifying pricing is to take a look at your competitors' pricing. How much is your competition charging for a website, logo design, branding, and bespoke photography? What about a site refresh? Find out, and make notes of what your top 5-10 competitors are charging. This will inform your rates. I suggest creating a spreadsheet that clearly identifies competitor pricing.

You'll also have to 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. Remember: You deserve to pay yourself a livable salary. 

Now that you've done your research, consider your business's overhead. Do you have to pay for your space? Have you thought about how taxes factor in? How about the software you'll need to run your business? Did you include your insurance fees when factoring in how much it costs to run your business?

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

Pro Tip:  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 . 

10. Make your branding. 

We're finally at a fun part of the web design business creation process. You'll have to make your branding before you begin to share the news of your business online. You're a creative, so you likely already know exactly what to do, but here are a few branding tips in case you need them:

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. 

Try to avoid already popular color pairings because they'll subliminally remind your visitors of other, more famous brands. For instance, red and yellow may not be the best bet for your company because these colors together conjure up images of Ronald McDonald. 

Pro Tip:  Need a dose of inspiration for your business's color palette?  These color pairings  are sure to wow.  

11. Create templates and establish workflows.

Yes, you have your branding, pricing, and business plan — but you are not open for business yet. First, it's essential to create templates and establish workflows. That way, when you do get your client (and trust me, it will happen), you already have a handle on how to get them onboarded.

Using a project management tool can help you create workflows that hold you accountable and ensure you deliver results on time. I love Asana, Trello, and Notion, so experiment to find one that works best for you and is within your budget.

This is also the time for you to make sure those contracts you worked with your lawyer to create are ready to go. Plus, create a checklist for client onboarding, the steps you'll follow to launch a client website, and make any necessary supporting documentation or templates. You should also have your invoice template in place. If you do all of this, professional is the name of your game. 

Last but certainly not least, determine how you're going to track your time. It's not enough to set an iPhone timer — you need to keep track of your time and how you spend it. There are plenty of time-tracking apps available, some of which even integrate directly with your project management tools. 

Pro Tip:  By having your onboarding checklist ready to go, you'll be ready the moment your first client comes knocking. Plus, you'll score major points with your client for preparedness and professionalism. 

12. Design your website.

You already know how to do this, so I'll leave this one to you. And if you want some sources of inspiration, you know where to find them — here, where I identified the  25 best creative agency websites . 

Just to recap, here are some key things to keep in mind when designing your website. 

Were created 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 . 

Have testimonials and examples of past work. 

Have 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. 

Consider having a blog on your website and writing posts that target keywords. 

Your goal on your business website is to reduce friction in any way that you can. 

Pro Tip:  About  42.5 million Americans have disabilities . Don't ignore  website accessibility best practices when building your website . 

13. Start building your social presence. 

You're almost at launch day, congrats. 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/Twitter 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 this:

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?

Pro Tip:  Ideally, you'll be able to create content for multiple social media platforms. However, focusing on one or two will help reduce stress. Dial in on wherever you're seeing the largest return on investment for your time. 

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 decide to seek out training to teach yourself more about anything you're unsure about. 

"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 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 has 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 done several courses, and I found them to be both educational and engaging.  

15. Network in person and online.

You did it! You've successfully created your own web design business. I hope you're proud of yourself because I'm proud of you.

Now, it's time to share the incredible news with your family, friends, colleagues, and mentors. Remember to bring business cards with you when you meet with people, and bring along extras so your friends can pass them along to their friends. You never know who may be your first client. 

Online, you can spread the word on your personal and professional social media accounts. You can also reach out to any business owners you know and let them know you're open for business if they wish to enlist your help.

Pro Tip:  Keep your mind open when it comes to finding clients. You never know how your clients will make their way to you — just trust that they will. Be sure to spread the word so everyone you know can have their feelers out in case anyone they know needs a designer. 

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

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

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.

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.'"

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." 

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." 

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." 

Bring Your Web Design Dream Business to Life 

You officially know how to start a web design business, and it's up to you to decide if you're ready to take that next step toward becoming your own boss. When building your company, keep your why in mind, and commit to customer service. If you do these two things, you can't go wrong. 

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to start a web design business in 7 steps

This guide will take you through all the steps necessary to start a web design business.

Illustration by Ashger Zamana.

Aaron Gelbman

13 min read

With the surge of online brands and services, now might be a better time than ever to start a web design business. But if you’re on the fence about whether to make this your full-time gig, then you’ll want to take the time to understand what you’re getting yourself into. 

After all, it’s not just about having the technical know-how; it’s about understanding the market, the challenges and the true value you can offer to your clients.

For web designer Derek Hairston, his ‘aha’ moment came with the realization that “most web design agencies leave clients in the dark with unexpected costs, delays, and no visibility into the process.”

“We bring our clients’ vision to life and give them peace of mind at every step of the way,” he says about his full-service agency, Olam Sites . “We specialize in building custom websites and features on Wix Studio.” 

Learn more about how to manage your agency on Wix Studio .

Below, we cover the essential steps of starting your web design business. Keep reading for tips on running an agency and finding your own conviction to get started. 

How to start a web design business

Every business is a little bit different, but in general, you’ll need to take these steps: 

01. Choose your niche

02. decide which web design services to offer.

03. Register and license your web design business

04. Create a business plan and set goals

05. Price your services

06. Build your portfolio or website

07. promote and market your web design business.

To stand out in a crowded market, you’ll want to know your “who” and “why.” In other words, it’s a good idea to narrow down your focus and decide on the types of clients you’d like to take on. 

“Deciding on your niche is a blend of self-discovery and essentially asking the question, ‘Who would I be excited to wake up and serve every day?’” notes Brad Hussey, web designer and founder of the Creative Crew community. “You’ll be spending considerable time, energy and money being around these people at trade shows, on podcasts, writing content for, networking with—and ultimately producing solutions for.”

Remember that just because you decide on a particular niche now doesn’t mean you can’t broaden your reach and services later on. It’s much easier to start small than to start too broad, or to bite off more than you can chew.

If you’re struggling to decide on your niche, start by defining why you do what you do. For example, are you passionate about the restaurant industry and see an opportunity to build more professional online experiences for them? If so, start there. 

In the video below, Hussey gives additional tips for solidifying your niche and the “why” behind what you’re doing. 

Once you’ve settled on your “who” and “why,” the “what” should come somewhat naturally. Decide what services you can (and want) to offer your clients. Your services could include:

Website design and development

Ecommerce solutions

User experience (UX) design

User interface (UI) design

Search engine optimization (SEO) 

Mobile app design and development 

Website accessibility  

Graphic design  

Custom web application development

Online branding 

Think about which services can be offered on a regular basis—such as graphic design or SEO—and thereby supplement larger one-off projects by bringing in recurring revenue. Also, consider ways in which you can package your services together to better service your clients. 

03. Register and license your business

Before diving into creative work, it's important to address the legalities of starting your own business. You’ll need to register your business with the relevant authorities. In most U.S. states, this will be your Secretary of State. 

To register your business, you’ll need to choose a business name  and decide on your legal business structure. 

Consider, how big do you plan on growing your team? Do you plan on managing the business alone or with a partner(s)? Ultimately, what is the vision for your business and how it will evolve? The answers to these questions will help you choose between several structures, the most popular of which include:

Sole proprietorship : Owned and operated by a single individual. As the owner you have unlimited personal liability and business income is reported on your personal tax return.

Limited liability company (LLC):  Combines elements of partnerships and corporations, offering limited liability for owners (members) and flexibility in management. Income is typically passed through to individual tax returns.

Partnership : A business owned by two or more individuals who share profits and liabilities. There are general partnerships (equal sharing) and limited partnerships (with limited liability for some partners).

Corporation:  A legal entity separate from its owners, providing limited liability protection. Shareholders own the corporation and it can be taxed as a C corporation (double taxation) or an S corporation (pass-through taxation).

As shown above, each structure has its own tax obligations, protections and requirements. You’ll therefore want to make sure to thoroughly research your options and consult a business attorney, consultant or accountant before making a final decision. 

At this stage, consider whether you’ll need to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN)  from the IRS and open any business accounts with your bank to keep your finances in order. Make sure to obtain all necessary licenses, insurance and permits for running a web design business in your region, too.

There are many other decisions you’ll have to make from both an operational and strategic side. A good place to start is by tackling your business plan. Your business plan will serve as your roadmap, outlining things like:

Your business description

Target market 

Competition 

Organization and management 

Services and products 

Goals and strategies 

Financial projections

Do your due diligence and don’t rush this step. As you build out your business plan, you may realize things you hadn’t before—like the need to secure outside funding.

“I started off as a penny-pinching bootstrapper, although I’m not convinced that’s the best way,” reflects Hairston on the early days of Olam Sites. “I projected revenue based on the potential customers in my immediate environment, but this limiting mindset put a ceiling on our earnings and scalability.” 

“My suggestion when getting started,” he adds, “is that your projections and confidence should justify raising funds for greater scalability. Otherwise, what’s the point?” 

Whether you need extra resources to expand your services, grow your team or invest in marketing—a business plan can help you decide when and how to raise money. It can also show where the money will go when approaching investors, banks or other potential backers. 

05. Price your services 

As your financial and personal goals for your business start to take shape, so too will your perspective on how to price your services. 

Oftentimes deciding on what price to charge can feel like taking a shot in the dark. Or, you may feel pressure to price your services low if you’re just starting out.

However, you’ll want to avoid selling yourself too short. At the same time, know what your competitors are charging. Identify your differentiators while weighing your expenses and ideal profit margin. Think about the different clients you plan to take on as well as the different web design pricing  models you can offer:

Flat fee (a.k.a. “Project-based pricing”): A fixed amount that you and your client agreed on at the start of the project.

Hourly fee: An hourly cost, ensuring that you get paid the agreed-upon amount for every hour you spend on a project. 

Monthly fee (a.k.a. “monthly retainer”): A contract, either measured in time or value, that involves monthly payments for a certain amount or type of work. 

Learn more: Choosing the right business model

A strong portfolio is key to attracting clients and showcasing your design skills. This is your chance to show (not just tell) future clients what you’re capable of creating online. 

When creating a website for your web design business, consider using a platform that can host both your website and your work for clients. This not only helps to keep everything in one place but also helps you to get ultra-familiar with the web tool you’re offering your clients. 

The most effective creative portfolios include sections, pages or CTAs like:

About : Introduce yourself and your team, including your credentials like any relevant education, industry awards and your value proposition.

“Our Work” : Showcase projects that represent your best work, and make sure there is a brief but clear backstory so that visitors understand how you solved your clients’ needs. Keep in mind that before uploading client projects, you should always get client approval in case projects are confidential or not yet live.

Services : List the different services you offer so that you’ll spend less time weeding through requests and more time connecting with relevant prospects whose needs match your skills.

Contact : Make it easy for people to contact you with any questions, and consider embedding a form into your site to collect useful information from prospects (such as their company name, current website’s URL, etc.). 

“Book a Meeting” : Offer high-intent prospects the opportunity to meet you face-to-face via an online booking feature.

A solution like Wix Studio, for example, is tailored for agency work. It brings together features—including AI tools—for web design, development, SEO,  eCommerce, website maintenance, CMS and more. Beyond having the tools to design cool, interactive sites for your clients at scale, you can enjoy built-in capabilities that allow you to expand your services. 

Build your agency site on Wix Studio with one of these responsive templates . 

Once you’ve published your site and opened yourself up for business, take steps to establish your brand and to proactively get in front of potential clients. 

“Building authority in your industry by creating content is like investing money in the stock market,” says Hussey. “When I started creating videos, writing blogs, appearing on others’ podcasts—those efforts may not have produced results in the immediate term, but over time, the benefits have paid me back in multiples.” 

Exercise your existing network and ask for referrals. Engage with folks on social media. Scour job boards, including LinkedIn, for any calls for help. Here Hussey suggests four additional ideas for your outreach:

Don’t forget to invest in your personal brand. Given how nearly 70% of consumers  trust influencers, friends and family over information coming directly from a brand, it’s always a good idea to use your own sphere of influence to connect people with your agency. 

Note that Wix Studio's marketing integrations allow you to schedule social posts, send emails and track performance—both for your clients and yourself. Use these tools to your advantage as you spread the word about your business. 

Web design businesses and agencies built on Wix Studio to inspire your own

One way to jumpstart your business’s website creation is to follow the examples of established, successful agencies, like the sites below. In addition to providing fundamental information, each of these sites packs a creative punch and demonstrates the creative potential to future clients.

The Boathouse Agency

This creative design agency   shows that there is no limit to the growth potential of your web design business. The Boathouse Agency goes beyond web design and offers complete 360 creative and branding solutions for brands of all sizes.

Visual Identity

Visual Identity  is a web design studio specializing in site design, UI/UX, development and branding. Their site’s black-and-white design, typography and visual elements create a bold and impactful statement about their vision and purpose.

Scopetheory

Scopetheory  leads with results-driven design for their clients that involves taking branding to another level. The homepage makes it easy for prospects to see the agency’s results, with prominent callouts that highlight their clients’ accomplishments. 

What is a web design business?

A web design business is a type of design agency that specializes in creating and maintaining websites for clients. However, more often than not, it’s about more than just design; it’s about building functional, user-friendly online spaces that serve a specific purpose for a client. 

The scope of work involved in a web design business can be broad. They can range from simple static pages to complex web applications and everything in between. Whether it's an eCommerce platform, a personal blog or a corporate website, each project comes with its own set of design and development challenges and requirements.

Why start a web design business?

The web design industry offers a world of business opportunities for creative and tech-savvy entrepreneurs. Starting your own web design business not only taps into a field that blends art and technology but also positions you in a market with high demand for your services.

The benefits of starting a web design business are numerous. Here are some of the most compelling reasons to consider:

High demand:  In a digital age, nearly every business needs a website, increasing the demand for skilled web designers.

Flexibility : Running your own business means you can set your own hours and work from anywhere, be it your home office or a beach in Bali.

Creative freedom:  As the owner of a design business, you have the freedom to express your creativity and make decisions that align with your vision—from the clients you choose to take on, to the design and website niche you specialize in. 

Considerations when starting a web design business

Starting your own web design business is a big step professionally and it's often accompanied by a set of important considerations that any new business owner should be aware of. 

Is web design a profitable business?

The profitability of a web design business can be significant if managed correctly. Here's what you should keep in mind:

Demand for services: With more businesses going online, the need for professional web design services is on the rise. Tapping into that demand can mean a lot of work for a web design firm. You’ll need to think about things, such as your sales process for your web design business , amongst other key business needs.

Pricing strategy : Setting competitive rates that reflect the quality of your work and the value you provide is the key to profitability. To do this, you’ll need to have an idea of what your competitors offer and how they package similar services. Be mindful of value-pricing, which is setting your rates according to the value of your work, not just the time spent on it.

Marketing : You’ll need to promote your business to give yourself the best chance of securing long-term and profitable clients and projects. This could include networking or connecting with related online and offline communities to promote yourself and your business. Encourage your current clients to refer you to others who might need the same services and build your freelance community  along the way.

Diversify your services : Offer a range of services within the field, including content management and social media promotion, if relevant to your expertise.

Build client relationships : Establishing long-term relationships with clients is crucial to getting repeat business and securing more freelance design clients.

Stay updated with industry trends and changes : The web design industry is constantly evolving. Keep learning new skills and staying abreast of trends to remain competitive.

Can I start a web design business with no experience?

With no prior experience, starting any type of business can be challenging. However, focusing on education and growth from the outset can help you maintain momentum and see measurable development over time.

These steps can be a solid guide for your first few months:

Learn the fundamentals: To understand web design from the ground up, get familiar with user experience, content writing and responsive web design. While these days it’s not necessary to create websites with code, an online coding class  in HTML, CSS or JavaScript will help you understand the backbone of your websites.

Practice your skills: As you learn new concepts, put them to use. One option is to recreate websites you find online, down to the details of hover interactions and entrance animations. Practicing with Wix Studio's design tools can help you focus on your web design skills, since the platform has extensive no-code features.

Share your progress: Whether you’ve created wireframes, designs or live websites, share your real-time process and finished products on your social channels. You’ll receive encouragement and feedback from professionals, plus you’ll enjoy going back to your old posts to see how far you’ve come.

Connect with professional heroes and mentors: “Become an apprentice of someone who is already successful in the industry to gain the skills, experience and industry insight,” advises Hairston of Olam Sites. “ This could be in a variety of forms: employee, mentee or YouTube channel subscription.” Choosing a professional hero—someone whose style you admire and want to emulate—will give you a wealth of creative inspiration. Plus, it’s never a bad idea to get in touch with them; they might be happy to provide mentorship and feedback as you find your feet. 

Build your online presence: Now that you’ve completed a few projects, organize everything on a portfolio website. You’ll have one link that you can easily share to show off your past work, whether you’re looking to take on clients or build up your network. 

Can I start a web design business from home?

Starting your web design business from home brings great advantages like no commute time, significant cost savings and complete control over your work environment. 

And though this also comes with its challenges, you can overcome them with these best practices:

Enlist time management for work-life balance: Different from project management, time management helps you organize your day across your different tasks, including any personal tasks that you may have to take care of while at home. Set a clear start and end for your work hours, as well as offline times for lunch and screen breaks.

Create a Zoom-friendly space:  Video conferencing isn’t unique to working from home, but take notice of what’s behind you when you’re on camera for video calls. Make a good impression by clearing away laundry and dirty dishes, and find a space away from household interference.

Connect with online communities and local organizations: Without an outside office space, it can be more difficult to cross paths with like-minded professionals for shared learning and networking. But with a little effort, there’s a big payoff. Join online professional communities like Freelance Fam  for web design freelancers, and Creative Crew  for web design agencies. Find nearby events to attend via resources like Meetup .

Schedule in-person meetings:  While it’s comfortable and convenient at home, health experts encourage getting out of the house daily for physical and mental well-being. Do this by finding time to meet with colleagues or clients face-to-face, whether for business meetings or casual coffee chats. 

Learn more: Guide to Remote Work

Tips for managing your web design business

Effectively managing your web design business helps keep projects flowing—on time, on budget and on brief—and ensures a positive experience, both for your team as well as for your clients. First create a solid project management process and then choose a project management software that meets your needs and budget. 

Best practices for project management

Keeping projects on track ensures client satisfaction and repeat business.

Clear communication:  Establish open lines of communication with clients to manage expectations and keep them updated on progress.

Project management tools: Utilize software like Monday or Asana to organize tasks, owners, dependencies, deadlines and collaborations.

Hairston provides some insight into Olam Sites’s efficient management practices: “Our operations strategy is centered around standard operating procedures, leveraging efficient tools (Asana, Hubspot, Wix Studio, etc.), and a phenomenal project manager. Wix Studio centralizes all client websites and team access, making the deliverable handoff process seamless and scalable.”

With Wix Studio’s management tools , you can work from a unified workplace no matter how many employees are working together. And for teams on the go, the mobile app keeps everyone involved and up to date. Other features include a collaboration suite, handover resources and reusable assets. 

Business software solutions

Leveraging the right business tools can greatly enhance your efficiency as a business owner.

Invoicing and accounting:  Software like FreshBooks or the Wix invoice maker  can simplify financial management by helping you create invoices.

Contracts and proposals: With platforms including Prospero and ClientManager, you won't miss a step when creating your website design proposals .

Time tracking : Tools such as Harvest or Toggl help you keep track of billable hours for each project.

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Downloadable Web Design Business Plan Template

Whether you're a seasoned designer looking to elevate your existing business or an aspiring freelancer ready to take your side gig full-time , a detailed business plan is crucial to your long-term success. 

We get it—business planning can feel daunting. It’s worth the effort, though. A well-crafted business plan provides clarity, structure, and actionable steps to help turn your ideas into reality. Plus, we’ve streamlined the process with a business plan template to help you get started. 

Inside, you’ll learn what to include in your web design business plan and how to effectively address each crucial section.

Executive summary: a concise yet comprehensive overview of your entire web design business plan. This section provides a snapshot of your business, including key elements like your mission, vision, and business objectives. 

Company description: an overview of your business’s story. This section outlines what sets you apart, your legal and team structure, and the services you’ll offer. 

Market analysis: a deep dive into your target client and competitive landscape. This section demonstrates your understanding of the web design industry and your ability to position your services effectively.

Services and portfolio: a detailed description of your service offerings, emphasizing what makes them unique and valuable. This section is an opportunity to showcase your expertise to potential clients or investors.

Marketing and sales strategies: a plan to attract and retain clients, ultimately driving the growth of your web design business. This section deep dives into your marketing strategies, including online and offline channels, social media, and networking efforts. 

Operational plan: a look into the day-to-day functioning of your web design business. This section takes a practical look at how you plan to run your business smoothly, including any team policies and guidelines you have.

Financial plan: a critical section that details your financial projections, including your balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. This section establishes the financial viability of your web design business.

Milestones and timelines: a combination of short- and long-term goals for your web design business and when you plan to achieve them. This section creates a strategic roadmap for growth and sustainability.

Risk assessment: a list of potential risks and challenges your web design business may face and how you plan to overcome them. This section demonstrates your ability to navigate obstacles effectively.

Appendix: an optional section to include supplementary materials, such as charts, graphs, visuals, or any supporting documents that add context to your business plan. This helps make your plan appear comprehensive, not cluttered. 

Ready to envision your dream web design business? Download our web design business plan template on Google Docs. 

Check out Squarespace Circle , Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.

Lauren McAlister is a content writer and strategist with a heart for empowering entrepreneurs. When Lauren’s not behind her laptop, you can find her chasing after her daughter, snuggling her cat Lucy, or enjoying a good cup (or two) of coffee.

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Business Plan Template for Web Designers

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

When it comes to running a successful web design business, having a solid business plan is essential. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Web Designers comes in handy!

With this template, freelance web designers and web design agencies can easily outline their business goals, target market, pricing strategies, marketing and sales plans, operational structure, and financial projections.

By using ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you'll be able to:

• Clearly define your business objectives and strategies
• Identify your target audience and tailor your services to their needs
• Set realistic pricing and revenue goals to ensure profitability
• Create a comprehensive marketing and sales plan to attract clients
• Establish an efficient operational structure to streamline processes
• Develop accurate financial projections to track your business's growth and success

Take your web design business to new heights with ClickUp's Business Plan Template today!

Business Plan Template for Web Designers Benefits

A business plan template for web designers can be a game-changer for freelance web designers or web design agencies. Here are some benefits of using this template:

• Provides a clear roadmap to success by outlining business goals and objectives
• Helps identify and target the right market for web design services
• Sets realistic pricing strategies to ensure profitability and competitiveness
• Guides marketing and sales plans to attract and retain clients
• Defines the operational structure to streamline workflow and deliver high-quality designs
• Includes financial projections for better financial management and growth planning

By using a business plan template, web designers can set themselves up for success and build a thriving web design business.

Main Elements of Web Designers Business Plan Template

ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Web Designers provides the essential elements to help freelance web designers or web design agencies outline their business strategy and achieve success in the industry.

• Custom Statuses: Use the predefined statuses of Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do to track the progress of different sections of your business plan, ensuring that each task is clearly defined and accounted for.
• Custom Fields: Utilize the Reference, Approved, and Section custom fields to provide additional details about each task, such as the source of reference material, approval status, and the specific section of the business plan it relates to.
• Custom Views: Access five different views, including Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide, to organize and visualize your business plan from various perspectives. Whether you prefer a topic-based overview or a timeline view to track progress, ClickUp has you covered.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Web Designers

If you're a web designer looking to create a solid business plan, ClickUp's Business Plan Template can help you get started. Follow these six steps to make the most of this template and set yourself up for success:

1. Define your business goals and mission

First, take the time to clearly define your business goals and mission. What do you want to achieve as a web designer? Are you looking to grow your client base, increase revenue, or expand your services? Understanding your goals and mission will help guide your business plan and shape your strategies.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to brainstorm and outline your business goals and mission.

2. Identify your target market and competition

Next, identify your target market and understand your competition. Who are your ideal clients? What are their needs and pain points? Research your competition to see what services they offer and how you can differentiate yourself. This information will help you tailor your marketing and sales strategies.

Create tasks in ClickUp to research and analyze your target market and competition.

3. Develop your services and pricing

Now, it's time to develop your services and pricing structure. Determine what web design services you offer and how you will package them. Consider your target market's budget and needs when setting your prices. Be sure to also outline any additional services or upsells you may offer, such as SEO optimization or website maintenance.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to track and organize your services and pricing.

4. Create a marketing and sales plan

To attract clients and generate leads, you'll need a solid marketing and sales plan. Outline your strategies for promoting your web design services, such as social media marketing, content creation, or networking events. Determine how you will reach potential clients and convert them into paying customers.

Use the Gantt chart in ClickUp to map out your marketing and sales activities and set deadlines.

5. Outline your financial projections and budget

Financial planning is crucial for any business. Outline your financial projections and budget, including your expected revenue, expenses, and profit margins. Consider factors such as marketing costs, overhead expenses, and any investments or loans you may need. This will help you understand the financial health of your business and make informed decisions.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to create and track your financial projections and budget.

6. Set milestones and review your progress

Lastly, set milestones and regularly review your progress. Break down your business plan into actionable steps and set deadlines for each milestone. Regularly review your progress and make adjustments as needed. Celebrate your achievements and learn from any setbacks to continuously improve and grow your web design business.

Create milestones in ClickUp to track your progress and stay motivated.

By following these steps and using ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you'll have a comprehensive and actionable plan to guide your web design business towards success.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Web Designers

Web designers can use the Business Plan Template for Web Designers to create a comprehensive plan for their web design business, including goals, strategies, and financial projections.

First, hit "Add Template" to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you'd like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a successful web design business:

• Use the Topics View to outline different sections of your business plan, such as goals, target market, pricing strategies, and marketing plans
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Use the Timeline View to set deadlines for each section and keep track of your progress
• The Business Plan View will give you an overview of your entire business plan, allowing you to see how each section fits together
• The Getting Started Guide View will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the template and create your business plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and categorize your tasks
• Update statuses and custom fields as you work on each section to keep team members informed of progress
• Monitor and analyze tasks to ensure your business plan is on track for success.
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How to start a web design business from scratch

Want to start a web design business? Read this informative guide for eight essential steps to consider when building a web design company.

Here’s what you need to think about before you quit your day job and start your own web design business.

It can be challenging to work a full-time job while also taking on freelance clients, especially if your passion lies with your freelance work. Starting your own web design business is exciting, but it’s important to think about all the factors that could affect this long-term commitment.

Are you sure of your future clients and their demands? How certain are you about their payment credibility? How will you move forward, pay your employees, bear infrastructure costs, and run the daily operations of your web design company?

Before you quit your day job and start your own web design business, you’ll need to consider these questions. Here’s an eight-step process to get you started.

How to start a web design business in 9 steps

Step 1: plan.

Start by asking yourself questions such as:

• What is your company’s niche or focus going to be?
• Are you starting out solo, or will you hire staff or freelancers?
• How many web designers are you going to recruit?
• Will you hire administrative staff, or will designers and developers need to multitask in the beginning stages?
• Where will the location of the new company be, and how much space will it require?
• What’s your budget for equipment such as computers, furniture, software, etc.?
• How much will you initially invest in advertising, marketing, and branding to attract clients?

You’ll need to dedicate a lot of time and resources to get your web design business up and running, so map out clear schedules, budgets, and plans. Be sure to research current web design trends so you can get a feel for what your future clients might request.

If you have a mentor, reach out to them. Talking with someone who has experience starting their own business is a great way to gain valuable insights into the entrepreneurial journey.

Step 2: Determine your services and specialties

• Are you an ecommerce specialist?
• Are you an expert in setting up learning portals?
• Do your services include blogging (providing content regularly), or will your web design deliverables be simple static pages?
• Will you also be hosting your clients’ websites?
• Will you provide SEO (search engine optimization) services?
• Will you offer website maintenance services?

You don’t have to be everything for everyone. Instead, focus on the skills and services you excel at.

Consider offering services that bring in automatic recurring revenue, such as website maintenance and hosting. These services aren’t as hands-on as creating a new website, but they pay off well. For instance, hardware manufacturers make recurring income by offering annual maintenance contracts. Most annual maintenance contracts are billed with no work done as the hardware components are good to run for years.

Step 3: Set up your portfolio

Once you know what aspects of web design you’d like to focus on, build your web design portfolio around them. Your website will be the face of your company, so make sure it shows off your skills and includes your services, prices, and contact information.

If you have happy customers from your freelance days, reach out to them and ask for testimonials that you can add to your site. Those recommendations are crucial for a new business.

Get in touch with your previous clients and ask their permission to showcase their projects on your website. If you are unable to share business names due to confidentiality, consider anonymizing the designs or requiring a password to view them.

Step 4: Establish your business operations

Next up is staffing. When you first launch your business, you might be working solo. But if and when you have the budget, you’ll want to reach out to your network and bring trusted designers and developers to your team. As you grow, you might consider adding administrative and marketing professionals to your team, too.

You may also consider outsourcing mundane tasks you don’t want to pay attention to, such as taxes and finances. And if you have employees, you’ll need to hire a person or service to handle things like benefits and time off for employees.

You and your team will need computers with large high-definition screens and additional monitors (minimum 21 inches) for design work. Verify your camera specifications as well — you’ll need good quality cameras and microphones to communicate with your clients. Consider getting dedicated business internet services so you’ll have fast, reliable connectivity.

Next, build your tech stack with tools for:

• Website mockups and prototypes
• Graphic design
• Web development
• Document management
• Project management

Set up a system to track your ongoing projects. Try to automate most of the day-to-day tasks.

• Use autoresponders to reply to clients who contact you via the contact form, particularly about doing business with you. You can also use email autoresponders when you’re going on vacation or taking leave.
• Find a system that keeps track of hours contributed to a client’s work and then uses that information to create invoices.
• Use apps such as Todoist and Asana for tracking to-do lists and schedules and assigning work.

As you gain more clients, be ready to accommodate your company’s growth and provide resources and changes in infrastructure.

From the fundamentals to advanced topics — learn how to build sites in Webflow and become the designer you always wanted to be.

Step 5: Determine legal requirements

Once you’ve decided on a name for your business, it’s time to make it official.

Determine whether your company will be a private limited, LLC, corporation, etc. according to your country and/or state regulations. For example, if you live in India, you need to get a GST number to pay sales tax on goods delivered to your clients. Plus, you need to register your online domain name as well.

Ensure that your budget accounts for business insurance so you can protect both your physical assets and business.

Business taxes can be complicated, so it’s a good idea to contract a tax professional who can provide guidance and services. Work with them to set up accounting software such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks so that you can easily track business expenses and export the necessary information when tax time rolls around.

Make sure you set up a business bank account for your company revenue and expenses. And don’t forget about accepting payments from your clients! Services such as PayPal or Stripe are great for processing digital payments.

Step 6: Establish deliverables and pricing

Establish a process for keeping your clients updated about deliverables. While your clients probably won’t want a daily update, you should determine specific milestones when you’ll check in with them. Working with your clients throughout the project keeps them engaged and gives them a chance to provide feedback earlier in the process.

Stick to schedules as diligently as possible and don’t forget to account for revisions. Your contract should define what types of revisions are included in the project price (if any) and outline costs for additional changes. If you need to make adjustments, work with the client on a new delivery date so they know when to expect the revised project.

If you’ve been using freelance sites like Upwork or Freelancer, you probably have a good idea of what deliverables to offer, but be careful about setting your prices. When you have your own business, there is more overhead, so you’ll probably need to raise your rates.

There are online calculators and price charts to reference when you are unsure about prices, such as this freelance rate calculator or the Omni finance calculator .

If your budget permits, you can compare your prices to your competitors’ with tools like Luminate Market Price, PROSPros, Zilliant, and Pricefy.

Step 7: Create work contracts and agreements

A vital part of your business is a work contract. Contracts clearly establish expectations and requirements for both parties — you and your client.

The contract should include details related to deliverables, timelines, and prices and account for what-if scenarios. Aim for contracts that are simple and to the point. You don’t want to intimidate clients with massive contracts full of unnecessary legal jargon.

Define the payment terms in the contract. Clearly state how and when you will invoice for work and include instructions on how and when your clients should make payments. Don’t forget to include stipulations for late payments.

Save yourself some time by working with a legal professional to create template contracts based on the different services and packages you offer. This way, you can simply fill in a few details for each new project. You can also use template services like LegalZoom or America’s SBDC .

Step 8: Business

Even if you’re bringing your previous freelance clients into your new web design business, you’ll need a way to attract new customers as well.

Share your website on your personal social media channels to start building brand awareness. You may even want to set up separate business accounts like a LinkedIn company page or Facebook business account.

If you are providing expertise in a particular niche, mention that. That way, you stand out from the crowd. Do you create unique sites for specific industries like gaming, B2B, or software as a service companies? Do you work in a particular industry, or have you worked for government agencies? Showcase some work samples — highlighting your specialties will draw relevant clients to you from among the many looking for web designers.

Don’t ignore the importance of video marketing. Whether it is a YouTube channel or Vimeo, make your presence known with videos.

Email marketing is a good way to promote your business, too. Services such as Mailchimp make it easy to maintain an email list of clients and share promotions, new services, and company updates with them. You could even use a newsletter to share tips or promote an affiliate program that encourages existing customers to spread the word about your business.

You might also want to use customer relationship management software, which works as an autoresponder and an email marketing tool and tracks overall business development, customers, and growth.

Step 9: Continue your education

Remain competitive by keeping an eye on web design trends and setting aside time for improving your web design skills. Sign up for web design courses or watch free lessons online through platforms like Webflow University .

Watching your competition is another way of staying ahead of them. Keep track of your competitors’ websites and growth, and it will inspire and motivate you to do better.

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Home » Sample Business Plans » Online Startups

How to Write a Web Design Agency Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a web design company? If YES, here is a complete sample web design company business plan template & feasibility study you can use for FREE . If you are a web designer, there is no limit to the amount you can make as a professional especially if you know how to generate market for your services. The truth is that starting a web design business is one of the businesses you can successfully launch without a start – up capital.

The fact that you are a web designer does not in any way restrict you to a certain way of doing business. First and foremost, you must have mastered the skill, and then you should look outside the box. Looking outside the box could mean that you should also acquire complimentary skills like graphic designing, video editing and video coverage skills et al.

The bottom line is that if you want to make more money as a web designer, then you should be ready to go out of your way to develop innovative business ideas that is in sync with your skills; ideas that won’t take you too far from your core area of business.

Here below is a sample Web Design Business Plan;

A Sample Web Design Company Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The web design industry is an industry that basically involves designing websites and hosting same on the World Wide Web (the internet space) for individuals and corporate organization. In recent time, there is hardly any serious minded business / organization or individual who wants to make impact that does not have a website. A website is one of the most potent platforms to communicate your message or market your services and products.

As internet access becomes affordable, the number of those who visit the internet on a per second basis has tremendously increase hence the increase in the demand for the services of website designers. The fact that there are no entry barrier in the web design industry gives room for any serious minded person to learn the trade and start making money from the industry.

Despite the fact the web design industry is still growing, it is becoming over-saturated, as there are many aspiring entrepreneurs who are becoming web designers due to the massive opportunities available in the industry.

The major factors and incentives which endear people to this industry is the fact that it is in vogue in the world today, and its usefulness cannot be over- emphasized, therefore anybody who wishes to become professional in all aspects of it, and become relevant in any field in the world today will be prompted to go into the web design industry.

The Web Design Services industry is an open industry, hence a low level of market share concentration. Even though large multiservice agencies operate in the industry, revenue is also spread among thousands of small firms and freelancers.

As a matter of fact, no single web design company can account for more than 5.0 percent of the total revenue generated in the industry. This is the reason why freelance web designers accounts for a large percent of the players in the web design services industry.

Everyone will quite agree that the web design industry has come to stay and of course it is one industry that plays key roles not only in the business world, but also in almost all the aspect of what goes around in our world today. The web design industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much active in all the parts of the world.

Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 150,898 registered graphic design companies, employing about 215,562 and the industry rakes in about $24bn annually. Going forward, the industry is projected to grow at the rate of 4.9 percent annually.

Over and above, the web design service industry is very open to any aspiring entrepreneur who have the required skills to start his or her own web design business and of course make good money from the industry. As a matter of fact, it was projected that over the next five years, new technology will continue to emerge that will make it easier for more players to come into the industry hence increasing the competition in the industry.

2. Executive Summary

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is a U.S based and world class web design company. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in a central business district in Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland. We are a web design company that is set to compete in the highly competitive web design services industry not only in the United States market, but also in the global market.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will offer all aspects of web design services and graphic design services such as Web Design, Print Media Design, Advertising and Corporate Branding, Graphic and Commercial art services, Corporate Identification design services (logos), Cartoons and Animations.

Our business goal is to become one of the leading web design company in the United States and we will make sure that every website we design conforms to international best practices. Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of talented and highly creative web designers and graphic artists in and around Baltimore and also from any part of the world as the business grows.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with leading web design companies in the United States and throughout the globe.

We have put plans in place to build a state of the art web design cum graphics studio in Baltimore – Maryland. Our studio will be well equipped and we will ensure that we follow the trend in the industry. At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is founded by David Foreman and his friend and business partner for many years Jonathan Cosby. They have a combine experience in web designing, graphic designing, corporate branding and advertising and business management et al.

3. Our Products and Services

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the web design cum graphic design industry. We want to compete favorably with the leading web design companies in the United States which is why we have but in place a competent quality assurance team that will ensure that any website we design or related services rendered meet and even surpass our customers’ expectations.

We will work hard to ensure that Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is not just accepted nationally in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world. Our products and services are listed below;

• Designing Websites for both corporate clients and individual clients
• Developing Websites and Custom Platform Web Development
• Word Press Web Development
• Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Web Graphic Design and Commercial art services
• Corporate Identification design service
• Other web design related services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish a standard and world class web cum graphic design company whose services and brand will not only be accepted in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.
• Our mission is to provide professional and highly creative web design services and other related services that will assist businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations in promoting their brands and reaching out to a wide range of potential customers all over the globe.
• We want to build a web design company that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the wed design services industry.

Our Business Structure

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, is a web design cum graphic design company that intend starting small in Baltimore, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading graphic web design companies in the industry both in the United States and on a global stage.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hire the best hands within our area of operations.

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Creative Director

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Web Designer cum Graphic Artist (5)

Content Creator

Client Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Creative Director:

• Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
• Responsible for designing concepts for website to be developed for client (s)
• In charge of copy writing and laying out chronological advertisement plans
• Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Make certain that production and development department perform efficiently, coordinate employee efforts, and facilitate communications between management and graphic designer
• Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices.
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carrying out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office and factory activities.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Model demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Creates new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empowers and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets

Accountant / Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC
• Serves as internal auditor for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC

Web Designer cum Graphic Designers (5)

• Liaises with clients to determine their requirement and budget
• Responsible for Optimizing Website Functionality for owners of existing websites
• Responsible for Search Engine Optimization Services and Code Writing Services
• Responsible for developing concepts, graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites
• Responsible for managing client proposals from typesetting through to design, print and production
• Responsible for reviewing final layout and suggesting improvement if necessary
• Responsible for working with clients, briefing and advising them with regards to design style, format, print production and timescales et al
• Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and font style and size
• Responsible for liaising with external printers on a regular basis to ensure deadlines are met and material is printed to the highest quality
• Responsible for preparing drafts or material based on an agreement brief.
• Researches and advice the organization on style, genre and other trendy info as it relates to website design and graphic design.
• Responsible for creating content based on clients demand
• Serves as editor for the organization
• Presents contents to customers for evaluation
• Liaises and works effectively with web designer and graphic artists
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the creative director in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured web cum graphic design business that can favorably compete in the highly competitive web design service industry in the United States and the world at large.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of creative and highly proficient web cum graphic designers, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the web design service industry. Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected web designer, our designs and services will be guided by best practices in the industry.

As a new web design company in Baltimore – Maryland, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive web design services industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

No doubt, the opportunities in the web design cum graphic design services industry is massive considering the number of individuals and corporate organizations whose businesses depends on the services of web designers and graphic artist. As a web design cum graphic design Services Company, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new web design cum graphic design company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The trend in the web cum graphic design services industry is that the target market keep expanding, people and organizations are now seeing the need for them to have an official website and also to engage the services of graphic designers either in branding or packaging their products and services or in helping them create animations that will help them communicate their brand to a wide range of clients.

For example, politicians no longer rely on graphic artists to design and produce colorful campaign handbills, posters, billboards and other print related campaign materials but also to help them produce animations and cartoons that will help them effectively communicate their message.

Another common trend in the web design services industry is that, most web design firms no longer settle for clients within the location where their physical office is located but also from any part of the world. The truth is that with the advent of the internet, it is now easier for a web design company or a web designer to work for clients in any part of the world.

A web design company can be located in the United States of America and have their biggest client in United Arab Emirates. Many thanks to the power of the internet which has brought the world closer to us. Lastly, the web design industry will continue to evolve due to the advancement of computer technology and software applications designs et al.

8. Our Target Market

Before starting our web design business, we are certain that there is a wide range of both corporate and individual clients who cannot successfully run their businesses without the services of web cum graphic designers. In view of that, we have created strategies that should enable us reach out to various corporate organizations and individual who we know can’t afford to do without our services.

We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that all our web design cum graphic design services is well accepted in the market place. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our products and services to;

• Banks, Insurance Companies and other related Financial Institutions
• Blue Chips Companies
• Corporate Organizations
• Manufacturers and Distributors
• Real Estate Owners, Developers, and Contractors
• Research and Development Companies
• The Government (Public Sector)
• Schools (High Schools, Colleges and Universities)
• Celebrities, Politicians, Public Figures and Public Speakers
• Sport Organizations
• Religious Organizations
• Political Parties
• Television Stations
• Printing Press (Publishing Houses) and Authors
• Branding and Advertising agencies
• Entrepreneurs and Start – Ups

Our Competitive Advantage

Surviving in the business world as a web design industry requires more than, your expertise, knowing how to deliver standard web designs but also how to network with key people that matters; decision makers that can decide who will get a web design contract.

Without a shadow of doubt, there are loads of big time investors, that have a stake in the web design industry; but one thing is certain, there is room big enough to accommodate both the big web design companies and the small web design companies.

What smaller web design companies need to do to survive in the industry is to concentrate on providing web design services to households, event planners, estates, communities, schools, hospitals and hotels et al before bidding for big web design contracts from corporations and government agencies.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the web design services industry means that you are not only expected to be able to deliver consistent and highly creative and users’ friendly websites, but you must be able to meet set targets.

No one would want to continue to hire your services if don’t always meet up with the target date of completion of projects. Our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce.

We have a team of creative and highly proficient web designers and graphic designers, a team with excellent qualifications and experience various niche areas in the web design services industry. Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected web cum graphic designers our designs and services will be guided by best practices in the industry.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups web design businesses in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the web design services industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will generate income by offering the following web design and graphic design related services;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain; there would always be corporate organization and individual who would need the services of web cum graphic design firms.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in web design services industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow our web cum graphic design company to enviable heights.

We have been able to critically examine the web design market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Baltimore – Maryland.

Below is the sales projection for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and of course the wide range of our services and target market;

• First Year-: $100,000
• Second Year-: $300,000
• Third Year-: $750,000

N.B -: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same web design services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competition in the web design services industry; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the web design cum graphic design industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC.

Our corporate goal is to grow Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC to become one of the top 10 web design brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the United States of America but also in other parts of the world.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our web cum graphic design company by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to individuals, corporate organizations, religious organizations and key stake holders.
• Promptness in bidding for web design and graphic design contracts from the government and other cooperate organizations
• Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver excellent design and services
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our in house brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both corporate clients and individual clients in the whole of the United States and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our web cum graphic design company.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Baltimore – Maryland.
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact corporate organizations by calling them up and informing them of Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC and the services we offer
• List our web cum graphic design company in local directories / yellow pages
• Advertise our web cum graphic design company in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC we will keep the prices of our services below the average market rate for all of our customers by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from corporate organizations who would hire our services.

In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals. We are aware that there are some one – off jobs or government contracts which are always lucrative, we will ensure that we abide by the pricing model that is expected from contractors or organizations that bid for such contracts.

• Payment Options

At Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC, our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a web design company; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to setup Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring an office space or warehouse that will accommodate the number of employees for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $100,000.
• Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers / internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• Amount required to purchase the needed software applications – $ 3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a medium scale but standard web cum graphic design company firm in the United States of America.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is a business that will be owned and managed by David Foreman and his friend and business partner for many years Jonathan Cosby. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $85,000 and soft loan from family members $15,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $150,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our web design and graphic services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Nine & Ten Technology®, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Securing a standard office facility for our studio: Completed
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of Logo for the business: Completed
• Secure trademark for our products: In Progress
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: In Progress

More on Online Startups

Website Design Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Website Design Business Plan Template

If you want to start a successful website design business or expand your current website design business, you need a business plan.

Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Our team has helped develop over 100,000 business plans over the past 20 years, including thousands of website design business plans.

The following website design business plan template and example gives you the key elements you must include in your plan. In our experience speaking with lenders and investors, the template is organized in the precise format they want.

You can download our Ultimate Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.  

Website Design Business Plan Example

I. executive summary, business overview.

[Company Name] is a new website design company that helps businesses and individuals located in [Location] design the website of their dreams. We offer a comprehensive list of services that allows us to be involved in every step of the web design process. We start by providing a free consultation and then offer services based on what the client needs. We specialize in designing a website from the ground up, including web hosting and domain management, but can provide simpler services such as redesign services and SEO. No matter what the client is looking for, we have the skills and vision to make their dreams a reality.

Products Served

[Company Name] provides a comprehensive list of services that encompasses the entire web design process. Providing all of these options allows us to either help build a website completely from scratch or build off of a pre-existing website/template. Some of the specific services we offer include:

• Custom website design and web development
• Domain and web hosting
• Redesign services
• Graphic design and logo design services
• Building out specific web pages
• Branding advice
• DNS changes
• Video embedding and linking
• Form integration

We offer free consultations with all new clients to figure out what they need, what their budget is, and what their final vision looks like. At the end of the consultation, we offer specific services and provide a price depending on what the client requires. Clients can purchase individual services or a package that encompasses multiple services and features.

Customer Focus

[Company Name]’s core customer base will be small to midsize businesses located in the [Location] metro area. We expect many of these businesses to be fairly new (only starting within the last five years) with project earnings being less than $5 million.

We will also provide our services to entrepreneurs and individuals who need a website designed for them. However, we do not expect that individuals will make up a large customer segment for our business.

Management Team

[Company Name] is founded and led by [Founder’s Name], who has been a web designer for [X] years. Throughout his career, he has built and designed hundreds of websites for solopreneurs, small agencies, and major corporations. He has worked both as an employee for large web design companies and as a consultant. Now he is ready to utilize his skills and turn his consultancy into a full web design firm.

Success Factors

[Company Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

• [Company Name] provides a service that is in high demand.
• [Founder’s Name] has surveyed businesses in the target market and received extremely positive feedback saying that they explicitly want to make use of [Company Name]’s services.
• The management team has a track record of success in the web design/development industry.
• The web design business is a proven business and has succeeded in communities throughout the United States.

Financial Highlights

[Company Name] is seeking a total funding of $250,000 of debt capital to open its office. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Office design/build: $50,000
• Equipment and software: $100,000
• Working capital: $100,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, equipment, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

II. Company Overview

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Who is [Company Name]?

[Company Name] is a new website design company that helps businesses of [Location] design their dream website. We offer a comprehensive list of services that allows us to be involved in every step of the web design process. We start by providing a free consultation and then offer services based on what the client needs. Depending on the consultation we will typically either build a site from the ground up or provide simpler services like redesign and SEO.

Clients who want to build a completely new website with us will get the works. We will provide domain purchase and management, web hosting, brand advice, and graphic design for the entire site. Together we will collaborate to ensure we add the perfect copy, images, and embedded videos to perfect our clients’ brand. Those who need help with an existing site can purchase limited services where we can help out with SEO, branding, and editing website elements. We are happy to work with a variety of websites including sites made with WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace.

[Company Name] is founded and led by [Founder’s Name], who has been a website designer for 20 years. After years of working as a web design employee and consultant, he is now ready to utilize his skills and experience to launch a new web design firm. He has conducted a market analysis, found a potential location, and is searching for sources of funding.

[Company Name]’s History

Once his market analysis was complete, [Founder’s Name] began surveying the local vacant office space and located an ideal location for his new company. [Founder’s Name] incorporated [Company Name] as a Limited Liability Corporation on [Date of Incorporation].

Since incorporation, the company has achieved the following milestones:

• Located available office space for rent that is in a busy commercial district
• Developed the company’s name, logo, and website located at [website]
• Determined equipment and necessary supplies
• Began recruiting key employees

[Company Name]’s Products/Services

[Company Name] provides a comprehensive list of services that encompasses the entire web design process. This includes everything from creating a custom website from scratch, providing brand advice, offering domain management and web hosting, and providing redesign services.

We offer free consultations with all new potential clients to figure out what they need, what their budget is, and what their final vision looks like. At the end of the consultation, we offer specific services and provide a price depending on what the client requires. Clients can purchase individual services or a package that encompasses multiple services and features.

III. Industry Analysis

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here. The Web Design market is in high demand due to the ever-growing need for websites. A website is a necessity now, especially if you want to build a brand, business, or other form of digital presence. However, not everyone knows how to design a good website. Therefore, many people turn to website design services to help them create, design, and perfect their website.

According to IBIS World, the Web Design market grew at a rate of 2.5% per year over the past five years and was valued at $40.6bn in 2022. We expect that the next five years will have similar growth since the demand for web development and design has not slowed down.

Several factors will affect the industry’s growth in the next several years. These include changes in per capita income, gross corporate profits, and technological advances.

IV. Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

[Company Name] will serve local small to midsize businesses in need of website design services. We expect that these businesses will have at least a few dozen employees and earn less than $5 million in annual revenue. We will also serve entrepreneurs and individuals in need of web design services.

Customer Segmentation

[Company Name] will primarily target the following three customer segments:

• Startups: Businesses that have been in operation for two years or less often need efficient website design services that work within their budget. We can provide them with basic packages that will cover their most essential needs.
• Small to medium-sized businesses: The area has many small and mid-sized businesses with less than 1000 employees. These businesses have varying website needs. With our flexible packages and scalability, we can provide service packages that meet their unique needs.
• Entrepreneurs and individuals: Entrepreneurs and individuals have website design needs as well, and often don’t have the skill or time to create one on their own. Therefore, we expect a small portion of our business will be from this customer segment.

V. Competitive Analysis

Direct & indirect competitors.

The following businesses provide either direct or indirect competition for customers:

Wix Wix is a popular online website builder that makes it easy for people to build a website without web design experience. Customers can choose a design from a limited selection of templates and then customize them as much as they need. This can make designing a website quick and easy without the need for a developer. Furthermore, when choosing a premium plan, customers can purchase a unique domain and get access to additional features and support. While Wix is a popular tool, its premium packages are often too pricey for average people. Furthermore, the designs are limited and customers cannot change the design once they have chosen one. Another common complaint from customers is that it can be very difficult to get all the elements positioned in the way that the customer wants. This prevents the customer from creating a website that they are happy with or adequately showcases their brand.

WordPress Approximately 43% of all the world’s websites are powered and designed by WordPress. This by far makes WordPress our biggest competitor. This powerhouse offers a simple dashboard and process to make creating and designing a website as easy as possible. Customers can self-host a WordPress site, purchase hosting services, or sign up for the more limited WordPress.com which is hosted by WordPress itself.

Like Wix, WordPress offers extremely limited templates that can restrict creativity. This is especially true for customers who try WordPress.com, a free alternative for those wanting a site for simple blogging or personal reasons. There are a limited number of templates available, with many getting phased out every few years. Furthermore, customers often struggle to get elements where they want them, so they have to compromise with a layout that they are not happy with.

Rick’s Website Solutions Rick’s Website Solutions is a local firm that helps individuals and businesses design great websites. The websites can be for commercial use, such as promoting a company or selling a product, or they can be for personal use such as for planning a wedding or special event. The services provided and the pricing for those services depend on the scope of the project.

While Rick’s will remain a popular option for locals, the firm is very small, with Rick being the only website designer. The firm does not have the capacity to handle larger projects and is showing no signs of expanding anytime soon. Therefore, we expect to take much of his potential business as we will have a larger team and more resources to help our clients.

Competitive Advantage

[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. These advantages include:

• Management: [Founder’s Name] has been extremely successful working in the web design industry and will be able to use his previous experience to provide the best service experience. His unique qualifications will serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than [Company Names] competitors.
• Relationships: [Founder’s Name] knows many of the local leaders, business managers, and other influencers within [Location]. With his [X] years of experience and good relationships with business leaders in the area, he will be able to develop an initial client base.
• Comprehensive Services: [Company Name] will provide a comprehensive suite of services to help our clients throughout every step of the web design and development process.

VI. Marketing Plan

The [company name] brand.

The [Company Name] brand will focus on the company’s unique value proposition:

• Client-focused web design services that are customized for every client
• Service built on long-term relationships
• Thorough knowledge of the clients and their varying needs

Promotions Strategy

[Company Name] expects its initial target market to be businesses within a 20-mile radius of its location. [Company Name]’s promotion strategy to reach these individuals includes:

Targeted Cold Calls [Company Name] will initially invest significant time and energy into contacting potential clients via telephone. To improve the effectiveness of this phase of the marketing strategy, a highly focused call list will be used, targeting startups and small businesses. As this is a very time-consuming process, it will primarily be used during the startup phase to build an initial client base.

Referrals [Company Name] understands that the best promotion comes from satisfied customers. The company will encourage its clients to refer other businesses by providing economic or financial incentives for every new client produced. This strategy will increase in effectiveness after the business has already been established.

Social Media [Company Name] will invest heavily in a social media advertising campaign. [Founder’s Name] will create the company’s social media accounts and invest in ads on all social media platforms. It will use targeted marketing to appeal to the target demographics.

Publications The company will place print advertisements in key local publications, including newspapers, area magazines, and business newsletters. Additionally, [Company Name] will print brochures and place them in specific locations frequented by target individuals, such as small business development centers.

Website/SEO [Company Name] will invest heavily in developing a professional website that displays all of the features and benefits of our services. It will also invest heavily in SEO so that the brand’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Direct Mail [Company Name] will blanket businesses with direct mail pieces. These pieces will provide general information on [Company Name], offer discounts, or provide other incentives for companies to try out our services.

Pricing Strategy

[Company Name]’s pricing will be on par with competitors so clients feel they receive great value when purchasing our web design services.

VII. Operations Plan

Functional roles.

To execute [Company Name]’s business model, the company needs to perform several functions:

Service Functions

• Consult with clients about their website needs
• Develop and design websites
• Provide additional requested services
• Fix bugs accordingly
• Provide customer service

Administrative Functions

• Bookkeeping
• Hiring and training staff
• General administrative functions

VIII. Management Team

Management team members.

Though [Founder’s Name] has never run a managed service provider firm himself, his previous experience has given him an in-depth knowledge of the business, including the operations side (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business management side (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.).

Hiring Plan

[Founder’s Name] will serve as the President of [Company Name]. To launch, he needs to hire the following personnel:

• Web Designers (3 to start)
• Administrative Staff (1 to start)
• Marketing Staff (1 to start)

IX. Financial Plan

Revenue and cost drivers.

The key revenues for [Company Name] will come from the fees we charge for our website design services.

The major cost drivers for the company include marketing expenses, labor, equipment purchasing and maintenance, and overhead costs.

Capital Requirements and Use of Funds

  5 Year Annual Income Statement

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Website Planning Templates | Website Planning Guide

Most people assume that to build a great website, your priority should be on technical aspects or being good at the design stuff. However, we disagree.

Great websites are not built on a whim. They are planned and then built (and frequently updated).

So this guide will help you set you up for success with your new website by giving you a solid plan to start with. You can give this to an external developer/agency or use it as an internal reference if your own team is working on it. Regardless of how you execute, website planning will make everything better.

Phase 1: Pre Website Planning

Phase 2: information architecture and user flows, phase 3: design layouts and site infrastructure.

Phase 4: Promotion and Marketing

If you want a document to fill out and then present, we have downloadable Word and Google Docs files which include some great Creately templates.

Get the website planning templates here;

Download the Word Document Template

Determine Your Website Objectives

A clear business objective is the first step towards creating a successful website.

Whether it is to generate more leads or sell your product in foreign markets, once you know what you want to do with the website, everything else – from the type of information you should add on your site to its design – will be so much easier to decide.

So first of all, list down your objectives that will fit your overall marketing strategies and capabilities.

Analyze the Websites of Your Top Competitors and Market Trends

Once launched, your website won’t be the only one out there selling or promoting the type of product you’ve got.

This is why you need to see what’s already out there and compare them with what you have in mind.

• Look into the websites of your competitors and other industry websites as well. They will not only inspire you but will also give you an idea as to what you should and shouldn’t include on the website.
• Examine what trends are leading your market at the time . This will help you create a website that is both relevant and useful to your potential customers.

Use the following mind map to organize the information you collect on the websites of your top competitors and market trends.  Share it with your team and get their input as well.

Bringing all this into a single mind map gives you the chance to spot patterns and understand the space in a different sense.

Organize Information with Information Architecture

This is where you consider what the user expects to see and the content you want users to associate with each section of the website.

Information architecture helps you determine the usability of your website design – or in other words, make sense of how information on your site is displayed and accessed.

Learn how to properly create an information architecture of your website in six steps here .

Define Your Website’s Structure Using a Site Map

In layman’s terms website map is a tool for planning and designing websites. Visualizing your website using a sitemap (also known as a site architecture map) is a decisive step because it helps in creating coherent navigation paths for users to follow through the website. With this framework in place, you can think logically understand and consider how your users will navigate through the site, then tailor content to them.

Sketch your sitemap

Use a  sitemap drawing tool or plain pen and paper to sketch your  sitemap out. Using standard sheets of paper may not be enough to accommodate all your design thoughts and ideas, so you have to preferably use more paper or to keep it simple, just use a sitemap tool to get this job done. And keep the design layouts organized in folders online or on your local disk instead of wasting time looking around for papers you know you have somewhere.

Use a clean layout

What is the best layout to illustrate your website’s structure? Start by drawing a  page icon in the middle, this will represent the homepage. From there, more page icons will branch out horizontally to indicate other pages within the website. Within minutes, you will have the horizontal diagrammatic representation of the structure of your website in the top-down structure.

Color to create a visual treat

Color up the shapes on your sitemap structure to produce unmatched levels of aesthetics delivering a unique visual treat and bringing the entire sitemap to life. You can give the homepage one color and each of the subsequent sections can be shaded differently to show the hierarchy of pages.

Style all the navigation links

Each Web page in the sitemap is represented as a page icon. Navigation links (connectors) are used to connect the page icons to illustrate the relationships that exist between the pages. These connectors can be either straight, curved, or sharp-angled. See the image below to understand how each of these connector styles affects the overall look of the sitemap.

Suggest URLs for each page

The importance of a web page’s URL structure is always a debated topic. SEO experts consider placing keywords in the URLs important. Thus, suggesting URLs in the page icons will help clients understand the intended URL structure as a part of the interface.

Create links to test your framework

You are definitely happy that the framework is ready to be sent for review. But it’s always best to test the framework by linking the individual page icon to the respective wireframes of mockups to show the client a clear view of the overall web design project. This will save a lot of time and effort and also help your clients evaluate the functionality and consistency of the existing sitemap structure.

Use the following sitemap template to get started on yours.

Identify the Navigation Flow of Your Visitor

This is where you dig into the data (that you found while creating the information architecture of your site) on information-seeking behavior of your audience and try to uncover a pattern in it.

Using a flowchart , you can map and identify all the pages and touchpoints your ideal visitor would interact with when navigating through your website. User flow is how you figure out what you need to give (in the form of phrases, paragraphs or images) to your visitor to keep them from bouncing off your site.

Identify Key Colors, Elements and Styles with a Mood Board

A mood board can help you create a website look that matches your brand personality which includes your brand voice and brand style.

A usual website mood board should cover

• color palette
• photography or illustration style
• fonts/ typography
• use of space
• navigation style

If you are looking for great website design inspiration, checkout www.pages.xyz .

Arrange Page Elements with Wireframes

Wireframes help you define the hierarchy of content on your design . By referring to the information architecture you created earlier, form the layout of the website pages with the help of a wireframe .

Keep in mind how you want your site visitors to process information when doing so.

It’s also the first step in figuring out how each page on the website is linked to each other.

Tip: Start with wireframes for smaller screens and start your way up. It’s the only hassle-free way to create a responsive website design.  

Finalize the Design with UI Mockups

UI mockups allow you to identify issues with your final design before you launch the website. With it, you can flesh out your wireframe and visualize the final outcome of typography, iconography, color themes, layouts and navigation.

Phase 4: Promotion and Marketing  

Brainstorm ideas for promoting your site.

Once the site is launched, you need to attract visitors to it. This is where site promotion comes in and it involves many tasks like search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, targeted advertising etc.

Get your marketing team together and brainstorm different ways to market and promote your new website. A mind map can help you organize all your ideas and come up with a proper marketing strategy.

Website Development Flowchart

Common Mistakes to Avoid when Planning a Website

Lack of clear goals.

Define clear goals and objectives before starting to plan your website. This will help you make accurate decisions about design, content, and functionality that align with your goals.

Failing to consider user experience

A website should be designed with the user in mind. Consider how visitors will interact with the website and make it easy for them to find what they are looking for.

Ignoring Search Engine Optimization

It’s essential to optimize the content of your website for search engines in order it to be found by potential customers. Therefore make sure you use relevant keywords, include meta tags, and use proper headings.

Overcomplicating design

Simple and clean designs are often more effective than cluttered ones. Avoid adding too many unnecessary elements or features that can overwhelm users.

Not testing and updating

After launching your website, make sure to regularly test and update it. This will help you identify and fix any issues or bugs and keep your website up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.

Ready to Plan Your Website?

We’ve covered planning a website in 8 easy steps under 4 different stages of website planning. Use our website planning template to get started right away.

Would like to add something to our website planning guide? Let us know in the comment section below.

And if you are ready for the next stage of your marketing plan, here’s a handy guide to mobile app planning .

Want to increase traffic to your website? Here are 7 easy steps to increase traffic to your website .

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

FAQs on Website Planning

Website planning is important because it sets the foundation for a successful website.

• Planning helps you define the purpose and goals of your website.
• Helps create a website that meets their needs and expectations which will lead to a better user experience.
• Website planning helps you identify the features and functionality your website needs, which makes the development process more efficient.
• A well-planned website is more likely to be consistent with your branding and messaging, which can help establish a stronger brand identity.

More Related Articles

Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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Sample Design Business Plan – Web Design & Graphic Design Business Plan

• 20. June 2016
• BrainHive Know-How Base @en , Business Plan Samples EN

This is an example of a completed business plan for a startup company providing web and graphic design services (screen design, online marketing, i. e. search engine optimization, social media marketing, click display marketing and web development) to companies in Germany. The company offers its services in the form of long-term maintenance contracts as well as complete service packages and campaigns, in order to enable the customers to focus on their actual core businesses. The location is the area of Giessen.

The company founder and manager has extensive knowledge experience in the field, both in practice as a web designer and internet marketer (8 years, employed/self-employed) as well as academically, being a graduate in electrical engineering and web design.

The business plan elaborates on crucial points like the concept (services incl. range of systems and programming languages, and the related operational procedures, USP, company vision), provides an overview of the market situation (competitive but with still increasing demand), as well as a risk analysis. It also gives information regarding potential business partners (an existing network of independent contractors) the marketing plan and financing.

While the expansion of the business is part of the strategy, it is expected that in the long-term the number of clients will decrease, so the focus lies on the increase of customer’s quality and loyalty (i.e. long-term and extensive customer relationships) by providing professionalism as well as high quality. It can be assumed that – given the current situation – the company will not only be well-established within short but also grow quickly.

While the facts as such might already be promising, their appropriate, convincing presentation is a crucial aspect as well. The financing of a business is an important issue, and a professional and adequate business plan will help establish the professional trust of potential investors.

Extra tip: A good way to get started quickly, efficiently and professionally is to hire business plan writers to write your business development plan. At BrainHive, we offer experienced business planning services. If you want to know how much a business plan costs , we can also help you out, being one of the most affordable and yet professional business plan consulting firms in the market. Don’t hesitate to approach us anytime if you want to learn more about us or get an individual quote for your business plan project. It is perhaps also worthwhile to note that we can also help you with your existing business plan , as well as prepare just the your business plan’s financial part . This way, you can rest assured that you will receive a custom-tailored business planning service that fits your exact need at the best price imaginable.

Sample Design Business Plan Overview

1. Executive Summary 2. Market and Competition Analysis 3. Opportunities and Threats 4. Location 5. Partner/s 6. Marketing Strategy 7. The Manager/Founder 8. Legal Form 9. Staff 10. Financial Planning

1. Sample Design Business Plan: Executive Summary

The primary business concept of the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. entails providing web and graphic design services to companies in Germany.

So far the focus of the manager’s work has been in these areas, both as a freelancer (self-employed) and on a permanent, long-term basis. Future clients will be supported in optimally structuring their digital marketing formation and choosing the right strategy. The [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will provide companies with adjustments to long-term maintenance contracts as well as complete service packages and campaigns, so that businesses can concentrate on their core operational competencies. The outsourcing of digital marketing work has become very important for companies in recent years in order to remain competitive. The manager is a graduate in electrical engineering and web design with 8 years of experience in web design / Internet marketing. He completed his studies in web design 2 years ago and has numerous references and professional certifications. A previous client and longtime employer who first hired Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder as an electrician was really satisfied with his work.

The manager will pursue further opportunities for expansion in the course of business. A particular focus in this case is the further utilization of existing knowledge in the area of screen design, online marketing (search engine optimization, social media marketing and click display marketing) and web development. Given the success to date, an existing network of independent contractors and the thought-out strategy of the manger is to assume that [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will establish itself well and grow rapidly.

1.1 Services

The marketing services [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. offers are in the areas of web design, graphic design and other services (Screen design, online marketing and web development). The manager can cover the complete range of web design services, having studied it and having access to a network of freelance experts. The manager has exceptional expertise when it comes to sites with mobile end devices, making him the right partner in even the most demanding projects. The following list includes the complete range of systems and programming languages, in which the startup can provide services:

• HTML & CSS
• PHP & MySQL
• Database design
• Content management systems (building your own CMS, thus easy to adjust and flexible)
• Online shops

The right decisions can be made at the very start of the project based on the manager’s experience in the field of online marketing and search engine optimization. The client’s aims for a modern-looking website with good functionality and a stable, lucrative Internet presence will be fulfilled to his/her complete satisfaction. The manager has also carried out numerous projects in the area of graphic design and is particularly well-versed in professional Adobe Creative Cloud programs and the Adobe Document Cloud programs. Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder obtained a number of certificates in a period of four months, which gave him further expertise apart from that attained in the course of his studies, so that he mastered the most complex applications and can pass this knowledge on to his assistants. More specifically, the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. offers graphic design services in the following areas:

• Corporate Design
• Logo Design
• Flyer and brochure design
• Poster and print advertisement design
• Product, image and advertising photography

The other services can generally be divided in three areas: screen design, online marketing und web development. Screen design is mainly about design of user interfaces for applications. Web development involves mainly programming applications (native, web and hybrid) and online marketing revolves around the following aspects:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• SEM (search engine marketing)
• SEA (Search advertising)
• Facebook marketing / Twitter marketing
• Email Marketing / Newsletter marketing

Given this vast range of expertise, the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. can provide a very wide variety of services of very high quality and on great terms. The services can be provided as part of a maintenance contract for a fixed period of one year or as individual or package services. Currently, Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder already has a portfolio of clients from small and medium-size enterprises and associations. In the course of further expansion the product portfolio will also be extended because these clients will continue to be the startup’s most important target group.

1.2 Operational procedures The new clients acquired through various marketing activities (see marketing plan) make project requests by phone or email or conclude a maintenance contract. Clients can track the work done and the results through a seamless control system, and they also can ask for help and feedback in weekly video conferences. More complex project requirements will necessitate longer communication. Client requests are logged and freelance partners are informed what services have to be provided and for how long so that they can plan their time accordingly. The [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will have to outsource part of the services in the first few years to freelancers. Clients will be billed by adding up the working hours at the usual rates in this branch, which are in the range of XX-XX Euro.

The [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will create new synergies within its various business areas with view to benefit from further progressive marketing automation and digitization of the company, as being competitive largely depends on efficient use of marketing tools, particularly digital ones. The manager could attract a number of partners as a freelance web designer and online marketer / marketing consultant before founding his company, who would be suitable both as initial customers as well as references, making them crucial to the success of the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd.

The departments of the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. could support each other, but are interdependent only to a very slight extent. It is also assumed that demand for the different services will probably peak at different times, so there will be an even balance of the workload of the manager and the assistants and the utilization of infrastructural resources. The most important selling point is definitely going to be the highly trained and experienced industry manager with the extensive software and expert knowledge that he’s bringing to [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. His qualifications enable him to represent the company to the best possible extent. He has management experience both on site and by telephone.

1.4 Goal of the Company / Vision

The strategy of the company entails quality management without being too expensive for the main target group of clients (small and medium enterprises and local associations or establishments, public or private). This positioning can allow Design Ltd. to benefit maximally from the market environment on location and the prevailing demand and plan for rapid growth at an early stage. The company can be even more flexible by using modern technology with view to the Best Practice (communication, project management, management / accounting, etc.). Consistent analysis of business processes and the realization of cost savings at all levels will sustain satisfying conditions for clients. The strategy aims to present the company in the highly competitive online marketing field as service-oriented right from the start so as to increase its chances of being recommended by satisfied clients. The company’s professional services will ensure it is not forgotten by its clients and can serve their needs over a longer period. In X-X years the company would like to start hiring staff full-time to improve the capital planning and alleviate the workload of the manager so as to be active in other marketing areas as well. X-X full-time employees and a X-digit annual turnover with a profit in the range of XXX.XXX – XXX.XXX Euro are realistic X-year prospects.

2. Sample Design Business Plan: Market and Competition Analysis

 2.1 Market Situation: Digital Services

The market for the services to be offered by [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. is quite competitive in Germany, but despite this demand is not only high but on the rise. First, a European labor market study is used as an indicator of what trends are currently important. Then we examine the trends currently perceived by the major full-service digital agencies and established as part of a survey of the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V. (German Digital Analytics Association – GDAA ). A recent labor market analysis of the European Web Association (https://de.webmasters-europe.org) in XXXX showed that compared to last year the number of vacancies for Internet specialists has remained at approximately the same very high level as in XXXX. Demand is highest for web developers and Linux administrators (more than X,XXX job vacancies for each), followed by online marketing experts (more than X,XXX jobs) and project managers (more than X,XXX vacancies). The demand for “pure” web designers, however, is not quite as high with just under X,XXX vacancies. The analysis of specific competences showed that new web technologies and development methods are becoming integrated within the current job profiles very quickly and companies are looking for very highly skilled experts that possess the latest know-how. HTML5 has become the standard for web designers. A lot of companies expect very good CSS knowledge and experience in the design of responsive websites that range from XX-inch screens to Smartphones.

There is still very high and urgent demand for IT specialists in Germany. According to the most recent data (XXXX) there were XX,XXX open and difficult to fill vacancies for IT professionals, of which XX,XXX at medium-size IT companies. It is estimated that companies in the ICT industry have created some XX,XXX new jobs in Germany in XXXX. The demand for IT freelancers is stable at a high level and will increase even more, as the GULP Project Exchange reported. The trade magazine Computer Week reported a strong and still growing demand for freelance Internet experts. Startups and smaller companies suffer most acutely from the lack of skilled workers, as they are generally not able to pay such high salaries as large companies are and the expenses and costs for staff are always higher.

The demand for social media experts (+XX%) and online marketing experts with know-how in Search Engine Advertising (SEA) (+XX%) and web analysis (+XX%) has increased significantly in the areas of online marketing and web business. Demand for HTML5-experts in web design has skyrocketed (+XX%), while that for Adobe Flash and Actionscript experts (-XX%) has decreased. In web development demand for Java experts sustains a high level (+X%), has increased for Python experts (+XX%), but dropped for PHP (-XX%) and Ruby (-XX%). The most web developer job vacancies are for JavaScript (XXXX, followed by Java (XXXX), JavaScript library jQuery (XXXX) and the programming language PHP (XXXX).

As for Content Management Systems, there are XXX vacancies for highly skilled Typo3 experts, which is slightly less y/y (XXX, -X%). Demand for know-how of CMS-applications such as WordPress (+XX%), Drupal (+X%) and Joomla (+XXX%) has increased. It is highest for Joomla with XXX vacancies, but this is just a bit more than WordPress (XXX).

Based on this data one can claim demand for IT services is stable throughout Europe. Social media is the leading aspect in the area of web business/online marketing, as it has always been. Know-how/experience in SEO, SEM and SEA is highly demanded by online marketing managers. About XX percent of all companies in Germany employ at least one person who takes care of social media. This is up X% from XXXX.

Below is a table showing data of a survey of the XXX top digital agencies, which generated turnover of X,X bln. Euro in XXXX (just under XX.XXX staff). This data is essential for t he prospects of [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd.

First we see that competition is rising – a tendency closely followed by freelancers on online forums (ex. selbstaendig-im-netz.de):

[DIAGRAM REMOVED]

Source: “Full-Service-Internet Agencies in Germany –Turnover, Developments and Trends 2015”, GDAA

The following data reflects the general market situation. Only about a third of agencies are resistant to fluctuation and a fifth are optimistic about the prevalent trend.

Most revenues are generated in areas where Sample Design Business Plan will be especially well positioned: the technical implementation. It is therefore of considerable advantage that the founder can contribute so much experience and expert knowledge. Marketing, branding and e-commerce remain the main revenue drivers for full-service agencies, which gives the founder an edge.

How is the web design industry changing? The Internet was a haven for newcomers and self-taught mavericks until recently and many companies underestimated its power as a marketing tool. However, many local SMEs are now thinking seriously about Internet marketing and want to have a professional website and Facebook page. Companies’ marketing efforts will move increasingly to the Internet, and with them the marketing budgets. When the potential of the Internet is recognized, the demand for high-quality work will skyrocket. The price will take a back seat to quality as the most important factor for customers. When that happens, the market will consolidate. Clients will contract for web designers who have a lot of experience and can demonstrate excellent references. They may also turn to consultants who can recognize good quality and look out for suitable web designers. The Internet continues to evolve rapidly, and its complexity is constantly increasing. Web designers, especially freelancers, have a lot of projects and there are always more. The Internet pervades our everyday lives. We are online always and everywhere – in front of the TV, as we travel, on our trackers. It is getting harder and harder to adapt web pages to all browsers and to ensure that no potential customers will be driven away by display errors. Even making a website visible in Google and potentially profiting from it takes a lot of experience and knowledge. The increasingly specialized requirements make it more and more difficult to be a one-man full-service web agency. Instead, specialized web designers will come together and work as experts in various fields under one roof. These teams need to develop highly efficient procedures and ensure high levels of productivity and professionalism. Clients are trying to be visible on as many platforms as possible. They expect their Internet agency not only to create an excellent website, but also to organize (for example) a Facebook campaign and integrate it into the rest of the marketing mix. With the increasing complexity it is becoming more difficult for small companies to offer a fully comprehensive product range. This is why they will build networks and cooperate with partners. The number of new clients will decrease. Loyal clients will be key to the agencies. Since an Internet project can never be 100% complete, there will arise new possibilities by means of new technologies. That’s why it is very important for the agencies to keep their loyal clients. It won’t be necessary to “learn the ropes” at new companies. It is important to know the clients in detail and to serve and consult them optimally. The opposite isn’t true: The ever more complex, interconnected Internet marketing activities cannot be carried out by third parties – not easily at any rate. When clients contract a new agency, they’ll take hours to find their way around.

Structural change has some essential features of industrialization. With the above mentioned changes, the industry will focus more on cost minimization on one hand and profit maximization on the other. Since teamwork will dominate the future, it is important that all of today’s web designers acquire the relevant skills. There should be no limitations on the productivity achieved through specialization stemming from loss of resources during information exchange within the team. To this end, comprehensive frameworks are being developed and process optimization is being established. The Internet may be a global phenomenon, but the agencies will be working under the same roof as to facilitate communication between team members. In order for small agencies to remain competitive, they must limit their service portfolio to the core competencies and obtain other services from external companies. It is economically sound to standardize and automate as many processes as possible. This is why good programmers and ideas are needed – the more efficiently you work, the lower the prices you can afford without compromising quality. Every website and every Facebook campaign seems unique, but they are all based on reusable modules and systems that are adapted to the needs of the agencies. These systems with new, intelligent software replace people and automate some processes fully. We can conclude that the digital design industry is entering a period of consolidation, and the outcome for individual market players can be either positive or negative. It makes sense to deal with the prospects in such a way as to benefit from the changes. The data clearly show that the startup is highly competitive and entering a very demanding market environment. Recent developments have set the course, there is an economic necessity for modernization and the historical development indicates stable and strong future growth. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Limited’s market entry should be quick and successful thanks to its good references and the existing customer base.

2.2 Competition Analysis

The market for digital agencies is traditionally one of the most competitive markets in the service sector. Big and small agencies, in-house marketing departments and an infinite, often web-based number of freelancers all share the workload. There is no single big player on this market. A market share is acquired based on the number of employees, industry recognitions and key references one can provide. The unique selling points of the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. include the expertise of the founder, his existing network and acquired know-how. These are only some of the advantage this startup is bringing to the market, however. Few companies can afford to compete directly with Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan, whose impressive references and excellent technical know-how are unbeatable. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will be a very efficient player on the market due to the founder’s skills, knowledge and professionalism. The founder will run the startup in line with the prevailing trends in digital marketing, which is a very important element especially in terms of outsourcing and communication with staff and partners. The pricing strategy is quite flexible, so even extremely price-conscious clients could be accommodated.

It should be noted that the companies with the best prices are not likely to compete with the [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. directly because it is much more difficult for them to offer the practical and optimal, individualized, powerful digital marketing tools for specific target groups. Of course, the personal approach and professional communication play an important role.

The combination of professionalism and high quality gives the startup a definite edge over the competition. Vertical and potentially horizontal service coverage in the marketing segment will encourage clients to form a long-term partnership with the startup. Clients will help facilitate the market growth of [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. in all the areas it covers thanks to the excellent communication skills and impressive references of the founder. A clear and professionally designed website and the use of diverse marketing channels will prove decisive in terms of promoting [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. on the market (see also the marketing plan). Another important competition aspect involves the consistent pursuit of progress and continuous implementation of the latest technologies. The most important development in the industry in recent years was “Cloud/SaaS Services”, where companies don’t need to use their own hardware and software. Instead, they contract service providers that ensure access to all the relevant applications on the Internet. At the moment these are mainly storage systems and office applications, but soon the applications will become more complex. Cloud computing, automation and cross-channel integration still play a minor role for the target group, but they will become increasingly important as the market matures in the years to come. The [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. can keep up with these trends without any problems and even offer such services on the market after its successful establishment in the core segment. This is another reason why the startup will hold its own against the competition no matter how strong it may be and will even be able to improve its market status.

2.3 Target Group

[SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will offer services mainly to SMEs, but also maintain existing connections with associations and institutions. Its multifaceted marketing consulting services are applicable in every area, particularly house and garden, the construction industry, consumer electronics, IT, tourism, leisure and sport, textiles and clothing, food and the automobile market. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will initially cater mainly to SMEs, but in the long term efforts will be made to solicit business from larger companies and include lucrative, long-term training and maintenance contracts in the project portfolio. Fewer monthly revenue fluctuations mean better planning as regards recruitment, facilitating long-term growth.

[SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. is facing mainly operative risks. High marketing investments should lead to higher revenue. The prices must correspond to the quality of services. Long-term research on the competition was done to assess the effectiveness of marketing investments accurately. Comprehensive data on the companies managed by the founder was collected. Health and accident insurance and contractual details such as hiring freelance assistants and buying program licenses have been researched very thoroughly to ensure legal compliance and protection. We will be insured against damage to or theft of expensive laptops. Other security measures will include a powerful backup system, encryption of critical data and professional antivirus software to protect against data loss and other marketing-specific risks, especially in relation to cybercrime. Due to the complex nature of the business project, it is extremely important not to compromise on performance and to focus on quality, maintenance and reliability. This is the only way to ensure adequate pricing and the cooperation of other professional enterprises. Proper contract execution will help avoid additional costs to [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. in the long term and implement effective, predictable and transparent cost structures as a result of the focus on quality. The manager’s experience and qualifications, the solid business model and diversified revenue sources are quite likely to offset any and all issues that the complex and demanding environment may cause.

3. Sample Design Business Plan: Opportunities and Threats (SWOT-Analysis)

The following SWOT matrix gives a clear picture of all strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats:

4. Sample Design Business Plan: Location

The Sample Town is in the area of Giessen, which has been home to the founder for many years. It has numerous advantages as the location of the company. The Sample Town offers [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. good opportunities to attract clients. Nestling between Marburg, Frankfurt and Bad Hersfeld, the Town is a popular and easily accessible destination that offers many opportunities for collaboration and networking. The site infrastructure is well developed and the quality of life is high, so that productive, inspired work is possible in balance with a satisfying social and family life. The well-equipped office spaces on site and in the nearby towns provide a good basis for all kinds of business activities. Fast Internet connections allow for the unrestricted establishment of Internet-based companies.

5. Sample Design Business Plan: Partner/s

[SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. can rely on Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan’s existing network of contacts, developed in the course of his work as an independent marketing consultant performing various business activities. The following list contains information about the individual companies and reference persons, who will be contacted right after the startup launch:

[TABLE REMOVED]

6. Sample Design Business Plan: Marketing Strategy

6.1 Communication Strategy

The main focus of [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd’s marketing activities will naturally be on Internet marketing, as this will promote all the company’s services most efficiently. Adwords and advertising on social networks will play a major role. The website will be created according to all the best practices and will offer a variety of instruments to generate leads such as downloads, leaflets, forms and showcases. The aim is to encourage visitors to contact the company. A carefully thought-out email marketing and direct telephone contact strategy completes the marketing mix. Ads in local magazines are one possible approach for [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. This way the company can attract local establishments and clients who don’t first look online for service providers. Giveaways and brochures will be posted and handed out at briefings with clients on location to attract new clients and generate orders, ex. some clients might mention the company in conversation with other clients. This also strengthens the company’s professional image and status.

Participation in exhibitions is also among [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd.’s communication strategies. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. could be represented at industry conferences and fairs such as INNO IT (Kiel), IT & Business (Stuttgart) or IT & BÜRO (Friedrichshafen), and many other events. There are many networking events and lecture series in the greater area of Frankfurt specifically designed for SMEs, which build an optimal enterprise exchange framework.

6.2 Pricing Strategy

[SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd’s marketing services are oriented to the upscale European market. Signing maintenance contracts with loyal clients will enable us to achieve solid predictability of revenue and at the same time ensure longer-term customer loyalty in terms of fulfilling orders as compared to our competitors. The entry-level hourly rate of about EUR XX is very competitive. Other companies charge between XX-XXX Euro, and the working speed is difficult to estimate. This is why references are so important for a smart buyer. The quality standard will facilitate [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd’s success in communication to attract serious, well-paying clients. The fact that [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd.’s efficient organization can also assist in bringing the rates down will give us an advantage over German enterprises operating on the same market segment and level in terms of concluding service contracts. The startup is aiming for the premium marketing consulting segment in the long term so as to be able to offer outsourcers an attractive margin rate.

7. Sample Design Business Plan: The Manager/Founder

Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan will be a success manager thanks to his numerous qualifications. He studied electrical engineering and started work as an electrician at an engineering consultancy called Partner Firm Design Business Plan in XXXX after spending a year in the US. He still works for Partner Firm Design Business Plan, but has shifted his focus to web design and media in the last decade. He studied web design from XXXX to XXXX and graduated with several certificates in Adobe Design programming in XXXX. He has been active as a freelance designer since XXXX.

Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan can fulfill the expectations of his employers and clients in all areas. His excellent connections and running projects with key decision-makers and his numerous certificates will contribute to easy acquisition of new clients. Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan is fluent in English and speaks a little Spanish. He is a native speaker of German. His language skills, long-year experience in team and project management and international assistants will help him be an excellent manager.

8. Sample Design Business Plan: Legal Form

The Ltd. legal form is selected based on the premise of avoiding personal liability and entering the market in a form that is reputable both in Germany and worldwide. Other advantages are that more shareholders can join a Ltd. and the costs of founding and operating an enterprise in this legal form are easy to predict. The form is also a juridical entity, meaning that contracts and accounts can be signed and opened in the name of the Ltd., which later makes it easier to sell, among other things. Some disadvantages of this legal form are the slightly higher notary fees and the costs of drafting the partnership agreement. In addition, it must be ensured that no actions are taken that could be construed as gross negligence, because in this case the managing partner may be liable with his personal assets. The accounting and expenses for tax consulting services are usually a bit higher than those for joint partnerships. In conclusion, we can say the Ltd. provides some tax benefits and can also serve one well as a tax “piggy bank” for a rainy day. You can safeguard hidden assets / reserves because profits are not distributed as they would be with other business partnerships. The corporate tax is lower than the income tax levied on joint partnerships.

9. Sample Design Business Plan: Staff

One full-time office assistant will be hired in the first three years. Big parts of projects will be outsourced to freelance designers and developers. This is an approach to ensure lower and more flexible fixed costs. X-X more full-time staff members will be hired to enhance capacity and security in a five-year term.

10. Sample Design Business Plan: Financial Planning

10.1 Clarification

Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan is planning to provide equity contribution in the amount of XX,XXX Euro as the manager and sole shareholder. Target debt financing in the amount of XXX,XXX Euro is intended to complement the contribution. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. is expected to enter the market quickly due to its contacts, agree on good payment terms with partners and maintain cash reserves. Despite the high market entry costs (marketing, investment in equipment and staff) [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Ltd. will survive and grow without additional debt financing in the first 3 years thanks to stable organization of internal processes and close cooperation with customers and partners.

10.2 Revenue Source Clarification

The revenue will be limited in the first several months following market entry, as it will take some time to equip the company and attract new clients. However, revenue will solidify and grow after the third quarter. This tendency will continue in the following months. An increase of app. XX% y/y is expected in the third year. Thereafter the revenue will increase by XX-XX% a year due to the expanding project portfolio. Growth will level off at XX-XX% in X-X years. The positive effects mentioned in the market analysis can easily result to exponential revenue growth upon acquisition of the right clients, which is why the above estimates are rather conservative. The following table shows revenue estimate per month in the first three years.

[TABLE REMOVED] Source: Financial Plan (Manager’s estimate)

Web and graphic design will generate the most revenue (see pie chart). However, long-term maintenance contracts will account for a rising percentage of the revenue.

10.3 Capital

Mr. [SAMPLE DESIGN BUSINESS PLAN] Founder Plan is planning to provide equity contribution in the amount of XX,XXX Euro as the manager and sole shareholder. Target debt financing in the amount of XXX,XXX Euro is intended to complement the contribution, thus creating the economic potential for a good and fast market launch. Go Back Up

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How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated May 7, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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6 essential steps to planning a website design project

Follow this step-by-step guide to learn the modern process of planning a website design project in Milanote, a free tool used by top creatives.

Before you begin choosing the fonts and images for your website, it's crucial to make a solid plan and answer some key questions... What's the purpose of the website? Who's the audience? What content should it have? What should it look like? The project plan helps your whole team understand the size and scope of your project before a single line of code is written. It ensures you and your client are on the same page through every step of the project.

In this guide you'll learn the essential steps to plan a website design project...

• 1. Project plan Set up a place to plan your project
• 2. Brief Define the concept and goals
• 3. Target audience Define your ideal customer
• 4. Moodboard Set the visual direction
• 5. Sitemap Map out the structure of your website
• 6. Content Plan the copy & imagery for each page

1. Project plan

Traditionally, a project plan might be scattered across various emails, to-do lists, spreadsheets, and documents, making it hard to keep track of everything. A central project plan combines these artifacts into one easy-to-access place. It will evolve over the lifespan of your project but usually includes:

• Customer personas
• Your ideas and sketches
• Inspiration and moodboards
• Website content for each page
• A checklist of tasks
• Client feedback

Create a new board for your project plan

Create a new board

Drag a board out from the toolbar. Give it a name, then double click to open it.

Choose the Website Design Plan template

Choose a template

Each new board gives you the option to start with a beautiful template.

It’s crucial to set a strong foundation from the start. A clear, inspiring, and informative brief provides the structure and direction for designers to do their best work. Website Design briefs typically include information about the brand/client, goals, specific deliverables, visual references, target audience, and important dates.

First, open the Brief board

You’ll find the board to create your brief on the Project Plan board. Double-click the Brief to open it and start adding the goals, deliverables and defining the audience.

Double-click the  Brief  board to open it.

Define the background of the project

The first thing to define is why the project is happening. Spend time with your client, have them lead you through the vision in their own words and ask questions like... What problem is this project trying to solve? What lead up to it? What will change if this project is successful?

Add a note to describe the background.

Drag a note card onto your board

Start typing then use the formatting tools in the left hand toolbar.

Write clear goals & deliverables

How will you know if the project is a success? Having a clear, realistic and measurable goal will help keep your team on the same page. For example, are you trying to increase inbound leads, or double the number of sales enquiries in 1 year? Alongside this, list any specific deliverables that will help you achieve your goal.

Add a to-do list to describe the deliverables.

Drag a to-do list onto your board

Start typing then press "Enter" to create a new item. Add a title to your to-do list using the left hand toolbar.

Include brand references

Add any additional materials that will help your team get to know the brand. Describe the tone of voice, brand values, color, font, logo specs, and other related guidelines. This gives everyone easy access to important assets throughout the project and saves time hunting through emails and folders.

Drag brand files onto your board.

Upload a file or document

Click the "Upload" button or just drag a file onto your board. You can add images, logos, documents, videos, audio and much more.

Share the finished brief with your team

Once you’ve made any final tweaks, it’s time to share the completed brief with your team or client, organize a kickoff meeting, and get started. If you want to learn more about writing a website design brief, check out our in-depth Website Design Brief guide .

Share the brief with your team.

Share a read-only link with others.

Click Share in the top right of your board. You can add a Welcome message for viewers, allow comments, set a password or embed the board in another app or website.

3. Target audience

If you want to design a successful website, it's crucial to know who will be using it. That's where customer personas come in. Customer personas (or buyer personas) are fictional, composite characters that represent a segment of your audience—based on customer research. They're used by marketers, designers and creative teams to paint a clear picture of the target audience. They'll help you choose a design style and write content that will connect with your customers.

Open the Persona board

You’ll find this board on your Project Plan board. Double-click the Persona board to open it and start mapping out your ideal customer.

Double-click the  Persona  board to open it.

Choose the  Persona  template.

Gather existing customer data

Good personas are built on real data and insights. They're a true representation of your ideal customer or a key segment, not a made-up character. There are usually many good sources of information available, including your website analytics, recent surveys or real-life conversations with customers. Quotes from actual customers can really help bring your research to life. Start by collecting it all in one place.

Drag files and documents from your computer.

Describe pain points & the ideal experience

Defining your customer's pain points is extremely important, as removing these challenges will likely be the key to winning your customer's loyalty. Next, switch modes and describe the ideal experience. This is the creative part of the process. It's where you can set aside any current limitations and imagine the best experience for your persona.

Add notes to describe the pain points & ideal experience.

Bring your persona to life

Now it's time to start adding that carefully collected research. Authenticity is critical for developing empathy. Your persona needs enough detail to allow you to step into someone's shoes and see your products and services from their perspective.

Give your persona a real name and upload a representative photograph. Add in some basic demographic information such as age, marital status, occupation, location or income level as a snapshot.

Choose a photo to represent your persona.

Use the built-in image library

Search over 3 million beautiful, free photos then drag images straight onto your board. Powered by Pexels.

Add notes to summarize your persona.

Refine & share

Once you have everything you need, it's time to organize your content into logical topics. The goal here is to present the most important points in an inspiring and concise format. Highlight important parts, add titles and share it with your team or client so they can get to know who'll be using your website.

If you want to learn more about creating a customer persona, check out our in-depth Customer Persona guide .

Create a column to group related topics (like research).

Drag a column onto your board

Name it, then drag any relevant notes, images or boards into your column to stay organized.

Invite a team member or client to provide feedback.

Invite editors to your board

Open the "Share" menu from the title bar of your board. Add email addresses of the people you'd like to collaborate with—they'll receive an invitation via email.

4. Moodboard

Next, it's time to start exploring some visual directions with a moodboard. Moodboards can help you visualize any aspect of your project. They can be literal and practical (featuring fonts, color schemes and images that you actually plan to use in the final design) or they can be more about exploring tone and mood. You can create a moodboard for each of these separately or mix them all into one board. There are no strict rules.

First, open the Moodboard

You’ll find the board to make your moodboard on the Project Plan board. Double-click on the Moodboard to open it and start adding inspiring references.

Double-click the  Moodboard to open it.

Collect existing material

Start by adding any existing material you have—this could include client references, positioning statements or images you've saved as inspiration. Just drag them onto your board. They might not make it into the final moodboard, but they're still a great place to start.

Drag files from your computer.

Add inspiring imagery and motion

The imagery you choose to include in your moodboard can have big influence on the look and feel of your project, so choose carefully! These images can define things like tone, cropping and color.

If you're the type of person who keeps a collection of images in an inspiration library , now's the time to see if you've already got something that could work. Or you can start by searching for visual elements from around the web. There are lots of fantastic sites where you can find great visual inspiration for free, like Dribbble , Behance and Designspiration .

Use the built-in image library.

Install the  Milanote Web Clipper

Save images from other websites straight to your board.

Save content from the web

With the Web Clipper installed, roll over an image (or highlight text), click Save, then choose the destination in Milanote. Return to your board and find the content in the "Unsorted" column on the right.

Transform your board from messy to organized

Once you have all your inspiration and color references in one place, the next step is to arrange your ideas to create the perfect composition. Start by exploring composition and introducing hierarchy. Place a key element such as a logo to anchor your board, and change the size and position of the remaining elements to indicate their importance and relationships to one another.

When you're ready, share it with your team or client and ask for their feedback and ideas.

Resize your images to add hierarchy.

Resize images

Drag the corner of an image to resize it. Double-click the corner to return it to its original size.

Invite your team or client to collaborate

You’ve finished the moodboard!

Now that your moodboard is complete, you have a powerful starting point for your webiste design project. Remember, you can create multiple moodboards to explore different visual directions at any time.

Next, we'll start mapping out the structure and content for each section on the website.

Sitemaps are the perfect way to plan the content and structure of your website. Designers, copywriters and marketers use them to map out website categories before jumping into the interface design phase. They become an invaluable reference for the whole team when estimating how much work is involved to build the website.

First, open the Sitemap

You’ll find the Sitemap board on the Project Plan board. Double-click to open it and start planning the categories and structure of your website.

Double-click the  Sitemap board to open it.

Brainstorm your website categories

What type of content do you need to include on your website? Get together with your team or client and start adding content ideas. This is the time to get creative—add as many ideas as you can. Consider what's most important to your users as well. Are there insights from recent customer research or surveys you've run?

Drag out a board for each category on your website.

Organize your categories

Once you've added your content ideas, it's time to start organizing them into groups. The easiest way to do this is to visually group similar content together. Just drag and drop content into clusters. Themes will start to emerge naturally. You can also use color to help unify each group of content.

Drag boards into clusters.

Select a board, then choose the color option in the left toolbar.

Add structure & hierarchy

There are a few different ways you can structure your website content, but the most common is the tree structure, which we'll use in this example. Start by moving your homepage to the top of your board. All your content categories will fall below home. Next, move your content categories under home and start to tidy things up. Lastly, use arrows to show the relationship between content.

Drag lines from one board to another to show relationships.

Use lines to connect objects

Select an object, then drag the arrow from the top right. Connect the line to another object to create a quick diagram.

Your sitemap is done

Your sitemap is a great way to visually explain the hierarchy of your website to your team. Now you have the perfect birds-eye view of how your website fits together. Next, we'll start mapping out the actual content for each page.

A great content plan is the most important step in creating an engaging website. It's where you map out the copy, imagery and structure you need so your team knows what to design and build.

Open a page on your Sitemap

Choose a page on your sitemap that you'd like to plan the content for. Double-click the board to open it and start adding ideas, images and planning the structure.

Double-click a board to open it.

Add ideas for content

Start adding ideas for the written content that might appear on this page. It doesn't have to be the final copy but it will give everyone a feel for what you're aiming to communicate. Think about the key messages you want to communicate, sub-titles and even SEO keywords you need to include. Don't worry about the structure of it yet—just get it out of your head!

Add notes to explore ideas for content.

Sketch the rough layout

If you have a picture in your head of head of how the page could be structured, grab a pen and sketch it out. Even if it's just some boxes and arrows, it's a great way to figure out which messages are more important than others. A simple sketch is also a useful reference for the developers who will need to build the website.

Click the Pen tool and sketch a rough page layout.

Sketch ideas on the board

Click Draw in the lefthand toolbar to sketch anywhere on a board. Press Save to commit a sketch.

Add images and video

Next, think about the images that would suit this page. Again, these don't have to be the final images, but they'll help bring it to life. You can use images from the web or open Milanote's built-in image library to quickly find inspiring examples.

Choose example images from the image library.

Embed video from Youtube.

Embed Youtube videos or audio tracks in a board

Copy the share link from Youtube, Vimeo, Soundcloud or many other services. Drag a link card onto your board, paste your link and press enter.

Collaborate and build on your ideas

Whether you're working on a client project or collaborating with a team it can be helpful to bounce ideas off other people. As writer Louisa May Alcott said, "It takes two flints to make a fire."

A collaborative content plan is especially helpful for this step as you can easily connect and work together online. Bringing everyone onto the same page (figuratively and literally!) in real-time allows you to collaborate on copy, images and layout allowing you to create a coherent and engaging website.

Invite someone else to edit to your board.

You're all done!

Hopefully, this guide has helped you and your team better plan the design and content for your website. If you're just starting a new website, use the Website Design Plan template below to get set up in minutes.

Plan your website design project

Get all 6 free templates in the website design pack.

Sign up for free with no time limit

Sample Web Design Business Plan

• May 6, 2023

WEB DESIGN COMPANY BUSINESS PLAN SAMPLE

The web design industry basically encompasses the design of websites and hosting of websites on the World Wide Web for both individuals and corporate organizations alike.

In today’s world, it is very uncommon to find companies, and individuals who seriously want to make an impact and do not have a website. With an active website, one can be able to communicate his ideas and message to an audience.

If you are keen on starting up a web design business, and have considered all of the basic things which you have to consider before starting the business, then this web design business plan sample will prove beneficial to you in writing a simple business plan for your web design business.

Here is a sample business plan for starting a web development business.

BUSINESS NAME: Incandescence Screen Printing LLC.

Executive Summary

Our Products and Services

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

Business Structure

• Market Analysis

Sales and Marketing Strategy

• Financial Plan
• Sales Forecast

Five & Six Technology LLC has been duly registered to fully practice in Los Angeles, United States. The business will be very delighted to offer its many products and services to customers all over the United States.

To get started, the owners, Mr and Mrs Smith will be responsible for providing two-third of the startup capital which amounts to $300,000 while the final third will be sourced from the owners’ bank.

The sole purpose of starting up this business is to maximize profits. This, we will achieve by ensuring we do all within the laws of the United States in operating our business.

Five & Six Technology LLC is a web design company which will be operating from Los Angeles, United States. The business has been established so as to maximize profit in the industry. The following are the products and services which we will be offering to our customers not just in Los Angeles, but in the United States at large:

• Designing of websites for corporate clients as well as individual clients.
• Developing of websites and custom platform web development.
• Optimization of website’s functionality for website owners.
• Code writing services and search engine optimization.
• Word press web development.
• Corporate identification design services
• Several other web design related services.

Our vision is to build a standard and world class web design company that will be providing its services to customers not just in Los Angeles, but also in the United States. We want to be counted as part of the leading web design companies in Los Angeles, United Sates.

Our mission is to establish a web design business that will be particular about providing its professional services towards assisting individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, to be able to promote their brands and connect with more prospective customers.

We are very interested in building a web design company that will become a very competitive business in the industry. We will start it small and grow it big into the web design company we hope it to be. It is in view of this that we will not take lightly our recruitment process. We will hire only candidates that meet with our qualification criteria. Candidates that we will recruit will have to be very honest, hardworking, qualified, and most important, they must be very ready to work with us. Below are the positions which we will fill:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Human Resources and Admin Manager
• Creative Director
• Content creator
• Web designer
• Client service executive

Market Analysis Market Trend

One trend in the industry is that the target market is always growing. More persons and organizations have become more aware of the need to have an official website, and also to seek the services of a professional graphics designer in the branding of their products so as to reach more customers.

Target Market

The following are the groups which we have identified to make up our target market:

• Financial Institutions such as Banks, and Insurance Companies
• Corporate Organizations
• Real Estate Owners, developers, and contractors.
• Television stations
• Political Parties
• Religious Organizations
• Sport Organizations
• The Government
• Blue Chips Companies

We have our goal for our business set at a very great height. For us to be able to accomplish our heights, we will do well to station our business amongst the very top web design companies in the United States. The following are the ways we would promote our business to our prospective customers:

• We will make sure to introduce our web design business to various institutions and individuals, all of which make up our target market.
• We will list our web design business in local directories ads.
• We will always stay updated by attending various seminars, expos, business fairs, and the likes.
• We will make very good use of the internet and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote our business.
• We will encourage the use of word of the mouth in promoting our business.

Financial Plan Sources of Startup Budget

Having conducted thorough study on the industry, and carried out a feasibility study on our line of business, we have been able to determine the needed startup capital to launch our business from scratch. This total startup budget amounts to $300,000. We will do well to obtain this capital from the owners and from the owners’ bank. So far, the owners have been able to raise a total of $150,000. They are expected to raise $200,000 for their part, while the remainder will be sourced as soft loan from the owners’ bank.

Sales Forecast First Fiscal Year                   $100,000 Second Fiscal Year               $150,000 Third Fiscal Year                  $200,000

Above is the sales projection for Five & Six Technology LLC for the first three years from startup. This sales projection is based on what is obtainable in the industry, and it will only function as a guide.

The above business plan sample is a web design business plan sample titled, ‘Five & Six Technology LLC’. The business which will be located in Los Angeles, United States will be focused on providing its customers in the United States with its numerous products and services. The business will be run by the Smiths.

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Sample Travel Agency Marketing Plan Template

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• Compilations
• Development

How to Plan Your First Successful Website

Planning a new website can be exciting and — if you’re anything like me — a little daunting. Whether you’re an experienced freelancer, a team of hardened developers, or a small business owner, a well-structured plan is critical for success.

In this post, I’ll give you the benefit of my experience, guiding you through the essential steps of planning a web design project and ensuring that you start off on the right foot and follow through to a successful end product.

Define Your Goals and Objectives

OK, first things first: before we dive into any design or development work, it’s absolutely essential that you have a clear understanding of what success means to you. Are you looking to increase sales, improve brand awareness, or provide information to your audience?

Set SMART Goals

I find it helpful to break down objectives into SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. This approach helps you stay focused rather than drift off on flights of fancy.

• Specific: Define your goals with precision. For example, “increase online sales by 20% within the next year” or “reach page 1 on Google.”
• Measurable: Ensure you can track your goals with metrics or data points. Website analytics can be used to monitor traffic, and internal sales tracking can be used to monitor revenue.
• Achievable: There’s no point in saying, “We want to be Amazon by the end of the year.” Your goals should be realistic and attainable, given your resources and time frame.
• Relevant: Make sure your goals are aligned with your overall business objectives and are essential to your success. A fabulous website is meaningless if it doesn’t support your growth.
• Timely: Set deadlines for your goals to keep the project on track and maintain momentum.

Develop a Strategy and Stick to It.

Based on your SMART goals, outline the strategies and actions needed to achieve them. This could involve improving website navigation for better UX (user experience), optimizing for SEO to increase visibility, or creating compelling content to engage visitors. In reality, it probably means all that and more.

Monitor your project’s progress against your SMART goals. When you see yourself starting to diverge, it’s time to revisit the plan.

Understand Your Audience and Your Competitors

Understanding your audience is critical to designing a website that effectively meets their needs.

Identify Your Target Audience

Determine who your primary website users will be. Consider age, gender, location, interests, education, and specific needs.

Develop detailed personas for your typical users. Include information about their demographics, behaviors, motivations, and challenges. Personas should represent the different user types that will visit your website. Personas don’t replace testing with real users, but they’re an excellent place to start when you don’t have anything to test just yet.

Conduct Competitor Analysis

Studying successful businesses in your field can sometimes tell you more about the market and how to succeed in it, as analyzing your customers.

• Research Competitors: Identify and review the websites of your direct competitors.
• Analyze Their Websites: Note the strengths and weaknesses of these websites. What style have they adopted? What design elements do they use? What is the tone of voice of their content? What functionality do they have? What are your general impressions of the UX?
• Identify Differentiation Opportunities: Determine how your website can stand out. Look for gaps in the market that your website can fill and unique value propositions you can offer.

Using insights from your audience and competitor analysis, decide on the key features and types of content your website will offer. Prioritize these based on what will most effectively meet your users’ needs and differentiate your site in the market.

Build Your Strategy

Compile your research and decisions into a strategy document. This document will serve as a reference throughout the design process, ensuring your website meets your target audience’s needs and stands out from the competition.

• Create a Content Strategy: Plan what types of content you will need, such as text, images, videos, or infographics. Consider the tone of voice that will resonate with your audience and start outlining or drafting content for your key pages.
• Plan for SEO: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should be considered from the start. Use keyword research to guide your content creation and ensure your website’s structure and code are optimized for search engines. This will help your site rank higher in search results and attract more visitors.
• Map Out Your Site Structure: Start by creating a sitemap that outlines all the pages you plan to include and how they will be structured. Think about the journey you want visitors to take and how you can make navigation intuitive.
• Design for Usability and Accessibility: Ensure that your site is easy to navigate, works well on various devices and browsers, and meets accessibility standards so that it’s usable for people with disabilities.
• Choose Your Technology Stack: Decide on the technologies that will power your website. This includes choosing a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, Drupal, or a custom solution, and selecting the front-end and back-end programming languages and frameworks that best suit your project’s needs.

If you don’t know the answer to these questions, now is the time to seek professional help. Even if you’re an experienced designer, it doesn’t hurt to run your ideas past a developer — new tech hits the market all the time, and there may be a good solution that you weren’t aware of.

Set a Timeline and Budget

To streamline your project planning, ensure you’ve set a timeline and a budget.

Set realistic deadlines:

• Break down the project into phases (e.g., design, development, content creation).
• Assign a realistic deadline to each phase, considering the complexity and resources available.
• Ensure each deadline aligns with your overall project goals for a cohesive timeline.

Create a detailed budget:

• Itemize all project components, including design, development, content creation, and any necessary third-party services.
• Estimate the cost for each element based on quotes, past projects, or industry standards.
• Allocate funds for unexpected expenses to avoid budget overruns.
• Review and adjust the budget as the project progresses to stay on track.

By focusing on these points, you’ll maintain control over your project’s timeline and finances, paving the way for a successful completion.

It’s easy to start a website, but starting a successful website that doesn’t chew through your budget is a little trickier. The process requires discipline to take the strategic steps necessary to create a website that aligns with your overall business goals.

Start with a clear definition of goals. Use the SMART goals approach to set a strong foundation. Although you may need some flexibility throughout the project, starting with a formal structure will get you on the right foot.

Understanding your audience and their needs is crucial in creating a website that they find helpful. Your site structure and technology stack should support delivering these insights. Get it right, and you’ll not only have new users but also retain old ones.

And, of course, meticulous planning around timelines and budgets ensures nothing gets out of hand.

This holistic approach ensures that your website looks appealing and effectively meets business goals and user needs.

Simon Sterne

Simon Sterne is a staff writer at WebdesignerDepot. He’s interested in technology, WordPress, and all things UX. In his spare time he enjoys photography.

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8 Small Business Website Design Tips

To remain competitive, most small businesses need a website that is both functional and well designed. Follow these 8 small business website design tips to get started.

The importance of a well-designed website to a small business cannot be overstated. In today's digital landscape, having a strong and effective website is essential for small businesses to successfully compete and reach their target audience. With the right website design, small businesses can effectively engage existing customers while attracting new ones, boosting brand recognition, and increasing sales.

In order to achieve success in the digital world today, small businesses need to have a website that is well designed, optimized, and functional. A small business website should not only be visually appealing and engaging, but it also needs to provide valuable content and services that are relevant to your target audience.

With this in mind, this article will elaborate on a number of website design tips for small businesses that you can follow to make your website effective.

How to create a small business website

The process of creating a website for a small business requires careful planning and attention to detail. The cost of website design for small businesses is determined by several factors, such as the size of the website, the number of pages, the complexity of the design, and the level of customization required. The decision on whether to use a website builder or web designer also affects the cost of the website. Web builders charge varying costs depending on the complexity of the website and the number of pages. Website designers for small businesses, on the other hand, usually charge a monthly fee that includes hosting and domain name registration.

The following steps on how to make a website are key to ensuring that you come up with an appealing, functional, and effective website for your small business:

• Purchase a domain name : The first step in creating a small business website is to purchase a domain name that is tailored specifically to your needs. This will allow you to build and manage your website on your own, with full control over the content and design.
• Secure web hosting : In order to make your small business website accessible to the public, you will need to purchase web hosting services. This will give you a space on the internet where you will make it accessible to your visitors.
• Pick a website builder : Many small businesses today rely on website builders to create and manage their websites, as they are easy to use and affordable. There are a wide variety of website builders, for example, Mailchimp, which offers free website builder and publishing services all done using a drag and drop tool, meaning you do not need any technical skills to use it.
• Choose a template or theme : Once you have chosen a website builder, you will need to select a template or theme for your website. This will determine the overall layout and design of your website.
• Build your pages : The next step is to start building your website pages. Each page should be designed to serve a specific purpose and contain relevant, engaging content.
• Set up your payment processor : If you plan on selling products or services through your small business website, you will need to set up a payment processor. This will allow you to accept and process payments online, making it easy for customers to purchase from you. Mailchimp already has integration for Stripe as your payment processor.
• Publish your website : Once your small business website is complete and you are satisfied with the overall design and function, it's then time to publish your website and make it accessible to the public. Before publishing, it is important to test your website and its links to make sure everything is working properly. Once you have verified that everything is working as it should, you can then launch your website and start promoting it to reach your target audience.

8 website design tips for small businesses

Designing an effective small business website can be a challenge, especially if you are new to the world of web design. Whether you are working with a professional web designer or wondering how to design a website on your own, there are a few key tips that you should keep in mind on how to design a website for a small business.

1. Use consistent branding

Your business’s website is an extension of your brand, so it's important to use consistent branding throughout your site. This means using the same colors, fonts, logos, and other visual elements on your website as you do in your offline marketing materials. Doing so can help create a cohesive brand identity that will make your small business more recognizable and memorable. Consistent branding will also help build trust and credibility with your target audience.

Another important small business website design tip is to create a branding guide that can be used as a reference as you add new pages and content to your website over time. A branding guide will help keep your design consistent while allowing you flexibility if you decide to make small changes to certain aspects of your design.

2. Keep mobile users in mind

In today's digital landscape, it's important to design your website with both desktop and mobile users in mind. With more and more people using mobile devices to access the internet, it's essential that your small business website is responsive and can be viewed on all screen sizes.

To make sure your website is accessible to mobile users, you'll need to follow specific design best practices for small business websites. Some key considerations include using large, clear fonts that are easy to read on small screens, using a simple layout that is uncluttered and easy to navigate, and optimizing images to ensure they load quickly and don't slow down your site.

3. Optimize for search engines

In order to reach your target audience and expand your small business, it's critical that you optimize your website for search engines such as Google. This will help ensure that your website appears in relevant search engine results when people are searching for small business services or products like yours.

Some important SEO best practices for small business websites include using keywords throughout your site, creating informative and keyword-rich blog posts, and building backlinks to your website. Keywords are words or phrases that are relevant to your small business and that potential customers are likely to search for when looking for products or services like yours.

By including keywords throughout your website, you can help improve your chances of ranking high in search engine results. In addition, blogging is a great way to provide fresh, relevant content that can help improve the position of your website on search engine result pages.

Meta descriptions are also an important factor to consider when optimizing your small business website for search engines. Meta descriptions are short snippets of text that appear under a link on search engine results pages. They give potential customers an overview of what they can expect to find on your website.

While meta descriptions don't directly impact your website's search engine ranking, they can influence whether or not someone clicks on your link, making them an important part of your website.

Title tags are another important element to consider when optimizing your small business website for search engines. Title tags are the text that appears on the search engine results pages when someone searches for your small business online. By carefully crafting compelling title tags, you can help ensure that your small business website draws the attention of potential customers and helps improve your click-through rate.

Additionally, you should ensure every image used on your site is also optimized. Optimized images that load fast across all devices can help improve the load time of the website as a whole, which, in the long run, improves the user experience of visitors to your site.

By following these small business website design tips and optimizing for search engines, you can help ensure that your small business website is visible to your target audience and drives traffic that converts into leads and sales.

4. Keep contact information above the fold

One of the most important small business website design tips is to ensure that your contact information appears prominently on your site, above the fold. Above the fold is the area of your website that is visible when a user first visits your site without scrolling.

Your contact information should be easy to find and include your business name, address, phone number, email address, and social media links. Including this information above the fold will make it easy for potential customers to get in touch with you, which can ultimately lead to conversion.

This means placing your phone number, email address, and physical address at the top of your homepage so that users can easily find this information without having to scroll down.

5. Use white space

Another small business website design tip is to make use of white space. White space is the empty space on your web pages that don’t contain any text, images, or other content. While it may seem counterintuitive to leave blank space on your website, using white space can actually be very beneficial. White space can help create a more visually appealing and user-friendly website by making your content easier to read and navigate.

It can also help highlight specific areas of your website, such as call-to-action buttons or contact information. When it comes to website design for small businesses, less is often more. Use white space liberally to create a clean and uncluttered website that is easy to navigate and interact with.

6. Ensure fast page speeds

In today's fast-paced world, people have little patience for slow-loading websites. If your website takes too long to load, users are likely to click away and look for a faster option. This not only results in lost traffic and potential customers, but it can also negatively impact your search engine ranking.

No matter what kind of small business website you have, it's important to make sure that it loads quickly. Search engines like Google take page speed into account when ranking websites, so a fast site could mean the difference between being on the front page of results or being buried deep in the search results.

To ensure fast page speeds and keep your website visitors engaged, it's important to optimize your website for speed. Some key factors to consider include image size and quality, the number of plugins you're using, and the hosting provider that you choose. Additionally, make sure to regularly monitor and test your page speeds so that you can identify any potential issues and resolve them quickly. A study conducted by Deloitte and 55 to investigate the impact of page speed on conversation found that websites with a 0.1-second improvement in load times had an increase in conversion rate. Retail websites increased conversion by 8.4% while travel websites increased conversion by 10%.

7. Incorporate CTAs

As a small business, it's important to have a website that not only looks good but also drives results. One of the best ways to do this is to incorporate effective calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your site. CTAs are buttons or links that encourage users to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or making a purchase.

There are many small business website design tips that can help you create effective CTAs, including using clear and compelling language, placing them above the fold to increase visibility, and testing to see what works best for your audience.

One small business website design tip is to use clear and compelling language for your CTAs. Your CTA should be clear about what action you want the user to take and use strong language that compels them to act. For example, instead of using a CTA that says "click here," try something more specific like "download our free ebook."

8. Focus on UX

When it comes to small business website design, one of the most important things to focus on is user experience (UX). UX refers to how easy and enjoyable it is to use your website, and it's a key factor in determining whether or not users will stay on your site. After all, your website is designed to engage potential customers and help convert them into loyal customers.

There are many small business website design tips that can help you create a positive UX, such as using easy-to-read fonts, designing for mobile users, and incorporating engaging content. Additionally, make sure to regularly test your website to ensure that it is functioning properly and address any issues that arise.

To ensure that your small business website is optimized for search engines, it's important to consider both the technical aspects and the design elements that will appeal most to your target audience. On the technical side, small business website design should focus on creating a fast, responsive website that is easy to navigate.

By following these tips, you can create a website that is not only visually appealing but also easy and enjoyable to use. These tips can also help increase traffic to your website . With effective UX, you can connect with more potential customers and keep them coming back for more.

Best small business website design companies

Do you want to create a website design for a small business that is both attractive and effective? There are many paid and free website builders that can help you build the perfect site for your needs.

One of the top small business website design companies is Mailchimp. With their user-friendly platform, easy-to-use templates, and expert support, Mailchimp makes it easy to create a website that is both beautiful and effective. Additionally, their small business plans start with a free plan that provides free site-building and free hosting together with email marketing functionality. Mailchimp also allows you to connect to a previously purchased custom domain. This separates Mailchimp from the rest of the pack in providing an affordable starting option for businesses of all sizes. This means that you can actually run a fully functional website on a Mailchimp free plan and only upgrade when your business needs change.

Weebly is another popular small business website design company. With Weebly, you can create a professional website for free. However, you will not be able to use your own custom domain or have access to reports about the performance of your website.

Wix also offers a free plan with e-commerce functionality and limits you from using your custom domain until you upgrade to their paid plan.

Optimize your website with Mailchimp

A website is a crucial tool for small businesses, and small business website design is an important factor in driving results. To optimize your website for search engines and improve user experience, work with reputable small business website design companies like Mailchimp.

So, what are you waiting for? If you’re looking to create a website for your small business, there’s no need to look any further. The tips we’ve shared will help you get started on the right foot and give your site the professional look it deserves. And if you need some help along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our trusted partners. We can connect you with experts who will make sure your website design is top-notch and ready to bring in more leads and sales. Ready to get started? Contact Mailchimp today!

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