In this first episode I am telling you about my process of finding a new focus for my Web Design Business, based on research and insights from books, videos and painful experiences. I hope you guys find it interesting!
Great video Rino. I have exactly the same thought process as you and have been starting to market myself this way as well. The client sees more value in getting them more work than having a “good website” so you are 100% doing the right thing in my eyes. Rino, would it be possible to email you? I’d love to talk further about this!
Rino, you suffered the exact same problems as I did over the years...until I decided to niche down. This calculated change made a colossal difference not only in my workload (I now have more free time), but also in my revenue (my income is consistent and predictable now). While still doing web design, I'm only providing this service to a very specific market. What's really upping my earnings though is the monthly digital marketing services I offer (PPC, SEO, CRO). It's not nearly as fun as web design, but it's certainly more profitable, and again, predictable. Plus, it's great to see the incremental advances I make for my clients. I'm also jotting down notes for each digital marketing service I provide in efforts of systematizing them. All in all, it's great having very specific goals for a very specific market...it's makes you an expert in that industry. PS - Good books to read: The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns and Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly. Both of these books completely changed how I approach business. Thanks for the great video!
Awesome, thanks for the 2 book recommendations. And thanks for sharing your experience as well, really inspiring to hear that this approach has been working for you. Makes me confident for the future 💪🏼 A question: what kind of things you do with PPC, SEO, CRO? Just run it for them and then share results with them via reports?
@@rinodeboer With PPC, I share screenshots of the monthly improvements (e.g. more conversions, more clicks, cheaper ad spend, higher Click Through Rates), as well as where I'm having challenges. With SEO, they get a monthly (automated) report, which is supplemented with screenshots of their Google rankings for their top keywords. CRO - I haven't really shown any reports here, but I should. All in all, I spend quite a bit of time on this at the end of every month (working on systematizing it though), but the client really likes the details I share and the effort I invest. From a client "I have had to really look at my advertising budget and cut some things so I am blessed by the fact that I feel money spent with you is well spent."
As a web designer who ditched web design 5 years ago to become a Google ads marketing consultant, I can promise you this you will have more peace, profit and prosperity with this direction. Sometimes the best thing you can do in business is say no to everything and yes to only 1 thing. It's the best way to declutter your mind. All the best.
You are the one because of whom I started doing freelancing, and now I own a 5 team agency after 3 years. Thank you so much! Just one random video of yours and now my life changed
I figured out that on December last year, that web development is not enough. Small business need more of Marketing, and tools to help them reach potential customers. Thus now I offer more consulting services and give the client options to get a service provider for what they need or I invoice them🎉 The position of a digital designer in a nut shell is VISUAL MARKETING
@cudiedgar howdy 😅Rino mentioned that small business need marketing services and a website is one of the critical tools to help them scale. There is now more cashflow in my company because I get to do consulting services, recommend strategic marketing tactics then quote them for designing things such as advertisements, branding material and all those things companies use in advertising with a monthly service fee. So basically as a graphic designer you can make cashflow within crafting Advertising content 😅 and that is what I do. While waiting for elementor updates or maintenance to complete. I can design adverts for the client that they can still get be visible 🎉mind you companies use 1 specific template for their designs thus more time to do things. 😅in a nut shell, it has a more proficient and profitable with competence on sales, marketing, customer experience and customer relationship management after service. Make sure you deliver what they need first before you can make recommendations!🎉all the best
Some good points Rino. Being a graphic designer my entire career, I have to concur that 95% of clients have no idea what they want in an initial conversation...so, yes, charge them for your time. ..Time is money! The challenge with today is that everyone is a designer because they have a computer and Canva! So, our society is a DIY society. I'm certain that when a prospective client approaches you, the first thing they ask you is..."How much for a website?" I usually reply with, that's like me asking a home renovator, "how much will it cost me to renovate my basement?" Vagueness gets you a vague cost estimate. For you, I'd start out with a free 15-minute "discovery" call; but if they want more of your consulting services, you charge them $X for the next 90-minute session (for example). I could go on and on, but if you decide to be a marketing consultant, just remember you have other commitments, like people taking your online courses...some have paid quite a lot of money to learn from you, so be sensitive to that as well. I wish you the best with your new venture Rino.
Thanks for the input about the discovery calls, that’s a good one 🙏🏻 And to be clear: I love web design and no-code development, so I don’t want to give that up. Its just that now selling websites is not the goal anymore, the website is a tool to help them get their story out. And the whole reason I am only doing client work one day a week is so that I can keep making videos and courses. I like the variety doing multiple things, but somehow they are connected.
My eyes lit up when I saw you bring up the book, "Company of One." I read it many years ago and it was an eye opener for me in may own journey. Great video, Rino.
Sometimes we have to look back, question ourselves, re-consider about decision we've made when we have a growing business. Encountering problems or reaching out to our limitations or worse having health issues, is a sign for the last call of having a change. The worst scenario is like what Rino said, when we think our business controls you, instead you control your businesses. What helped me a lot is breaking down a bigger problem as a whole problem which looks like almost impossible to change or defeat can be broken down into smaller parts, each port for itself is easier to fix. Make plans for things you want to change and check them after they have been gone.
Rino, thank you for sharing your experiences so openly and honest with us. I can see myself in many of the things you described - and seeing you progress and building your business further and further - until it suits you and your clients - is just so heartwarming to wacht. Thank you for sharing with us, this is a great inspiration and motivation :)
I’ve been grappling with similar challenges, and this video has completely transformed my perspective. I’m certainly going to be a regular follower and plan to overhaul my business strategy accordingly.
Crazy! Working on the same, going from Webdesigner for everyone to a systemized and productized process that will safe me and my clients time. Looking forward to your journey
Thanks a lot for the video! I find myself in kind of the same situation. Chuckled a bit when You talked about not specializing and trying to do every project despite not knowing if You can pull it off..totally same here. Just thought about it and realized I have over 8 years of experience in real estate marketing so going to focus on providing businesses help with that. Good luck and looking forward to the next video ;)
Holy shit Rino. You nailed down the pain that I have since years. 90% of my clients have zero idea how to market themselves and I spent weeks of discovering for free what they need to eventually raise an offer for a website.
Thank you for sharing your thought process with us. I believe you are on the right track, because reflection is key. My gut feeling is that you would do very well in a larger team of skilled professionals, so that you don't have to do everything by yourself. I believe any team should be happy to have you on board.
Hello Rino, great video. Actually this is exactly what I am going to do. I have more than 35 years in International Marketing in large organizion and just came recently in deep contact with digital marketing. I strong believe that the work with traditional marketing tools is fundamental for successful online or digital marketing. Therefore i called my company tradidigital. with the fundamentals of traditional marketing I mean in particular USP, Positioning, Market segmentation, Pricing strategy, etc. I will let you know when my site will be online. Thanks for your wonderful and very helpful content. Peter
This is an incredible and educative video. Thank you Rino. This was introspective. I appreciate the work and in depth research and reading that went into making this video. I've been following your channel for more than three years now, and I've enjoyed so many invaluable information and insights that has aided me in my own journey. I wish you all the best. Thank you.
Thank you Rino for this video. I'm in a different branche but I do recognise nearly everything you say here. I think these kind of video's will really work great for fellow entrepeneurs but also your new clients. Mixed in with some Dutch 'nuchterheid' ,what I did notice, I think you are on to something great here. Keep up the good work and again thank you for this inspiring video!
I'm currently new in the world of Design (in general) This video is SUPER helpful. I'm a bit scatterbrained, keeping myself small is something I'll definitely take to heart.
Another great video Rino, thanks!, I totally see in what you describe my little web agency with my fails and successes, it's not everyday easy! Thanks for all the tips and looking forward for the next episode!
I like watching your videos but I never comment before. AFAIK, in a consulting business, KPIs are really important and always, clients want specific numbers. As a website designer, who get 50% payment upfront and 50% when the project is done. I think this is risky and unpredictable. But it's cool to see new things happening. I can't wait to watch more of your videos! 🙂
Hi Rino - good to follow your journey and thanks for sharing your insights at this exciting inflection point in your working life. one of my mentors helped me understand the importance of charging top dollar for access to you because you have the experience and know-how, which has taken you a long time to build up. AI is great and will change the way we work and tools we use, as well as 'giving power to the people'. Clients that work with you choose to invest in having you 'on their team' and that's worth money as it saves them time and mistakes.
Great to see that you have a clearer vision on your endeavours than before :) I am also drifting more into the "I sell digital visibility" instead of "I sell websites". Businesses need visibility and and somewhat of an image. If they use a website for that, good. If they use Social Media, also good. I am obviously focusing on the website thing but at the end of the day it's not about the website itself - it's about the actual value the customer gains from that website (which is traffic, conversions, public attention etc resulting in more revenue, more customers, more flexibility in their own business)
I moved to only doing service based a year ago and it was a great decision. It streamlined the business and made me much more efficient when it comes to client work. Good choice you made.
But if you take a saas for example, they’re not a service but he still need a landing page to market their product like a service based business so are you not loosing tons of clients ?
Great video! Looking forward to your journey. I started with Photoshop and Dreamweaver too and now a days I am there, where you want to go. But it took me all the disicions you just made ... no webshops ... smaller clients ... staying on myself ... offer more than only webdesign. I found my freedom with that, so you are on the perfect way. But I love to learn and see, if I can do things better. Because the one, that is most adaptable will survive. 😅
I myself is struggling with web development business. Recently I have landed an eCommerce website project. You are right about the thing that the client does not know what they wants and there are lot of people who can build a website cheaper than you. What you can offer is right direction to the client . I liked the idea very much. I dont have much practical experience in branding and marketing can you tell me how to learn this things.
This was awesome. I started by own business about a year ago now...I have one customer...and I am already realizing that literally EVERYTHING you pointed out is exactly what I'm going through now. So much wheel spinning and not enough action...so I try to spread myself out...but I realize I spread myself too thin. I'm excited to see how your UA-cam mini series turns out. I will say though...saying you're getting away from being the "elementor guy"...which to be fair you were not that to us (just being real)...to a "marketing guy" does kind of make you wear more hats which goes against the first point you made about limiting your focus.
Really cool to hear! And about your last point: yes, that's a good point actually. But I was just saying that it's a challenge to wear multiple hats, I was not saying it's inevitable. In this case, with where the market is moving to, adding one more hat is important. Therefor you should make an effort to limit the rest of the hats, by focussing on specific niches, using systems etc.
M8, It was like I'm watching myself :))) I had all those difficult situations you've had and have a marketing agency in the UK. and after thinking the same way as you did, asked the similar questions to myself, decided the same thing! adapting to the big change! either we want to or not, it will take us in! if we runaway which we cannot because we lose our job! then I said yes! ideas! marketing ideas ar more important now! of course, an Ai can do that either but, the client does not know what they need most of times so they would not be able to ask the correct questions to the Ai! yes m8, that's where we log in to the business back again with all our experiment, still... at least for few more years :) thx for great video and suggestions. would love to speak more about business with you btw, take care and be creative always!
I agree with this and have been thinking of doing the same (albeit different than just marketing). I think it will also clean up the hosting/services/plug in no longer supported headaches
awesome insight! repositioning is inevitable for web designers. people don't want websites - but what the website can give them to grow their business and bottom line. figure that out, and you are good to go.
Very good points, I agree with you. The website design will be the cheapest thing, what we will be paid for is the analysis and strategy behind the design.
Hei Rino, nice to follow how your thinking is evolving. Would have be interesting that you come to the core question what is a website? What was the average price of the website that you were selling ? what was the impact of the website on the client business?
Thank you. I am not sure yet. Focussing on one niche would be better for business, but I don’t need to make it a perfect big business. Just something that works for me. So I am leaning towards not focussing on a specific niche.
Great video Rino and inspiring. Certainly resonated with me after many years working and becoming the solution to clients problems but not my own (freelancer). My question is - as part of your quest to develop your brand how do you manage the personal branding alongside that of your professional one without blurring the lines? Do you simply create assets for each or combine? so confused on how best to approach this with the limitations of time. Appreciate your insight.
From what I noticed, people call it a productized web design business. You focus serving specific niche with similar and predictable pattern so that you can systemize/templatize most of the process. Meaning We can lower down the price tag in exchange for more clients..
It's been a year since quitting my 9-5 job as a ux researcher and starting my own mini agency but feels too late (for this kind of traditional agency). So just like you, I recently exploring that productized web design business; yet some major questions remain unanswered to better position my business in the market
I studied Mediamanagement (Bachelor) in Germany and think your Plan hast a Solid Base and could workout Just fine:) for me it Sounds right to Take IT to the next lvl even when this means you have to downscale! So interessting Sharing this Information thanks!!!
I still miss Adobe Muse! That raised the bar to this day of making mobile friendly multi layered parallax front end butter smooth design and a decade ago, nothing still comes close to a web design platform for visual artists
Great video and we share the same issues and concerns. I have a different model to other web designers and it's worked very, very well for me. I want to suggest a book to you too: Built to sell by John Warrilow.
Rino, I am trying to start a Web Design Business thanks to you. But I ran into a problem. I bought the Elementor Pro version with 25 websites, and I'm not completely sure what counts as "1 website". I am sure it counts as a domain, but does 1 website also equal to 1 sub-domain? Meaning if I had a 5 page website my Elementor Pro license would use up 5 websites. If so, should I make one page websites for my clients? Thank you.
there will always be people who want to save money and do it themselves. there are people who like to work on their own car and don't want to pay a mechanic, for example. the trick is to market to a sector who either doesn't have the time or doesn't want to do it themselves. this sector appreciates that they don't have the expertise and are willing to pay a fair price as time is money to them. usually, this is not the mom and pop sector.
Yea, good point. That’s also definitely an approach, to just focus on bigger businesses (with bigger budgets) that value time more than money. I guess that’s the direction the traditional agency has to go for in the long term.
Direct and sincere: Your honesty is truly commendable, a rare virtue that sets you apart. However, have you really taken enough time to reflect deeply on your current path? Do you feel, with unwavering confidence, that it aligns with your core values and the ultimate vision you have for your life? It isn't just about affirming where you are now, instead it's about ensuring you are on a trajectory that truly resonates with your personal and professional aspirations. Take this feedback as an invitation to explore your true inner convictions and then perhaps, recalibrate once more your direction which will reflect your conviction more accurately.
Thanks for your concern, but I think I did this time. It’s aligned with my passion for marketing & branding. It allows me to design, which I love, and it still allows me to focus on other projects. In that way it cannot take over my life and I can still do some projects. Do you think I perhaps want something else? Please speak freely.
@@rinodeboer How about litening entirely this YT podcast: EMERGENCY EPISODE: Ex-Google Officer Finally Speaks Out On The Dangers Of AI! - Mo Gawdat | E252 Wishing you all the very best.😏
Thank you, but how are the dangers of AI related to my current path? Just share what you think, because right now I am not convinced to watch that 2 hour podcast.
A discovery meeting or call shouldn't be free in general, as this would devalue your time. Additionally, think of the time you have to spend before you even go into a meeting with your client. So it's up to you where you draw a line in the sand and charge even for calls like longer than 10-15 minutes. At the end the client pays not only for your time, also for time together where you figure out their needs, goals, and achievements in the future. Past - Now - Future.
There is a flaw in your strategy against AI. Nowadays, a person can ask AI how many pages are needed for a company with such a business model and then create a website with another AI tool. Let´s hope there is a lot of time before the majority starts doing so. As for the niche, vision, and systematisation, I´d recommend the book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" by Gino Wickman.
Yea, I feel you. That's one of the reasons I am making this series, to show others that with a good plan things don't have to get overwhelming. I would also highly recommend reading the book I discussed in the video, since that book took a lot of overwhelm for me away.
I’m curious to know about your challenges. Can you explain a bit more about what exactly overwhelms you on the business side? Why does it overwhelm you so much?
I am just "starting" bc I have been studying part-time for years while working other jobs. Now that I am finally in a position to launch it feels like AI is just going to take over lol. I like your point about helping a client think through their business marketing. Tools... Means vs ends.
But if you take a saas for example, they’re not a service but he still need a landing page to market their product like a service based business so are you not loosing tons of clients ?
Choosing a niche and focusing on that instead of being all over the place, ultimately means you'll lose out on clients outside of that niche. But that's the whole point. Cutting out excesses and focusing and giving your best to the clients within that niche who need your services. Other 'tons' of clients don't matter. We're all losing out on clients in some way. As a web designer, I'm losing out on clients that wants a chef or a nanny.
Yes, yes and yes - its the problem of the yes sayer! For me it's the other way round, I work in brand design and have often been asked if I can also create websites, so I'm now working on this skillset. And then you're about to explain to the customer how to get traffic to the website, you're back to marketing social media... And you're absolutely right, that's probably exactly what saves designers from AI. The explanation of the overall context, the positioning and a perfect, structured customer processing + strategy that you market correctly beforehand. And the problem that I haven't solved yet (positioning) is now being carried over to the websites. So I know what I'll be working on next time. Great content, keep it up!
AI will give the avg Joe and Jane everything they want, including marketing, branding, websites, etc. just as we do a Google search today. Not even doctors will be safe from AI. It's all a matter of time. Now the question is how this will affect human life, how will the process of having everything readily available will affect the development of not only our lives but as people as well. Some are already pushing for UBI when AI and robots dominate everything.
There is this saying people buy from people.... This gives me comfort when I think of how AI will affect businesses.... Not everyone will use or trust AI
Everyone is scared with AI and lots of website offering make webiste with AI but as an WP developer i thing we need to get out of page builders and make one code base website for service base client did not understand the code so only you who can handly the website.
Maybe I would be your picture perfect client… had an agency (design), work freelance (also move towards communication strategy) now, struggling with marketing (and the website). Have a good idea where I want to go, but a consultant in this, would save me a lot of time. Oh, and I’m Dutch and like your way of thinking! Are you open for client work? Where can I get in touch?
Sure! Sounds good. You can email me at info@rinodeboer.com , but I still need to prepare some things before I can get started. But let’s start talking via email 👌🏼
Welcome! 😄because many web designers and web developers call themselves professionals, but they are still unaware that they are providing free discovery time and consultations 🤭
![Launch your web design business in 2024 [FULL GUIDE]](/img/n.gif)
In this first episode I am telling you about my process of finding a new focus for my Web Design Business, based on research and insights from books, videos and painful experiences. I hope you guys find it interesting!
Great video Rino. I have exactly the same thought process as you and have been starting to market myself this way as well.
The client sees more value in getting them more work than having a “good website” so you are 100% doing the right thing in my eyes.
Rino, would it be possible to email you? I’d love to talk further about this!
@@KOBE42__ Thank you! And yes, that is info@rinodeboer.com
Are you doing any follow up videos for this? I watched this a few weeks ago and was interested to see the next steps!
@@matt_4329 Yes, now working on the second one.
Rino, you suffered the exact same problems as I did over the years...until I decided to niche down. This calculated change made a colossal difference not only in my workload (I now have more free time), but also in my revenue (my income is consistent and predictable now).
While still doing web design, I'm only providing this service to a very specific market. What's really upping my earnings though is the monthly digital marketing services I offer (PPC, SEO, CRO). It's not nearly as fun as web design, but it's certainly more profitable, and again, predictable. Plus, it's great to see the incremental advances I make for my clients. I'm also jotting down notes for each digital marketing service I provide in efforts of systematizing them. All in all, it's great having very specific goals for a very specific market...it's makes you an expert in that industry.
PS - Good books to read: The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns and Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly. Both of these books completely changed how I approach business. Thanks for the great video!
Awesome, thanks for the 2 book recommendations. And thanks for sharing your experience as well, really inspiring to hear that this approach has been working for you. Makes me confident for the future 💪🏼
A question: what kind of things you do with PPC, SEO, CRO? Just run it for them and then share results with them via reports?
@@rinodeboer With PPC, I share screenshots of the monthly improvements (e.g. more conversions, more clicks, cheaper ad spend, higher Click Through Rates), as well as where I'm having challenges. With SEO, they get a monthly (automated) report, which is supplemented with screenshots of their Google rankings for their top keywords. CRO - I haven't really shown any reports here, but I should. All in all, I spend quite a bit of time on this at the end of every month (working on systematizing it though), but the client really likes the details I share and the effort I invest. From a client "I have had to really look at my advertising budget and cut some things so I am blessed by the fact that I feel money spent with you is well spent."
As a web designer who ditched web design 5 years ago to become a Google ads marketing consultant, I can promise you this you will have more peace, profit and prosperity with this direction. Sometimes the best thing you can do in business is say no to everything and yes to only 1 thing. It's the best way to declutter your mind. All the best.
more peace, profit and prosperity in which one, marketing or web deisgn ?
You are the one because of whom I started doing freelancing, and now I own a 5 team agency after 3 years. Thank you so much! Just one random video of yours and now my life changed
Fantastic! Really cool to hear 🙏🏻
I figured out that on December last year, that web development is not enough.
Small business need more of Marketing, and tools to help them reach potential customers. Thus now I offer more consulting services and give the client options to get a service provider for what they need or I invoice them🎉
The position of a digital designer in a nut shell is VISUAL MARKETING
Hows your success so far?
@cudiedgar howdy 😅Rino mentioned that small business need marketing services and a website is one of the critical tools to help them scale.
There is now more cashflow in my company because I get to do consulting services, recommend strategic marketing tactics then quote them for designing things such as advertisements, branding material and all those things companies use in advertising with a monthly service fee. So basically as a graphic designer you can make cashflow within crafting Advertising content 😅 and that is what I do.
While waiting for elementor updates or maintenance to complete. I can design adverts for the client that they can still get be visible 🎉mind you companies use 1 specific template for their designs thus more time to do things.
😅in a nut shell, it has a more proficient and profitable with competence on sales, marketing, customer experience and customer relationship management after service. Make sure you deliver what they need first before you can make recommendations!🎉all the best
@@tapelongwenya Great, thank you for your nice answer!
Some good points Rino. Being a graphic designer my entire career, I have to concur that 95% of clients have no idea what they want in an initial conversation...so, yes, charge them for your time. ..Time is money! The challenge with today is that everyone is a designer because they have a computer and Canva! So, our society is a DIY society. I'm certain that when a prospective client approaches you, the first thing they ask you is..."How much for a website?" I usually reply with, that's like me asking a home renovator, "how much will it cost me to renovate my basement?" Vagueness gets you a vague cost estimate. For you, I'd start out with a free 15-minute "discovery" call; but if they want more of your consulting services, you charge them $X for the next 90-minute session (for example). I could go on and on, but if you decide to be a marketing consultant, just remember you have other commitments, like people taking your online courses...some have paid quite a lot of money to learn from you, so be sensitive to that as well. I wish you the best with your new venture Rino.
Thanks for the input about the discovery calls, that’s a good one 🙏🏻
And to be clear: I love web design and no-code development, so I don’t want to give that up. Its just that now selling websites is not the goal anymore, the website is a tool to help them get their story out.
And the whole reason I am only doing client work one day a week is so that I can keep making videos and courses. I like the variety doing multiple things, but somehow they are connected.
My eyes lit up when I saw you bring up the book, "Company of One."
I read it many years ago and it was an eye opener for me in may own journey.
Great video, Rino.
Sometimes we have to look back, question ourselves, re-consider about decision we've made when we have a growing business. Encountering problems or reaching out to our limitations or worse having health issues, is a sign for the last call of having a change. The worst scenario is like what Rino said, when we think our business controls you, instead you control your businesses.
What helped me a lot is breaking down a bigger problem as a whole problem which looks like almost impossible to change or defeat can be broken down into smaller parts, each port for itself is easier to fix. Make plans for things you want to change and check them after they have been gone.
Rino,
thank you for sharing your experiences so openly and honest with us. I can see myself in many of the things you described - and seeing you progress and building your business further and further - until it suits you and your clients - is just so heartwarming to wacht. Thank you for sharing with us, this is a great inspiration and motivation :)
I’ve been grappling with similar challenges, and this video has completely transformed my perspective. I’m certainly going to be a regular follower and plan to overhaul my business strategy accordingly.
Crazy! Working on the same, going from Webdesigner for everyone to a systemized and productized process that will safe me and my clients time.
Looking forward to your journey
Thanks and well done, Rino. This was helpful. I am currently rethinking things with my brand strategy also and seeing this was inspiring enough.
“I work on my terms now” ❤ love that for you. More power to the people
I absolutely love this episode...keep up the good work man, you're an inspiration. Sending love from the Caribbean.
Thanks a lot for the video! I find myself in kind of the same situation. Chuckled a bit when You talked about not specializing and trying to do every project despite not knowing if You can pull it off..totally same here.
Just thought about it and realized I have over 8 years of experience in real estate marketing so going to focus on providing businesses help with that.
Good luck and looking forward to the next video ;)
Holy shit Rino. You nailed down the pain that I have since years. 90% of my clients have zero idea how to market themselves and I spent weeks of discovering for free what they need to eventually raise an offer for a website.
Lesson learned! I am at the same point as you have been! Thank you so much. Big step forward!
Great video Rino. Looking forward more similar content from you.
Thank you for sharing your thought process with us. I believe you are on the right track, because reflection is key. My gut feeling is that you would do very well in a larger team of skilled professionals, so that you don't have to do everything by yourself. I believe any team should be happy to have you on board.
Great video and smart insights, Rino. Thank you for sharing! And all the best for your new business!
Hello Rino, great video. Actually this is exactly what I am going to do. I have more than 35 years in International Marketing in large organizion and just came recently in deep contact with digital marketing. I strong believe that the work with traditional marketing tools is fundamental for successful online or digital marketing. Therefore i called my company tradidigital. with the fundamentals of traditional marketing I mean in particular USP, Positioning, Market segmentation, Pricing strategy, etc. I will let you know when my site will be online. Thanks for your wonderful and very helpful content. Peter
This is an incredible and educative video. Thank you Rino. This was introspective. I appreciate the work and in depth research and reading that went into making this video. I've been following your channel for more than three years now, and I've enjoyed so many invaluable information and insights that has aided me in my own journey. I wish you all the best. Thank you.
Another great video Rino. I can see myself in so many of the points your mentioned. I m gonna buy this book and rethink my business strategy.
Thanks Rino. This was very interesting and well done. I appreciate you sharing your insights and thoughts. Very helpful.
Thank you Rino for this video. I'm in a different branche but I do recognise nearly everything you say here. I think these kind of video's will really work great for fellow entrepeneurs but also your new clients. Mixed in with some Dutch 'nuchterheid' ,what I did notice, I think you are on to something great here. Keep up the good work and again thank you for this inspiring video!
I'm currently new in the world of Design (in general)
This video is SUPER helpful. I'm a bit scatterbrained, keeping myself small is something I'll definitely take to heart.
Awesome to hear! Welcome to the club 😎
Another great video Rino, thanks!, I totally see in what you describe my little web agency with my fails and successes, it's not everyday easy! Thanks for all the tips and looking forward for the next episode!
I think this is my favourite Rino's video. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
I like watching your videos but I never comment before. AFAIK, in a consulting business, KPIs are really important and always, clients want specific numbers. As a website designer, who get 50% payment upfront and 50% when the project is done. I think this is risky and unpredictable. But it's cool to see new things happening. I can't wait to watch more of your videos! 🙂
I can relate to the situation you described. Thank you for presenting your thoughts so clearly.
Hi Rino - good to follow your journey and thanks for sharing your insights at this exciting inflection point in your working life. one of my mentors helped me understand the importance of charging top dollar for access to you because you have the experience and know-how, which has taken you a long time to build up. AI is great and will change the way we work and tools we use, as well as 'giving power to the people'. Clients that work with you choose to invest in having you 'on their team' and that's worth money as it saves them time and mistakes.
Great to see that you have a clearer vision on your endeavours than before :) I am also drifting more into the "I sell digital visibility" instead of "I sell websites". Businesses need visibility and and somewhat of an image. If they use a website for that, good. If they use Social Media, also good. I am obviously focusing on the website thing but at the end of the day it's not about the website itself - it's about the actual value the customer gains from that website (which is traffic, conversions, public attention etc resulting in more revenue, more customers, more flexibility in their own business)
I moved to only doing service based a year ago and it was a great decision. It streamlined the business and made me much more efficient when it comes to client work. Good choice you made.
But if you take a saas for example, they’re not a service but he still need a landing page to market their product like a service based business so are you not loosing tons of clients ?
This is an informative video which I was willing to learn from.
Would you share on how we beginner to get our first client although not good enough
Makes sense. But I would like to know more by marketing what did you mean. What part of the marketing are you covering.
Great video! Looking forward to your journey. I started with Photoshop and Dreamweaver too and now a days I am there, where you want to go. But it took me all the disicions you just made ... no webshops ... smaller clients ... staying on myself ... offer more than only webdesign. I found my freedom with that, so you are on the perfect way. But I love to learn and see, if I can do things better. Because the one, that is most adaptable will survive. 😅
Thank you, great to hear! 🙏🏻
I myself is struggling with web development business. Recently I have landed an eCommerce website project. You are right about the thing that the client does not know what they wants and there are lot of people who can build a website cheaper than you. What you can offer is right direction to the client . I liked the idea very much. I dont have much practical experience in branding and marketing can you tell me how to learn this things.
This was awesome. I started by own business about a year ago now...I have one customer...and I am already realizing that literally EVERYTHING you pointed out is exactly what I'm going through now. So much wheel spinning and not enough action...so I try to spread myself out...but I realize I spread myself too thin. I'm excited to see how your UA-cam mini series turns out.
I will say though...saying you're getting away from being the "elementor guy"...which to be fair you were not that to us (just being real)...to a "marketing guy" does kind of make you wear more hats which goes against the first point you made about limiting your focus.
Really cool to hear! And about your last point: yes, that's a good point actually. But I was just saying that it's a challenge to wear multiple hats, I was not saying it's inevitable. In this case, with where the market is moving to, adding one more hat is important. Therefor you should make an effort to limit the rest of the hats, by focussing on specific niches, using systems etc.
M8, It was like I'm watching myself :))) I had all those difficult situations you've had and have a marketing agency in the UK. and after thinking the same way as you did, asked the similar questions to myself, decided the same thing! adapting to the big change! either we want to or not, it will take us in! if we runaway which we cannot because we lose our job! then I said yes! ideas! marketing ideas ar more important now! of course, an Ai can do that either but, the client does not know what they need most of times so they would not be able to ask the correct questions to the Ai! yes m8, that's where we log in to the business back again with all our experiment, still... at least for few more years :) thx for great video and suggestions. would love to speak more about business with you btw, take care and be creative always!
can you please also share how to manage client. Do you use notion to manage clients?
I agree with this and have been thinking of doing the same (albeit different than just marketing). I think it will also clean up the hosting/services/plug in no longer supported headaches
This is one of your best videos. Thanks!!!!
P.S: You're 1000% right!!! 🥰
awesome insight! repositioning is inevitable for web designers. people don't want websites - but what the website can give them to grow their business and bottom line. figure that out, and you are good to go.
Very good points, I agree with you.
The website design will be the cheapest thing,
what we will be paid for is the analysis and strategy behind the design.
Hei Rino, nice to follow how your thinking is evolving. Would have be interesting that you come to the core question what is a website? What was the average price of the website that you were selling ? what was the impact of the website on the client business?
I like this video very much. It touches allot of similar issues that I have myself.
Brilliant Rino. This really resonated with me. Thanks.
Good luck Rino. Will have to compete now. :D
it was awesome. ai’m looking for the next episodes ❤❤
Let's go bro this is the content we need!
Very useful content. QUESTION: Are you planning to focus on a niche market, or will you offer your service to any service based business?
Thank you. I am not sure yet. Focussing on one niche would be better for business, but I don’t need to make it a perfect big business. Just something that works for me. So I am leaning towards not focussing on a specific niche.
Great content. Taking a similar approach too, is definitely a better way of working. Be interested to see how your service offering develops.
Amazing, love it, liked, subscribed, bell iconed, everything
Great video, good luck with the project
Great video Rino and inspiring. Certainly resonated with me after many years working and becoming the solution to clients problems but not my own (freelancer). My question is - as part of your quest to develop your brand how do you manage the personal branding alongside that of your professional one without blurring the lines? Do you simply create assets for each or combine? so confused on how best to approach this with the limitations of time. Appreciate your insight.
From what I noticed, people call it a productized web design business. You focus serving specific niche with similar and predictable pattern so that you can systemize/templatize most of the process. Meaning We can lower down the price tag in exchange for more clients..
It's been a year since quitting my 9-5 job as a ux researcher and starting my own mini agency but feels too late (for this kind of traditional agency).
So just like you, I recently exploring that productized web design business; yet some major questions remain unanswered to better position my business in the market
By the way, are you in Bali??
Yes, I’m in Bali 👌🏼🌴
@@rinodeboer cool.. Enjoy Bali! I'm based in Jakarta. Have a plan to visit?
Thank you! No plans to visit for this trip. But maybe next year!
Congrats to you for choosing to do better for yourself and your business.
Off topic, anyone recommend working with Elementor on a 32” ultrawide monitor ? Or is a dual setup better suited for that?
thank you for your video. I think should go full on youtube...I think you are a great teacher
What your referring to is branding. I like the way you think
The Nook restaurant in Bali is where you took the thumbnail picture right?
Haha yep correct
Man this feels so familiar… great video sir.
I studied Mediamanagement (Bachelor) in Germany and think your Plan hast a Solid Base and could workout Just fine:) for me it Sounds right to Take IT to the next lvl even when this means you have to downscale! So interessting Sharing this Information thanks!!!
I still miss Adobe Muse! That raised the bar to this day of making mobile friendly multi layered parallax front end butter smooth design and a decade ago, nothing still comes close to a web design platform for visual artists
Great video and we share the same issues and concerns. I have a different model to other web designers and it's worked very, very well for me. I want to suggest a book to you too: Built to sell by John Warrilow.
So funny you also have a history with Adobe Muse .... looking back in time, that tool was so bad :D but a good intro to no-code webdesign
i appreciate your content such an inspiration
I've opted in for you to create a website for me through your site, haven't heard anything yet unfortunately.
How do you be ome a traveller in the world as a wedesigner when you dont have a local business address?
Rino, I am trying to start a Web Design Business thanks to you. But I ran into a problem. I bought the Elementor Pro version with 25 websites, and I'm not completely sure what counts as "1 website". I am sure it counts as a domain, but does 1 website also equal to 1 sub-domain? Meaning if I had a 5 page website my Elementor Pro license would use up 5 websites. If so, should I make one page websites for my clients? Thank you.
A website can hava a thousand pages but it's still 1 website
In you enjoyed the book Company of One I highly suggest reading the E-myth by Michael Gerber. Aligns perfectly with your narrative in this video!
Awesome, thanks for the recommendation
there will always be people who want to save money and do it themselves. there are people who like to work on their own car and don't want to pay a mechanic, for example. the trick is to market to a sector who either doesn't have the time or doesn't want to do it themselves. this sector appreciates that they don't have the expertise and are willing to pay a fair price as time is money to them. usually, this is not the mom and pop sector.
Yea, good point. That’s also definitely an approach, to just focus on bigger businesses (with bigger budgets) that value time more than money. I guess that’s the direction the traditional agency has to go for in the long term.
Direct and sincere: Your honesty is truly commendable, a rare virtue that sets you apart. However, have you really taken enough time to reflect deeply on your current path?
Do you feel, with unwavering confidence, that it aligns with your core values and the ultimate vision you have for your life?
It isn't just about affirming where you are now, instead it's about ensuring you are on a trajectory that truly resonates with your personal and professional aspirations. Take this feedback as an invitation to explore your true inner convictions and then perhaps, recalibrate once more your direction which will reflect your conviction more accurately.
Thanks for your concern, but I think I did this time. It’s aligned with my passion for marketing & branding. It allows me to design, which I love, and it still allows me to focus on other projects. In that way it cannot take over my life and I can still do some projects. Do you think I perhaps want something else? Please speak freely.
@@rinodeboer How about litening entirely this YT podcast: EMERGENCY EPISODE: Ex-Google Officer Finally Speaks Out On The Dangers Of AI! - Mo Gawdat | E252
Wishing you all the very best.😏
Thank you, but how are the dangers of AI related to my current path? Just share what you think, because right now I am not convinced to watch that 2 hour podcast.
A discovery meeting or call shouldn't be free in general, as this would devalue your time. Additionally, think of the time you have to spend before you even go into a meeting with your client. So it's up to you where you draw a line in the sand and charge even for calls like longer than 10-15 minutes. At the end the client pays not only for your time, also for time together where you figure out their needs, goals, and achievements in the future. Past - Now - Future.
There is a flaw in your strategy against AI. Nowadays, a person can ask AI how many pages are needed for a company with such a business model and then create a website with another AI tool. Let´s hope there is a lot of time before the majority starts doing so. As for the niche, vision, and systematisation, I´d recommend the book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" by Gino Wickman.
So... A website for a restaurant would be classified as.... Listing websitr?
Are you saying there's future for us web designers who are also marketing generalists..? That would make my day! 😊
Thank you
So relatable this!
Man this video spoke to me. I'm just starting in web design and the business side has me overwhelmed. Where to start?
Yea, I feel you. That's one of the reasons I am making this series, to show others that with a good plan things don't have to get overwhelming. I would also highly recommend reading the book I discussed in the video, since that book took a lot of overwhelm for me away.
I’m curious to know about your challenges. Can you explain a bit more about what exactly overwhelms you on the business side? Why does it overwhelm you so much?
I am just "starting" bc I have been studying part-time for years while working other jobs. Now that I am finally in a position to launch it feels like AI is just going to take over lol. I like your point about helping a client think through their business marketing. Tools... Means vs ends.
But if you take a saas for example, they’re not a service but he still need a landing page to market their product like a service based business so are you not loosing tons of clients ?
Choosing a niche and focusing on that instead of being all over the place, ultimately means you'll lose out on clients outside of that niche. But that's the whole point. Cutting out excesses and focusing and giving your best to the clients within that niche who need your services. Other 'tons' of clients don't matter. We're all losing out on clients in some way. As a web designer, I'm losing out on clients that wants a chef or a nanny.
@@chomzzycute1289 makes sense
this is SO right. Wow.
Yes, yes and yes - its the problem of the yes sayer! For me it's the other way round, I work in brand design and have often been asked if I can also create websites, so I'm now working on this skillset. And then you're about to explain to the customer how to get traffic to the website, you're back to marketing social media... And you're absolutely right, that's probably exactly what saves designers from AI. The explanation of the overall context, the positioning and a perfect, structured customer processing + strategy that you market correctly beforehand. And the problem that I haven't solved yet (positioning) is now being carried over to the websites. So I know what I'll be working on next time. Great content, keep it up!
Do you use Bricks?
AI will give the avg Joe and Jane everything they want, including marketing, branding, websites, etc. just as we do a Google search today. Not even doctors will be safe from AI. It's all a matter of time. Now the question is how this will affect human life, how will the process of having everything readily available will affect the development of not only our lives but as people as well. Some are already pushing for UBI when AI and robots dominate everything.
There is this saying people buy from people.... This gives me comfort when I think of how AI will affect businesses.... Not everyone will use or trust AI
Thanks for D vision
How much do you charge per website?
Everyone is scared with AI and lots of website offering make webiste with AI but as an WP developer i thing we need to get out of page builders and make one code base website for service base client did not understand the code so only you who can handly the website.
This video is rated 150%. This is my actual problem
how is the business doing
Maybe I would be your picture perfect client… had an agency (design), work freelance (also move towards communication strategy) now, struggling with marketing (and the website). Have a good idea where I want to go, but a consultant in this, would save me a lot of time. Oh, and I’m Dutch and like your way of thinking!
Are you open for client work? Where can I get in touch?
Sure! Sounds good. You can email me at info@rinodeboer.com , but I still need to prepare some things before I can get started. But let’s start talking via email 👌🏼
Welcome! 😄because many web designers and web developers call themselves professionals, but they are still unaware that they are providing free discovery time and consultations 🤭
À little bit outside of the topic but is the thumbnail picture from Bali??
Looks a lot like one of my favorite restaurants here ahahahaha
Haha yes! That’s in Bali. Sharp eyes 😎
I was thinking of the same thing 😂
@@rinodeboer hope you enjoyed the island, and good luck with the new venture 💯🤝🏼
@@asamitam1605 it's a nice place, hard to not immediately recognize it ahahaha
on point 👌🏼
Your best video!
Wow, thanks!
Ai will do marketing too my friend.
I am going through this right now 😅
Smart !
Hey Rino, I really like you idea and I want to be a part of you
great Video!!! :))