For most agency owners, selling websites seems like the ultimate goal. It's a tangible product, easily understood by clients, and has clear deliverables. But what if this age-old practice is causing more harm than good to your business? What if, instead of propelling your agency forward, it's anchoring you down?
The Illusion of Selling Websites
When I first started my web design business, I thought selling websites was the golden ticket. But soon, I found myself engulfed in a sea of endless client communications, revisions, and exhausting design phases. Every project drained 40-60 hours from my life, and all for a return of $2-3K. Sound familiar?
It's a cycle many agency owners know all too well. It's the “feast or famine” mode where you're either swamped with work or looking for your next gig. It's exhausting, unrewarding, and unsustainable.
The Realization: Clients Want More Than Just Websites
The first step to breaking free? Understanding that clients don't just want a website. They're seeking more customer activity. They're seeking growth. Once this clicked for me, a world of opportunity opened up. No longer was I restricted to selling just websites, but I could recommend a plethora of other services that met their actual needs.
Time is Money, But It Shouldn't Be a Straight Exchange
One of the best decisions I made was diversifying the services I sold. This meant offering solutions that weren't as time-intensive but still valuable. It led to a beautiful revelation: I could earn the same amount, or even more, without working every waking hour of the day.
Set Clear Financial Goals
Like any savvy business owner, I recognized the importance of recurring revenue. By determining a ‘freedom number' – a monthly financial goal that covered all my expenses and then some – I had a clear target to aim for.
Know Your Worth and Offer Value
With a clear financial target, it was easier to conceptualize the services I would offer for the price I desired. For instance, if I aimed for an average sale of $1,100/month per client, what services would that encompass? Such clarity simplified the proposal process immensely.
The Takeaway: Recurring Revenue is the Key
The harsh truth? Time-bound projects, like website building, can become a trap. They're demanding, time-consuming, and often undervalued. The solution? Build a model centered on recurring revenue, breaking the cycle of trading time for money.
If you feel trapped, overworked, and underpaid, it's time to reconsider your agency's primary offerings. Move away from the overreliance on website sales. Focus on sustainable, scalable, and profitable solutions.
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