Web Design Business with Josh Hall

No better way to kick off the year than to plan some new marketing strategies to get more leads and convert more clients, right?I honestly believe email marketing – along with some focused forms of content marketing – will be a HUGE differentiator for web designers who choose to go this route. Which is why I’m a big proponent and supporter of it.After all…as Abe Lincoln once wisely said “He who sendeth the email gets thine customer.”Now, you know I’m not going to just tell you to go “do something” without giving you a roadmap and some solid tips to help implement so, I’m thrilled to have copywriter, digital strategist and award-winning designer Michelle Martello on the podcast to share about all of that and more.Things we cover include:How to create your “content goldmine” for social, blog, newsletter and podcast contentThe power of having a newsletter in 2025How often to send emails and/or post on social mediaWhen content should be brief vs long formHow – coincidently or not – those who send more emails make more moneyAnd a whole lot more!Michelle’s resume includes working with MTV, the National Park Service, Marie Forleo and more so she is truly an industry expert with years of experience backing her.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/361

The host shares a compelling journey from a shocking revenue drop to record-breaking success in just a year. Personal trials and a shift to a membership model were key to overcoming challenges. Discover how community engagement sparked growth and the importance of strategic marketing. Exciting new offerings in web design education are also introduced, aimed at helping others enhance their skills and elevate their businesses. This story of resilience and innovation is an inspiration for any entrepreneur facing tough times.

For the last episode of the year, I think it’s only fitting to look ahead and share some goal setting tips for 2025!In this episode, I’m sharing a lesson from my Web Design Business Course on my 5 step, annual goal setting framework.We’ll dive into:Setting an achievable revenue goal Separating Net vs Gross Rocks, Stones & Boulders goalsPricing that aligns with goals How and when to measureAgain, this is just one lesson inside my signature Web Design Business Course available now (along with my entire suite of courses) inside of Web Designer Pro when you’re ready to dive in!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/359

Since this is Christmas week, we’re going to take a break from talking about business and dive into a much more important subject…Christmas movies.I’ll break down my top 10, what I love about them, why some have remained in the top 10 and why some newer ones have made it and I’ll even give you a bonus which has an incredible business lesson that I’ve held strong to even today.In short, my top 10 Christmas movies are:Christmas VacationHome AloneHome Alone 2Jingle All The WayChristmas StoryElfGrinch (Jim Carey)Grinch NewRudolphThe Family ManBonus: Miracle on 34th Street (original)Hit me with your favorites at joshhall.co/358Oh and since it’s a week of gift-giving, I have a little something special for you at joshhall.co/xmas *** Limited time offer ***Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday’s ya filthy web designer.

I’m in a bit of an SEO pickle…Since 2017 I’ve built up all my resources - including this podcast - on my personal brand site joshhhall.co but now that my main product (my web designer membership Web Designer Pro™) is on webdesignerpro.com I feel I’m entering new SEO territory.In short, what content should stay at my personal brand at joshhall.co and since all roads are leading to webdesignerpro.com now - what content should be there?Here are my SEO pain points/challenges:It’s now a little confusing sending people to joshhall.co only for them to end up at webdesignerpro.comShould I start moving some web design content from my personal brand to webdesignerpro.com and make joshhall.co more of my entrepreneurial content hub?What are the implications of moving my ranking pages (including course sales pages) to a new domain?How the heck is my domain authority ranking for webdesignerpro.com already at a 22/100 as a one-pager?How do I start this transition without blowing up my SEO?Well as you can see, I have some challenges and questions. And I don’t like going this type of thing alone so recently, I caught up with my SEO strategist and trusted confidant Michelle Bourbonniere to help me talk this out.Michelle has been on the podcast a couple times, has done 2 training sessions inside of my community Web Designer Pro and is at the top of her game when it comes to SEO strategy so I’m thrilled and happy to share our chat as a little behind the scenes action.I hope this gives you some guidance and ideas for your SEO strategy, especially if you are balancing a personal vs business brand or have multiple businesses online.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/357

At some point, most web designers dream of moving from lengthy, time-intensive, custom web design projects to a more “productized” or “templatized” web design service. Something that clients can purchase, that has clear boundaries, constraints and limitations.There are a lot of ways to go about productizing your offers - and one way - is to frame it as a program or course. Especially if you’re empowering your clients with any sort of marketing or growth help.A shining example of how to do this is Web Designer Pro member Whitney Bateson who, after years of developing custom websites, refined her process into a web design + education solution for her wellness clients in her signature program “The Wellness Pro Website System”In this convo, we get into:What was the “breaking point” for her to move from custom buildsHow her maintenance plan recurring revenue growth rate was factored into this pivotWhat she did to refine her systems and processes to prepare to productizeHow she’s balancing ongoing support for clientsWhy she feels it’s GOOD to start custom before moving to productizedWhether you’re interested in productizing your web design services as a course, service, product, program, etc…Whitney is a shining example of how to do it right so I really hope this convo helps you get more time and sanity back when you’re ready to productize your results!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/356

If you’re on the shallow or deep end of the “introvert spectrum” spectrum, I’m guessing the sales part of web design is your least favorite part of the job, right?For some, going to in person networking, business meetups, chamber of commerce events or even calls can be energizing but for others, it’s draining. It is, however, part of being a web biz owner if you’re the one doing the selling…There must be some strategies for making sales easier as an introvert, right?There is! And that’s why I’m pumped to have Michelle Warner on the podcast who specializes in networking and has many introvert-friendly sales techniques.That’s exactly what we cover in this convo, including:How to create comfortable sales environmentsHow to find referral partnersThe power of creating a “connection avatar”Mindset shifts that make sales less ickyHow to network efficientlyHead to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/355

Ah…the tug and pull between wanting to avoid being a burned out agency owner but also not being a stressed out, overwhelmed freelancer…Surely there’s a happy medium between the two?Good news, there is. My whole web business education model is focused around this hybrid approach to having a business that runs like a true business/agency but having the freedom and flexibility of a freelancer.Though I never had a great name for it - someone who does is fellow web design business educator Payton Smith, who calls it “The Solo Agency.”In this convo, we’re getting into the ins and outs of his experience from being a full fledged agency owner to stripping things down to the basics and taking on a more solopreneur approach. We cover:The pros and cons of being an “agency” todayHow a life-changing medical diagnosis caused him to rethink his agency modelHow he pivoted to a “solo agency model”What he learned leads to more profit and less overheadCreating a sustainable business around YOUR goals and needsI really appreciate Payton being totally open and transparent on this one. With not only the business side of his experience but what he’s learned on a personal level as well.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/354

Copy, written by a human, with its flaws, oddities, and personally lived experience beats out corporate, stale, or AI-generated content every time.From home pages to service pages, to lead generators, blog posts, email sequences, and sales posts…the more personal and genuine you come across, the more it’ll stand out in today’s AI slop world.To help us get practical and tactical with writing personalized copy that sells more websites, I’m excited to bring on copywriter, podcaster, and speaker Emily Aborn who works with web and graphic designers to help them create, refine, and optimize conversion-based copy.We cover:A copywriters’ take on AI now that we’ve had over a year with ChatGPTHow and where to personalize content and copyHow far is too far when creating personal copyThe superpower of “saying more with less”And how stories and real lived experiences translate better today than ever beforeHead to the show notes to get all the links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/353

Josh here with big news! Web Designer Pro™ 2.0 (tiered model) is live now!! 🎉Up to this point, Pro has been one membership tier which gave full access to all of my web design courses, the amazing community and coaching with me directly with a member cap of 250 active members. We're closing in on capacity but the exciting news is...we now have two lower tiers available!Available in Web Designer Pro™ now is:Courses tier = $49/moIncludes access to my entire suite of courses + the private Pro podcast feedCommunity tier = $99/moAccess to courses, all community forums, events, monthly trainings and AMA's with JoshCoaching tier = $199/moAccess to everything above + direct DM line with me for coaching and weekly group coaching callsThese new tiers will make it more accessible and practical to help you dip your toe into Pro, with a plan that works for you, depending on where you are in with your web design business.In this episode, we're diving into all the details on the new tiers for Pro and what led to this big innovation.Jump into Pro now at the tier that works best for you at webdesignerpro.com