Websites Made Simple: How to have a successful website design business

Hosted by Holly Christie (Website Design Business Mentor)

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Aug 2026

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Welcome to Websites Made Simple, a podcast helping you become more successful in your website design business. Most small website design business owners are working hard. Really hard. At the same time they feel like they’re winging it. And their online presence isn't helping them. This podcast is here to change that for you. Holly Christie is founder of website companies, This Demanding Life and Simply Sites. Holly will walk you through the common factors that are stopping you from making a success of your website design business, and how to overcome them, in a way that feels authentic to you. If you’d like to learn more about Holly and her work you can find her at: https://thisdemandinglife.com/ or connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollycchristie/

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September 7, 202613 min

Why Web Design Stopped Being Fun (And How to Get It Back)

If you've started to fall out of love with web design, it's usually not the design that's the problem. It's the invoices, the contract wording, the awkward client emails, and all the other bits that crept in and took over your week. Let's fix that. Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode, I'm talking about how to work out which parts of your web design business you actually love, how to hand over the parts you don't, and why that usually costs a lot less than you think. We get into: Why getting stuck “in the weeds” makes good designers fall out of love with the work How to identify the parts of the business you genuinely enjoy Why not every web designer loves designing, and why that's completely fine How designers and developers work brilliantly hand in hand What to do if you're a techie who struggles with the design side Why outsourcing makes you money rather than costing you money Whether you're selling the website, or selling you as the person who builds it How to bring team members onto a project without the client feeling dropped Why there's a hard ceiling on how many websites you can build in a year The five income streams I run, and the freelance team behind them How to map what you love, what you don't, and what you could delegate If you're busy but no longer enjoying it, this one will help you get the good bits back. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk And here's the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/ Skip to the good bits: 00:00 How to do more of what you love 00:38 When you fall out of love with web design 01:40 Work out which parts you actually love 02:25 Not every designer loves designing 02:53 Why designers and developers need each other 03:44 What to do if design isn't your strength 05:22 Outsourcing is how you make more money 06:28 “But I don't charge enough to outsource” 06:54 Are you selling the website, or selling you? 07:49 Bringing in your team without losing the client 09:40 The ceiling on building websites alone 10:00 Holly's five income streams 10:43 The freelance team behind the business 11:51 Map what you love, delegate the rest 12:29 Where to find Holly

August 24, 202629 min

Website Designers - Your Clients Could Be Getting Sued Over This

If accessibility has never really come up in your work, it isn’t because you’re careless — it’s because almost nobody teaches it. Not the courses, not the diplomas, and definitely not the platforms we all build on. Check out my group offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode of Websites Made Simple, I'm joined by Rachel Mess of The Inclusive Design Company, a website designer and trainer who specialises in accessible websites. Rachel got into accessibility because her sister is visually impaired — and was mortified to realise that in years of web design training, not one course had mentioned it. Together we cover the single biggest accessibility failure on the internet, why the drag-and-drop components you trust might be unreadable to both screen readers and Google, why “let the website breathe” is an accessibility decision, the argument that finally brings a reluctant client round, why “click here” hurts you twice over, and the free tools you should be running on every site before you hand it over. 🔗 Rachel Mess — The Inclusive Design Company: https://inclusivedesigncompany.co.uk 🔗 Sparks group mentoring: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ 🌐 More from Holly: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk ✉️ Email Holly: hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk 🎙️ Podcast produced by Podknows Podcasting: https://podknows.co.uk/ Connect with Holly on LinkedIn: Holly Christie. Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: Rachel Mess Chapters: 00:00 Meet Rachel Meess, accessible web design specialist 01:08 How Rachel got into accessibility 01:50 Why accessibility never came up in her training 02:46 “I can’t charge for a website somebody can’t access” 03:09 Web design is a self-taught industry 03:40 Why the platforms are part of the problem 05:21 Accessibility has to be front of mind as you design 05:39 Colour contrast is the biggest issue on the internet 06:14 Dropdowns, div blocks and what a screen reader hears 07:03 If Google can’t read it, nobody sees your content 07:45 Holly’s pet hate: emojis as bullet points 09:07 When industry experts quietly ignore best practice 10:57 Lived experience is good for business 12:49 Consulting with Diversity Scotland 13:38 DEI, blog images and seeing yourself on a website 14:44 Accessibility is the infrastructure inclusion sits on 17:32 Accessibility in your blog posts 17:58 Let the website breathe 20:46 How to bring a reluctant client round 21:32 Why Shopify sites keep coming up 22:42 The contrast checker every platform should build in 24:06 Why “click here” is a problem 25:30 Stop stuffing keywords into alt tags 26:29 Test with Lighthouse and WAVE 27:36 Graphic designers are not website designers 29:04 Where to find Rachel

August 10, 202618 min

The Website Manual Hack That Ends "How Do I Log In" Forever!

If your clients keep coming back with “How do I log in?” and “How do I change an image?”, it isn’t because they’re difficult. It’s because nobody ever handed them a manual for the thing you just built them. Check out my group offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I create a website user manual for every single client: what goes in it, how it’s built, and how it went from a job that ate my time to a template I barely have to touch. There’s a free template to go with this episode, so you can start your own straight away: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/website-manual We get into: Why a user manual is the difference between a delighted client and endless “how do I…” emails How to build yours in Canva and send it as a PDF, and why I never host it on my own site What to tell clients about themes, plug-ins and premium licences before they’re your problem The front page details that protect you months down the line The five minute “Welcome to Your Website” screen recording that shows them the back end Why a page speed screenshot on handover day saves you an argument with an SEO later The dedicated log-in page that kills half your support emails How to record your tutorial videos once and reuse them on every single website The troubleshooting page that says “clear your cache” in ten different ways Where to point clients for extra help, and how you want them to contact you afterwards If you want fewer support emails, happier clients, and a handover you can repeat without thinking about it, this one will sort you out. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk Skip to the good bits: 00:00 How to create a website user manual 00:46 My confession about website handovers 01:33 Why user manuals became my biggest win 02:16 How web designers actually hand over websites 02:58 Why video and written content work best together 03:25 Build it in Canva, send it as a PDF 04:22 Themes, plug-ins and licensing 05:05 What clients need to know about premium licences 06:21 The front page: logo, date and screenshot 07:32 The table of contents 07:57 The “Welcome to Your Website” video 09:01 Page speed screenshots that protect you later 10:06 The log-in page everyone forgets 11:07 Keeping the site updated, and key things to remember 12:01 Record once, use everywhere 14:03 The troubleshooting page 14:53 Additional resources and knowledge centres 15:37 How clients get in touch after handover 16:21 Grab the free template Mentioned in this episode: Join my Sparks Group Mentoring Programme

July 27, 202624 min

Want to build a sustainable website design business? Here's how.

If you’re overworked, underpaid, and doing every single part of your web design business alone, the problem usually isn’t your skills. It’s that no one ever showed you how to build the business around the work: how to price it, structure it, and share the load so it actually lasts. In this episode I mention my Sparks mentoring community. You can join here: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode, I’m talking about how to build a sustainable web design business, one that pays you properly, doesn’t burn you out, and works for you and your clients, whatever stage of your career you’re at. We get into: How undercharging and “building a portfolio for free” quietly stalls your business Why collaboration, not competition, with designers, copywriters and SEO specialists grows your income Why every website project really starts with copy and brand, not the build How to work out your offer and review it so it keeps working for you Why going limited and separating your finances protects you through feast and famine months Why the money from a website build is business income, not your salary Where to outsource so you stop overworking and stop burning out Why you have to step off the tools and spend time working ON your business How to spot the money gap between what you charge and what you actually want to earn Why a mentor is the single biggest lever for growing your business If you want a business that earns well, runs smoothly, and doesn’t leave you exhausted, this one’s for you. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk Email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk Chapters (So you can skip to the relevant bits): 00:00 Building a web design business that lasts 00:20 The undercharging trap 01:31 Collaborate, don’t compete 03:41 Why copy and brand come before the build 05:49 Inside Sparks Group mentoring 06:53 Work out your offer, and review it often 08:35 Go limited and separate your finances 10:24 Website payments are income, not your salary 11:13 Outsource what isn’t worth your hourly rate 14:15 Work ON your business, not just in it 18:54 Mind the money gap Mentioned in this episode: Join my Sparks Group Mentoring Programme

July 13, 202620 min

You're Not Doing Web Design Wrong — You Just Weren't Told This

Nobody handed most of us a manual for this. Web design is a self-taught industry, so we all arrive from different angles, with different tools, and it's far too easy to decide you're "doing it wrong" the moment a louder voice tells you their way is the only way. *whispers in your ear* - if this episodes sparks your interest, check out my mentoring group: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie . In this episode, I'm talking directly to designers and developers in their first few years, sharing the practices that helped me build confidence, better websites, and a stronger business, without pretending there's one "right" way to do it. We get into: How investing properly in your setup (themes, insurance, compliant contracts) slowly builds your confidence Why "spend money to make money" applies to web design more than you think Picking one area to go all in on each year, from accessibility to SEO Building a rigid onboarding process so content arrives before the build starts Getting known for one or two things instead of being "just another designer" Why staying in your lane beats watching the competition Collecting reviews properly (and actually following them up) Why a mentor pays dividends long before you feel you can "afford" one If you're early in your web design journey and just want a bit more support in your corner, this one's for you. Come and find out more at - https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk Or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk If you'd like to talk about mentoring for new website designers and developers, come and say hello. Skip to the good bits (Chapters): 00:00 Who this episode is for 00:33 Web design is a self-taught industry (and tech shaming) 02:02 Invest in your web design business 05:57 Pick one area to master each year 08:54 Get your onboarding right — content up front 11:29 Marketing yourself and the know, like, trust factor 12:17 Get known for one or two things 14:36 Stay in your lane, ignore the competition 15:59 Collect reviews and actually use them 17:17 Why you should get a mentor

June 29, 202620 min

How to sign off a website project properly: a free checklist

A messy sign-off leaves a messy memory — and it’s one of the easiest things to fix with the right checklist in place. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. Check out: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. In this episode, I’m walking you through my full website sign-off process — the checklist I use every single time to make sure projects end cleanly, clients are set up properly, and I can actually close the project and move on. We get into: Holly’s website “pack-down” checklist and why you need one Cookie notices, GDPR, and what to check before you go live Why you should run a Page Speed Insights report and screenshot it every time Setting up admin accounts (the step Holly has forgotten more than once) Website manuals: why every client should get one and how to create them Hooking up analytics, pixels, and code tracking before handover How to test on incognito browser and mobile before you call it done Getting written sign-off from your client — and the wording that matters Migration, SSL certificates, and enforcing HTTPS after moving a site Contact form testing, SMTP, and GDPR-compliant database saving How to organise client training and what Holly’s personalised video manuals look like Setting up client logins and making sure they know how to run WordPress updates Asking for reviews at exactly the right moment What is and is not your responsibility once a project is signed off If you want every project to end with a clean, confident handover — this one will help you build that process. Grab Holly’s sign-off checklist at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sign-off-checklist Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk And here’s the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/ Skip to the good bits: 00:00 The sign-off feeling and making sure clients come back for the right reasons 01:46 Build your website pack-down checklist 02:50 Cookie notices and GDPR compliance 03:53 Run a PageSpeed Insights report and save the results 06:20 Create an admin account for the client 06:55 Website manuals and why every client needs one 07:37 Hooking up code tracking before handover 08:48 Testing on incognito browser and mobile view 10:27 Getting written sign-off from your client 11:10 Tying sign-off to payment 11:35 Migration, SSL certificates and enforcing HTTPS 14:21 Contact forms, testing and GDPR compliance 15:39 Organising client training 16:17 Holly’s personalised video walkthrough manuals 17:12 Getting the client logged in 17:58 WordPress updates and making sure clients know how 18:40 Ask for a review at the right moment 19:09 Your responsibilities after sign-off

June 15, 202611 min

Stop Tech Shaming: What Actually Matters in a Website Build

If you’ve ever been made to feel that your tech stack is wrong, or that using a page builder makes you less of a “real” developer, this episode is here to give you a reality check. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode, I’m talking about tech stacks, tech shaming, and why the platform you build on matters a whole lot less than what you’re actually delivering. We get into: What we’re actually being hired to deliver — and why the tools are irrelevant Why client ease of use should drive every tech decision you make The difference between a proper handover and abandoning your client at the door Why locked-down websites cause problems for everyone, including you How imposter syndrome fuels tech shaming in the web design industry Why personality and trust win clients over tech stack every single time The disappearing developer problem and how to be the designer clients return to If you’ve been tech shamed, or you’ve been second-guessing your tools, this will help you refocus on what actually builds a sustainable web design business. Check out my mentoring group offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk Skip to the good bits: 00:00 What really matters about your tech stack 00:36 Welcome to Websites Made Simple 00:50 Holly’s experience of tech shaming on LinkedIn 01:50 Sparks Group Mentoring explained 02:36 It’s not about the platform — it’s about the results 03:41 Why client ease of use should come first 04:24 Page builders, locked-down sites, and client access 05:26 Clients should always be able to access their own website 06:25 The disappearing developer problem 07:11 How to sign off a website properly 07:48 Client training, Zoom handovers, and user manuals 08:24 Building for two people: your client and their visitors 09:11 Why tech shaming is really just imposter syndrome 10:03 Why clients choose you for personality, not tools 11:30 “In 20 years, I’ve never gone back to the same designer twice — until now”

June 1, 202616 min

Why you need to outsource in your website design business

If you're putting in the work, showing up, doing everything you can — and still turning over the same amount of money year on year — this episode is for you. Check out my popular group mentoring programme: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments. Hi and welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie . In this episode, I'm talking about the money mindset patterns that can sometimes keep web designers stuck, what it actually means to outsource and invest in your business, and how to get out of your own way so you can finally start earning what you deserve. We get into: Why so many web designers drop their prices before the client has even had a chance to respond The power of the pause Why payment plans for hosting and maintenance are non-negotiable recurring revenue What a money mindset ceiling looks like, and why it keeps you stuck at the same figure The real maths behind outsourcing to a VA Why website designers bottleneck their own businesses My personal story of working every evening after the kids went to bed How to get out of your own way, stop doing everything yourself, and start running a business that actually works for you If you're working hard but not seeing the financial results to match, this episode will show you exactly what's holding you back — and it might just be you. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk Skip to the good bits: 00:00 What's really holding back your web design business 01:17 Turning over the same money year on year — why it happens 02:00 What levelling up really means 02:44 Self-sabotaging behaviours — do any of these sound like you? 05:47 Why even getting a client on a call earns your seat at the table 07:27 Money mindset ceilings: stuck at the same income figure 10:03 Outsourcing to a VA: the real numbers 12:19 "You're halving your hourly rate" — the hard truth from a good friend 13:55 Get out of your own way and earn what you deserve Mentioned in this episode: Remember to sign up for our blogging masterclass! Go to https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/masterclass Blogging masterclass

May 18, 202611 min

Website Designers - You Think You've Got SEO Covered? Think Again!

If a client has ever asked you "When will my website be found on Google?" — and you didn’t quite know how to answer — this episode is for you. Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It's a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and "is it just me?" moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie . In this episode, I’m talking about where your role as a web designer ends and where an SEO specialist’s begins — and why knowing that difference could genuinely change the quality of the websites you deliver and the reputation you build. We get into: The difference between building an SEO-friendly website and delivering SEO services What you ARE responsible for in every build (and where the line is) How to find an SEO specialist you actually like working with Why you should bring them in before the build starts, not after What an SEO specialist actually produces and how to show clients the value How to handle clients who don’t want to pay for SEO support Whether to build the SEO cost into your website price Why the relationship goes both ways — and how SEO specialists can become a referral source for you If you’ve ever felt unsure about where SEO fits in your process, this will help you get clear, get confident, and start building better websites with the right people around you. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk And here’s the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/ Skip to the good bits: 01:15 “When will my website be found on Google?” 01:41 What web designers ARE responsible for in SEO 02:34 SEO-friendly ≠ SEO services 02:57 Nikki Pilkington 03:44 Find an SEO specialist you vibe with 04:44 Bring them in before the build starts 05:03 What your SEO specialist will actually produce 06:14 When the client won’t pay for SEO 07:03 Build the SEO cost into your website price 08:24 It goes both ways: the referral relationship Mentioned in this episode: Remember to sign up for our blogging masterclass! Go to https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/masterclass Blogging masterclass

May 4, 202616 min

Cheap £99 website builds are killing your website design business

If you’ve been tempted to move to a £99 a month website model — or you’ve been quietly cutting your prices just to get work through the door — this episode is a direct intervention. Psst! Check out my new offer: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments. Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie. In this episode, I’m talking about why the £99 website model isn’t the sustainable business move it might look like on paper — and what to do instead when the market feels slow. We get into: How the maths of volume pricing simply don’t add up The burnout that comes with trying the model Why ongoing payment plans are bad news The hidden costs that slowly erode client trust What to do instead If you’re a web designer wondering whether dropping your prices is the answer, this episode will give you the confidence to hold firm. Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at hello@websitesmadesimple.co.uk Skip to the good bits: 00:00 Why the £99 website model doesn’t work 00:35 Meet Holly: Websites Made Simple 00:46 Who this episode applies to 01:45 The volume problem: you’d need 30 clients for £3,000 04:14 Burnout is baked into this model 04:38 Scope creep and the ongoing payment trap 06:32 Hidden costs and eroding client trust 08:34 Email hosting, DNS, and the chaos that follows 11:19 Content collection in a low-cost model 12:26 Hold your nerve: panic pricing makes it worse Mentioned in this episode: Remember to sign up for our blogging masterclass! Go to https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/masterclass Blogging masterclass