10 Tips to Help You Start Your Own Web Development Agency

The eCommerce industry has seen a huge boost during the past years and nowadays, businesses rely on their online store to increase profits and ROI. To be able to introduce and sell their products to potential customers, these businesses need websites.

According to WebFX, developing an eCommerce website can cost between $5,000 to $55,000. The average salary of a web developer in the US is somewhere around $58,000 to $125,000 annually and clearly, putting up your own web development agency can help you increase your income and give you more financial freedom.

Now, if you’re thinking and planning of creating a web development agency, this is the perfect time to do so because businesses have come to realize that customers are now internet savvy and would prefer to shop online. Did you know that there are about 224.1 million online shoppers in the US alone this year and that this figure is projected to reach 230.5 million by 2021? This is according to a report from Statista.

Taking advantage of technological advancement in the eCommerce industry would give you more leverage to becoming a successful entrepreneur yourself. People continuously use the internet to shop, make reservations, book flights, and so much more.

Here are 10 tips to help you start your own web development agency:

1. Create a business plan

Keep in mind that a bulletproof plan is one of the best factors in creating a successful business. Your business should map out, in detail, how you should run your business from top to bottom — the main purpose of your business plan is to serve as your guide so you’ll know where to begin and where you’re headed.

A detailed business plan should be able to show you the way and would be able to help you answer questions such as how to budget, how to stay competitive, and how to retain your customers.

Make sure that your business plan includes these four essential elements:

• Goals
• Mission statement
• Business model
• Approach

It is also advised to keep your business goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based).

2. Network and outreach to get clients

It might be true that finding your first client can be tough, especially when you are staring your own web development agency because you still don’t have enough track records and portfolio to present to your potential clients.

So how do you get started then? Network, because reaching out to people who trust you and know your abilities, skills, and talent can refer you to others who may need your services. Ideally, you may want to look for businesses that need web development services rather than individuals.

3. Start marketing your agency right away

Here are some marketing tips that may come in handy:

• Develop a sales cycle, this is a planned process of finding potential clients, then turning them into leads, converting them to your customers, and maintaining an excellent relationship with them.
• Branding, creating your brand includes creating your agency logo, coming up with your business slogan, printing business cards, and selecting color hues for your business.
• Maximize marketing by using SEO and social media marketing. You have to ensure that your promotions can be found on every social media platform where your potential clients are likely to be found.

4. Price your services correctly

This is often taken lightly by most business owners but you must keep in mind that the price you charge for your products or services directly impacts your business’ success.

A price that is too low may give an impression that your services aren’t of the highest quality and may turn away potential clients — charging your services too low may also leave you short of profits.

On the other hand, an overpriced service, especially when you’re getting started is always not a good idea. A relatively more affordable and more established agency would appear safer to close a deal with.

You can check other web development agencies’ rates and use those as your reference.

5. Hire reliable team members

Yes, you may be thinking that you can do all the things on your own. However, you must keep in mind that having a team makes tasks easier and can boost your business’ profitability.

Here are the following professionals you can add to your team:

• Expert coder – There must be no doubt that you’re an excellent web developer, but hiring a full-time professional developer to handle the coding and general designing for you can be a good thing. This would give you time to focus on handling and running your business.
• Accountant – You can consider getting an outsourced accountant to help you manage your finances. You don’t need an in-house one right away.
• UX designer – A good user experience designer is very critical in web design. This professional would help you design websites that would appeal to users.

6. Create an excellent website for your agency

Your website is a reflection of your ability, skills, and talent. Use your website to showcase what you know and what you’ve got. Potential clients would see a glimpse of how their websites would look like and would have a taste of its functionality. Make sure that your website stands out in the crowd, browse for your competitions’ websites and make a better one.

7. Education and certifications

Show potential clients your educational background and certifications that are related to web development. Clients want to work with an agency that has the right experience and skills because they would feel more comfortable knowing that their website is in good hands. Your credentials will back you up and would help you gain trust.

8. Write a newsletter

This is another effective way of getting clients. Gather family, friends, coworkers, and previous employers’ email addresses and create a newsletter to inform them about your web development agency. Encourage them to pass along that information to other business owners they know who would need your services.

9. Expand

Once you’ve established your agency, you may want to look into expanding your business. You can offer additional services that your clients would find useful and valuable to their businesses. However, don’t overdo it, expand within your means.

10. Always be ready for challenges

People would often say that “we could never be too ready for challenges and problems that may arise.” However, it is always advisable to be ready for bumps on the road — use these challenges to become better in what you do and improve your services.

Starting your own web development agency may seem like a long journey, but this is now the right time to widen your horizons and use technological advancements to gain more knowledge and earn more income. You also need to keep in mind to enjoy what you do!