Why You Should Raise Your Prices with Every Web Design Project
One of the trickiest parts about being a Squarespace web designer is knowing how to price your services. You’ve got the skills and built up the experience, but you may not know what to charge clients.
Determining the right price for your web design business can take a bit of experimentation, especially when you’re first starting out. Even if you’re an experienced professional, you may find yourself perplexed about when to raise your rates and the milestones that warrant a reassessment of your services and pricing.
Let’s dive into proven strategies and practical tips that empower you to confidently negotiate higher rates, attract premium clients, and ultimately elevate your status as a sought-after web designer.
The evolving landscape of web design
The field of web design is constantly changing. Every year—in fact, every month—there are new tools to try, new design trends to explore, and new expectations for websites. Client demands for unique, customized websites are increasing rapidly. Simple websites that are difficult to navigate and unattractive won’t cut it anymore. Clients want something that stands out from the crowd and outperforms the competition.
As client demand grows, so too does the web design industry. More people are becoming professional web designers as they discover what a lucrative and rewarding industry it can be.
This increase in client demand and industry size means it’s crucial to get your pricing just right so you can maximize your client roster and how quickly you close new business.
The value of expertise and experience
When it comes to setting (and raising) your rates, the two most important factors are expertise and experience (yes, these are two different things).
Experience refers to the knowledge and skills acquired through direct involvement or exposure to web design. It's gained through practical involvement. On the other hand, expertise goes beyond mere experience and implies a high level of proficiency, mastery, and deep understanding. It's the result of continuous learning, deliberate practice, and the ability to apply knowledge effectively. While experience is more general, expertise represents a higher level of specialized knowledge and skill.
As you look at your web design career, consider what skills and knowledge of the web design industry you have. Do you have specific qualifications? What proof do you have to support your belief in who you are and what you can deliver? It’s important to constantly pursue learning, evolving, and gaining experience as a web designer. You need to stay up to date with all the latest updates and releases so you aren’t left behind. It’s your unique skills that add the most value to your web design projects.
The more experience you build up, the higher you can set your rates. If you’re working on your first web design project, your rates should reflect your experience level. You may find that you’ll have a hard time convincing a client that you deserve to be paid the same as someone who's been building websites for a decade and remained on top of their craft throughout that whole period.
This doesn’t mean you should sell yourself short, though. After all, you’ll still dedicate time and skill to the build. Speaking of which…
Time and effort invested in each project
The scope of the web design project plays a big role in how much you charge your client. You don’t want to charge the same fee for a simple one-page website as you would for an extensive directory site with multiple pages and features.
When you first discuss a project with a client during the consultation, get a clear idea of the full scope of the project and think carefully about how much research, planning, designing, development, and testing will be required.
Pro tip: When evaluating the scope of a project, be thorough. You don’t want to underestimate the workload and discover you should have charged more for the website build. A comprehensive onboarding process can prepare you to make the right call.
The importance of quality and client satisfaction
No matter how much you charge, you need to invest back into your web design business. Why? Better tools and resources result in better websites, meaning you can eventually charge higher rates.
Think of it this way: if you aren’t willing to invest in yourself and your business, why should your client be?
Quality should be your number one priority for every website you build. A satisfied client is someone more likely to leave you a good review and recommend you to others. By forging a reputation of excellence, you can command a far higher fee, much quicker than most. Learn more about scaling a web design business.
The cost of running a web design business
Another factor to consider when setting your web design rates is how much it costs to keep your business running. This is different for everyone. You may have dedicated office space, equipment, or software subscriptions that you need to factor in.
Your web design business needs to be sustainable and profitable. This means how much you make from building websites should both cover all of your overhead expenses and leave you earning a profit. Learn more about holistically pricing your Squarespace services to support your business.
The psychology of pricing
It’s an all-too-common mistake to keep your prices low just to attract clients.
While some clients are looking for the cheapest option they can find, those who are serious about their web design project are willing to commit a substantial budget for strong results.
In fact, setting your prices too low may put people off. Why? Think about it like this: if you see something selling for a price that’s considerably cheaper than market alternatives, what does this tell you about the product on offer? It often gives the impression that the product is low-quality and not as good as the alternatives—hence the cheap price.
That's the last thing you want people to think about your web design services. Setting rates too low may suggest your work is subpar and not worth more money.
People perceive the value that an item has been assigned, regardless of quality. So, don’t sell yourself short. While you don’t want to go over the top and outprice yourself, your rates should reflect a quality and confident service. The more you charge, the more you (and your clients) will come to value your work. Learn more about how to unlock your earning potential from top web designers.
Strategies for raising prices
Now comes the tricky part: raising your web design rates. Changing prices is a common business tactic, yet many web designers feel awkward about communicating rate increases to clients.
In reality, web designers would benefit from raising their rates more often. With each website build comes more experience and more chance to hone your skills. In theory, each build should be better than the last and, therefore, worth more money.
The following are tips for raising your prices:
Make your increases gradual with each project. Avoid huge one-off hikes. Instead, increase your price little by little with every project you complete.
Clearly communicate your prices with clients. If a client is a returning customer, you may need to justify your price increase and explain the added value they can now expect to receive.
Offer tiered pricing options to cater to different budgets and attract a wider audience. This helps to avoid losing clients because their budgets can’t meet your rates. If you go “too high” with your initial quote, you can salvage a good rate by offering a “simplified” version of the site. For instance, try stripping out custom coding and instead rely on blocks to design the site. This means the build is more straightforward on your end and your client is happier with the rate (and their beautiful, custom website).
Common concerns and objections
No matter where you set your rates, it’s important that you feel confident it’s the right rate for your work. If you don’t believe your offerings are worth the price, then how will anyone else?
Web designers are often met with the same common concerns and objections regarding price: “I can get it cheaper elsewhere,” “I can’t see the value,” and “Isn’t it a quick job?”
The important thing is to keep discussions polite and professional. You may be willing to negotiate and lower your price to meet your client's budget, but being able to position the value of your skills and services remains key if you want a client to agree to your rates.
No matter what their objection is, be ready to justify your price. Sometimes this can be as simple as: “This is how much my work costs.” To put it into perspective, you wouldn’t walk into a high-end store and ask for a discount. Come at negotiations from this perspective. It should be a non-starter in as many situations as possible.
One approach is to not entertain negotiations and refer the client to other designers with lower rates who may suit them better. If you position your business as a premium option, more often than not, customers are likely to opt for higher prices to gain premium services. But if they don’t, you can at least give them guidance on where they can find a cheaper alternative that is still of great quality and send a lead to a fellow designer.
Maximize your worth
Knowing what to charge for web design services is no easy feat. There are so many factors to consider, such as your expertise, experience, and the scope of each project. The key to making it work is to be confident in your decision. Don’t second-guess if your rates are too high or too low, and communicate your prices confidently.
Your rates don’t need to be fixed, either. Frequently evaluate your rates, increasing them with every project as you gain more experience and hone your skills.
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
