Step-by-step web design process to delight your clients
This is the process I use for all my $10,000 USD client projects. Whether you’re a web designer just starting out or looking to refine your existing process, this walkthrough will help you confidently manage your client projects without worrying about looking like you don’t know what you’re doing.
1. Sales call
The first major step in your client process is the sales call.
I know this isn’t the most fun part for many web designers. What if they ask you awkward questions, like why they should choose you over another designer? What if you don’t know the answer to a tech-related question? What if you stumble over your words when talking about your prices? I get it because I’ve been there. It can be nerve-wracking.
But as stressful as it can be, the sales call is key to a successful project.
Yes, the sales call is about selling your services and signing the client — what some might call “closing the deal.” (This isn’t my favorite way to talk about this process because this kind of language makes me think of super transactional, high-pressure sales tactics.)
But the sales call is also about ensuring this is the right client for you. Because taking on bad-fit clients can do more harm than good. You might think that something is better than nothing, especially when you’re starting out, but bad-fit clients can actually slow down your progress. They take up valuable time and energy that could be spent building better relationships, honing your skills, and working with good-fit clients who will help you grow and book more projects in the future.
The sales call doesn’t have to be this big deal. I like to think of it as a structured conversation. I keep each call to about 30 minutes and focus on getting to know this potential client: what they’re like, what their business is all about, what their goals are, and what they need.
It’s the perfect time to explain my process and how I can help them.
If you want a deep dive into sales calls (also called discovery calls), check out this article: Discovery call script for landing more web design projects
By the end of the sales call, you’ll know whether this client is a good fit. And if they’re not someone you want to work with? It’s okay to walk away. Saying “no” to bad-fit clients is a good thing for your business. It’s protecting the opportunity to say “yes” to better-fit clients.
Now, if you do decide to move forward, your next step is to send them your contract and invoice.
2. Contract and invoice
Let’s move on to the contract and invoice.
I know contracts can feel a bit intimidating, and asking for a payment can feel uncomfortable, especially if you're new to the process. But without a contract and deposit, you’re putting yourself at risk.
The contract protects you from misunderstandings and tricky situations. The deposit secures the client’s commitment and ensures you’re compensated for your time and work.
Once the client and I agree to move forward, I use Dubsado to send over the contract and first invoice in a single step. The first invoice covers the deposit, which reserves their spot in my production calendar and confirms that they’re committed to the project. For me, this deposit is part of a 3-part payment structure. We’ll cover the remaining two payments later on in the order that they’re due.
Once the contract is signed and the deposit paid, this project is officially booked!
This process is quite formal and professional, and that’s actually exactly the point. It marks the start of our official working relationship and signals that we’re both fully in.
3. Brand questionnaire
Once the project is booked, I prepare the client’s brand questionnaire. They fill this out on their own, and it helps me gather important information about the client’s brand and business, building on what I learned during the sales call.
I do run an in-depth brand interview with the client during our kickoff call, and I’ll tell you more about that in just a bit. But if I jumped straight to the brand interview without this initial questionnaire, we’d end up spending a lot of time on surface-level questions.
The brand questionnaire includes questions about:
Their work
Values
Their “why”
Their favorite clients
Brand voice, and
The kind of experience they want to create with their website.
It’s designed to help us start thinking about these important details, so we can dig deeper during the brand interview.
Many of my clients have commented on how helpful it was to fill out the questionnaire because it helped them reflect on important areas of their business that they hadn’t thought about before (or in a really long time). I love it because it sets the stage for a super-focused and productive kickoff call.
4. Project plan
The next step is planning the project. What many web designers don’t realize is that you’re not just the designer — you’re also the project manager. To make sure your projects run smoothly and stay profitable, you have to have a plan.
Without a clear plan, things can quickly get chaotic. It’s easy to get distracted and forget important tasks. You can end up wasting time, making mistakes, and losing control over the project. That can lead to confusion for both you and your client, and that is not fun for anyone. Nobody wants that kind of chaos in their lives.
So I create a project plan, which lists all the major tasks, project milestones, and who is responsible for doing what by which date.
Some examples of tasks that are assigned to the client include:
Uploading their headshots and brand photos to a shared folder
Uploading their client testimonials
Providing feedback on the brand kit (more on this soon)
Examples of tasks that are assigned to me are:
Sharing the project brief
Presenting the brand kit
Delivering the final website design
I like using Asana for this, but you could use any project management tool. I create a short, 2-minute walkthrough of the project plan so the client feels comfortable using Asana in this context.
The project plan is so helpful for maintaining transparency. This builds trust between me and the client and keeps the project moving smoothly.
If you want to see the client-facing project plan I use for all my projects, check out my course, The Fast Track System. It guides you through everything I’m covering in this video in serious detail and includes the templates and email swipes I use with every client, as well as real-life examples from my own client projects.
Once the project plan is ready, I send the brand questionnaire and the project plan to the client and also schedule our kickoff call.
5. Kickoff call
The kickoff call marks the official start of your project.
Important note: if your payment structure requires a payment at the start of your project, you’ll want to confirm that this payment has been made before you run your kickoff call. For me, this is the second payment out of three.
The kickoff call sets the tone for the rest of the project, so you want it to be focused and structured.
For me, this call usually lasts 75 to 90 minutes. I walk the client through the project plan, which they’ll already have seen, just in case there are any details that need clarifying or adjusting.
We schedule all of our upcoming calls, including the check-in call, the presentation call, and the launch call (we’ll get to all of these later in this post).
We also discuss our communication policy. My clients and I agree that all written communication happens in Asana (not through email) and that we’ll respond to each other’s messages within three business days. This helps us keep things moving smoothly.
The main part of the call is the brand interview. During this interview, I ask deeper, more probing questions about their brand and business. This is how I get all the information I need to set the website strategy, design a smooth client journey, and write all of the website copy.
If you don’t handle the copywriting for your clients, your interview may be shorter. But for me, this is where we get into the most valuable details.
I end the kickoff call by thanking the client for sharing so much and so openly about their business. I also tell them that I’ll share the project brief in a couple of days, according to the project plan.
6. Project brief
At this stage, we’ve gathered a lot of valuable information. The project brief helps us document the most important details in a simple, structured way.
It’s a really effective way for you and the client to confirm that you’re aligned on what you want to achieve with this website project before you start the design work. A well-written project brief will prevent misunderstandings, scope creep, and even revisions. Most of my clients don’t request revisions, and that’s largely because we start with a clear project brief.
I keep my project briefs concise — it’s a one-page document covering the client profile, project goals, scope, and special requirements.
Under scope, I list out every single page that will be included in the website. That does mean I need to do some strategy work first to sketch out how I want to guide a visitor though the website and what I want them to do at each stage.
The brief reassures the client that I fully understand who they are, what they do, why they do it, and what they want from their website. It’s our key reference document throughout the project, helping us stay focused and on track.
I do not move forward to the next step until the client signs off on the project brief.
Occasionally, a client may want to adjust some details, but almost always, if I’ve done my job right, it’s just a matter of them saying, “This all looks perfect; let’s move forward.”
Once we have a client-approved project brief, then the fun design work begins!
7. Brand kit
I start the design process with the brand kit. This includes the logo, brand colors, and brand fonts — I find that these essentials are exactly what most of my clients need. No more, no less. I start with the brand kit because it’s foundational to everything else I design. Without these elements confirmed first, I find it incredibly difficult to create a cohesive website.
This process is about communicating the brand’s personality and crafting a strong first impression. People generally have an emotional reaction to visuals before they even read the copy. So, I also like to start with the brand kit and then write copy that aligns with that overall vibe.
I begin by researching the client’s industry and competitors. This helps me make sure that our website meets industry standards, like including disclaimers for clients in healthcare or legal services, or credential badges for certified coaches.
Doing research also helps me identify common frustrations for the audience, like online coaches often not listing their prices — and gives me ideas for how we can stand out by doing better.
Next, I review the client’s favorite brands to get a sense of the visual style that my client likes.
This might be controversial, but I like doing this because when it comes to the “vibe” of a brand, I believe in striking a balance between what my client’s target audience wants to see and what my client personally likes. This is probably more true because I tend to work with personal brands.
Once the research is done, I create the brand kit, making sure that it meets accessibility requirements.
To share the brand kit with my client, I build out a draft homepage and record a short video presentation. I say “draft homepage” because I’m using placeholders for images and lorem ipsum text at this stage, but this draft homepage helps the client visualize what their website will look like.
They get to see the brand kit in action — like:
Where the logo will go in the header
What the headings and body text look like in different layouts
How the color palette will be applied to backgrounds and buttons
The video presentation is crucial because it ties together the specifications in the project brief with your design decisions. If you’d like to watch my brand kit presentations and use them as references, I recommend checking out my course, The Fast Track System. You’ll get these and other examples from my past client projects.
My clients say things like, “It really came to life after I heard your explanations about why you made things the way you did,” and this is when they typically start getting really excited.
I used to use traditional branding boards (because that’s what I saw on Pinterest), but when I switched to this presentation method, I saw a huge drop in revision requests, and my clients became more engaged in the process — which is perfect timing because this is when I ask for their feedback.
Often, my clients don’t have any revision requests at this stage. But if they do, we work through them, and once the brand kit is approved, we’re ready to move on to the next phase: copywriting.
8. Copywriting
Before jumping into website design, I always start with copywriting. The words come before the design. Copy is the main way we speak to the audience, so the written content dictates the layout, not the other way around.
To clarify, in the context of websites, I use the terms website copy and website content interchangeably.
Technically, they are different things.
Copy is text specifically written to persuade and drive conversions.
Content is a broader term and also includes text that’s not necessarily written with conversion as the goal.
But in practical terms, I don’t think this distinction is super important when we’re talking about websites. When I say website copy, I mean all the text content that is necessary for building a website.
I do realize that most web designers don’t offer copywriting. If you are one of those designers, I would love for you to consider offering copywriting services to your clients. Here’s a video where I dive into this: Why you should write your clients' website content
If you don’t offer copywriting, you’ll need to make sure that your client provides the copy. They might write their own copy and if that’s the case, you could use a workbook to guide the client through this process so that they give you something you’re happy to work with. Or, your client might have worked with a copywriter and have professionally written website copy ready to go. Hopefully, if that’s the case, it’ll be easier to apply that copy to the website, but not always. In either case, you’ll want to review the copy before you start designing the website.
Here’s how I approach copywriting. Before I start writing, I review the brand interview transcript (which is automatically created by tools like Otter and Descript) and the client testimonials (i.e., testimonials from the clients of my client). This gives me all the information I need, including the specific language that my client’s target audience uses. I also do some keyword research to make sure that my copy is search engine optimized.
Then, I organize all this information using a tried-and-true structure that I’ve developed over the years. I do this for all the main pages. I mostly create websites for online coaches, so these are typically the homepage, about page, services or work-with-me page, newsletter opt-in page, and media features page. This structure helps me get clear about the conversion goal for each page and how I’m going to guide someone through each page. I start by organizing the information in bullet points, then expand them into full sentences.
My goal is to complete a rough draft as quickly as possible. This first draft is usually not good, and that’s okay. What’s important is to get a terrible but complete first draft done. This is the most efficient way to work for me. Once I have a first draft for every key page, I go back and edit them one by one.
I find that giving myself even just a day or two between writing the first draft and editing helps me to approach my writing with fresh eyes and better ideas. During this editing, and polishing, and refining stage, tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly are really helpful.
I also know that I am going to continue making tweaks to the copy as the website takes shape. So my goal is to get my copy to an 80-90% good-enough stage before moving on to the next step.
9. Website build
We are finally at the stage where we build the website! It’s funny — when I first decided to become a web designer, I thought this was what I would spend most of my time doing. I was so wrong! This is just one small part of a much bigger process.
You might be thinking, “What about the wireframes?”
I don’t do wireframes. In my opinion, if you’re working with a website builder like Squarespace, Elementor, Wix, Framer, or similar tools, wireframes are unnecessary. You don’t need to map everything out in wireframe form because you can adjust the layout on the go and make instant changes.
That said, if you prefer to use wireframes, especially for more complex projects, you should absolutely do what works for you. That advice actually applies to any part of your business: you should do what works for you.
At this stage, I go back to that draft homepage I created for the brand kit presentation and start building the rest of the website. This is the moment where everything I’ve been working on comes together: the brand kit, website strategy, and copywriting. It’s incredibly satisfying.
I first lay out the copy and add placeholders for images.
Next, I add the client’s branding photos and source any necessary stock photos and graphics.
I also set up any third-party integrations, like email opt-in forms, payment gateways, or appointment booking systems.
I make sure the website looks and works well on mobile devices.
I also set up the favicon and the open graph image for social sharing — small but important touches for consistent branding.
I add SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and alt text.
Once that is all done, I set up the domain.
If this is a redesign of an existing website, I set up any necessary redirects to prevent broken links.
Finally, I do a thorough test of the entire website, checking every link, button, form, etc., to make sure everything works seamlessly.
I also review the project brief once more to make sure that the website meets all the requirements and aligns with the goals we established at the start of the project.
By the end of this website design stage, we have a fully functional website that reflects the client’s brand and fulfills the project brief. Whoop 🙌
10. Check-in call
The next stage I want to talk about is the check-in call, which actually happens in the middle of the website build, which we just covered.
By this point in the project, it’s possible that a few weeks have passed since the kickoff call — even if I have been providing written updates, clients can sometimes feel uncertain about how the project is going. And that is totally fair. They haven’t seen anything since the brand kit presentation.
The check-in call is designed to prevent those feelings and reassure my client. You don’t want clients feeling left in the dark because this can strain the relationship and make them lose confidence in you and the project.
But you also don’t want to show the client a website that is half-built because that can really throw them off and make them question this whole project. You have a vision you’re working towards, but your clients can’t picture that end product. All they’ll see is an unfinished website, and that can lead to unnecessary concerns or confusion.
To prevent all that, I schedule a brief, informal check-in call. It’s typically 10-15 minutes long, just a quick touchpoint where I confirm that we are still on track and the project is running on schedule.
If we need to make any changes to the original project plan for any reason, we discuss those. This is also a chance for me to ask the client for anything I need from them that has come up during the design process, like additional photos or specific content.
Before we end the call, I confirm that the date and time for the upcoming presentation and launch calls still work for the client.
Even though this is a super short call, it’s incredibly valuable. It reassures the client that everything is running smoothly and gives us a chance to address any minor issues before they become bigger problems. It goes a long way toward strengthening our relationship.
11. Presentation call
The next step is the presentation call, where I reveal the completed website to the client.
If I simply sent the client a link to explore the website on their own, a lot of things could go wrong. They might feel overwhelmed (because this is a lot of work you’re delivering), which might leave them feeling lost or unsure about what they’re seeing.
Even if they love everything they see, it could be hard for them to understand the strategic thinking that you put into the website. The reality is, even if you’ve created the most incredible website, that’s not going to mean much if your client doesn’t fully appreciate its value.
This is a live call, not a recording, for a number of reasons.
The website presentation is much longer than the brand kit presentation, and it’s easier to keep the client engaged during a live call.
You can take the lead and control the pace of the presentation. You can help the client focus on what’s important without getting distracted by minor details.
You can also address any immediate reactions in real-time — and this can prevent misunderstandings and unnecessary revisions.
This is a great opportunity for you to shine as the expert and your client’s trusted advisor. Presenting live shows you’re confident in your work, and that confidence will make your client feel good about working with you. This will directly impact how willing they are to recommend your services to others and provide a strong testimonial — which can be a game-changer in helping you attract future clients.
I usually take about 30 minutes for the presentation, and I go through the website in the order that someone from the client’s target audience might. I clarify the goal of each page and highlight how different elements help achieve the project objectives.
This call is not for discussing revisions. Instead, I provide a view-only link to the website and ask my client to sit with everything after the call and spend about 48 hours reviewing the website thoroughly. This gives them the space to carefully consider what’s important without making impulsive decisions.
I ask them to then provide clear written feedback. I give them some guidelines for doing this, like explaining how the change they’re asking for helps us meet the project objectives or better serve their audience.
In most cases, the revisions are minimal because of how much work we’ve already put in. As I make the changes requested by the client, I often spot some final details that I want to polish up myself. Once all these touch-ups are complete, we are ready for the website launch.
12. Launch call
Now, the launch call! This is when we officially launch the client’s new website into the world.
Before the call, I always make sure that the third and final payment (the last 35% of the total invoice) has been received. Once I’ve been paid in full, I transfer ownership of the website to the client.
The launch call isn’t just about going live with the website. It’s also about making sure that the client feels confident using their new website. I want them to feel like they truly own and control their website. This is a tool that’s designed to support their business.
I use Squarespace, so during the launch call, I guide the client through the process of:
Logging into their new Squarespace account
Paying for their Squarespace subscription
Changing the website settings to make it public
Connecting their website to Google Search Console for SEO
Then, I show my client how to use and edit their website. I customize this training session to match their specific skills and needs. I show them how to do all this using their website because this makes life much easier for them compared to following generic tutorials that don’t align with their setup.
Once that’s taken care of, we take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge the all hard work we’ve both put into this project.
I let the client know that I’ll follow up with an offboarding email, which means I’m closing out this project and handing over all the important information and documents over to them. I also explain their post-project support program and clarify until what date they’ll get email support from me. By email support, I mean I’m available to answer any questions via email, but not to make changes to the website.
13. Offboarding
Offboarding might just seem like wrapping things up, tying up loose ends, and staying organized — but it’s so much more than that.
I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but how you handle the offboarding will determine whether this project will help you grow your business in the long run or end up being just another project with no lasting impact.
The goal isn’t simply to deliver this one website and be done. It’s to build a profitable and inclusive business with a consistent stream of clients. So, now is the time to take the hard work from this project and leverage it to make it easier to sell the next client project.
Here’s what my offboarding process looks like. First, I send an offboarding email that includes a few important things, like the offboarding notes. This document has everything my client needs to manage their new website, including:
Their Squarespace account details
Recording files of all our calls, including the Squarespace training
Brand color codes and brand font names
Links to different variations of their logos.
I make it as easy as possible for my client to find what they need without digging through old messages or emails.
I also include in this email clear instructions about the post-project support that’s part of their package. Side note: Once the support period ends, I always follow up with an email to formally close out the project and to let them know what to do if they need additional support going forward.
Also in the offboarding email, I ask the client to complete a feedback form. This is critical for two reasons:
It helps me improve my services
I get a testimonial that I can use to promote my business
If you do one thing in your offboarding process, make it this feedback form. Never finish a project without getting a testimonial from your client that speaks to the business outcomes they’ve experienced from working with you.
The last part of the offboarding email is an invitation to join my referral program. Referrals are a simple and amazing way to get new clients. I let my clients know that if they refer someone and that person ends up working with me, I’ll send them a $300 USD cash bonus to say thank you. Referral clients tend to be easier to sign and work with, so this is a win-win.
After the email is sent off, I like to send my client a small gift. Getting something physically delivered to your door (or mailbox) is always exciting. Sending your client a thoughtful gift is a great way to leave a positive impression and stay top of mind. I recommend gifts that align with the client’s values and are locally sourced. Also, keep it under $30-40 USD. This is a token of gratitude — you don’t want your clients to feel like they covered the cost of this gift.
With a solid offboarding process, your client is going to feel empowered, supported, and excited about their new website. They’ll see you as a valuable partner, which makes it more likely for them to give you a glowing testimonial, send referrals your way, and come back for repeat work.
Plus, they’ll keep you updated about the long-term impact that this website has on their business. These kinds of success stories are super valuable for demonstrating your ability to get results for your clients. This is how you keep getting clients consistently.
Next steps
If you found this overview helpful and want a comprehensive, detailed deep dive into my web design process, check out my course, The Fast Track System.
In this course, I share every single step that I take each time I sell and deliver a website design project. I created this specifically for web designers looking for practical tools and processes for building a consistent income by offering high-ticket projects. Click here to learn more about The Fast Track System.
