Unlock Success in Website Sales: 3 Proven Strategies from a 20-Year Veteran
If you’ve spent any time attempting to close website deals, whether you’re a solo designer, a small agency, or perched awkwardly between, the story is all too familiar. Designs polished until you’re cross-eyed, proposals sent into the ether, maybe a polite “Thanks, but we’re going another direction.” Chasing every shiny new tool or template won’t fix the problem, either. Trust me, I’ve been there more times than I’d care to remember.
After more than two decades building websites for everyone from local shops to national brands, one truth has carved itself into my brain: selling web design is less about pixels or code and more about how well you connect business needs to practical, visible outcomes. The good news? You don’t need decades of experience to unlock similar results. But you do need to avoid a few time-wasting traps and follow a process that’s a bit sharper than most.
Why This Matters
Here’s what most people fail to realise until it’s too late: winning website projects isn’t about showing off a fancy portfolio. It’s about gaining a clear understanding of what really drives your client’s business. Your website designs, no matter how impressive, are only as valuable as the problems they solve for the people paying the bill.
Here’s the kicker: if you skip this crucial step and instead fire off a price list or show some templates, you’ll lose out to anyone who takes the time to grasp the actual business picture. Even worse, you’ll find yourself stuck reworking designs to chase moving goalposts, eating into your project margins, and stretching deadlines well past sanity.
Every hour you spend guessing at the client’s goals, or scrambling to fix misalignments, is money lost. Projects drag on. Feedback loops turn into whirlpools. And by the end, you wonder if it was even worth it. Mastering the strategic side of website sales wins you more deals and brings less back-and-forth, fewer “urgent” changes, and a reputation for results that pay off for everyone.
Common Pitfalls
If you’ve ever walked out of a client meeting with a vague sense of “What just happened?”, you’re not alone. The biggest mistakes I see (and yes, I’ve made them all):
- Rushing to the creative solution before truly understanding the business challenge
- Relying on jargon or technical details to look knowledgeable, instead of demonstrating real industry insight
- Dodging the tough questions, like cost, timeframe, or client input needed, hoping no one notices until you’re further down the line
- Mistaking client enthusiasm (“That sounds great!”) for genuine buy-in or clarity
It’s all too easy to get swept up in moodboarding, picking colour palettes, or fiddling with layouts… while sidestepping the slightly uncomfortable task of quizzing the client about turnover, bottlenecks, or what “success” looks like when the site is finished.
The remedy? Build your process on clarity and communication, not just backend wizardry. Below, you’ll find the steps I wish someone had handed me, scribbled on a napkin, back at the start of my career.
Step-by-Step Fix
1. Dive Deep Into Your Client’s Business (Before Anything Else)
Twenty years in, the pattern is blunt: surface-level understanding leads to surface-level results. Before you even open your laptop, you need to become an amateur detective.
Start by looking beyond the project brief. Research the client’s business as if you were planning to buy it yourself. Check their existing digital presence, look at their competitors, and even visit their supplier’s websites if you want the inside track.
Book a discovery call that centres not on “What colours do you like?” but “What keeps you up at night, business-wise?” Ask about their sales funnel, their biggest current pain points, or what success would mean when this new website is live. Your aim here isn’t to impress with speedy solutions. Focus instead on listening and building context.
A favourite question of mine: “Can you show me a recent example where your website got in the way of a sale, or helped win one?”
Jot down at least three bullet points after every initial meeting: one about the client’s biggest frustration, one about their ambition, and one wildcard insight (unexpected detail or obstacle). You’ll be amazed how often these become the lynchpin of your proposal.
2. Frame the Project as a Solution to Real Problems, Not Just a Shopping List
Once you properly understand what the business needs—extending beyond what the client thinks they want—you can start connecting the dots between problem and solution. Instead of parroting back their initial requests, shape your proposal around outcomes.
Here’s how: create a “problem/solution” table in your project documents. On one side, list each challenge you identified; on the other, jot down an actionable web strategy to tackle it. For example:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Too few leads through website | Add prominent calls-to-action above the fold; streamline the enquiry form |
| Existing site looks outdated | Redesign using brand-appropriate visuals to appeal to newer demographics |
| Client spends hours editing content | Integrate a user-friendly CMS (like Squarespace) and train staff |
You’re mapping your skills to the business’s genuine headaches.
When presenting your proposal, narrate a short “day in the life” story of the new website, showing exactly how it’s going to fix one or two pain points. Humans remember stories. Your solutions will stick much better this way.
3. Address the Big Three: Cost, Timeframe, and Client Input, All Upfront
There’s no escaping it: sooner or later, every potential client is going to ask three questions. How much will this cost? How long will it take? And what will you need from us?
Do yourself (and the client) a massive favour by bringing these topics up before they do. Being proactive paints you as someone in command, not someone waiting to react.
Be transparent about pricing. Whether you work on flat rates, project brackets, or retainers, lay out the reasoning behind your fee structure. If there are dependencies (for example, you need their marketing team’s buy-in on content), say so right away. Be honest about average timelines for similar projects, and include buffer time for client feedback and inevitable roadblocks.
I keep a simple FAQ page I can send to new prospects that outlines our whole process, expected input, and what happens if a client ghosting delays the project. It’s saved me countless hours of repeating myself, and signals right away that I’ve done this for a living, not as a hobby.
4. Validate (and Challenge) the Brief
Here’s a slightly controversial opinion: clients are NOT always right about what they need. They know their sector inside out, but rarely grasp which web features or strategies will truly help them reach their objectives. As the expert, you’re paid to gently challenge the brief, not just nod along.
Once you’ve unpacked their requirements, pressure-test them. For example, if they’re fixed on adding a blog but their team is stretched thin already, ask, “Who will handle regular articles?” If you spot a missed opportunity, such as integrating e-commerce when their customers already expect it, raise it. This exchange clarifies scope and builds trust.
Frame your feedback as questions, not statements. Instead of “This approach won’t work,” try “What do you think would happen if we prioritised X instead?” It keeps the conversation open and positions you as an advisor, not an order-taker.
5. Make Everything Tangible: Use Visuals, Not Just Words
No matter how articulate you are, website planning can quickly slip into the abstract. Clients are bombarded with terms like UX, UI, responsive design, and CMS. Before you lose them to jargon fatigue, show your thinking with sketches, wireframes, or moodboards.
Early in my career, I’d email beautifully written scoping documents and get stony silence. Turns out, people need to see the idea. Even the roughest Figma sketch or a pencil wireframe on an iPad can make the difference.
As soon as possible, produce a visual artefact, something for your client to react to. Invite feedback, encourage tweaks, and use it as proof you’re interpreting their goals instead of guessing.
If you use Squarespace or similar platforms, set up a quick demo site with a couple of realistic pages populated. It doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, the “sketchier” the better; clients see that it’s a draft and feel more comfortable giving honest reactions.
6. Confirm and Recap Regularly
You’d be amazed at how often projects veer off track, not through malice, but from simple miscommunication. At every project milestone, recap what you’ve learned, what’s planned, and what’s needed from both sides. This isn’t about endless emails—short, sharp, bullet-point summaries after key meetings are ideal.
A running project log (even if it’s just a Google Doc) keeps everyone honest and avoids last-minute panics about who was supposed to do what, and when.
At the end of every key meeting, ask your client to summarise in their own words what’s been decided next. This quick step surfaces misunderstandings early (and you’ll spot whether they’re genuinely excited or just being polite).
What Most People Miss
Now, here’s the subtle, often-overlooked advantage that separates the reliable professionals from the forgettable ones: it’s not about being “the most creative” or promising the moon. The key is making the client feel heard and understood at every step.
Clients aren’t really buying a website. They’re buying peace of mind. They want to know that you’ve got their back: their problems are solved, their interests are protected, and no curveball is going to knock the project sideways. That’s what breeds client loyalty, referrals, and repeat business.
If you only absorb one thing here, let it be this: respond to every worry or question as if their business was your own. Build the habit of validating, clarifying, and adjusting instead of assuming. This approach leads to closing more deals and turning clients into advocates for life.
The Bigger Picture
Let’s zoom out for a moment.
The more fluently you can uncover and resolve the true business objectives behind each web project, the more traction you’ll gain, with less effort and far fewer late nights. Your studio or freelance business starts to change. Projects run smoother. Clients stick around. Your reputation grows as someone who gets it, not just pushes pixels.
Here’s the thing: when you can sell with confidence and clarity, you set yourself apart. You’ll attract better projects, win respect in your local business community, and find yourself able to choose which projects to take on, so you’re not taking every job just to keep the lights on.
For those working within the Squarespace platform, this approach is even more valuable. Instead of wrestling with code for days or getting bogged down in tech minutiae, you can focus where it counts: align technical delivery with business strategy, and make the best use of your time and your client’s investment.
Wrap-Up
Website sales, when done properly, look deceptively simple. The trick isn’t knowing some secret handshake. Instead, it’s about applying structure and empathy to each project. Build deep understanding, frame your work as the answer to real problems, and get the big queries out in the open before they trip you up. Sprinkle in a bit of visual communication and regular check-ins, and you’ve got a process that makes both you and your clients look smart.
Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.
About the author:
Elwyn Davies is what happens when you mix a small business owner, a designer, a front-end developer, and a project manager, and leave them to marinate for twenty years. He’s been building websites and software for companies of all shapes and sizes. In another life, he’d have probably been a teacher; through Pixelhaze Academy, he gets to pass on what’s actually worked for him, so the next generation doesn’t have to learn everything the hard way.
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Jargon Buster:
Squarespace designer – Someone who builds client sites using the Squarespace platform (which is made to make website launches easier, once you know the quirks).
UX/UI specialists – The folks who make things easy and pleasant for visitors to use (user experience/user interface).
AI content – Written, designed, or otherwise created by artificial intelligence software.
Pixelhaze Coaching Community:
If you’re looking for more no-nonsense guidance, troubleshooting, and practical feedback, the Pixelhaze community is always open. No jargon, just results.