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

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

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

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

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

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