Starting a web design agency is a surprisingly common entry point into internet entrepreneurship. Why? Because every business that wants to serve customers online needs a website. And the difference between a 'meh' website and a great one is still very much worth paying for expertise.

In this article, I'll walk through a simple 5-step approach to cover your bases when starting a web design agency. We'll discuss why each step matters, provide a checklist of tasks, suggest helpful tools, define key performance indicators (KPIs), and show you how Bizway can assist at every step of journey.

Step 1: Conduct Market Research

‍Why This Step Matters: Understanding your market helps you identify potential clients, competitors, and the latest trends in web design.

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Identify your target clients.
• Examine your competitors.
• Stay updated with the latest web design trends.

Tools to Help: Google Trends, SEMRush, Bizway's Market Research feature

‍KPIs: Number of potential clients identified, number of competitors analyzed, number of trends spotted

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway’s AI-powered assistant can help you conduct thorough market research, identify trends, and analyze your competition.

Step 2: Develop Your Services

Why This Step Matters: Defining your services helps you communicate what you offer to your clients, and it also helps you identify your unique selling proposition (USP).

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Identify the services you will offer.
• Define your USP.

Tools to Help: Bizway's Product Development feature

KPIs: Number of services defined, USP defined

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway can help you define your services and USP by providing a structured way to organize your ideas and make strategic decisions.

Step 3: Create Your Brand

Why This Step Matters: Your brand is the personality of your business. It’s what sets you apart from your competitors and what your clients will remember you by.

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Decide on a business name.
• Create a logo.
• Define your brand’s values and mission statement.

Tools to Help: Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Bizway's Branding feature

‍KPIs: Business name decided, logo created, brand values and mission statement defined

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway can help you create a strong brand by guiding you through the process and providing useful resources and templates.

Step 4: Build Your Website

Why This Step Matters: Your website is your online storefront. It's where potential clients will go to learn more about your services and to contact you.

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Decide on a domain name.
• Choose a hosting provider.
• Design and develop your website.

‍Tools to Help: WordPress, Squarespace, Bizway's Website Building Feature

‍KPIs: Domain name decided, hosting provider chosen, website live

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway can guide you through the process of building a website, providing resources, tips, and tools to make it easier.

Step 5: Market Your Services

Why This Step Matters: Marketing is how you attract clients to your business. The more effective your marketing efforts, the more clients you will attract.

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Identify your marketing channels.
• Create a marketing plan.
• Implement your marketing strategies.

Tools to Help: Google Ads, Social Media Platforms, Bizway's Marketing Channels feature

‍KPIs: Number of marketing channels identified, marketing plan created, number of leads generated

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway can help you identify the most effective marketing channels for your business, create a marketing plan, and track your progress.

Step 6: Manage Your Projects

Why This Step Matters: Effective project management ensures that you deliver your services on time and within budget, which leads to happy clients and repeat business.

‍Checklist of Tasks:

• Choose a project management tool.
• Create project timelines and budgets.
• Manage your projects effectively.

Tools to Help: Trello, Asana, Bizway's Project Management feature

‍KPIs: Project management tool chosen, number of projects managed successfully

‍How Bizway Can Help: Bizway can help you manage your projects more effectively by providing a structured approach to project management and useful resources and tools.

Starting a web design agency is a big task, but with the right plan and tools, you can build a successful business. Bizway can provide the assistance you need at every step of the way.