5 Reasons why your boutique web agency is not growing
My husband got me this super pretty bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day a little while back. I put them in a vase by my desk so I could look at them every day.
Crazy thing is, a few days later, I noticed new leaves sprouting out of the stem. I was over the moon!
Since I loved those roses so much, I decided to try and grow a rose garden of my own. So, I moved the roses into pots and watered them every day.
But when the new leaves started to droop and wilt, I got really bummed out. Turns out I didn’t give them enough time to root before moving them to the new pot. So, I had to toss the dried stems out with a heavy heart 💔
Growing plants is tough. But you know what’s even harder? Growing a business.
Boutique web agencies
I want to talk to you about small web design companies called “boutiques,” and why some of them just can’t seem to grow.
I know what you’re thinking: “What even is a boutique web agency?”
Basically, it’s a small web design and development company that specializes in creating custom websites for its clients. They usually work with a small team of designers, developers, and project managers.
Reasons why web agencies don’t scale
Have you ever wondered why some web design agencies don’t expand? One reason could be that the owner simply doesn’t want to grow the business.
They might have started the agency because they enjoy making websites and want to be in charge of their work, but as the business grows, they may have to give up some control, and that can be scary.
Another reason is that the owner may not want to deal with the problems that come with growth.
When a business scales, it faces what I call “growing pains”, such as hiring more people, taking care of more clients, and working on more difficult projects.
Some owners just don’t want to deal with all that stress and would rather keep things small and easy.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Many small web design agencies grow and do well. They can handle the pains that come with growth and still give their clients great service.
Challenges of growing a boutique web agency
Many things can make it hard for boutique web agencies to grow. Here are a few that are often used:
- Limited resources: Boutique agencies often don’t have a lot of money, staff, or equipment. This can make it hard for them to work on bigger projects or offer more services.
Scaling up can also mean adding new employees and more overhead costs, which can be scary for some owners. - Keeping the quality: Scaling up is hard because as an agency grows, it can be hard to keep the same level of quality and attention to detail that made it successful in the first place.
- Competition: There is a lot of competition in the web design and development industry, with many companies trying to get the same clients. This can make it hard for agencies to stand out and bring in new clients.
- Changes in the market: The market for web design and development is always changing as new technologies and design trends come out.
Boutique agencies need to keep up with these changes and be able to change with them if they want to stay relevant and competitive. - Client retention: Boutique agencies usually depend on a small number of high-paying clients to keep their business going. If they lose one or more of these clients, it can hurt their revenue and growth prospects in a big way.
These are just a few of the things that can stop boutique agencies from growing their businesses. Agency owners need to know about these problems and take steps to solve them if they want their businesses to grow sustainably.
Deer Designer can help
All of these challenges can be solved with our help. How? Let me explain:
- Limited resources: It doesn’t cost a lot to sign up for an on-demand design service. For a flat fee, you can have a professional design team work on your projects without having to even invest in supplies for them to use.
- Keeping quality: Before sending the designs back to clients, quality analysts will do their best to ensure you’re happy with the output, even if you only asked for one little social media post.
- Competition: Stand out from your competitors by always putting out content that keeps your brand in people’s minds.
Even if you’re very busy, Deer Designer can help you make ready-to-post marketing materials for your brand. - Changes in the market: Our designers are always up to date on design trends for every niche or industry. On top of that, we train all the time to learn how to use the newest tools. With us, you’ll be at the top of your game.
- Keeping clients: Working with us, your design team can also make designs for your clients. That gesture gives them more value.
For example, even if they only asked you to design a website, you can offer them some social media graphics or lead magnets at zero cost to you.
Building a business takes courage
Some small web design companies decide to stay small, which isn’t always a bad thing. It’s fine that some owners are happy where they are. All that matters is that they keep doing what they love and give their clients something useful.
Remember, building a business takes courage, but with the right plan and partner, the challenges can be easily overcome. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!”