We interviewed a handful of professional Squarespace designers to learn their secrets to running a successful web design business, with a particular focus on recurring revenue. Our takeaway: there’s no “one size fits all” approach in the web design ecosystem. This is good news because it means that, whatever your passions, strengths, and experience, there are an exciting variety of approaches for generating sustainable revenue, growing your client base, and loving what you do as a designer! Some of these designers have a single specialty focus, such as workshops, whereas others offer a range of services to suit their lifestyle. In this interview, we chat about website management and marketing services with Noah Olson of Snowday Design. Read to the end for Noah’s advice on starting your own sustainable web design business.

Tell us about yourself and your business

Snowday is a creative marketing agency located south of Denver, Colorado. We provide web design, brand and graphic design, and marketing services for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes.

What recurring income streams have you built into your business?

Website Management: We provide peace of mind for clients by handling updates, hosting (through Squarespace), monitoring, bug fixes, etc. on a regular basis. These services require clear systems and expectations to be profitable and sustainable.
Marketing: We offer an ongoing marketing plan for businesses looking to increase local traffic to their websites. We use a combination of organic and paid strategies to compliment each other and get the best results for less money.
Social Media Management: This one is pretty standard, we manage social media accounts for clients. Content creation, regular posting, interaction, etc.
Google Business Profile Management: Lastly, we provide GBP management as a standalone service. Oftentimes, just ensuring profiles are set up properly, writing a really good description, responding to reviews, and posting business updates regularly is all it takes to rank higher in maps and in the map pack.

What's your rough split between one-time project income vs. recurring income?

When I first started Snowday Design in early 2023, like many web design agencies (and I think especially Squarespace agencies), we were entirely dependent on project based income. A little over 2 years later, about 50-60% of our income is recurring which takes a ton of pressure off and allows me to be more selective with projects as well as to focus on building the business rather than constantly worrying about the next project. With every project we sign, the project provides a "bonus" and a "raise" which is awesome!

How do you typically charge for ongoing services to design clients?

Ongoing services are usually priced on a client-by-client basis ranging from $85-$1200+ /month. The key is doing the work to understand how much will be acceptable for each client.

What tools do you rely on for your recurring revenue streams?

I try to keep things as simple and organized as possible and software plays a big part in that. Our current stack looks something like this: Squarespace, SquareKicker, Indy, Wave, ManyRequests, FlowSavvy, Ahrefs, Metricool, and Relay.

It's taken a huge amount of trial and error to get to where we are today. To get to our current stack, we've tried Notion, Asana, Motion, Todoist, AgencyHandy, HoneyBook, QuickBooks, Pipedrive, Monday, Things, Kitchen, Dubsado, Zoho, Bonsai, and many more.

Finding the right tools was a huge undertaking, but the secret sauce is in how you use them, and the processes that fill them out.

How often do your monthly management clients need additional work beyond what's included in their hosting and management package?

Rarely, because of the systems, processes, and expectations we use to set clear boundaries and agreements with clients. More often than not, clients do not use all of their allotted resources in a given month. One benefit is that our ongoing relationship can often lead to additional business (new work for the same client, outside of their current scope) and/or client referrals.

For your monthly management and hosting packages specifically – what do you typically include and how do you structure them?

Most of our clients are on very similar service packages. The package includes hosting, maintenance, management, updates, and additional services depending on the client's needs.

The packages are structured in a way that clearly establishes expectations, what's included, and things like limits, guides, processes, timing, etc.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about offering monthly management and hosting services?

Start building now! Find a service that works for you and your schedule, and start selling it. When you have a business that doesn't reset to zero every month, the possibilities for what you can do really open up, and you're no longer constantly consumed by securing the next project. In the 2.5 years since starting my business, my wife and I have had two kids, moved states multiple times, started other businesses, and everything in between. It's possible to build a sustainable, recurring business while also managing your projects, family, and personal life, you just have to start. Even small steps begin to compound over time.

Building a Sustainable Web Design Business: An Interview with Noah Olson of Snowday Design