Krishna Solanki on building a successful web design business
How Krishna Solanki captures client personality in every website
Krishna's websites stand out because they clearly reflect the people they're built for. This doesn't happen by accident, it's the result of a thoughtful, client-centered process that begins from the very first conversation.
"Every client has really different needs," Krishna explains. "We've got one at the moment where we're taking them from WordPress to Squarespace and it's quite a big site and internally, there is no one who's leading it on their side. So I'm stepping in to be like the strategist, the lead kind of project manager."
Her approach varies based on each client's needs, but the foundation remains the same: a structured process that makes it easy to understand what the client needs to succeed. She sets clear expectations from the start, covering the brief thoroughly during the initial call to establish the tone for the entire project, making sure the client is getting what they need while protecting her from scope creep.
Creating an environment for open communication
One of Krishna's key strategies is making clients feel comfortable providing honest feedback throughout the design process. "I always kind of encourage this open communication. So anytime we think something's going off kilter, let's talk about it and let's get to the point of ‘why is it not working?’ ‘What do we need to fix?’"
This approach stems from her understanding that projects can sometimes go sideways due to simple miscommunication. By creating space for transparent dialogue, she prevents the frustration that can arise when clients feel unheard or when designers feel blindsided by negative feedback.
"It's all about client communication, transparency, and just being really human, because at the end of the day we're working with people," she says. This perspective allows her to respond generously when projects become challenging, recognizing that external stress can affect how clients engage with the work.
Building a web design business through authentic networking
One of the most remarkable aspects of Krishna's business is that 80% of her clients come from referrals and recommendations. This didn't happen through aggressive marketing or sales tactic, it happened through genuine human connection she creates with her clients.
"I get a lot of people asking me like, 'How do I even make that happen?' And if I'm honest, sometimes I don't actually know the answer to it," Krishna admits. "I go to events, I talk to people in the most normal way. I don't go there and be like, 'Hey, I'm a Squarespace designer. You need to be on Squarespace and you need to have a website.' I will literally go there and listen to and learn about what they're doing."
She often attends networking events with academics and scientists, feeling initially out of her depth, but recognizing an opportunity to help. "Scientists and people who are academics, they don't know anything about design, they don't know anything about websites and actually if I can help one person who's creating a startup that's doing something amazing for the world, I want to go in there and try and help them."
This approach, showing up with curiosity rather than a sales pitch, has built a foundation of trust that continues to generate new opportunities.
Managing client projects with clear processes and timelines
Krishna's success is not just about those initial meetings. A large part of her client satisfaction stems from her well-defined processes offering various packages to suit each clients needs, from a five-day "website in a week" intensive to more complex projects that can take four to six weeks or longer, depending on scope. Taking time to understand each client allows Krishna to direct the client to a product that will suit their needs and avoids frustration from unmet expectations or out of scope work.
Setting realistic expectations from day one
"I stipulate right from the very offset that we're giving you this time frame that's four to six weeks, for example. But what this means is that if I give you designs on Monday, I expect a reply and feedback by Tuesday, or at the latest Wednesday, so we can stay on track to deliver within that four to six week period."
She's learned to adapt her planning based on client structure. Solo founders often provide quick feedback directly on calls, while projects with senior leadership teams require three-day turnarounds to accommodate multiple decision-makers. This flexibility, combined with clear communication about holidays and availability, helps her consistently hit projected timelines, somthing every client loves.
How the "website in a week" package serves a specific client need
Krishna's "website in a week" offering emerged organically from recognizing a gap in her service offerings. While her business had grown to serve larger clients with complex needs, she kept encountering smaller businesses and startups that didn't need, and couldn't afford, her full-scale packages.
The package focuses on five-page websites that can realistically be completed quickly. It does require solid preparation beforehand. Clients must complete a detailed questionnaire and deliver all their content before the intensive week begins. This preparation is what makes the accelerated timeline possible.
Krishna chose to do "website in a week" rather than "website in a day" to provide clients with breathing room for review and revisions, even though she could technically complete the work faster. This decision reflects her commitment to transparency and client comfort over marketing flash.
Building a remote associate team without micromanagement
Krishna's approach to team building reflects the same values that drive her client relationships: flexibility and trust.
Her team evolved organically rather than through active recruitment. "My first designer, she actually emailed me and she was following me and she was on Instagram," Krishna recalls. Through conversation, she realized the designer had strong skills but needed flexible working arrangements.
This led to a revelation: "I realized that, okay, she's she's able to work in whatever ungodly hours she wants to work or however she wants to work, but her quality of work is amazing. And that's that's the bit that's key because you don't have to micromanage different people."
Maintaining quality without rigid control
Her "remote associate model agency" now includes designers, developers, and copywriters who work independently but follow established quality standards. "It's not about cutting corners and everyone's got to follow the same process," she explains. Associates must optimize images, handle SEO details correctly, and maintain the quality standards associated with the KSD name.
However, Krishna remains the central point of contact, managing client relationships and project flow. This structure allows her to maintain oversight while giving associates the autonomy they need.
Learning to value your own time as a business owner
One of Krishna's recent learnings demonstrates how business owners often undervalue their own time. She had always included a pause clause in her contracts, allowing clients to delay projects and return later. However, she realized this arrangement had a hidden cost.
"I didn't have a restart fee in the contract. So it's almost like if they push it back into six weeks later, I then need to relearn or reengage my brain into the thing," she explains. "It was almost like it's extra energy extra time extra everything that's going in to relearn the project had it not been delayed."
This realization led her to update her contracts to include a restart fee, protecting the time required to get back up to speed on paused projects. It's a practical example of setting healthy boundaries that respect both the client's needs and the designer's time.
"You don't always have to bend over backwards for clients because to some extent, you then you lose who you are and you you're so flexible, you can't build a process," Krishna reflects.
Maintaining creativity and energy outside of work
Krishna's approach to recharging is as structured and intentional as her business processes. She wakes at 5:00 AM and goes to the gym by 6:00 AM, finding that physical exertion prepares her mentally for focused work days.
Her most recent creative outlet involves the whole family: Korean martial arts classes with her two daughters. "It switches me off and away from my computer screen. We're doing something together that's progressively teaching us something and there's a learning development element to it," she explains.
The activity serves multiple purposes—quality time with her children, physical activity, and a discipline that parallels business lessons. "There's always something additional that’s a creative outlet because I believe you need to have something."
What's next: a course on productizing services
Krishna's newest venture is a course teaching designers and service-based business owners how to productize their services. The idea emerged after speaking at Circle Day 2024 and participating in Kate Scott's Summit, where multiple people asked about her approach to packaging services.
"The universe is pushing me into this, saying service these designers because there's probably going to be some need where someone wants to learn what I've done in my business," she says.
The course, launching in early 2026, will walk through her process for creating clear packages with defined timelines, revision rounds, and pricing. It represents both a new challenge and a way to serve a different audience while leveraging the expertise she's built over years of running her business.
For designers looking to create more structured, profitable businesses, Krishna's approach offers a roadmap: focus on genuine relationships, create clear processes, value your own time, and stay flexible enough to serve your clients' actual needs rather than the services you think they should want.
Connect with Krishna Solanki
Instagram: @krishnasolankidesigns
Listen to the full episode. This conversation is from the Looks Good From Here podcast, where we dive past the shiny Instagram version of the internet to have real conversations with designers building real businesses.
