For many freelance web designers, the path to six figures seems clear: add marketing services. Build monthly retainers. Manage social media. Run ad campaigns. Scale, scale, scale.
But what if that advice is leading you down a path you’ll regret?
In a recent episode of Freelance to Founder, Erica—a web designer who completed a coaching program on how to make six figures—shared a concern we hear all too often. She was taught to transform from designer to marketer, offering monthly marketing services to build recurring revenue. The problem? She doesn’t enjoy the repetitive marketing tasks. She loves the project work—building websites and landing pages—but feels stuck doing work that doesn’t light her up.
Her question reveals a deeper issue many freelancers face: the pressure to follow someone else’s blueprint, even when it doesn’t align with what makes you excited to work each day.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
You don’t have to offer marketing services to hit six figures—you can achieve this with web design alone.
A monthly recurring revenue model for websites (without long-term contracts) can dramatically increase conversions and lifetime client value.
Writing content for clients instead of waiting for them to deliver it can double your project throughput and revenue.
The Danger of Following Someone Else’s Blueprint
Courses and coaching programs can be incredibly valuable. Learning from people who’ve succeeded before you saves time and helps you avoid costly mistakes. But there’s a hidden risk: many instructors teach their specific path as the only path.
Preston pointed this out clearly in the episode. Too often, courses teach “here’s exactly how to do it” instead of teaching broader concepts or foundational principles. The instructor shares what worked for them, and students assume that’s what they’re supposed to do.
This creates what Preston called “imposter syndrome”—but it might actually be your gut telling you something important. If you’re not excited about the work you’re building toward, if talking about your services doesn’t energize you, that’s a signal worth paying attention to.
Not every web design business needs to evolve into a full-service marketing agency. Not every client needs comprehensive marketing plans with ad spend and social media management. And frankly, not every freelancer wants to become a marketer.
You Can Hit Six Figures Without Marketing Services
Clay made this point emphatically: “There are so many coaches that will tell you, hey, you have to do marketing. And I’m here to tell you that you don’t.”
Six figures through web design and branding alone is not only possible—it’s actually more straightforward than many people think. The complexity of adding marketing services, social media management, and ad campaigns can quickly overwhelm your processes and turn your business into what Clay bluntly called “a cluster fuck.”
What if instead of adding more services, you simplified? What if you became known for one or two things—branding and web design—and did those exceptionally well?
The key is finding a business model that allows you to earn strong revenue from your core services without constantly chasing new offerings.
The Monthly Recurring Revenue Model for Web Design
Clay shared his approach to building recurring revenue without offering marketing services: monthly payments for website design.
His model works like this: clients pay a monthly fee (starting at $397, though he began at $250 when testing the model) instead of a large upfront payment. Here’s the crucial detail—there’s no long-term contract requiring clients to stay for a specific period.
“People thought I was crazy,” Clay admitted. “They’re like, well, what happens if somebody leaves you after two months?”
His response? In a year and a half since removing contracts, nobody has left. Why? Because the transfer of design ownership doesn’t happen until the 24th month. Clients can leave anytime, but if they do, they’ll need to get a website built somewhere else. They don’t own the design Clay created for them.
It’s essentially a lease-to-own model. Clients aren’t contractually obligated to pay for two years, but they won’t receive ownership of the design until they reach that milestone.
The benefits of this approach are significant:
**Higher conversions**: It’s much easier for clients to commit to $250 per month than to write a $3,000 check upfront.
**Increased lifetime value**: $250 per month over 24 months equals $6,000—double what you might charge for a single upfront payment.
**Predictable recurring revenue**: Three website sales at $250 monthly equals $750 in recurring revenue. Three more the next month brings you to $1,500. The compound effect builds quickly.
**Faster cash flow**: Instead of waiting for project completion to get paid, you’re earning monthly from day one.
As Clay pointed out, the math becomes compelling fast. Even if you never sign another client after six months of steady sales, you’re still earning thousands in monthly recurring revenue from work you’ve already completed.
Finding the Right Clients for This Model
The obvious question becomes: how do you find clients willing to pay monthly for website design?
Clay’s answer comes down to pre-qualification. You need to ask the right questions before taking on a project to ensure clients are ready and willing to move quickly.
Key pre-qualification questions include:
– Are they prepared with necessary content, images, and copy?
– Do they know what software integrations they need?
– Can they respond promptly when you need input?
– Are they ready to move forward now, or do they need more time?
If a prospect isn’t ready, don’t take on the project yet. Add them to your prospect list for follow-up when they’re prepared to move quickly.
Setting clear expectations upfront is critical. Let clients know you need prompt responses and cooperation to deliver within your 30-day timeframe. When you communicate these expectations from the beginning, clients are far more likely to be responsive and engaged.
Eliminating Your Biggest Bottleneck
Clay identified his single biggest project bottleneck: waiting for clients to write content. Projects that dragged for months or even years almost always stalled because clients didn’t want to write website copy.
His solution was radical but effective: he started writing the content himself.
“Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t that mean more work for me? It does,” Clay acknowledged. But here’s what happened: by removing this hurdle, he doubled the number of websites he completed. He raised his fees to account for the additional work, but the increase in throughput more than compensated.
The insight here is profound: it’s easier for clients to review and revise existing content than to create it from scratch. When Clay sent website demos with all content already in place, clients could simply make edits rather than facing the overwhelming task of writing from a blank page.
Today, with AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, this approach becomes even more powerful. You can generate high-quality placeholder content in minutes by loading in information about the client’s company, mission, and voice. The “cost” of creating this content has dropped to nearly zero, while the accuracy has actually improved.
Preston made an excellent point: most clients are already using AI to help write their content anyway. You might as well take control of this process yourself. Load in reference materials, generate content that matches their brand voice, and deliver a complete website demo. The result is faster turnaround, more accurate content, and the ability to book more business because you’re completing projects more quickly.
Building a Business That Lights You Up
The core message of this conversation goes beyond specific tactics about pricing models or content creation. It’s about permission—permission to build a business aligned with work you actually enjoy.
Erica started her question by explaining she took a coaching program that taught her to transform from web designer into marketer. But Clay and Preston’s advice turned that assumption on its head: you don’t have to follow that path just because someone taught it.
If marketing services don’t excite you, don’t offer them. If you love building websites and creating visual designs, focus there. If the work you’re moving toward doesn’t make you want to get up in the morning, pay attention to that feeling.
Too many freelancers fall into what Preston called “analysis paralysis”—overthinking the “right” strategy instead of listening to what genuinely interests them and what their ideal clients actually need.
The path to six figures doesn’t have to involve services you dread. With the right business model, clear positioning, and systems that eliminate common bottlenecks, you can build a thriving business around the work you love.
Focus on becoming known for one or two things you do exceptionally well. Simplify your processes instead of complicating them. Pre-qualify clients to ensure good fits. Remove the bottlenecks that slow you down. And most importantly, build toward a future that excites you.
As Clay demonstrated, sometimes the “unconventional” approach—monthly payments without contracts, writing content for clients, narrowing your focus—is exactly what allows you to thrive. Don’t be afraid to question the supposed-to’s and build something that works for you and your clients.
The goal isn’t to follow someone else’s blueprint perfectly. The goal is to create a business that generates great income while doing work that lights you up. And for web designers like Erica, that might mean staying focused on design and finding smarter ways to deliver it—not transforming into something you’re not.
