confidently

MARKET YOUR
WEB+DESIGN
BUSINESS

(even if you’re a total introvert with no portfolio and a severe case of imposter syndrome).

Your big dream is to be a freelance web designer...

You dream of working from home in your yoga pants, putting the finishing touches on a website for a client who didn’t bat an eye at your price, never missed a deadline or called you on a weekend – and always paid on time.

And you either have no idea how to make that happen because you haven’t had a single client (and who’s gonna hire you when you don’t have a portfolio to show them to prove that you know how to build a website)…

Or you’ve had clients, but they are far from dreamy… You know you’re great at building websites, but your confidence takes a hit every time someone lowballs you on your price or wants you to do a bajillion revisions without paying another dime.

And it’s bumming you out because you really want this. It’s not just a hobby for you – it’s your dream. And you’re desperate for the freedom, flexibility and financial independence that comes from being self-employed.

You’re willing to do the work.

You want this to work. You’ve seen other people make it work.
You KNOW it can work. You just want to show you exactly what to do and you’ll do it!

Do any of these sound like you?

You love building websites and want to become a freelance web designer – but you have no idea how to market yourself and get clients.

You’re tired of working for friends and family “to build your portfolio” which we all know is code for “not getting paid.

You work for practically nothing hoping that the fact that you’ve had clients will get you better-paying clients… but you just can’t seem to raise your prices.

The clients you’ve had have been a nightmare – not getting their stuff to you on time and asking for more and more and more without paying for it.

You feel like a total imposter, completely unqualified and worried that a client will ask you to do something you don’t know how to do.

You’re a total introvert and the thought of selling your web design services makes you want to crawl under the covers and watch Netflix for the rest of your life.

What if you could market your web design business without a portfolio?

What if you were able to create a web design business that enables you to stop competing on skillset and price and transforms you from “pixel-pusher for hire” to valued partner.

What if you had a step-by-step roadmap of exactly what to do to market yourself and get clients and you never felt like an annoying, pushy salesperson?

Here's what your web design business is about to look like:

I know that even if you believe all of this is possible, it probably feels a million years away… but the truth is that there are tons of web designers out there who operate this way each and every day.

Like me! But it wasn’t always this way… I worked for anyone. My first several projects were total disasters…well, for me.

My clients were super happy because I charged them practically nothing and I was available 24/7. Projects dragged on for months because I couldn’t content or feedback from clients.

I was BURNT. OUT. So I stopped working with clients and figured out a different way to monetize my web design skills… and to my surprise, it led me to attract different clients that made me fall back in love with my web design business!

Hi, I'm Shannon!

“Shannon, it’s been an exciting week! (weeks?!) Just now received a deposit from literally, MY IDEAL CLIENT! It’s happening!!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

– ELYSE ROBERTSON, Websites for Wellness

Introducing the...

WEB+DESIGNER ACADEMY

A year-long mentorship program that will teach you how to create a profitable web design business.

Say goodbye to thinking you have to work for free to build your portfolio because your new step-by-step plan to book dreamy clients who pay you what you’re worth is waiting!

The Web Designer Academy is all about helping you position your skillset so that you stand out from all the other web designers out there – and market yourself in an authentic way so that you can confidently book new projects and turn your clients into raving fans.

I know this probably sounds like just another random course that’s just going to teach you a bunch of random marketing concepts that you’ll have no idea how to apply to yourself…

Or maybe you might think you need to learn more coding languages first, or that the market is too saturated or that it’s too late, you’ve missed the train. Or that just because it worked for me doesn’t mean it’ll work for you… 

But the Web Designer Academy is different.

“I hesitated to join the Web Designer Academy because I worried about investing in yet another course not getting get the results I was looking for…

Now I get compliments from clients on how organized and professional my process is!

The Web Designer Academy helped me learn how to pick the right niche for my services and get over my fear of doing consultations and managing projects. I know I can tackle projects that used to be intimidating to me before joining the Web Designer Academy.

– KARYN PAIGE, www.karynpaige.com

After I stopped working with clients, I decided that I would teach women entrepreneurs how to DIY instead.

I knew that there were women out there just like me who wanted to start online businesses so that they could quit their day jobs. But unlike me, they had no idea how to build a website. So I created a training called the Free 5 Day Website Challenge that breaks down my entire web design process end-to-end.

And to my surprise, that training led people to reach out and ask if they could hire me to build their website for them. And I was so confused… “Why would someone pay me to do something that I’m showing them how to do FOR FREE?”

What I didn’t realize is that training positioned me as a trusted expert and as the go-to person for women entrepreneurs who were starting their businesses online.

So I started taking clients again… but my imposter syndrome prevented me from effectively holding my boundaries and managing client projects (instead of letting my clients manage me)!

So I hired a business coach to help me with the boundaries, and a systems and processes guru to help me with project management – and that’s when it all started coming together.

That proven system of marketing and project management is exactly what I walk you through inside the Web Designer Academy.

“The Web Designer Academy helped me so much with my freelancing business. The course covered a lot of information, delivered in concise chunks that were easy to break down and absorb.

The templates, contracts and processes were exactly what I needed to help me figure out where to take my business. I was struggling with having an effective process and the Academy was the hand holding I desired to help walk me through what I needed to have in place to help make my business a success.

Shannon’s expertise and advice is invaluable and her teaching method really breaks everything down to keep it from becoming overwhelming. The Academy gave me the confidence to get my business going in the direction I wanted and help overcome imposter syndrome.”

– LAURA KAMARK, www.laurakamark.com

here's what you get:

Total Value: $7044

PAY IN FULL – SAVE AN EXTRA $367

$1997

OR 12 PAYMENTS
OF $197

$197

plus get nearly $2,000 worth of bonuses!

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PASSIVE INCOME FOR WEB DESIGNERS

Learn how to monetize your web design skills without having to actually book clients so that you can earn a steady income even when you don't have one-on-one work. ($500 value)

BUSINESS SETUP 101

If you don't know what you don't know about legal entity, trademark and copyright, money management, accounting and taxes, this training will fill you in and give you resources to confidently set up your web design business the right way.
($500 value)

Website Marketing Lab

Get access to my signature online marketing course that's a perfect complement to the marketing modules inside the Web Designer Academy and learn and execute a variety of marketing strategies to help you get even more clients.
($997 value)

“I love the group coaching calls. I get a ton of value out of that one hour a month. Not only getting feedback from Shannon, but I learn so much from my fellow participants and find that I often have the same struggles as they do or it sparks something I hadn’t thought about.”

– CLARE LEWIS, www.clareconcept.com

here's what we'll be doing together:

here's how you'll take action + stay on track:

PAY IN FULL – SAVE AN EXTRA $367

$1997

OR 12 PAYMENTS
OF $197

$197

how to enroll

Step 1 – Choose your preferred payment option. You can pay in full (and save $367) or be billed monthly. Once you choose your payment plan you’ll be redirected to the secure checkout page. You can pay with either your credit card or Paypal for either option. 

Step 2 – Check your email. I’ll send you a link to the course dashboard, login info, an invitation to the Facebook Group, instructions on how to set up the Private Student Podcast, and exactly what to do first to get started.

Step 3 – Get to work! You can move as fast or slow as you want through the training modules (you’re never behind) – but you’ll also get a weekly email from me for the next 12 weeks introducing the next module and giving you a heads up on where you might get stuck.

Step 4  Add the Group Coaching Calls to your calendar. They happen on Thursdays at 3PM EST (unless there’s a holiday) and I’ll send you the exact schedule once you sign up. I’ll also send you a reminder before the call. Replays go into the Private Student Podcast.

Step 5  Spend the next 12+ weeks creating the core components of your marketing strategy, your packages and pricing so that you can start marketing yourself and getting clients!

This is for you if...

This is not for you if...

Frequently Asked Questions

I really only want you to join the Web Designer Academy if you can feel super confident that it’s going to take you from struggling to get clients, hustling 24/7 and not making the money you want to make to booking your dream clients, getting paid what you’re worth, and working on your own terms.

If you’re still on the fence about enrolling, let me help you make a decision one way or another.

Here’s what people are asking me before saying yes to the Web Designer Academy:

This is my favorite question to answer, because if there are a bajillion web designers out there, at least half of them (if not way more than that) have no idea how to actually care for customers and manage a web design project.

Think:

  • Disappearing in the middle of projects.
  • Leaving clients with a website they have no idea how to update and charging crazy fees to make the smallest of changes.
  • Delivering a website that’s basically a cast member of the Real Housewives – looks good but doesn’t do anything.


Name a nightmare scenario and I’ve heard it.

And you know what that means?

You have the opportunity to serve your clients at a higher level, knock their freaking socks off and get paid well to do it.

Nope! While that’s what my expertise is in, you do not have to use WordPress to execute the strategies I teach in the Web Designer Academy. We have students that build client sites on Wix + SquareSpace too!

Where you might need to do some extra research is when I teach time-saving development processes that are WordPress-specific, but I can assure you that there are ways to do the same thing on other platforms.

If that’s you and you get stuck, that’s what the Web Designer Academy Facebook Group is for – you and I will put our heads together to figure out the best way forward for you.

If you are happy with the clients you are getting, how much you’re making, your processes and how you interact with your clients, then yes, the Web Designer Academy is going to be too beginner for you.

But if you’re getting clients and you’re not happy with how your projects are going, you struggle to get content and feedback from clients and you end up working more hours than you’re getting paid for, the Web Designer Academy can help you with that.

If you’re really clear on your ideal client and you’ve been in business awhile, then you’ll be able to move a little bit faster through some of the marketing modules than people who are newer to freelance web design.

There is no such thing as being behind.​

I’m going to send you a weekly email for 12 weeks introducing each module and the action steps for that module, but you can totally move at your own pace.

The course is designed to be highly structured – you move through it in order, you complete your action steps in order and that can totally be done on your own timeline, as fast or slow as you want to go!

There is no such thing as being behind.​

I’m going to send you a weekly email for 12 weeks introducing each module and the action steps for that module, but you can totally move at your own pace.

The course is designed to be highly structured – you move through it in order, you complete your action steps in order and that can totally be done on your own timeline, as fast or slow as you want to go!

I’ve bought a lot of online courses too (I love learning!!) and what I’ve found is that I’m always going back to them to hone a specific skill I need to learn to as I’m taking action in my business.

The trainings inside the Web Designer Academy are specific to web designers, but the mentorship is what sets it apart from the other courses you’ve likely taken.

When you put together all the pieces of your web design business inside the Web Designer Academy, that foundation can help you start taking action on things you’ve already learned in other courses.

And those other courses can be an awesome resource for you as you move forward in marketing and growing your business!

One word: Mentorship.

What other program can you find that gives you a WordPress expert in your back pocket that can help you navigate any sticky or tricky situation you may find yourself in with a client or project.

Like…

  • My client got hacked and they are panicking! How do I get their site back?
  • My client is asking me to do something that I have no idea how to do. What do I do?
  • My client won’t give me the content I need to finish her website. What do I do?
  • My client wants me to drop everything to handle her emergency project. What do I do?
  • My client keeps adding to our project but wants the same launch date and there’s no way I can get this all done in time. What do I do?


But beyond mentorship, since The Web Designer Academy is specifically for web designers, every marketing lesson is going to be relevant to you.

I’ve taken premium business courses too, and they’re one-size fits all.

And if you’re anything like me, one-size-fits-all never actually fits you.

I’ll be giving you marketing strategies designed for web designers so that you don’t have to get lowballed on those freelancing websites (that also take a big cut of your fees) or advertise on Craigslist and field more inquiries from creepers than actual clients.

But beyond just marketing strategies, we go deep into how to confidently turn web design consultations in to clients – without feeling like you’re begging for work or being pushy.

And what’s really different than any other business-building course out there is that you’ll walk away with an effective process to onboard your clients and manage your web design projects (which is really how to train your clients in disguise).

The icing on the cupcake? You’ll understand how to create passive income with your web design skills so you have money coming in that’s independent of clients.

It makes sense that you’d think you’d need to show potential clients a gallery of websites you’ve designed and built to prove to them that you know how to do it…

But that’s what everyone else is doing and that’s why they’re clawing at each other for clients.

And that type of competition puts clients in a position to negotiate on price, leaving you feeling frustrated and resentful after booking a new client rather than excited and empowered.

Inside the Web Designer Academy, I’m going to teach you a totally different way to position yourself in the market so that you’re not competing on price – and it does not require a portfolio.

If you have a portfolio full of designs that you’re proud of – and you want to design and build more sites just like that, great! If not, no worries. You don’t need a portfolio.

Great question, and I get it. You’ve already got a million things (and maybe even a day job) on your plate.

You get instant access to all of the lessons the moment you enroll, so you can go at your own pace. I’ll send you an email every week that introduces the next lesson, but you don’t have to go at that pace. Just save them in a folder and when you have a free weekend, just start at the beginning and move through each module in order.

All of the modules are also inside a private student podcast so you can easily listen on the go, and then when you have time to sit down, you’re actually doing the action steps instead of watching videos.

And then you just need to set aside one hour every other week (Thursdays at 3PM EST) for the mentorship portion of the course. That’s where I’ll help you get unstuck and answer your questions, no matter where you’re at in the lessons.

Beyond that, it’s up to you how much time you put into every week.

Because it’s not time that you’re dedicating to the Web Designer Academy, it’s time you’re dedicating to building your business – and it’s different for everyone based on their goals.

You have lifetime access to the trainings, the Facebook group and replays of the all of the Group Coaching Calls. You get the mentorship piece for a full year.

But I can tell you this – your time won’t be wasted spinning your wheels feeling unsure if what you’re spending your time on is worth it. You’ll feel confident that every minute spent is helping you build a strong foundation for your business.

There are so many other awesome courses out there that will teach you the fundamentals (I recommend Skillcrush) so if learning to code is your main goal right now or you don’t already know how to build a website, you’re probably not ready for the Web Designer Academy just yet.

But before you go to sign up for a coding class, here’s a confession:

I’ve never taken a formal coding class. *Gasp*

In fact, I don’t really like to code. Yep, that’s right. I’m a web designer who codes as little as possible.

What you’ll do inside the Web Designer Academy is develop your own unique repeatable design/build process that you can customize to your clients so that you’re not coding every site from scratch.

In fact, you’re barely coding at all.

Because when you custom-code sites for clients, they are beholden to you for LIFE.

And not in a good way.

Like in a “I despise having to email you to ask you to make this change for me…” way.

And on the flip-side, you’re like “I can’t believe I have to stop what I’m doing to change this color on one word for her.

So I teach you a strategy for building websites for your clients that leave you BOTH empowered at the end of the project.

I know this answer will turn off the people that think their coding skills make them superior to all other humans and want to trap their clients into paying them for life, but the Web Designer Academy isn’t for them. It’s for you.

The dedicated, driven web designer who wants to take care of her clients. The one who feels like a proud parent as she watches her clients soak up all the love from their customers on launch day.

And if you’re still getting a little imposter syndrome from feeling like your coding or graphic design or copywriting skills aren’t up to par, that’s okay! I teach you in the Web Designer Academy how to partner with other people who have the skillset you’re lacking to design dreamy websites!

The bare minimum you need to successfully implement what you learn is a website, an email service provider (there are free and paid options) and graphic design software (Canva has free and paid options).  

There is no such thing as getting behind. Follow each module and complete each action step in order – on your own timeline.

You know as well as I do that the world is not perfect. Life is going to happen, the only thing that matters is that you pick up where you left off and that you don’t stop.

They happen every other Thursday for the first 12 weeks on Thursdays at 3PM EST, and then the next-to-last Thursday of the month for the next 9 months (unless there’s a holiday).

Our first one this session is October 17, 2019 and I’ll send you the full schedule when you enroll.

The Group Coaching sessions are the secret sauce of the program and I highly recommend that if you join, you do everything in your power to block time for as many group coaching sessions as you can. 

But if you can’t, you’ll still get access to the replays – and being able to hear others’ questions + struggles and my answers and guidance will still really help you move forward.

Because what I’ve found over the past few years of welcoming new students into the Academy – they all go through a very similar journey, get stuck at similar places and just knowing that you’re not alone, you’re normal and that there’s a solution can be huge to keeping you moving forward.

As long as you show up (either to Group Coaching  sessions or by posting your questions in the Facebook Group), I commit to giving you feedback.

I have time set aside most weekdays for my Facebook Groups, and I answer every single one of those questions every week.

I can assure you that I won’t leave you hanging!!

Yes! Here’s the Refund Policy. There’s a 30-day no questions asked refund policy – all you gotta do is email me and let me know you want a refund (I promise I’m super nice about it!)

I trust that you’re not just trying to rip me off and that you’ll ask for a refund if you legit get in the program and find that it’s not right for you.

I do recommend giving yourself a full 90 days to learn, build and start taking action. But you’re cool with that because you’re in it for the long-haul, right?

When you enroll in the Web Designer Academy, I’m giving you my Business Setup 101 Training where we’ll talk about choosing your legal Eentity, trademarks & copyrights, how to handle your money, accounting and taxes. This isn’t legal or financial or tax advice, I’m not a lawyer or a CPA or whatever (I’ll connect you with lawyers and CPAs who understand our business) – it’s just what you need to know to feel confident to get started.

What you do inside the Web Designer Academy is more than what you get in a typical business course. 

You’re not just learning concepts, you’re taking action.

It’s a step-by-step roadmap to help you create a profitable web design business end-to-end.

Plus you have the opportunity to get 1:1 strategy and advice for your unique business during the group coaching sessions.

No other online business course out there will give you this much support for this price.

If you are consistently booking clients you love, charging what you’re worth and completing projects on time on your own terms, then the Web Designer Academy may be too beginner for you. If not, it’s probably just what you need!

The Web Designer Academy is designed to take something that can be really overwhelming for someone whose expertise isn’t marketing or sales or project management, and breaks it down in small action steps that you take in order.

You watch or listen to a lesson, learn a concept, and take action on it. If you can follow the steps, you can do it!

It’s self-paced, so it’s never really “over” so you can ask for help any time.

The Group Coaching ends after 12 months.

But there’s also a monthly Live Q&A in the Facebook group (you can even join the livestream and we can talk face to face!) that you can take advantage of at any time (you get lifetime access) and I’m in the Facebook Group a few times a week answering your questions.

The FB group isn’t for you to help each other (although it happens and it’s awesome) but its for me to be able to help you (and have the whole group benefit from hearing the answers to your questions!

You get instant, lifetime access to the entire course and any bonuses you’re entitled to.

I’m not just teaching you a bunch of concepts in this course that you have to figure out how to implement on your own. I’m teaching you what works, why it works, and then walking you through the exact action steps to execute on what works.

Those action steps result in you being able to build credibility without having to work for free or cheap to build a portfolio.

I’m also giving you access to the Website Marketing Lab as a bonus that walks you step by step through another series of action steps to market yourself online.

There’s no grey-area, no wondering what to do or how to do it. It’s me telling you exactly what to do to market yourself, get clients and manage projects.

It’s pretty black and white – if you do the action steps, you’ll get clients. If you don’t do the action steps, you won’t get clients.

Imagine going to bed on Sunday night and not dreading going to work on Monday morning.

What if you didn’t have to have another soul-sucking day at the office or sit in rush hour traffic ever again?

What if you worked from home and made a living doing something you’re passionate about?

What if you did what you loved, every single day?

Because you CAN. And I want to help you get there.

Join Risk Free.

I’m going to walk you through how create a successful and profitable web design business.

And if you take action on what I show you, you will make progress. That’s why I guarantee the program.

You can join the Web Designer Academy 100% risk free.

You can cancel at any time within the first 30 days and get your money back – no questions asked.

If you have more questions about whether or not the Web Designer Academy is right for YOU, just email me at shannon@wp-bff.com and ask.

I’ll tell you the truth. Like I said, I only want you to enroll if you decide it’s right for you!

And if that decision leads you to joining us inside the Web Designer Academy, then I’ll look forward to working with you!

Learn from someone who’s been there.

As you think about joining, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and wondering how you can fit it in to your life, I want you to know this:

When your time is focused on taking action on things that will help you grow (rather than spending time learning and perfecting), you will get results.

Five years ago I never would’ve dreamed that I’d have started my own business, let alone been able to make enough money to do this full time. I went from a day job that drained me to building a business that replaced my 6-figure day job salary.

Not because I was an expert, but I wanted my life to change so badly that I spent more time experimenting and doing than I spent perfecting and waiting for perfect timing. And in the process I was able to create a successful, sustainable, profitable web design business.

This can happen for you too, and the Web Designer Academy will show you how.

PAY IN FULL – SAVE AN EXTRA $367

$1997

OR 12 PAYMENTS
OF $197

$197

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