Do you call yourself a web designer, developer or simply a pixel pusher? Think you can’t be replaced? You’re dead wrong. With the advent of DIY design tools and drag and drop themes, it’s easier than ever for businesses to get online. What are you doing now to make yourself indispensable to your clients? What else are you bringing to the table? Tired of hustling from one project to the next? Stop calling yourself a pixel pusher. Focus on how your work brings increased value to your clients. It’s not just design. It’s not just making it work. It’s making digital strategy matter to you and your clients. In this presentation, we’ll review techniques for building (and maintaining) long-term client relationships, different compensation strategies and how to reframe your offerings to build sustainable, profitable businesses.

1. S T O P P U S H I N G
P I X E L S .
BECOME A
DIGITAL
STRATEGIST.
MICHELLE MARTELLO / MINIMADESIGNS.

2. • Designer // 1998
• Minima Designs // 2006
• WordPress // 2007
• Worked with hundreds of
clients designing websites,
online museum exhibits and
interactive e-learning
products
• Got known in one industry,
then evolved
Michelle Martello

3. • Old vs. new approach
• What is digital strategy?
• The mistakes every designer makes
• How to make the transition to strategist
• How to build your audience, create raving fans
and where to focus your energy
• What’s possible & real life examples
What we’re going to cover

4. Old vs. new approach

5. GET NOTICED ONLINE
• Typical project cycle
• Find client, design site, dev site, launch, repeat
• Little to no follow-up or maintenance
• No marketing
• Constant hustle to find new clients
• Feast or famine cycle (too many projects or too little)
• Flat fee basis / hourly
• Hard to project yearly income and plan project timelines
• What I called myself
• Pixel pusher, web designer
Traditional Freelancer Model

6. Old Approach
• Clients aren’t computer savvy and
need us to do everything for them
• Clients don’t know anything about
running online businesses,
marketing, e-mail newsletters or
conversion rates
• The client shouldn’t have access
to the website or make changes
• The website is static and won’t
need to evolve over time
OLD MINDSET
Online marketing not in
our job description
We fear losing the “hourly”
work if the client knows
they can DIY
Design static sites that
look good in PS, but don’t
plan for future needs

7. Negative Effects of Old Approach
• Clients feel “burned” by
designers if something
happens to the site
• Gives the profession a bad
name – and makes clients
wary of hiring designers
STORY TIME
How many of you have “rescued” sites of your friends or clients when they’ve
gotten compromised because someone didn’t take care of them?

8. GET NOTICED ONLINE
• Long-term client engagement
• Work with client to develop goals & objectives
• Create, plan and implement strategy, design and dev
• Plan for ongoing work (including maintenance)
Acknowledge that websites are never really “done”
• Work via a variety of income models – percentage-based,
performance-based and flat-fee
• Easier to project income and attract high-end clients
• What I call myself now
• Digital strategist and designer for
modern entrepreneurs
New Model

9. New Approach
• Recognize that clients can make
and update simple sites using
SquareSpace or WordPress – my
value extends beyond that service
• It isn’t enough to just be online –
clients know they need advanced
marketing techniques and sites
that convert visitors into buyers
• Clients feel empowered when they
know they can update and manage
their own site
NEW MINDSET
Prove my value to clients –
why they should choose me
over a DIY solution
Emphasis on maintenance
and future planning from the
project start
Stay on top of the latest
marketing and online
techniques so I can inform
and educate my clients –
this often leads to new
projects and work

10. Benefits of New Approach
• Clients feel like you’re a part
of their “team” – easier to
retain a client than keep
starting over with new ones
• Potential to create, test and
explore new ways to
generate revenue
• Helps prevent burnout and
client fatigue
• Generate amazing
testimonials > social proof
that helps you get more
clients

11. What is digital strategy?

12. • Cohesive business plans that utilize digital assets
• Identifies unmet needs, goals, opportunities and
challenges of the business
What is digital strategy?
(and what the heck is a digital strategist)?
What is a digital strategist?
A digital strategist creates and oversees execution of a plan to
meet the outlined objectives through the use of specific tools,
techniques and methodologies.

13. • Set website goals and
reviewing analytic reports
• Social media planning and
implementation
• SEO testing and review
• Testing newsletter open and
click-thru rates
• E-commerce attraction,
retention and conversion
• Make regular strategic
recommendations based on
testing and analysis
What could digital strategy include?

14. • What metrics should you be tracking?
• How can you improve website copy?
• Are conversion rates improving or declining?
• What content is performing well?
• What else is their audience asking for?
• Can you create a product or service to meet those
needs?
Test, refine, analyze

15. • Meet your clients where they’re at – and anticipate their future
needs. Hold regular meetings to review (and explain) analytics and
other reports – and what impact it has on their business
• You can partner with (and / or hire) experts in related fields (SEO,
social media, conversion, etc.) – and then use that knowledge for
your clients
• Stay on top of industry info – keep clients (and potential clients)
informed with regular blogs, newsletters, meetings
• You don’t have to offer everything – and it doesn’t have to be
complicated – start small and grow from there
What could you offer?

16. Common mistakes
designers make

17. • No matter the skillset, relying solely on referrals
• You could be the greatest designer or
developer, but if no one knows about you, how
will they find you to hire you?
• What are you doing to market yourself (besides
actual client work)?
• How are you “getting known” in and outside of
the industry?
• Do you have a wait list?
Mistake #1: Ignore marketing

18. • How often do you follow-up with former clients and
let them know about new offerings?
• Do you reach out to people who contacted you
previously?
• Are you getting feedback from clients?
• Are you surveying your audience on a regular basis?
Mistake #2: Not Following Up
THOUGHT STARTER
Do you have any clients that you could create an on-going relationship with?

19. • Are people aware of what else you offer?
• Are you limiting what you can offer by how you talk
about what you do?
• What kinds of work are you showing on your site and
in your other communications materials?
• What do potential clients think (and feel) about you
based on your current content, imagery and overall
experience?
Mistake #3: Positioning

20. Making the transition from
pixel pusher to strategist

21. • That just having a website is enough
• That people will just “find you”
• That you have to say “yes” to every project
• That you don’t have to take any actions to get traffic
• That you don’t have to measure your actions or results
• That people know everything you have to offer
Step 1: Stop Making Assumptions

22. • What are you the “go-to” person for?
• Get known for doing one thing really well
• How do you do it differently than others in your field?
• Infuse your personality into your brand – be memorable
• Connect with others and GIVE value to your audience
• Doesn’t limit you to talking about that one topic
Step 2: Determine and refine what you
want to be known for

23. • How do people find you? (Google, social search,
referrals, other?)
• What do people find during Google / social search?
• When people talk about you, do they know what you’re
offering?
• Do they know how to work with you / buy from you?
• Are you being smart about your social media presence
?
• Are you creating and sharing great content?
Step 3: Outline your current online
presence & activities

24. • Review your analytics to
see where people are
going (what’s the user flow,
what pages are they
viewing, where do they
drop off?)
• What are you doing to
currently engage with
people?
• How effective is your
advertising? (FB ads,
google ads, twitter, etc..)?
Step 4: How can you refine your current
online presence to attract and engage?

25. • Webinars, tele-classes,
podcasts, online and in-
person seminars
• Partner with your clients to
share valuable info with
their audiences (this can
lead to inquires > future
work)
Step 5: What other audiences can you get
in front of to share your expertise?

26. • Gives people a taste of what you have to offer
• Easy to create, low barrier to entry
• Serve as lead generation tool and revenue generator
• Establishes you as an authority
Step 6: Create your own offerings

27. • Increased awareness of your brand
• Multiple streams of income to supplement in-person /
one-on-one
• Create a funnel of products and services for your
business
• Leads to new creative and financial opportunities
inside and outside of your community
• Connect with other influencers
Benefits to your business

28. How to create mutually
beneficial long-term client
relationships

29. • What are you doing to make yourself indispensable?
(i.e. “what would they do without you?”)
• Do your clients think you care about their business or
just about getting paid?
• How often (and how) are you communicating with
your clients?
• Do you have regular planning / strategy meetings?
Give your clients your best
MINIMA TIP
If it takes more than 2 emails to explain something – PICK UP THE PHONE.
Tone and voice are very different in email vs. phone calls.

30. Creating products with clients
• Use your technical skills
to create products based
on their knowledge
• Can work on a flat fee,
percentage or
performance basis
EXAMPLES
• Online course
• Downloadable
product
• Podcast/video
• E-book
• Online mentoring
• Group coaching
program
• Physical product

31. Retainer Offerings
• Project doesn’t have to end when the site goes live
• Offer retainer based packages for strategic work
(monthly, quarterly or yearly basis)
• Test strategies that are working for one client for other
clients – leverage your knowledge!
• Outline key indicators and metrics to evaluate
• Plan regular analysis and review meetings

32. How to build your audience,
establish yourself as an expert
and where to focus your energy

33. • Best opportunity to connect with current and future audience
• Can offer opt-in freebie
• Can segment your list into different interest groups to offer
targeted information, products and services
• Use a service like Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Aweber that
have in-depth analytics
Your email list

34. • Home page / sidebar / end of blog
posts / contact form / popup
• Link to it on FB/ instagram/ twitter
• Test and review analytics
• Create follow-up sequence (instant
gratification)
• In-person event? (Use an
tablet/phone to capture leads)
• Run a contest / challenge
• Offer a free telecall / webinar
• Give away useful info to generate
interest (download, mp3, video, etc..)
Newsletter Signup

35. Connect through visual content
• Teach.yoga instagram feed –
setup a month before site was
ready
• Created an instant audience that
seeded the site launch
• Post incentives on account to
drive traffic and newsletter
signups

36. Connect on a regular basis
• Teach.yoga newsletter
goes out every week with
content from the site,
exclusive offers and
reviews

37. What’s possible

38. • Create sustainable recurring revenue streams for your
business
• Stay inspired, avoid designer burnout
• Ease the stress of having to hustle for new clients
• Fill a void in the marketplace
• Make your business stand out from other designers
• Create unique offerings that only you can provide
What can digital strategy do for you?

39. MORE INFO:
minimadesigns.com
digitalstrategyschool.com