Episode Details

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If you have ever gotten to the end of a web design project and thought, "I should have charged double" - this episode is for you.

In this live Q&A, Shannon Mattern walks through the three-step pricing framework she teaches inside the Web Designer Academy - free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix - and answers real questions from web designers about add-on services, paid discovery for small sites, design skills and pricing, Shopify client acquisition, and nonprofit clients. Real student results shared: $2,500 to $8,000, $5,000 to $15,000, $10,000 to $35,000, and two projects booked at $35,000 and $42,000 within 60 days.

What You'll Learn

• Why undercharging is a process problem, not a pricing problem or a skills problem

• The three things every client needs to believe before they say yes - and how to design your consultation to build all three

• How free consultation, paid discovery, and the package matrix work together to shift from cost-based to value-based selling

• Whether paid discovery makes sense for small brochure sites - and what you miss when you skip it

• Why your design aesthetic is not what determines how much you can charge

• How to land your first Shopify client through relationship marketing instead of freelance platforms

Key Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction and how today's session works

[07:14] Real student pricing results

[09:38] It's not a pricing problem - it's a process problem

[11:52] Free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix overview

[21:23] Live Q&A begins

[22:33] Add-on services and cost vs. value-based decisions (Emily)

[27:58] Design skills and pricing confidence (Amber)

[35:02] Paid discovery for small brochure sites (Lisa)

[50:04] Landing your first Shopify client (Pradeep)

[57:24] Package matrix for nonprofit clients (Marcy)

[01:04:06] Web Designer Academy program options

Resources Mentioned

• Package Matrix Template: webdesigneracademy.com/template

• Web Designer Academy Programs: webdesigneracademy.com/program

• Book a Discovery Call: webdesigneracademy.com/calendar

• Attend a Live Strategy Call: webdesigneracademy.com/open-house

Related Episodes

• Episode 189: How To Price Custom Web Design Projects

• Episode 191: How To Choose the Right Web Design Business Model

• Episode 186: The Web Designer's Guide to Dealing With Difficult Clients

About Shannon Mattern

Shannon Mattern is a pricing strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy, where she helps expe