Financial Insights Every Web Designer Needs in 2025: A Deep Dive into the Web Designer Financial Trends Survey

What's on the mind of web designers as we head into 2025?

Are client budgets shrinking? How much should you really be spending on software? And is AI friend or foe?

Last week, Katelyn Dekle from Launch the Damn Thing and I sat down to tackle these questions and more!

We recently hosted a surprise pop-up episode to discuss the Web Designer Financial Trends Survey we launched, and this blog post is your backstage pass. We'll explore the survey's origins, its goals, and some of the initial insights that are already popping up.

The Genesis of the Web Designer Financial Trends Survey

Katelyn and I felt there was a real need for a survey that spoke directly to the financial concerns of web designers. I'd seen a few industry reports, and while they were informative, they didn't quite scratch the itch. They didn't ask all the questions I wanted answers to. We were especially eager for the Squarespace industry report, but it didn't go deep enough into the financial details that really impact our businesses.

It wasn't just idle curiosity, either. The web design world has been changing so much, especially in the last year. There’s been a lot more competition, and people are asking if the market is saturated. Speaking personally, I don't believe it ever truly is.

Last year felt weird, didn't it? I was talking to other web designers behind the scenes, and we were all experiencing client deserts at similar times. Then, there were all the subscription changes and price hikes. I started looking at my expenses and wondering if I was spending too much on software alone. Was this normal? What were other people spending? That’s where the idea for the survey really began to take shape.

I remember when I started building websites back in 2006, I was spending so little money each month. All my initial clients were hosted on Media Temple on a $2 a month account. I had, like, 30 clients on that account because their initial hosting plan was "unlimited"—they weren't thinking about a little freelancer putting all her clients on one account! I was bragging when I got to $125 a month. Now that would only get you one website!

Since working with Squarespace these past three years, I've been shocked at how much I'm spending. Am I really spending $800 a month to run my business? And it all feels necessary! What do I even do with that?

Katelyn and I talked about this all the time. She shared the same frustrations and shock. Then Markup.io announced their price increase, and that was the final straw. Katelyn actually wrote a really good blog post on the whole Markup.io situation, you should check it out! But that was one of those things—so many of us relied on their free plan to get feedback from clients. Now it was going to be 80 or 90 bucks a month. Where was that money going to come from? It felt like the price didn't reflect the value, how can it cost two or three times more than Squarespace?

We were also struggling with how to price our services. I've been considering creating a membership with content around teaching web designers soft skills. I realized I'm actually good at that and have some intellectual property I can turn into something. But how do I price it? With so many $27/month subscriptions out there, how could I possibly charge what my time is worth? I couldn’t figure it out! We just didn't have enough information.

The Impromptu Creation of the Survey

Katelyn and I were griping about Markup.io price hike, I think. We both had that feeling of just not knowing what the market could bear. And when we don't know something, we look for data and information. I said something like, "You know, those surveys? I would have done it better." And Katelyn was like, "Me too! I'd ask this!" So, on a Thursday afternoon, we just sat down and built the whole thing.

I think it took us ten hours. We literally sat there and just built the entire thing in one day. I was exhausted, but I felt great. I knew this was what we needed. We’re really excited to keep doing it every year, and we hope it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Survey Goals & How to Participate

Our goal is to get 1,000 responses before we issue a report. That's a lofty goal, but I think we can do it. If you can take the survey—it's going to be https://launchthedamnthing.com/survey or https://swayrisecreative.com/survey. They both go to the same place. Share it with everyone! We need your help to get those responses. The faster, the better, so we can get the report out to everyone.

It’s important to note that this isn't a promo for us. We are offering freebies, but you get them whether you give us your email address or not. We're not adding you to any lists. The only list you'll be added to is the one to get the report when it comes out. And you'll get the freebies no matter what because they're right on the confirmation page. We really just want the data. We want people's honest responses.

We want people to fill it out from all experience levels and all platform levels. If you know WordPress people, send it to them! If you know people who are just starting out, or people who have been doing this for 20 years, we want all of them!

Initial Insights & Discussion of Survey Questions

Even with the survey still underway, some interesting trends are emerging. Let's take a look at what we have uncovered so far.

Optimism & Financial Expectations (discussion summary)

• Question: How optimistic are you about your financial prospects this year?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both are optimistic! Diane draws on her years of experience to emphasize that there's always room for excellence, regardless of the economy.

  • Survey Results: The average reported optimism is 7 out of 10.

• Question: Do you expect your income to change this year? What economic factors are concerning you?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both expect their income to increase. They're keeping an eye on rising costs and evolving legal regulations. Diane isn't worried about AI replacing designers. After all, if clients can't explain what they want to a human, how can they explain it to a robot?

  • Survey Results: A whopping 71% expect their income to increase, and 20% expect it to stay the same. Top economic concerns include:

    • Shrinking client budgets (21%)

    • Rising personal costs (20%)

    • Rising business costs (18%)

Pricing & Diversification

• Question: Are you raising any of your prices or rates?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Neither is raising rates. In fact, they're exploring ways to accommodate clients with smaller budgets.

  • Survey Results: Responses are split: 39% are raising rates, 39% aren't, and 21% are unsure.

• Question: Are you considering diversifying your income beyond web design?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Diane has been diversifying for years with affiliate marketing and digital products. Katelyn is still figuring things out.

  • Survey Results: A strong majority (82%) are considering diversifying their income.

Time Allocation & Marketing Efforts

• Question: How much time is spent on pitches, proposals, and/or networking?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Diane dedicates a significant amount of time to this. Katelyn’s networking style is more casual.

  • Survey Results: A surprising 60% spend 0-2 hours, and 30% spend 2-5 hours.

• Question: How much time is spent on marketing and/or content creation?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both spend a lot of time creating content.

  • Survey Results: 41% spend 0-2 hours, and 34% spend 2-5 hours.

• Analysis: Could there be a connection between time spent on marketing and income level? Diane and Katelyn are eager to explore this further in the full report.

Financial Performance & Expenses

• Question: How does your 2024 income compare to 2023?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Diane's income was similar, but the sources of income shifted. Katelyn didn't quite hit her goal of doubling her income.

  • Survey Results: 35% report somewhat higher income, and 20% report about the same.

• Question: How much was spent in total business expenses?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Diane aims for expenses between $5,000 and $10,000. Katelyn’s expenses are a bit harder to track due to annual payments.

  • Survey Results: 32% spent $5,000-$10,000, and 26% spent $500-$2,500.

• Question: Which expense categories cost the most?

  • Survey Results:

    • Software and tools (38%)

    • Courses, memberships, or education (30%)

Tool Budgets & AI Investments

• Question: What's the most you'd pay for a tool that increases your productivity and profitability?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both are willing to pay $50-$100 if the value is clear.

  • Survey Results: 39% say $30-$50, and 26% say $50-$100.

• Question: How likely are you to invest in any AI-related software tools this year?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both are actively using AI. Diane recently purchased Claude AI.

  • Survey Results: 41% say very likely, and 32% say somewhat likely.

  • If you're curious, you can check out Claude AI for yourself.

Education & Course Budgets

• Question: What's your total education/course budget for this year?

  • Diane & Katelyn : Both are prioritizing implementation over new education in 2025.

  • Survey Results: 39% say $0-$500, and 26% say $500-$2,500.

• Question: What's your maximum budget for a single course this year?

  • Survey Results:

    • $1,000-$2,500 (24%)

    • Not buying any courses this year (19%)

Call to Action & Final Thoughts

These initial insights are just the tip of the iceberg. To get the full picture, Diane and Katelyn need your help! Fill out the Web Designer Financial Trends Survey and share it with your network. Your participation will contribute to a more accurate and valuable report for the entire web design community.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these preliminary results? Let us know in the comments!

Upcoming Claude AI Deep Dive

We’re so excited about the possibilities with AI, that we wanted to dive deeper into this. We plan to do a future episode or blog post dedicated to how Katelyn and I use Claude AI. We will talk about Claude AI's capabilities and how I convinced Katelyn to try it. We could talk about email writing, content repurposing, and optimization workflows. The Launch the Damn Thing® favorites and freebies are also great resources.