21 Web Design & Online Marketing Business Success Stories [2024]
If you know about website design and marketing concepts then starting your own web design and online marketing business could be the perfect opportunity for you to do so.
The online marketing industry is the second largest industry in the United States and continues to grow. The online marketing industry is massive. It is estimated to grow by 30% annually, reaching $400B in the next four years.
In this list, you'll find real-world web design & online marketing business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a web design & online marketing business that makes money.
1. Zero Gravity Marketing ($9.6M/year)
Chris Uzzo, the founder of Zero Gravity Marketing, came up with the idea for his digital marketing agency after building and overseeing the SEO and PPC departments for multiple agencies. With a focus on data-driven strategies and a commitment to transparency, Zero Gravity Marketing has experienced impressive growth, including being recognized by Inc as one of the fastest-growing privately-owned companies and projecting over $10 million in revenue for 2022.
How much money it makes: $9.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 70
Zero Gravity Marketing is a five-star rated digital marketing agency with Premier Google Partnership and recognized by Inc 5000 for the last three years, on track to gross over $10M in 2022, specializing in SEO, paid media management, social media marketing, email marketing, website design, CRO, content marketing and creative services.
2. CreateApe ($4.2M/year)
Alessandro Fard, the founder of CreateApe, developed the idea for his business after realizing the importance of a solid foundation in digital projects. Through years of trial and error, he created the Create Ape Jungle Guide, a comprehensive process that allows clients to fulfill the research and ideation phase of their projects and lays the foundation for successful user experience, design, and development. With impressive revenue growth between 50 and 100% year-over-year, CreateApe is a leading player in the digital agency space.
How much money it makes: $4.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 55
CreateApe, a full-service digital agency specializing in user experience design, has seen yearly revenue growth between 50-100%, with $350,000 in monthly revenue and success attributed to their almost reckless embrace of partnering with their clients.
3. Business Builders ($3.6M/year)
A 17-year-old entrepreneur started Design Extensions, now rebranded as Business Builders, with a passion for building websites. Over the past two decades, the business has experienced significant growth, generating over $3,000,000 in sales this year. They offer coaching, marketing, and development services to help other businesses grow, emphasizing progress over perfection.
How much money it makes: $3.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 16
Business owner grew digital media agency from $5,000 to over $3,000,000 in sales annually by focusing on progress over perfection, implementing clear systems and processes, and building relationships through marketing, speaking engagements, social media, and email campaigns.
4. 51blocks ($2.52M/year)
Michael Borgelt, the founder of 51Blocks and BionicWP, was inspired by his grandfather's business principles of helping people. He saw a need for quality digital marketing services and SEO expertise in the industry, so he started 51Blocks in 2009. With a strong focus on customer service and referrals, the agency has achieved an impressive customer lifetime value of 2.5+ years and generates $2.6 million in annual revenue. Building on this success, Borgelt launched BionicWP in 2020 to provide hyper-fast WordPress hosting with top-notch customer support.
How much money it makes: $2.52M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 30
This case study is about Michael Borgelt, founder of 51Blocks and BionicWP, who generates $2.6M revenue annually offering quality digital marketing and hosting solutions, including white label SEO, hyper-fast WordPress hosting, website development, and paid advertising, achieving a customer lifetime value of 2.5+ years and hosting 2,000 sites in about 1.5 years.
5. The Creative Collective ($2.4M/year)
Yvette Adams, founder of The Creative Collective, came up with the idea to start her marketing agency out of both ambition and necessity. With a diverse background in marketing and media, she saw the potential in offering a one-stop-shop for creative services on the Sunshine Coast. She began by offering her services to people she knew and quickly gained clients and referrals, positioning her agency as a pioneer in the industry.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 20
The Creative Collective is a full-service marketing agency that has grown its revenue and doubled its team in the past year, with around 100 active clients and responding to an average of 160 inquiries each month.
6. Bop Design ($2.4M/year)
Kara Jensen, co-founder of Bop Design, initially started the company as a side gig while working full-time. After experiencing the instability of the financial industry during the subprime mortgage crisis, she convinced her husband to join her and they focused on B2B website design and marketing services. Through smart financial management and a focus on value-added services, Bop Design has grown to become a multi-million dollar marketing agency, making the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list two years in a row.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 13
Bop Design, a B2B digital marketing agency, evolved through working with high-tech, software, industrial, and life science companies to develop lead-generating websites, brand platforms, and content marketing programs, and saw 153.1% revenue growth, landing them on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for two years in a row.
7. UPQODE ($1.8M/year)
Nick, the founder of Qoders Family, traces his entrepreneurial journey back to his childhood experiences selling tomatoes with his grandparents. Armed with lessons in hard work, resilience, and the importance of having the best product in the market, Nick created his first profitable project, NRGthemes, generating over $20k a month in revenue. Today, Qoders Family boasts over 2,000 active customers and has generated over $3M in revenue, with plans to launch new products, increase sales, and win more design awards in the future.
How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 25
This case study follows the success story of Nick, founder of Qoders Family, who has generated over $3M in revenue through his various website building services including an award-winning development design agency, custom-designed WordPress theme templates, free WordPress plugins, and a Shopify app.
8. Woww ($960K/year)
Felix Norton, the founder of Woww Digital, came up with the idea for his business while he was still a student studying Computer Science. He started building websites for friends and family on the side, which eventually became a full-time business. As the demand for digital marketing services grew, Felix and his team expanded their offerings to provide a holistic solution for clients to succeed online. They have achieved consistent growth, even during the pandemic, and are on track to reach their goal of $1 million MRR in 2026.
How much money it makes: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
How many people on the team: 25
Woww Digital is a Cape Town based digital marketing agency specializing in WordPress web design, achieving consistent 60% YoY growth through a pandemic and providing a complete solution to help clients start, grow and thrive online.
9. La Teva Web ($900K/year)
Francesc, the founder of LA TEVA WEB, came up with the idea for his web agency after realizing that there was a gap in the market for websites that could sell and achieve objectives in Barcelona. With his background in management and strategy, he combined his skills in coding and design to create a company that focuses on web design and online marketing. Today, LA TEVA WEB has grown to a team of 20 professionals and continues to enjoy growth and profitability, helping clients increase sales through their websites, e-commerce, and social media profiles.
How much money it makes: $900K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 19
LA TEVA WEB, a web design and online marketing agency in Spain, started with just one person and has grown to a team of 20 professionals, becoming profitable and achieving growth every year with the key to success being a good academic background that helps to devise a sound strategy, love for the work, and a good team committed to the project in the long term.
10. Vivid Candi, Inc. ($840K/year)
Chris Wizner, the founder and CEO of Vivid Candi, came up with the idea for his digital tech agency at the age of 16. He started by selling graphic design services to neighbors and locals and gradually grew his client base. Through networking events and his willingness to work hard, he was able to land prestigious clients like Pepperdine University and build his business into a successful venture.
How much money it makes: $840K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 11
Founder and CEO Chris Wizner started Vivid Candi, a full-service digital tech agency, at age 16 with only a $300 Taco Bell paycheck as capital, and now the agency has been running for over 22 years with 10+ employees and an impressive clientele, thanks to networking, Google Adwords, SEO, and selective, quality relationships with clients.
11. AOU Creative Group ($600K/year)
Pam Foley launched AOU Creative Group in 2014 after realizing the disparity in success rates between men- and women-owned businesses. With her expertise, the agency now boasts $50,000 MRR, empowering women over 40 to build robust personal and business brands online.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 2
This case study article follows the journey of Pam Foley, the founder of AOU Creative Group, as she transitioned from coaching and website design to offering strategic brand management services for women over 40 seeking to build their businesses, resulting in a growth from "a business that lost money" to a $50,000 MRR in 2023.
12. Web Designer Academy ($504K/year)
Shannon experienced a panic attack at her job, and decided on to start freelance web design business on the side (as that is what she actually loved about her job). Eventually, she started with her free 5-day website challenge, and kept reiterating over and over, still while working in her job.
How much money it makes: $504K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
How Shannon Mattern built a DIY web design training business from scratch that now generates $10k/month in revenue through affiliate commissions and courses, without outside investment or debt.
13. Regex SEO ($480K/year)
Dmitrii Kustov, the founder of Regex SEO, came up with the idea for his data-driven internet marketing agency while working as a PHP developer at a digital agency. After being given the ultimatum to learn SEO or get fired, Dmitrii immersed himself in the intricacies of SEO and quickly became the head of the agency's marketing department. In 2015, he decided to start his own business to provide individualized, results-driven marketing solutions for businesses.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 18
Learn how Regex SEO, a data-driven internet marketing agency, grew from a one-man company to a team of 16 full-time employees and over 30 contractors, with $1M+ annual revenue pre-COVID, by prioritizing individual approach, hard work, and retention of good people.
14. Base Coat Marketing ($360K/year)
Austin Houser, the founder of Base Coat Marketing, came up with the idea for his business after acquiring painting businesses as clients at his previous agency and realizing the industry lacked effective marketing solutions. By creating a niche-focused agency dedicated to the professional painting industry, Houser has been able to quickly scale his business and generate impressive results, with $30,000 in monthly recurring revenue and a 50% profit margin within just three months of launching.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 2
Austin Houser, founder of Base Coat Marketing, launched a full-service digital marketing agency catering exclusively to the professional painting industry and within three months exceeded last year's revenue under his previous agency and is generating $30,000 in monthly recurring revenue with roughly a 50% profit margin by offering simple, niche-focused packages and providing personalized, valuable interactions with customers.
15. Envision ($360K/year)
Leighton Taylor, founder of eCommerce marketing agency Envision, came up with the idea for his business while freelancing in web design and development. He noticed the explosive growth of Shopify as the eCommerce platform of choice and decided to specialize in Shopify-related services. Through clear communication, punctuality, and early success with content marketing, Envision has attracted and retained clients, earning approximately $30k/month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 2
Founder Leighton Taylor shares how his eCommerce marketing agency for Shopify has grown to approximately $30k/month, working with about 350 eCommerce brands and an ideal client with annual revenue from $1-10 million, while focusing on clear communication, punctuality and content marketing through a podcast.
16. Agent C. Advertising ($240K/year)
David Caruso, the founder of Agent C Advertising, was motivated to start his own agency after disagreeing with the way the other partners ran the business. He felt that their focus was on creating work that could win awards rather than creating work that would benefit the client. He wanted to build an agency that valued customer relationships and created work that solved the problems the clients needed to have solved.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 4
Agent C Advertising is a full-service ad agency, emphasizing content creation for print ads, social media, and video productions, that started with just two clients in 2018 and now has more than 35 clients who are active at least quarterly and generates over $20k per month, all through word of mouth referrals, thanks to the agency's focus on building and maintaining strong relationships with its clients.
17. Aun Digital ($240K/year)
When a friend's cleaning business couldn't afford a website, Aun Ali discovered that many UAE startups faced similar challenges, inspiring him to launch Aun Digital. The firm offers affordable, comprehensive digital services and now generates annual revenue between $200,000 and $300,000, serving 20 regular clients.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60K
How many people on the team: 50
Aun Digital, a UAE-based web design company, generated $200,000 to $300,000 annually by offering affordable and reliable digital services to small businesses, startups, and medium-sized enterprises, with 20 regular clients per year and an average project cost ranging from $10,000 to $15,000.
18. Digital Butter ($132K/year)
Robyn Mays and Richard Eltringham, the founders of Digital Butter, started their profitable digital marketing agency by doing a lot of work for free. Their generosity and genuine relationships built through pro-bono work have led to exponential growth, with revenue increasing 71% this quarter and a team that has expanded to 6 members. Their success is a testament to the power of generosity and word of mouth in attracting and retaining clients.
How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 5
Digital Butter, a profitable digital marketing agency based in South Africa, was started five years ago by doing free work for non-profit organizations, and has since grown almost completely through the act of generosity and based on word of mouth, resulting in a full-time team of 4, 2 part-time team members, and clients from more than 10 different countries.
19. 930co ($120K/year)
Joshua Hurley, founder of 930TECH, came up with the idea for his digital marketing and technology solutions company after noticing a gap in the market. With his background in nonprofit organizations, he saw a need for comprehensive and up-to-date technology services. Despite launching during the height of the pandemic, Hurley's hustle and determination allowed him to attract customers and exceed his financial goals.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 1
This case study follows Joshua Hurley, an executive turned entrepreneur who started a digital marketing company, 930TECH, during the pandemic and is currently making around $3,000 per month, with plans of becoming one of the top three digital companies in Tennessee.
20. Fruity Llama ($96K/year)
Steve and his wife Stephanie started their digital marketing agency, Fruity Llama, as a side hustle selling graphic design services on Facebook. Inspired by successful YouTubers, they decided to turn their side hustle into a full-time business and evolved it into a digital marketing agency. Within three months, they were making £7,000 per month and their future plan includes hiring more employees and expanding their services.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 3
Digital marketing agency Fruity Llama, based in Lancashire, has grown their business from selling graphic design services on Facebook to a full-time digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, and branding, and currently generate £7,000 per month within 3 months of launching.
21. Rise Visible ($96K/year)
Aunia Kahn, CEO of Rise Visible, started her digital marketing agency after receiving an old computer from a friend that had software like Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. With no previous experience, she learned through trial and error and discovered her passion for digital marketing. Through solid work and referrals, Rise Visible has been able to attract and retain clients, leading to impressive revenue growth and recognition as a top-ranking woman-owned digital agency.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Rise Visible, a full-service digital marketing agency, founded by Aunia Kahn, has achieved Top-Ranking Woman-Owned Digital Agency 2022 by Clutch and is rapidly approaching its first $100K year in revenue, solely through solid work, referrals, digital marketing through Google My Business, reviews, Facebook groups, social media and newsletters.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
