18 Web Design & Online Marketing Business Success Stories [2023]
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.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a web design & online marketing business:
1. Envision ($360K/year)
Leighton Taylor (from Charleston, South Carolina, USA) started Envision about 11 years ago.
My name is Leighton Taylor, and I run an eCommerce marketing agency that helps businesses sell more on Shopify. We create beautiful, conversion-focused online stores and help our clients grow their sales through SEO and email marketing.
Since starting the business in 2012, we’ve worked with about 350 eCommerce brands to improve their Shopify stores. Our ideal client has annual revenue from $1-10 million, and we prefer to work directly with the owner/founder. Our agency’s revenue is approximately $30k/month. We have two full-time employees and a team of contractors, and we all work remotely so expenses are low.
2. La Teva Web ($900K/year)
Francesc LTW (from Barcelona) started La Teva Web almost 21 years ago.
Hello, I am Francesc and I am the owner of LA TEVA WEB, one of the most antique web agencies in Spain. We are a team of 20 professionals located in Barcelona that focuses on web design and online marketing.
Learn more about starting a web design & online marketing business:
Where to start?
-> Web design & online marketing business plan
-> How to finance a web design & online marketing business?
-> How much does it cost to start a web design & online marketing business?
-> Pros and cons of a web design & online marketing business
-> How to get clients for a web design & online marketing business?
Need inspiration?
-> Examples of established web design & online marketing business
-> Marketing ideas for a web design & online marketing business
Other resources
-> Profitability of a web design & online marketing business
-> Web design & online marketing business tips
4. Vivid Candi, Inc. ($840K/year)
Chris Wizner (from Malibu, CA, USA) started Vivid Candi, Inc. over 24 years ago.
Everyday I pinch myself and still can't believe this is my life. It wasn’t always this way. I grew up with a single waitress mom living very poor. I worked incredibly hard since age 16 using my first Taco Bell paycheck from my first job as capital to build upon. Somehow with lots of hard work and a pinch of luck, I began living my dream and building my vision.
I usually start the day at my home office in Malibu with a solid dose of espresso and then halfway through the day I walk a mile to our corporate offices. I walk into my office and have the best view of the Malibu Pier anyone could ever ask for. I can see the surf, see lots of people, and dream big here. It’s real and I worked my a$$ off for it and will never stop. I've been thrilled living my wildest dreams every day of my life since age 16 and that is the ultimate measure of success for me.
5. The Creative Collective ($2.4M/year)
Yvette Adams (from Maroochydore QLD, Australia) started The Creative Collective over 16 years ago.
Hi there! I’m Yvette Adams, Founder, and Co-owner of The Creative Collective - a full-service marketing agency that specializes in digital marketing.
We currently have around 100 active clients with whom we are either doing project work or retainer work and respond on average to 160 inquiries each month. In the last year, our team has doubled, and month-on-month compared to last year, as has our revenue.
6. 51blocks ($2.52M/year)
Michael Borgelt (from Denver, Colorado, USA) started 51blocks over 14 years ago.
Hello, My name is Michael Borgelt and I’m the Founder & Owner of 51Blocks (Est. 2009) and BionicWP (Est. 2020), two agencies focused on helping other agency owner’s offer quality digital marketing and hosting solutions to their clients and small businesses a quality marketing experience.
Since customer service is what we’re most passionate about, we currently have a customer LTV of 2.5+ years (in an industry where it’s 6-9 months) and make 2.6M in annual revenue (216k/mo.).
7. Bop Design ($2.4M/year)
Kara Jensen (from San Diego, CA, USA) started Bop Design almost 14 years ago.
Hi everyone! I'm Kara Jensen, co-founder/CEO of Bop Design, a B2B Digital Marketing Agency. We work with B2B companies in the high-tech, software, industrial, and life science space to develop lead-generating websites, brand platforms, and content marketing programs.
When I started the company in 2009 with co-founder Jeremy Durant, it was just the two of us working out of our apartment part-time, providing web and graphic design services to local small businesses. We made $30,000 in the first year. Fast forward to 2021, we have evolved our service offering, narrowed our target market to B2B companies, have 13 full-time employees, a bench of talented contractors, and work with B2B clients across the globe. We've made the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list two years in a row and are on track to gross $2.8 million this year.
8. UPQODE ($1.8M/year)
Nicolae Pasecinic (from Nashville, Tennessee, USA) started UPQODE almost 8 years ago.
My name is Nick and I’m the founder of Qoders Family. Qoders Family is a family of different services & products all dealing with different aspects of website building.
Other than that we have multiple free WordPress Plugins that have been downloaded more than a few hundred thousand times, and a coffee blog, which is my current passion project. What can I say? I love drinking coffee!
9. Web Designer Academy ($504K/year)
Shannon Mattern (from Columbus, Ohio, USA) started Web Designer Academy over 8 years ago.
Hey there! I’m Shannon Mattern and I’ve helped over 15,000 new online business owners learn how to build their websites and market themselves online (even if they’re not a techie and are starting from zero).
And every month on my podcast I break down exactly how much money I make, how I make it and what my expenses are - because I believe it’s important to show the whole picture of what the opportunities and the costs are to run an online business!
10. Business Builders ($3.6M/year)
Jay Owen (from Saint Augustine, FL, USA) started Business Builders over 24 years ago.
When I started Design Extensions, which has since been rebranded as Business Builders, I was just 17 years old. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just a teen trying to make some side money doing something I loved — building websites.
Today our services are focused on three key areas: coaching, marketing & development. Our mission is to help other people grow their business - like we have our own. We’ve gone from just $5000 in the first year to over $3,000,000 in sales this year.
11. Base Coat Marketing ($360K/year)
Austin Houser (from Wilmington, NC, USA) started Base Coat Marketing almost 2 years ago.
Hi! My name is Austin Houser, and I'm the founder of Base Coat Marketing, a full-service digital marketing agency exclusive to the professional painting industry.
The gamble appears to have paid off. Just three months after launching, we're already on track to exceed last year's revenue under my previous agency, which at the time was 13 years old. Today we are generating $30,000 in monthly recurring revenue with roughly a 50% profit margin.
12. 930Tech ($72K/year)
Joshua Hurley (from Knoxville) started 930Tech over 2 years ago.
My name is Joshua Hurley, and I am the owner of 930TECH, a company that provides businesses with digital marketing and technology solutions. My company and I reside in Knoxville, TN. I have lived and worked in East Tennessee all of my life.
13. Zero Gravity Marketing ($9.6M/year)
Chris Uzzo (from Madison, CT, USA) started Zero Gravity Marketing over 11 years ago.
My name is Chris Uzzo and I am the CEO and Founder of Zero Gravity Marketing (ZGM). Founded in 2012, ZGM is a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, paid media management, social media marketing, email marketing, website design Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), content marketing, and creative services. We service customers in all industries focusing primarily on medium to large-sized businesses in need of ongoing growth and support.
We offer the best digital marketing services because of our data-driven approach and our commitment to recruiting the best team members and providing them with ongoing training and support. We were proud that last October (2021), ZGM received a top workplace award based on quantitative employee feedback.
14. Regex SEO ($480K/year)
Dmitrii Kustov (from Houston, TX) started Regex SEO almost 8 years ago.
Howdy! My name is Dmitrii Kustov, I’m the founder of Regex SEO, a data-driven internet marketing agency. We help $5M+/year businesses get the most out of their marketing budgets, so they can increase market share and revenue.
I started Regex SEO in 2015 with no investment, and it has been a one-man company for almost 3 years. In 2018, I have partnered up with 2 friends of mine, and we have been growing quickly ever since. As of now, we have 16 full-time employees, and over 30 contractors, with $1M+ annual revenue pre-COVID.
15. Digital Butter ($132K/year)
Robyn Mays (from Cape Town, South Africa) started Digital Butter almost 6 years ago.
Hi, we’re a couple, Robyn Mays and Richard Eltringham, the co-founders of Digital Butter. 5 years ago we started our profitable digital marketing agency by doing things for free.
We have a full-time team of 4 and 2 part-time team members. We’re based in South Africa and have worked with clients in more than 10 different countries. We’ve grown almost completely through the act of generosity and based on word of mouth.
16. Fruity Llama ($96K/year)
Stephen Ashcroft (from Darwen, UK) started Fruity Llama over 1 year ago.
Hi, my name is Steve, and my wife Stephanie started a Digital Marketing Agency ‘Fruity Llama’ based in Darwen, Lancashire. Our main services are web design, SEO, and Branding.
We are only 3 months into our business journey and currently make around £7,000 per month.
17. Self-Made Web Designer ($79.2K/year)
Few words will get as polarizing a response among freelancers and side hustlers as Upwork. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a fantastic platform to connect with well-paying gigs and quality clients … or it’s a hopeless, desperate race to the bottom, overly-competitive bloodbath with no chance…
Chris Misterek (from Mesa, AZ, USA) started Self-Made Web Designer ago.
Chris is a skilled web designer who has received over $80k in work via Upwork. He builds the Self-Made Web Designer website for those who want to learn about web designing. Chris works as a UX web designer full-time.
His ultimate objective with the Self-Made Web Designer is to genuinely assist those who are starting their web design journey or be a resource to those who have already started.

Read the full article on sidehustlenation.com ➜
Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
Get our 5-minute email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.

- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings