14 Website Building Agency Success Stories [2024]
Starting a website building agency is a smart career move. Why not own your time and leverage your skills? Building websites is where the money is at. You can earn 5-figures a week with just one client.
The global website building market size to grow from $7 billion in 2021 to $14.3 billion by 2026. A site-building business allows you to start your own business at home. Building websites for yourself and others is a great way to create a passive income stream that can be very rewarding to own.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a website building agency:
1. Cantilever Web Design & Development ($1.78M/year)
Ty Fujimura, founder of Cantilever Web Design and Development, came up with the idea for his business while freelancing and building a robust list of clients. After hiring Nevan Scott, a talented designer/developer, they successfully pitched and won a large project, prompting the formal incorporation of Cantilever. With a few thousand dollars in the bank and a $20,000 check from their first project, they slowly built momentum and focused on delivering top-quality work to build a strong client base.
How much they make: $1.78M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 9
Cantilever Web Design and Development, with clients including IBM and small businesses, reached a revenue of over $750k last year with a gross margin of 50% by prioritizing Digital Hospitality, fostering high-quality relationships, and constantly improving their process and philosophy.
2. Up And Social ($300K/year)
Scott, the founder of Up And Social, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the need for web design and SEO services specifically tailored to small businesses. With his background in marketing and technology, he saw an opportunity to provide affordable but high-quality services to small business owners. Through networking events and online initiatives, Up And Social has been able to attract and retain customers, and they continue to grow at a comfortable pace, with over $20,000 in sales each month.
How much they make: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
Current team size: 1
How a founder turned his passion for marketing and technology into a successful Boston-based web design and SEO company, generating over $20k in sales each month by focusing on serving the niche market of small businesses through affordable and personalized services, while establishing his reputation through B2B networking and online initiatives.
So... can you actually make money with a website building agency?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Never Settle ($1.8M/year)
Kenn Kelly, co-founder of Never Settle, came up with the idea for the digital agency after experiencing the ups and downs of the tech startup world. He realized the importance of taking care of people and decided to create a company that values and empowers both clients and staff. With a focus on service and building long-lasting relationships, Never Settle has become a globally recognized leader in mobile, website, and marketing solutions, completing over 1,000 projects in seven years.
How much they make: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 15
Never Settle, a digital agency with over 1,000 completed projects and a focus on lean methodology and building relationships with clients, has made a name for itself in the eCommerce space, offering comprehensive solutions to businesses of all sizes while maintaining consistent and moderate growth.
4. MadeByShape ($600K/year)
Andy Golpys, the co-founder of MadeByShape, came up with the idea for his creative and digital agency after working as a freelance designer and noticing the growing demand for websites. Through networking, impressive portfolio work, and providing high-quality services, the agency has grown to average £50k per month in revenue, with a client base ranging from small to big brands. Along with offering web design and development, MadeByShape has expanded its services to include ongoing support, hosting, SEO, and branding, leading to increased financial stability and customer retention.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 10
MadeByShape, a creative and digital agency based in Manchester, UK, shares how they grew their business from designing websites for £200 to making projects that generate £100k, with a strategy focused on quality services, long-term customer relationships, and organic SEO.
So... can you actually make money with a website building agency?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
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 they make: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 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. Self hosted and 100% whitelabel website builder | Pagestead ($120K/year)
How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size:
Self-hosted website builder Pagestead generates over $7,000 per month from 140+ customers.
So... can you actually make money with a website building agency?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. Huemor ($3M/year)
Example: Jeff, the co-founder of Huemor, started his journey as a graphic design student who freelanced to gain experience and earn money. After feeling unfulfilled in a corporate job, Jeff joined forces with a friend to build an internal agency for a media placement company. When the work environment turned toxic, they made a bold move to start their own agency, Huemor, and haven't looked back since. They've helped over 200 companies transform their digital presence and earned over 100 international awards, while maintaining a simple, customer-focused approach.
How much they make: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 44
Huemor is a successful digital marketing agency with over 200 company transformations, over 100 international awards, and a team beyond 40 people, scaling YoY at 74%, with an average project value of $67,500 and 2.7 year average client relationship.
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 they make: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
Current team size: 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. Pneuma Media ($2.4M/year)
David Riggs, founder of Pneuma Media, came up with the idea for his website design, development, and SEO agency while working as a management consultant. After realizing that many businesses struggled with their websites, he decided to leverage his skills and expertise to help them improve their online presence. With a slow and steady approach, Pneuma Media has scaled from $0 to $2 million in under 2 years, attracting clients through content marketing, outbound sales, and partnerships.
How much they make: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 5
A website design, development, and SEO Agency, Pneuma Media was able to scale from $0 - $2M in under 2 years using content-focused SEO campaigns as their main product, a process that is supported by Lean Thinking and reviewed in monthly "autopsies," and driven by cold outbound and networking, formalized partnerships, and communications including Slack, monthly meetings, and the Quarterly Business Review.
10. Shirley Ansley ($94.2K/year)
How much they make: $94.2K/year
Current team size:
Aspiring founders can learn from Shirley Ansley who quit her engineering job to create customized websites for award-winning podcasts and POC-women-led businesses after almost 2 years of running her freelance side hustle part-time.
- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
