How to Start a Web Design Business

You’re passionate about crafting websites that are professional, functional, and glamorous for clients, so you’re starting your own web design business. While we admire your drive, it takes more than just an artistic eye and Photoshop skills to run a successful business. You’ll need to plan properly from the start to keep the profits rolling in along with the clients.

When the time comes to open up shop, having business insurance for your web design business is the key to maintaining smooth operations. All businesses come with risks (even the fun ones), so you’ll need to obtain protection during your preparation phase. Our independent insurance agents are here to help get you set up with the right coverage for your specific needs. But first, let’s talk web design.

All about the Web Design Industry

Online advertising revenue in the United States (in billion US dollars)

Since the turn of the millennium, more and more people are making money through the Internet, and one huge source of that revenue is online advertising. So how do all these people make money advertising online? Well, it starts with a killer website — which someone has to design. Back in the year 2000, the online advertising industry’s revenue totaled $8 billion, and by 2018, it had climbed to a staggering $107.5 billion. The market clearly has a growing demand for web designers.

Share of adults in the United States who use the Internet

Still underestimating the power of the Internet? Well, you won’t be after looking at these stats. At the turn of the century, just over 50% of adults were Internet users. In 2019, it’s expected jumped up to above 90%. So the good ol’ World Wide Web has a massive audience . . . and it’s only getting bigger.

Share of adults in the United States who use the Internet, by age group

Wondering who the clientele might be for your web design business, or who your target demographic is when designing those pages? Well, 100% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 reportedly use the Internet. Next in line are adults aged 30 to 49, with a whopping 97% of the group logging on.

How to Start a Web Design Business

Your ambition to start a new business is a great motivator, but it’s far from all you need to bring that dream to reality. Of course your vision will be specific and unique (as it should be), but we’ll take a look at some general steps to starting a web design business:

• Step One: Planning. No successful business can begin without a solid plan—we’re willing to bet on that. First up, you’ll need to determine all kinds of stuff like your start-up costs, target market, business name, the products/ and services you’ll offer, and how long it’ll take you to break even and start turning a profit. You’ll also need to decide what kind of business you want to be (i.e., what kind of websites you want to design, etc.). Last, you’ll need to scout out a location for your office space and actually purchase or rent said property, once you’ve found it.
• Step Two: Legal stuff. Next, you’ll decide what kind of business entity you want to be (e.g., LLC, partnership, etc.), and then go through the proper channels for making it legal by registering with the government. You’ll also need to register for taxes and obtain any required permits and licenses.
• Step Three: Money stuff. This phase involves opening a business bank account so you can accurately monitor your business’s financial performance, and it will also make your life a heck of a lot easier when it comes time to file your annual taxes. Then, it’s time to obtain your start-up costs and determine how much you’ll be charging customers/clients for any goods and services your business will offer.
• Step Four: Define and build your brand. What will your business stand for? How do you want the world to perceive it? These are just a couple of questions you’ll answer in order to define your brand. A solid, unique branding of your business will help it stand out from the competition.  Once the nitty-gritty has been figured out, it’s time to get to work building that brand. This generally involves designing business cards, building a website, and establishing a social media presence. If you’re clueless when it comes to Twitter or any of the other platforms, you can always hire (or beg) someone to take care of that aspect for you.
• Step Five: Build your team. You’ve made all kinds of progress, and now it’s time to find people to actually do the work. Determine what kind of team you need, the different roles you need to fill and how many positions there are in each, then go about hiring your staff/employees/minions. You can advertise online, in your local newspaper, or go the old-school word-of-mouth route. Once you’ve got a solid team established, it’s time to get them trained.
• Step Six: Iron out the details. For your web design business, this could involve ordering supplies needed to perform your services, doing routine maintenance on your computers, determining prices for the services offered, designing creative signage, putting the finishing touches on your own website, perfecting your design program skills, advertising and scouting for clients, etc. Basically, any of the specifics needed to make your web design business come to life will fall into this step.
• Step Seven: Get coverage. The final step, and perhaps the most important, is to obtain the proper coverage. You’ll need business insurance to protect not only your web design business, but also your employees—and yourself. Business insurance is the pièce de résistance that’ll keep your web design business developing creative and profitable pages for clients for years to come.

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What Is Web Designers Insurance?

Chunked down, web designers insurance is a stylish and functional insurance package designed to meet the specific needs of web design business owners. All the coverage offered by a basic small business insurance plan as well as policy options tailored for the unique needs of web designers are rolled into one.

A web designers insurance package simplifies the process of obtaining all necessary coverages for web design business owners while eliminating confusion and stress. Basically, it’s the best way to go.

What Does Web Designers Insurance Cover?

A web designers insurance policy is typically the easiest option when it comes to knocking out your extensive list of coverage needs all together in one tidy package. These policies offer the basics of business insurance coverage, including most of the liability insurance you’ll need, plus specific coverages tailored to your unique niche.

Here are several web designers insurance coverage options:

• General liability: This coverage protects you against property damage or injury claims made by a third party. 
• Workers' compensation: If your employees become ill, get injured, or die from a work-related incident, this aspect of the insurance will cover the financial ramifications. Depending on the type of work being performed, this coverage is often mandatory in most states. 
• Property insurance: Covers loss of or damage to your physical property, including your office space, and often the inventory in it. Protected mishaps include fires, storms, and more.
• Cybercrime insurance: Covers the financial losses suffered due to data breaches or other cybercrime events. This can include damage to or loss of a customer’s sensitive data due to hackers, such as the data on their computer or their personal payment information that’s stored in your system.
• Professional liability: Provides coverage in the event you make a professional error that causes injury or upset to the public. This could involve making an error that causes corruption to your customers’ data. A special kind of this coverage is required for web designers, but your agent will know what to look for.
• Electronic data processing coverage: This insurance fills in the gaps of regular property insurance by extending to computers, media, and data. This coverage is crucial for web designers.

Your web designers insurance package will be assembled by selecting the coverages that work for your unique business from a big list of available options. Coverage applies to everything from lost business revenue to potential legal/court fees and beyond.

Who Needs Web Designers Insurance?

No matter the level of JavaScript usage or clickability quota of your web design business, if you’re designing pages for clients and paying employees, you’ll need protection. Web design comes with a set of unique risks, both obvious and hidden, so coverage is essential if your business does any of the following:

Web designers insurance will cover all aspects of your business, regardless of the specific type you own. It’s always important to have protection for your workers, your equipment, your inventory and your property, but protection against potential lawsuits is also crucial. Web design businesses of all styles and browsers can be sued, so don’t risk not having coverage.

How Much Does Web Designers Insurance Cost?

Truthfully, it depends. On quite a few things. But an average web design company in a mid-sized town might pay $3,500 annually in combined liability insurance, workers’ comp and more. However, a solo mobile web designer in a small town will probably pay much less, while a huge commercial web design business in Seattle will probably pay much more.

Of course, it’s hard to offer an average figure, since each web design business is unique. But really, it all depends on a number of factors, like:

• The type of web design business: This involves more than just if you’ll be designing pages for published authors or teenagers. The kind of equipment your web designers use and the services offered will affect the risk involved in operations. Obviously, more danger means more money for insurance.
• The location of the web design business: Larger cities tend to have higher costs for insurance, but it goes beyond that. Depending on where you are in the country, your location may be subject to various weather-related risks. Web design businesses along the Atlantic Coast, for example, may have premiums up to 20% higher due to risk of hurricane damage.
• The number of employees: The more you've got, the more workers' comp you’ll need. Simple as that.
• How much business you generate: Premiums are calculated based on business projections for the upcoming year. If your workload doubles, so will your premium, most likely.

Top 5 Business Insurance Claims

From potential injuries to property damage and lawsuits, business insurance is definitely a must-have. In order to keep all operations running smoothly, you’ll need to consider not only the risks unique to your trade, but also those that apply to all kinds of businesses. Here’s a quick look at the most common business insurance claims across the board:

• Theft/Burglary: Whether they’re after money, merchandise, your company vehicles or anything else, thieves and burglars commonly target businesses. Anything you have that could be stolen is worth protecting—before ever opening your doors to the public.
• Weather-related damage: Windstorms and hailstorms create the type of weather damage most often reported by businesses across the map. Whether it’s shattered windows, broken signage, destroyed products or anything else, Mother Nature can wreak havoc when she gets angry. Plan for disasters before they happen, and secure coverage up front.
• Fire damage: Another common/costly claim is fire damage. Be it destruction caused by natural wildfires or resulting from employee negligence (such as with a kitchen fire), these disasters can be devastating. Fire damage can result in lost property, inventory, and even revenue, especially if your business is forced to close. Also, fires are obviously a huge hazard for your workers and customers alike. Take as many proactive measures as possible, such as installing sprinkler systems and extinguishers.
• Employee injury: Even the most well-trained employees on record run the risk of being injured on the job, regardless of the line of work they’re in. Employees may get injured while carrying out daily tasks, due to the negligence of a coworker, while making service deliveries, or in a myriad of other ways. Protecting your workers with workers’ comp is crucial, not to mention mandatory in most states.
• Customer injury: Of course, your business’s customers are also at risk of injury while on your property. Slips and falls are some of the most commonly reported business insurance claims, but customers can also be injured due to unsafely stocked shelves, employee negligence, faulty products, and much more.

Top 5 Business Insurance Discounts

Owners of businesses of every size, color, and flavor love scoring discounts however they can. And fortunately, there are some discounts out there to help obtain a significantly lower premium, like:

• The safety discount: Insurance companies love working with clients who put safety first. Put practices in place to keep your employees, equipment, and physical space as safe as possible, and you're likely to be rewarded by your insurance company. Installing sprinkler systems and burglar alarms are just a couple of examples of easy ways to score this discount.
• The quality discount: Establishing a track record of quality goods, services, and customer interactions will not only keep your business running strong, but also help reduce your insurance costs. Essentially, keeping your clients happy is the key to keeping your insurance company happy, and they just might slash your premium as a thank-you in return.
• The low claims history discount: Along the same lines as maintaining a safe and efficient business, having a low claims record is another way to seriously please your insurance company—and over time they’ll probably reward you for it. Plus, if you ever need to switch insurance policies or companies, having a low or even squeaky-clean claims record will definitely help you land a lower premium.
• The professionalism discount: Sometimes insurance companies send out inspectors to observe your business during a typical day of operation. If your equipment is clean and well-maintained, your employees are following necessary safety protocols, and your customers/clients seem happy, you’ll get a good report. A favorable evaluation could reward you with a reduced premium. 
• The bundle discount: Purchasing multiple types of insurance with the same company is a tried and true way to save money, but so is purchasing specialty insurance packages. These packages, made up of multiple policies tailored to a specific kind of business, are designed to save you money—and just generally make life easier. And since they exist, you might as well take advantage.

Save on Business Insurance

Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.

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How to Find the Best Web Designers Insurance

In order to get the protection you need (and deserve), you’ll want to work with a trusted expert. Independent insurance agents will not only know where to find the best coverage and price, but also help to make sense of the fine print.

Consider your business’s unique needs, then connect with an agent to help you take it from there. Have a list of your specific concerns and desires handy before you reach out, to help make the process even smoother.

Compare Web Designers Insurance Quotes with an Independent Insurance Agent

We all know how valuable your time is, so why spend it doing all the hard work yourself? From business insurance packages to special add-on policies, our expert independent insurance agents will help you determine which types of coverage make the most sense for you and your new business. 

Our independent insurance agents stay on top of the insurance industry and all the latest discounts so you don’t have to. That means they’ll help find the right coverage at the right price for you.

They’re not just there at the beginning, either. If disaster strikes, your agent will be there to help walk you through the claims process and make sure you are getting the benefits you’re entitled to. Now that’s thinking ahead.