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Running a website design business involves a lot more than designing websites. There’s client management, contracts, invoices, email marketing, insurance. Over the years I’ve tried a lot of tools and landed on the ones that genuinely work for me.
Here’s an honest look at what I use, why I use it and where you can get a discount if you want to try it yourself. There are many other tools out there which are also amazing and that I may not have mentioned, so please always do your research to find out what is best for you and your business before using any of these.
Showit
Showit is the platform I build every single website on. My own site, every client project, every template in my shop. It’s a drag-and-drop website builder that gives you genuine design freedom without locking you into a rigid layout.
If you’re thinking about building on Showit, you can get your first month free through my link.
Get 1 month free with Showit: https://showit.com/r/0l5yyf1y
Dubsado
Dubsado is my CRM. It handles the entire client journey from first enquiry to final invoice. Proposals, contracts, onboarding questionnaires, automated email sequences, payment schedules. It does all of it.
Setting it up properly takes time. But once it’s running, it saves hours every week and makes the whole process feel much more professional from the client’s side.
If you’re still managing everything manually, Dubsado is worth a proper look. You can get 20% off your first month or year through my link.
Get 20% off Dubsado: https://dubsado.com/?c=lainscreativedubsado
Flodesk
I use Flodesk for my newsletter and all my email sequences. It’s clean, genuinely easy to use and the emails look good without spending hours on them.
Get 25% off Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/77LZEA
Other Tools I use
A few others that are part of my day-to-day workflow.
TinyPNG: for compressing images before they go on any website. Image file size affects page speed, and page speed affects SEO.
Google Analytics: for tracking website performance and understanding where traffic comes from.
CookieYes: for cookie consent banners. If your site collects data in any form, this is a legal requirement.
Stripe: for processing payments, connected through Dubsado.
Canva: I use it. Most designers do.
Lucy Legal (affiliate): https://www.lucylegal.co.uk/a/2147519800/mFnT5c4i
Policy Bee (affiliate): https://www.policybee.co.uk/refer/eczn-572
Everything in one place
All of my affiliate links and resources are on my resources page. Bookmark it and come back whenever you need it.
