Over a series of five posts, you will learn how to make money on custom website development projects based on our rich experience. We subcontract to design agencies, and we see the same avoidable mistakes made frequently. Small design and marketing agencies that let “the idea” push the project into expensive territory that can easily be mitigated with a few small shifts in perspective and better planning.

It’s not hard to make money on website projects, but it requires work and a willingness to accept some things that may fly in the face of your current thinking.

Plan, Design, and Build a Custom Website with the Oreo Strategy

First, the attitude shift—a website is not advertising, and it’s not a brochure.

Your website supports advertising, and it’s a destination for advertising, but it’s not advertising.

It’s also not a brochure, or at least, it shouldn’t be. A brochure presents information about a product or service in a general way to a broad audience. On the other hand, a website is more complex.

A website is like a direct mail package. There is a brochure element, without question. There is also a letter, the argument, many calls to action, perhaps a lift note, etc.

A website can and should deliver a complex story in layers. Interested consumers can get what they want and take action immediately. Or, they can dig in as deeply as they wish.

Successful Custom Website Development Projects With the Oreo Cookie Strategy

use planning to make money on custom website development projects

If this is sounding complicated, good. That’s the point. Designing and building a website is complicated. Accepting this is the first step to understanding how to make money on website projects.

On the other hand, the user experience shouldn’t be complicated. Making complicated things easy to use is hard—very hard. You are going to need to put some effort into it.

Over this series of posts, we’re going to cover the planning, designing, and building of your custom website, and then what comes next. We call this the Oreo Cookie Strategy.

Why the Oreo Cookie Strategy?

It’s not an Oreo without the crunchy outsides.

If you want to make money on website projects, put as much effort and thought into the planning and the building as you put into the design.

The planning and the building are the two foundations that hold everything together—just like the two cookies of an Oreo.

Author: James Hipkin

CEO, Managing Director

James brings over 30 years of professional sales, marketing, and marketing consultation services to the table. Serving global brands along with small businesses, Hipkin leads a highly-skilled team of full-time developers, producers, and project managers who are committed to your success.

An excellent communicator and inventive problem-solver, his creative vision and bottom-line sensibility have proven successful at building productive, long-term partnerships with both employees and clients. 

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