The Myth-Busting Guide to Agency Growth and Scale
How to Succeed in Web Design and Development
If you want to grow your web firm, now is the time. There’s a 20 billion dollar market and a rapidly-evolving arsenal of development tools and resources at your fingertips, and the majority of websites have yet to adopt best practices. Take a look at the numbers:
That said, the bar for development talent has never been higher. Companies expect the team they hire to produce impressive results within their budget and time frame, often collaborating with other vendors and in-house team members throughout the project. This can be overwhelming if you’re a smaller agency—or a mid-size team wanting to take on the most competitive, coveted projects.
This guide is designed to help you overcome obstacles to growth without breaking the bank. No new hires, no big investments, and definitely no holds barred.
Why Listen to Us?
Before founding Pantheon, our founders managed their own successful web development agencies, helping to guide Chapter Three and Four Kitchens from small shops into established, profitable firms that continue to thrive. Our daily conversations with owners and partners at top firms frequently center on lessons they’ve learned as their agencies have grown in size and revenue. Learn from them and other industry experts in this guide.
The Myths
Jump around or take it from the top. We bust the seven myths that can hold you back from scaling your agency.
- Myth #1The client is always right.
- Myth #2You must define the perfect niche before you can grow.
- Myth #3You need to be big to attract big clients.
- Myth #4Support work is boring, distracting, and unprofitable.
- Myth #5Only big agencies benefit from streamlined processes.
- Myth #6You can’t grow unless your team gets bigger.
- Myth #7Great teams require extravagant benefits.
“The greatest challenge of the web designer or digital marketer is to educate the client, but do so in a firm yet empathetic way.”
—Andy Crestodina, Cofounder, Orbit Media Studios
“If you can win over the highly talented, skeptical people who are are behind innovation on the web, then you’re doing something right.”
—Leslie Bradshaw, Cofounder of JESS3 & Managing Partner at Made by Many
“Each agency role has different competitive rates and different economics—some of them are significantly more profitable than others.”
—Rick Webb, Cofounder, Barbarian Group