Profitable Web Designer with Shannon Mattern

👉⁠Register for our next Web Designer Academy Live Q&A here⁠ ────────────────────────────── Grab our High-Converting Proposal Template and learn what to include (and what to leave out) to turn more of your proposals into higher-paying clients: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com/template⁠ ────────────────────────────── If you have ever gotten to the end of a web design project and thought, "I should have charged double" - this episode is for you. In this live Q&A, Shannon Mattern walks through the three-step pricing framework she teaches inside the Web Designer Academy - free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix - and answers real questions from web designers about add-on services, paid discovery for small sites, design skills and pricing, Shopify client acquisition, and nonprofit clients. Real student results shared: $2,500 to $8,000, $5,000 to $15,000, $10,000 to $35,000, and two projects booked at $35,000 and $42,000 within 60 days. What You'll Learn Why undercharging is a process problem, not a pricing problem or a skills problem The three things every client needs to believe before they say yes - and how to design your consultation to build all three How free consultation, paid discovery, and the package matrix work together to shift from cost-based to value-based selling Whether paid discovery makes sense for small brochure sites - and what you miss when you skip it Why your design aesthetic is not what determines how much you can charge How to land your first Shopify client through relationship marketing instead of freelance platforms Key Timestamps [00:00] Introduction and how today's session works [07:14] Real student pricing results [09:38] It's not a pricing problem - it's a process problem [11:52] Free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix overview [21:23] Live Q&A begins [22:33] Add-on services and cost vs. value-based decisions (Emily) [27:58] Design skills and pricing confidence (Amber) [35:02] Paid discovery for small brochure sites (Lisa) [50:04] Landing your first Shopify client (Pradeep) [57:24] Package matrix for nonprofit clients (Marcy) [01:04:06] Web Designer Academy program options Resources Mentioned Package Matrix Template: ⁠webdesigneracademy.com/template⁠ Web Designer Academy Programs: ⁠webdesigneracademy.com/program⁠ Book a Discovery Call: ⁠webdesigneracademy.com/calendar⁠ Attend a Live Strategy Call: ⁠webdesigneracademy.com/open-house⁠ Related Episodes ⁠Episode 189: How To Price Custom Web Design Projects⁠ ⁠Episode 191: How To Choose the Right Web Design Business Model⁠ ⁠Episode 186: The Web Designer's Guide to Dealing With Difficult Clients⁠ About Shannon Mattern Shannon Mattern is a pricing strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy, where she helps experienced women web designers book higher-paying web design projects, charge more with confidence, run projects without overworking and burnout, and break through to their next level of income and freedom. 🎧 Profitable Web Designer Podcast: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com/podcast⁠ 🌐 Website: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com⁠ 📱Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/profitablewebdesigner⁠ 📱TikTok: ⁠https://tiktok.com/@profitablewebdesigner⁠ 📺 YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@profitablewebdesigner⁠ 🤝 LinkedIn: ⁠https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern

👉Register for our next Web Designer Academy Live Q&A here ────────────────────────────── Grab our High-Converting Proposal Template and learn what to include (and what to leave out) to turn more of your proposals into higher-paying clients: https://webdesigneracademy.com/template ────────────────────────────── If you have ever gotten to the end of a web design project and thought, "I should have charged double" - this episode is for you. In this live Q&A, Shannon Mattern walks through the three-step pricing framework she teaches inside the Web Designer Academy - free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix - and answers real questions from web designers about add-on services, paid discovery for small sites, design skills and pricing, Shopify client acquisition, and nonprofit clients. Real student results shared: $2,500 to $8,000, $5,000 to $15,000, $10,000 to $35,000, and two projects booked at $35,000 and $42,000 within 60 days. What You'll Learn Why undercharging is a process problem, not a pricing problem or a skills problem The three things every client needs to believe before they say yes - and how to design your consultation to build all three How free consultation, paid discovery, and the package matrix work together to shift from cost-based to value-based selling Whether paid discovery makes sense for small brochure sites - and what you miss when you skip it Why your design aesthetic is not what determines how much you can charge How to land your first Shopify client through relationship marketing instead of freelance platforms Key Timestamps [00:00] Introduction and how today's session works [07:14] Real student pricing results [09:38] It's not a pricing problem - it's a process problem [11:52] Free consultation, paid discovery, and package matrix overview [21:23] Live Q&A begins [22:33] Add-on services and cost vs. value-based decisions (Emily) [27:58] Design skills and pricing confidence (Amber) [35:02] Paid discovery for small brochure sites (Lisa) [50:04] Landing your first Shopify client (Pradeep) [57:24] Package matrix for nonprofit clients (Marcy) [01:04:06] Web Designer Academy program options Resources Mentioned Package Matrix Template: webdesigneracademy.com/template Web Designer Academy Programs: webdesigneracademy.com/program Book a Discovery Call: webdesigneracademy.com/calendar Attend a Live Strategy Call: webdesigneracademy.com/open-house Related Episodes Episode 189: How To Price Custom Web Design Projects Episode 191: How To Choose the Right Web Design Business Model Episode 186: The Web Designer's Guide to Dealing With Difficult Clients About Shannon Mattern Shannon Mattern is a pricing strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy, where she helps experienced women web designers book higher-paying web design projects, charge more with confidence, run projects without overworking and burnout, and break through to their next level of income and freedom. 🎧 Profitable Web Designer Podcast: https://webdesigneracademy.com/podcast 🌐 Website: https://webdesigneracademy.com 📱Instagram: https://instagram.com/profitablewebdesigner 📱TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@profitablewebdesigner 📺 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@profitablewebdesigner 🤝 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern

Sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠⁠ Stop building from scratch on every project. ⁠⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠⁠ gives you conversion-focused website templates, strategic frameworks, and design-systems methodology so you can work smarter and make more in less time. Get access to 20 conversion-structured website templates, 600+ strategic design assets, homepage and sales page formulas, and an AI assistant trained to help you build results-driven websites faster. 🎁 My listeners get their first month FREE with code SHANNON at ⁠⁠⁠https://webdesigneranthology.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠ ────────────────────────────── Grab our High-Converting Proposal Template and learn what to include (and what to leave out) to turn more of your proposals into higher-paying clients: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com/template⁠ ────────────────────────────── Building Visual Trust in an Artificial World with Pippa Tanko Your visuals are always telling a story. In Episode 197, visual storyteller and personal brand strategist Pippa Tanko joins Shannon to talk about why web designers' websites often fail to convert - and why the answer has almost nothing to do with the portfolio. Pippa managed brand photography and imagery for Harrods before building her own business helping creative entrepreneurs build personal brands that feel visible, genuine, and aligned. She breaks down how trust is built (or broken) in milliseconds through imagery, what hiding behind stock photos and a portfolio is costing you, and how brand photography can shift your mindset as much as your marketing. If any of this resonates, this episode is the one to listen to. What You'll Learn: How your visuals communicate trust before a single word is read What stock photos and the word "we" are signaling to clients What authentic, trust-building brand visuals actually look like How Pippa's own brand shoot shifted her mindset and changed her business The "just for today" mindset practice for stepping into your future self Resources Mentioned: Pippa Tanko's website: ⁠andpip.co.uk⁠ Pippa Tanko on LinkedIn: ⁠Pippa Tanko⁠ Pippa's Brand Presence Scorecard (on her LinkedIn profile) Simply Profitable Designer Summit: ⁠simplyprofitabledesigner.com⁠ Related Episodes: ⁠Episode 193: Stop Waiting for Referrals and Get Booked Out with Sarah Noel Block⁠ ⁠Episode 188: Stop Starting From Scratch - The Web Designer Anthology Method with Tiffany Pichardo⁠ ⁠Episode 189: How To Price Custom Web Design Projects with Shannon Mattern⁠ About Pippa Tanko: Pippa Tanko is a visual storyteller and personal brand strategist who helps visionary creatives build personal brands that feel visible, genuine, and aligned. ⁠andpip.co.uk | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ About Shannon Mattern: Shannon Mattern is a Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy where she helps experienced women web designers book higher-paying web design projects, charge more with confidence, run projects without overworking and burnout and break through to their next level of income and freedom. For Web Designers: ⁠webdesigneracademy.com⁠ For Service Providers, Consultants & Agencies: ⁠shannonmattern.com⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern⁠ Instagram: ⁠@profitablewebdesigner⁠ | ⁠@shannonlmattern

Sponsored by ⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠ Stop building from scratch on every project. ⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠ gives you conversion-focused website templates, strategic frameworks, and design-systems methodology so you can work smarter and make more in less time. Get access to 20 conversion-structured website templates, 600+ strategic design assets, homepage and sales page formulas, and an AI assistant trained to help you build results-driven websites faster. 🎁 My listeners get their first month FREE with code SHANNON at ⁠⁠https://webdesigneranthology.com/podcast⁠⁠ ────────────────────────────── Grab our High-Converting Proposal Template and learn what to include (and what to leave out) to turn more of your proposals into higher-paying clients: https://webdesigneracademy.com/template ────────────────────────────── Building Visual Trust in an Artificial World with Pippa Tanko Your visuals are always telling a story. In Episode 197, visual storyteller and personal brand strategist Pippa Tanko joins Shannon to talk about why web designers' websites often fail to convert - and why the answer has almost nothing to do with the portfolio. Pippa managed brand photography and imagery for Harrods before building her own business helping creative entrepreneurs build personal brands that feel visible, genuine, and aligned. She breaks down how trust is built (or broken) in milliseconds through imagery, what hiding behind stock photos and a portfolio is costing you, and how brand photography can shift your mindset as much as your marketing. If any of this resonates, this episode is the one to listen to. What You'll Learn: How your visuals communicate trust before a single word is read What stock photos and the word "we" are signaling to clients What authentic, trust-building brand visuals actually look like How Pippa's own brand shoot shifted her mindset and changed her business The "just for today" mindset practice for stepping into your future self Resources Mentioned: Pippa Tanko's website: andpip.co.uk Pippa Tanko on LinkedIn: Pippa Tanko Pippa's Brand Presence Scorecard (on her LinkedIn profile) Simply Profitable Designer Summit: simplyprofitabledesigner.com Related Episodes: Episode 193: Stop Waiting for Referrals and Get Booked Out with Sarah Noel Block Episode 188: Stop Starting From Scratch - The Web Designer Anthology Method with Tiffany Pichardo Episode 189: How To Price Custom Web Design Projects with Shannon Mattern About Pippa Tanko: Pippa Tanko is a visual storyteller and personal brand strategist who helps visionary creatives build personal brands that feel visible, genuine, and aligned. andpip.co.uk | LinkedIn About Shannon Mattern: Shannon Mattern is a Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy where she helps experienced women web designers book higher-paying web design projects, charge more with confidence, run projects without overworking and burnout and break through to their next level of income and freedom. For Web Designers: webdesigneracademy.com For Service Providers, Consultants & Agencies: shannonmattern.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern Instagram: @profitablewebdesigner | @shannonlmattern

Sponsored by⁠ ⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠⁠ Stop building from scratch on every project.⁠ ⁠⁠Web Designer Anthology⁠⁠⁠ gives you conversion-focused website templates, strategic frameworks, and design-systems methodology so you can work smarter and make more in less time. Get access to 20 conversion-structured website templates, 600+ strategic design assets, homepage and sales page formulas, and an AI assistant trained to help you build results-driven websites faster. 🎁 My listeners get their first month FREE with code SHANNON at⁠ ⁠⁠https://webdesigneranthology.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠ ────────────────────────────── Grab our High-Converting Proposal Template and learn what to include (and what to leave out) to turn more of your proposals into higher-paying clients: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com/template⁠ ────────────────────────────── April 2026 Income Report In this month's income report, Shannon shares $22,809.76 in April inflow - and the full story of a month that changed everything. We go through the numbers: payment plan recurring revenue, two new Web Designer Academy enrollments, one new Next Level Mastermind student, and the $11,600+ tax bill that set off a thought spiral Shannon couldn't outwork her way through. But this episode goes deeper than the numbers. Shannon shares the Q1 burnout pattern she's been repeating for years without realizing it, the ER visit and overnight hospital stay after a cardiac event on April 17th, and what finally shifted when her team had an intervention with her in Atlanta. She talks about the connection between her thinking, her nervous system, and her results... and the real changes she's making going forward - including saying goodbye to TikTok and letting her team lead. What You'll Learn: How payment plan recurring revenue enables forward business planning Why Q1 consistently underperforms compared to COVID-era enrollment highs - and why the comparison is a trap The thought spiral that follows an unexpected tax bill (and how to separate the number from what you make it mean) How fight-or-flight thinking drives overwork - and why working harder doesn't close the revenue gap What it cost Shannon to keep refusing help - and what finally made her say yes The changes she's making to how she markets, manages her team, and takes care of herself going forward Resources Mentioned: ⁠Web Designer Academy⁠ ⁠Next Level Mastermind⁠ ⁠High-Converting Proposal Template⁠ ⁠Anchor High Podcast⁠ ⁠Simply Profitable Designer Summit⁠ Related Episodes: ⁠#192 - March 2026 Income Report⁠ ⁠#190 - What Every Web Designer Needs to Know About Taxes with Hannah Cole⁠ ⁠#187 - February 2026 Income Report⁠ About Shannon Mattern: Shannon Mattern is a Pricing Strategist, creator of the Package Matrix™ and the founder of the Web Designer Academy where she helps experienced women web designers book higher-paying web design projects, charge more with confidence, run projects without overworking and burnout and break through to their next level of income and freedom. 🎧 Profitable Web Designer Podcast: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com/podcast⁠ 🌐 Website: ⁠https://webdesigneracademy.com⁠ 📱Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/profitablewebdesigner⁠ 📱TikTok: ⁠https://tiktok.com/@profitablewebdesigner⁠ 📺 YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@profitablewebdesigner⁠ 🤝 LinkedIn: ⁠https://linkedin.com/in/shannonmattern