Episode 227
Are you documenting your system and processes? Do you really need SOPs in your business? If you are ready to find out the answers to these questions, this episode is for you! Matt Levenhagen is the Founder and Lead Web Designer at Unified Web Design and the Host of The Builders Podcast.
Matt started building websites in 2023 and has been doing a full-time online service since Fall of 2005. In his early days, Matt focused heavily on affiliate marketing, niche marketing, PPC, advertising, and SEO. Through freelancing, he learned the ropes, worked for a digital marketing agency as a lead developer for four years, and then, in 2019, started his own web design agency.
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the complete episode:
- Learn how a struggling artist becomes a successful web design agency owner.
- Discover the difference between a template design vs. a custom website.
- Find out how to document systems and processes that create efficiency for the team and the agency.
Episode Highlights
Who is Matt Levenhagen
- Matt Levenhagen is the founder and lead Web developer at Unified Web Design, LLC.
- He built a team for web design and development services for businesses of all sizes.
- Matt also established ML blogs and was the host of The Builders Podcast.
The biggest challenge of starting a web design agency
- Matt knew that he wanted to build an agency.
- He needed to figure out where to find people to work with.
- He is unsure about his target market.
How Matt narrow down his target market
- His focus is on building designs and WordPress sites.
- Matt saw the consistent patterns in the type of people who needed help.
- He actively listens to the problems and figures out how to help his clients solve them.
What pushes Matt to start and build a business
- He always likes the idea of building something and working for himself.
- Matt's first dive into entrepreneurship is an art business.
- He started a different agency for himself and other people.
- He quit being a struggling artist and discovered the internet world.
What is the difference between building a template design vs. a custom website
- People who have a tight budget use template website design.
- Building a custom website has no limitations.
- Clients with unique needs can accomplish and integrate more on custom websites.
Matt's web design team
- He began as a solopreneur that hired contractors.
- Organically, he built a ten people team in his agency.
- Matt shares his delegation of tasks with his team members.
The people behind building custom websites
- The Designer works with clients on the creative side of their website branding.
- A front-end developer will translate the design into codes.
- Back-end developers extend the functionality of the website to system and integration.
- A Quality Assurance person makes sure the process is followed to good standards and documented.
How to develop good systems and processes that are efficient
- Matt started documenting and creating SOPs on day one of his business.
- He uses software like Trello and Confluence to document.
- Matt created a more simple process for his team to understand.
Strategies to manage a team
- Matt treats his employees, contractors, and other strategic partners as one whole family.
- They promote stand-ups on the teams.
- They have updated processes and good communication.
How Matt defines success as an entrepreneur
- For him, it's building something meaningful with a passion that makes a difference.
- Matt's affiliate marketing and digital products selling days.
- The big pivotal moment in Matt's career.
- His team keeps him motivated.
What Matt would like to remember for
- Matt wants to be remembered for having an impact on somebody's business in a positive way.
3 Powerful Quotes from this Episode
21:37 - "The end goal is that we're going to deliver a product or a website to our client or agency partner that is as bug-free as possible."
25:34 - "From day one, I was thinking about documentation and creating SOPs. "
29:51 - "You don't want all your information, your processes, everything to be in somebody's head."
About Matt Levenhagen
Matt Levenhagen is the founder and the lead Web Designer at Unified Web Design, LLC, which helps businesses translate their brand's vision into modern, responsive designs and code. Matt's expertise in WordPress has made him one of the most sought-after developers in the industry. He shares his knowledge and experiences with others through his ML Blog and "The Builders" podcast.
Mentioned Resources:
Connect with Matt Levenhagen
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Thanks for listening,
Darrell