Ep. 9: Updating Her Website Copy Helped Interior Designer Amanda Welch Attract Ideal Clients

What happens when an interior designer finally gets crystal clear about who she works with—and who she doesn’t? 

In this episode, interior designer Amanda Welch of Brooksvale Design (Woodinville, WA) shares how refining her website copy, clarifying her process, and boldly posting pricing transformed her business.

Amanda tells us why it was scary (but powerful) to put pricing on her website, how adding personality to her copy started attracting the right projects, and shares a big shift that let her save time while booking better clients.

Amanda went from fielding constant mismatched leads and awkward payment conversations to working only with her dream clients on projects that fit her expertise—and her life. She opens up about the fears she had around “looking exclusive,” how she overcame them, and why drawing firm boundaries actually gave her more confidence, better clients, and a healthier business.

If you’ve ever wondered how to:

• Write interior design website copy that actually works
• Set clear client expectations from the start
• Confidently charge for consultations and deposits
• Stop wasting time on bad leads

…this conversation will give you practical ideas to streamline your design business and attract clients who value your work.

If you’ve ever struggled with saying no, setting expectations, or putting your real personality into your website, this episode will give you the push (and permission) to own your value and streamline your process.

Find Amanda at https://www.brooksvaledesign.com/

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Transcript

Give us a little introduction.

I'm Amanda Welch. My business is Brooksvale Design, and I am located outside of Seattle, Washington, in Woodinville. I run an interior design business. My ideal client is someone willing to trust me in my recommendations on upper-end finishes that will work with the value of their home, that will last a long time, and to do it right without cutting corners.

And what kinds of corners would you have to cut if you were to allow a lower-budget project through your system?

The thing is, if I take a lower-budget project, then I'm recommending things that there's a chance are going to fail. I feel bad that I've recommended a faucet that I know is probably not going to hold up and is probably going to leak. Are they going to remember, “Oh, Amanda recommended that faucet. Well, I tried to tell you that faucet was going to leak”? I'm there to tell them what I think is the best type of product that will work the best.

Even on million-dollar projects, we might get a chair from an overseas vendor and have our dining table made locally. There's always a balance of cost, but when it comes to how the products work and last, I feel like it's my job to steer them in the right direction. If I allow lower-budget projects through, I'm not being true to myself as a designer. I'm letting them do something that I know is not going to hold up well or will deteriorate over time. To really give my professional advice and have it taken seriously is important. On lower-budget projects, that just doesn't usually happen because of cost.

Why did you hire me?

I hired you to streamline my process. I constantly felt like I was saying things over and over again—or I thought I was saying them, and then apparently I wasn't—because people were asking questions and not understanding what they were supposed to pay for. I wanted verbiage and documentation so that everybody saw and heard the same things. I also wanted to figure out who my ideal clients were and put it on my website so I wasn't fielding extra questions and could weed out clients that weren't ideal.

When we were getting started, you had just gone through a website design process. A lot of designers would assume these things were taken care of. Do you have a sense of why that didn’t happen until we worked together?

Well, I know why it didn’t happen. My website was missing information because a website designer's job is to make it look nice. It's not their job to provide descriptions or scripts for your business.

Even my friends and family probably couldn’t describe what I do. So I went to the website designer with a vision and a logo update. He put together what I wanted on my website, but he wasn’t going to write anything for me. Writing it myself was really hard.

So the copy we started with—did you write all that yourself?

Yes, it was solid copy, just with some gaps.

Right. And that’s the other hard thing. Many designers’ websites don’t have a lot of words; it’s mostly pictures.

Exactly. Pictures cost a lot, and they should be the focal point. But if you don’t have any verbiage, visitors can’t understand how your process works or how much it costs. Pricing transparency is a big thing people want to know, and nobody puts that information on their website.

And that was important to you?

Yes. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t making assumptions, even though I’m a designer. How does the process work? What is my level of involvement? What should the client expect? What are the clearly defined steps along the way? Are you designing, implementing, purchasing? That information was hard to explain because it doesn’t always work the same way from client to client. Each project has small differences, which probably caused inconsistencies.

You said in a follow-up email that you’ve spent much less time on the phone fielding bad leads.

Yes. I can focus on the good leads now. They aren’t asking the same questions halfway through the design process as they did before.

What’s the difference on your website from before to now?

Before, I had little icons that said how the process goes, but it was just words. Now there are descriptions and an FAQ page. Someone even told me they hired me because of the FAQ page.

That aligns perfectly with your goal of attracting proactive clients.

Exactly. If a potential client wants to understand what to expect, they can read it. Not everyone wants to do that. But at a minimum, the pricing transparency is there, and it’s also in the intake form. If someone isn’t willing to pay $10,000 for a designer, then they’re probably not the right person for me.

Pricing was something you added to your website. How did it feel to take that leap?

It was scary. Putting pricing on the website signals that I only work with people willing to pay that amount. I didn’t necessarily want to be that exclusive, but it’s been very good for me.

How has it been good for you?

It forced me to nix lower-paying clients instead of hiring a junior designer to help with them. Narrowing my client base allowed me to always purchase materials for projects, which increased my income. Clear verbiage and pricing led to about 20% more good inquiries. It also reduced the time I spent saying no to people—a 15-minute thoughtful response each time adds up.

You also switched your initial meeting to a flat fee of $350. How did that change things?

I never measure at the initial meeting. We talk about the design process, space, goals, budget, and timeline. Afterward, I send an email explaining that a proposal will come in a few days. Everyone has paid the initial fee, which never happened when I charged hourly before.

And this fee is clearly on your website?

Yes. Now clients know upfront. Nothing is more awkward than sending someone a bill they didn’t expect.

You’re also using email templates we created?

Yes, for initial meetings and proposals. They save a lot of time and make the process second nature.

The 50% deposit upfront—how has that impacted your business?

It improved cash flow. Before, I billed monthly, and clients paid at the end of the month. Now, they pay half upfront, which is simple and clear. Even for large projects, I can flex slightly, but for the most part, it works perfectly.

Have you noticed any change in client behavior?

Yes. Clients are more respectful and willing to follow the process. They trust me, the process, and the timeline. That trust makes the long design process—from drawings and modeling to finishes, budgeting, purchasing, and installation—run smoothly.

What about your creativity?

All these changes allow me to save my creativity and problem-solving skills for the design work instead of admin tasks. I feel confident putting my true self and process out there, and clients respond positively.

Which single change made the biggest impact?

Narrowing my client base to only my ideal clients. It reduced my working hours, made projects more fulfilling, and allowed me more family time. Saying no is still hard, but it’s best for me.

Final advice for other designers?

Be self-reflective. Ask yourself: How can I make things better? Easier? Less stressful? Be open to change, even if your business seems fine. Evaluate your processes, pricing, and client base to make your work more efficient and sustainable.

What was your pivot point?

When a client didn’t pay me for an initial meeting, I realized I couldn’t keep losing money and time. I needed to figure out how to attract only my ideal clients. Now I have clear boundaries and better balance between business and family.

Closing thoughts?

Even though it was scary, narrowing my client base has worked. The right clients come along, the process is clear, and my business and life are healthier.

Thank you so much for letting me be part of this and for the follow-up.

Thank you. I appreciate you.

Bye for now.

Bye.