Hey Reader,
Yesterday, I shared a bit about how I hit a growth ceiling by only building websites by hand and how I broke through that ceiling by using the WordPress platform to build my client websites.
But then I got tunnel vision and became a bit of a “platform purist” where my new favourite tool was the “only way.”
Being a platform purist came with drawbacks:
- Difficulty meeting diverse client needs: Sometimes WP couldn’t do what my client needed, and another platform clearly could solve the problem. But instead of diversifying my offerings by learning a new platform, I doubled down and forced myself and my subcontractors to make WordPress work.
- Hacking together sketchy solutions: I would often hunt around for a questionable plugin that stopped working after 8 months.
- Paying freelancers out of pocket: Ultimately, after realizing I couldn’t figure out how to solve my client’s problem, I’d pay for freelancers to custom code the solution and hope for the best, which ate into my profit margins.
It was so frustrating and disheartening. It felt like I hit another growth ceiling every time I struggled with these issues.
The problem here is that I was being selfish. Focusing only on what I wanted to do. Using only the tool that I liked. And ignoring the needs of my clients. Rejecting referrals from people who dared to suggest I use another platform.
Why was I so stubborn? Does this resonate?
Maybe for you, it’s not WordPress (honestly, it probably is). Maybe for you, it’s Webflow. Or Framer. Maybe you’ve realized that your one platform, despite its popularity, ease, or comfortability, is holding you back from breaking through that growth ceiling.
In fact, current data suggests a correlation between single-platform agencies and lower website production volume. This implies a potential link between platform limitations and agency growth.
What if, instead of stubbornly being the “one-platform” web design agency, we changed the way we thought about how we delivered solutions to our web design clients and learned another platform that opened our agencies up to new opportunities, bigger growth, and more satisfied clients?
Think about this:
- Maybe you’re a WordPress purist, like I used to be.
- Or Webflow is your jam.
- Or you’ve been enjoying the headless CMS options like Statamic.
That’s great! But no single platform is a catch-all solution. Which is why I suggest adding one platform to your agency arsenal.
Wanna know what it is? Any guesses?
I’ll tell you what it is (and why it matters) in my next email.
Brad