The Enquiry That Changes Everything
“Can you do our website too?”
If you run a marketing agency, you’ve heard this question. Probably more than once. And if you said no, you already know what happens next — the client finds another agency that can, and suddenly your SEO contract is at risk because someone else is managing the site.
This is why marketing agencies across the UK are adding website design and development to their service offering. Not because they want to become web agencies, but because the clients they already have are asking for it — and saying no is costing them money.
The Market Is Demanding It
The UK digital agency market is worth over £6 billion and growing at roughly 14% per year. Within that, the white-label and outsourced web segment is growing even faster — around 35% year-on-year — as agencies realise they don’t need to hire developers to offer development services.
Clients want fewer supplier relationships, not more. They want one agency that handles their marketing and their website. An agency that can deliver a new landing page for a campaign without involving a separate web team. An agency that can redesign their site to convert the traffic that their SEO and PPC campaigns are driving.
The agencies that can offer this win more pitches, retain more clients, and earn significantly more per account.
What’s Actually Stopping You?
Most marketing agencies don’t avoid web design because they don’t want to offer it. They avoid it
because of three fears:
1. “We’d need to hire developers”
No, you wouldn’t. White-label web design partnerships exist specifically for this. A specialist team builds the websites under your brand. You manage the client, they handle the build. No hiring, no payroll, no management overhead.
2. “Web projects are unpredictable and stressful”
They can be — if you’re working with unreliable freelancers or trying to do it in-house without proper processes. A good white-label partner has fixed scoping, fixed pricing, and a proven delivery process. You know the cost, the timeline, and the milestones before you commit.
3. “We don’t know enough about web development to sell it”
You don’t need to. You need to understand what your client wants — which you already do better than anyone. Your partner handles the technical side. You handle the strategy and the relationship. That’s a stronger proposition than a pure web agency, because you bring the marketing context that most developers lack.
The Revenue Opportunity Is Significant
Let’s look at what adding web design typically means for a marketing agency’s bottom line:
Scenario: A 10-person agency currently doing £60k/month in marketing services
• Starts accepting website enquiries they previously turned down or referred out
• Wins 3 web projects per month at an average client price of £5,000
• White-label cost per project: £2,000–£2,500
• Additional monthly revenue: £15,000
• Additional monthly profit: £7,500–£9,000
• Annual impact: £90,000–£108,000 in new profit
That’s from work that was walking out the door anyway. No new business development required — just saying yes to the clients who were already asking.
How to Add Web Design the Smart Way
You don’t need to transform your agency overnight. Here’s a sensible approach:
Month 1: Find Your Partner
Research white-label web design partners. Look for UK-based teams with agency experience, clear pricing, and a portfolio you’d be happy to put your name on. Start with one test project — something low-risk where you can evaluate the process and the output.
Month 2: Tell Your Clients
Update your website and proposals to include web design. Mention it in your next client meetings: “We’ve expanded our services to include website design and development.” Most clients will be pleased — they’d rather work with one agency than two.
Month 3: Build the Pipeline
Start proactively looking for web opportunities within your existing client base. Who has an outdated website? Who’s launching a new product that needs a landing page? Who mentioned a rebrand six months ago? These are warm leads — you already have the relationship.
Ongoing: Scale with Demand
As projects come in, your partner handles the capacity. You don’t need to hire ahead of demand or worry about keeping developers busy. The model scales naturally with your workload.
What Your Competitors Are Already Doing
This isn’t a future trend. It’s happening now. Agencies that offer both marketing and web services consistently outperform those that specialise in one or the other, because:
• Higher average contract values — bundled services are worth more
• Better client retention — more touchpoints mean stickier relationships
• Stronger pitches — “we handle everything” beats “we’ll need to bring in someone else for the website”
• More referrals — clients who get great marketing AND a great website are more likely to recommend you
If your competitors are already offering web design (and most are), every website enquiry you turn down is revenue going directly to them.
The Bottom Line
Adding web design to your agency doesn’t require a massive investment, a new team, or a change in direction. It requires a reliable partner and a willingness to say yes to the work your clients are already asking for.
The risk of not offering it is bigger than the risk of trying. Because every time a client asks “can
you do our website?” and you say no, someone else says yes — and they might not stop at the website.
See what web design revenue could look like for your agency. Try the Revenue Calculator — it takes 30 seconds.