// public-safe notes
Research Notes
What I'm reading and what the data says. No strategy leakage.
These are public-safe summaries only. Pricing tables, private pipeline math, and competitive intel stay internal.
// 01
Market Research, Small-Business Web Design 2026
- Roughly 27% of US small businesses still have no website, a warm market of operators who need a first surface, not a redesign.
- Freelancer rates for a basic site span a wide range depending on scope and positioning, outcome-focused work (conversion, leads, credibility) commands the upper end regardless of page count.
- Outcome-focused positioning out-converts feature-list selling, "you'll get more calls" closes faster than "we build responsive mobile-first sites."
// 02
Lead Sources I'm Studying
- Google Maps + Nextdoor local directories have the highest warmth, businesses listed there are already findable, so they understand the value of visibility and respond better to a concrete gap audit.
- Skilled trades + personal services (plumbers, cleaners, stylists, photographers) have 50–70% no-website rates. The highest density of qualified, reachable prospects per industry.
- Audit-based pitching, showing a business owner what their Google presence looks like from a customer's perspective, gets 3–5× higher reply rates than generic cold outreach.
// 03
What I'm Reading
- PC Tech Magazine, "Will Freelance Website Designers Survive AI", argues positioning on craft + relationship beats commoditized template builders long-term.
- DesignRush, Web Development Pricing Trends 2026, price anchoring data, what separates entry-tier from mid-market freelancers in buyer perception.
- Outscraper, Finding Businesses Without Websites for Cold Outreach, operational guide to building targeted no-website lists from public directory data.