Stop tech shaming. What actually matters in a web design business

If you’ve ever been made to feel that your tech stack is wrong, of that using a page builder makes you less of a ‘real developer’, this episode is here to give you a reality check.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

In this episode I’m talking about tech stacks, tech shaming and why the platform you build on matters a whole lot less than what you’re actually delivering.

We get into:

• What we’re actually being hired to deliver – and why the tools are irrelevant.
• Why the client ease of use should drive every tech decision you make.
• The difference between a proper handover and abandoning your client at the door.
• Why locked-down websites cause problems for everyone, including you.
• How imposter syndrome fuels tech shaming in the web design industry.
• Why personality and trust win clients over tech stack every single time.
• The disappearing developer problem and how to be the designer clients return to.

If you’ve been tech shamed, or you’ve been second-guessing your tools, this will help you refocus on what actually builds a sustainable web design business.

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 What really matters about your tech stack

00:36 Welcome to Websites Made Simple

00:50 Holly’s experience of tech shaming on LInkedIn

01:50 Sparks group Mentoring explained

02:36 It’s not about the platform – it’s about the results

03:41 Why client ease should come first

04:24 Page builders, locked-down sites, and client access

05:26 Clients should always be able to access their own website

06:25 The disappearing developer problem

07:11 How to sign off a website properly

07:48 Client training, Zoom handovers, and user manuals

08:24 Building for two people: your client and their visitors

09:11 Why tech shaming is really just imposter syndrome

10:03 Why clients choose you for personality, not tools

11:30 “In 20 years, I’ve never gone back to the same designer twice – until now”