The freelance web design process from first enquiry to final invoice
A freelance website project has eight stages, and most of the money is lost at the joins between them: a vague scope that leaks into the build, a review with no deadline, a launch with nobody holding the domain. This is the whole sequence on one page, with what an AI builder like Anticode takes off your hands at each stage and what remains your job.
The stages at a glance
| Stage | You | Anticode |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Enquiry and discovery | The call, the questions, a fit decision | Nothing yet |
| 2. Scope | Requirements checked against the tool, exclusions written | The Architect's plan shows what a brief turns into |
| 3. Proposal | Document, price, terms | A quick preview to show direction |
| 4. Onboarding | Contract, deposit invoice, asset collection | Photo and video uploads into the project |
| 5. Build | Copy editing, judgement, client-specific detail | Layout, design system, build, design and security checks |
| 6. Review and sign-off | Consolidating comments, the approval email | Client review links, section comments, change requests, version history |
| 7. Launch | DNS access, final tests | Custom domain verification and certificate, publish gate |
| 8. Handover and invoice | Handover note, final invoice | Workspace roles or an export |
Stages 1 to 3: deciding to take the job
Discovery is a filter as much as a sale. In a twenty-minute call, find out what the site must achieve, who the visitors are, what's on the current site, and the deadline. Turn down projects whose core needs the tool can't meet (a full online shop with stock, member logins, a multilingual site) unless you'll bring in another platform.
Scope and proposal follow from the call. Check each requirement against what the builder does today and write exclusions in plain words. A short preview linked from the proposal shows the client a direction; keep it to a homepage so you're not working unpaid. The scoping and proposal workflows go deeper.
Stages 4 and 5: from contract to first build
- Send the contract and the deposit invoice from your own tools. Start nothing until both are back.
- Collect the logo, photos and copy against a dated list.
- Write the brief and give it to the Architect. It asks up to three questions that change the build, then shows a plan of name, kind, sections, look and features. Correct it before you build.
- Build. Upload the client's photos into the project; the model sees them and places them. For a site with pages, the design engine holds the build to one design system and publishes plain HTML and CSS.
- Edit the copy yourself. The model drafts well, but only the client knows what's true; read every claim against what they told you.
- Run the release checklist so the client never reviews a page that would fail a publish check.
Stage 6: review without endless rounds
Send a client review link to the current preview. The client needs no account, comments are tied to sections, and the link expires after 14 days unless you revoke it sooner. Collect one consolidated round, agree conflicts with the named approver, and apply the changes as change requests in a sentence each. Then a second, confirming round, and a written approval naming the version from history. The client sign-off workflow has the detail.
Stages 7 and 8: launch, hand over, get paid
Ask for DNS access at onboarding, not on launch day. On a paid plan, connect the client's domain: Anticode asks for a CNAME or TXT record, verifies it and issues the certificate itself. Publish at a quiet hour, then send a real enquiry through every form and click every button on the live site.
Handover depends on where the site lives: a seat in your workspace for a client on a care plan, their own workspace if they're taking full control, or an export for their developer. Write a one-page handover note and send the final invoice the same day. If you'll keep looking after the site, offer a maintenance retainer before the project closes, while the value is fresh.
Where projects go wrong
- Starting before the deposit. Unpaid work at the start is the hardest to recover.
- Assets late, launch date fixed. Tie the launch date to the asset deadline in writing.
- Feedback from five people. One approver, one link, one consolidated list.
- The domain in nobody's hands. Find out who controls DNS in the first week.
Limits
Anticode handles planning, building, checking, review links, version history, publishing and domains. It doesn't write contracts, send invoices, take your deposit, manage your calendar or chase late content. Use your own tools for those, and keep them out of the site build.
Questions people ask
How long does a freelance web design process take for a small site?
Often two to four weeks of calendar time. The build itself is quick with an AI builder; waiting for content, feedback and DNS takes most of it.
When should I invoice?
A deposit before onboarding and the balance at launch or handover is common. Some freelancers add a middle payment at sign-off for larger jobs.
Does using an AI builder change what I charge?
It changes where your time goes, not the value of the outcome. Price the result and your judgement; the build is a smaller share of the hours than it used to be.