The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

Welcome to Marketing Monday! As someone who’s spent decades on the front lines of marketing, web development, and business consulting, I want to share actionable advice for any entrepreneur, freelancer, coach, consultant, or business owner looking for real ways to increase revenue. Spoiler alert: there are really only two fundamental ways to make more money in your business—get more customers, or get higher paying customers. Sounds simple, but as with most things in business, the reality is filled with nuance, strategic decisions, and a lot of learning.

Let’s break this down together. This post will go deep into the dynamics of earning more by scaling volume, earning more by upgrading your target audience, and most importantly, how to identify and reach customers who are willing—sometimes even eager—to pay more for what you offer. We’ll also explore the practical steps and mindsets to help you shift gears in your own business. So grab your coffee and let’s dig in.

The Two Pathways to Earning More

Let’s start with the basics:

1. Get More Customers.

2. Get Higher Paying Customers.

On the surface, they sound interchangeable—they both result in more revenue. But the journey, challenges, and rewards along these paths are very different. Understanding both will help you decide which one makes sense for your current business model and growth phase.

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Pathway 1: Getting More Customers

The most intuitive strategy is usually, “How do I get more people to buy from me?” If your website, sales funnel, or offer has already demonstrated that it can convert a prospect into a paying customer, scaling up is essentially a matter of putting that offer in front of more people.

The Math of Scaling

Consider this: If your website converts at 20%, and you currently get 100 visitors a month, that’s 20 customers. Want 200 customers? You’ll need 1,000 visitors at the same conversion rate! It’s simple multiplication.

Amplifying Reach

There are a ton of ways to expand your reach, but the most common are:

- Paid Advertising: Leverage Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or other paid platforms to get your offer in front of more targeted users quickly.

- SEO and Content Marketing: Optimize your website and content to attract more organic traffic.

- Partnerships and Collaborations: Leverage other people’s networks or collaborate with influencers.

- Referral Systems: Encourage existing customers to refer others.

Brute Force vs. Smart Scaling

“Brute force” means simply increasing your ad spend or publishing more frequently without necessarily optimizing your funnel or offer. While it works up to a point, it can quickly lead to burnout and diminishing returns if you’re not careful. More volume also means more demands on your fulfillment side—more support, more onboarding, more customer service, more everything. Not every business (or business owner) is geared up to handle that.

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Pathway 2: Getting Higher Paying Customers

This is where we enter the realm of working smarter, not harder. Instead of serving more people, serve fewer people, but with bigger transactions and higher value.

The Power of Customer Avatar

Your “customer avatar” is the detailed profile of your ideal customer. To get higher paying clients, you must identify and target a different avatar—one who values your offer enough to pay a premium.

Rethinking Your Offer

- Enhance Your Value Proposition: What extra value can you provide? More personalization, faster delivery, better quality, elite support, or exclusive access?

- Create Premium Packages: Bundle services or add-ons to justify a higher price.

- Target a Different Market Segment: Serve business owners instead of consumers; sell to enterprises instead of small businesses; pitch C-level executives instead of middle managers.

- Specialize Further: Narrow your niche. Specialists get paid more than generalists.

Finding the Right Audience

Higher paying customers are not always hanging out in the same spaces as your budget clients. They read different blogs, attend different conferences, participate in different groups, and respond to different messaging.

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Bridging the Gap: Transitioning to Better-Paying Clients

If you’ve always served a more price-sensitive market, making the leap to higher paying clients is a process. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Do Your Homework

Research where your new optimal customers congregate—both online and offline. Are there industry forums, masterminds, conferences, or publications they trust? How do they talk about the problems you solve?

2. Craft New Messaging

Spend time talking to your target audience. Ask them directly:

- How do you describe [problem you solve]?

- What else have you tried in the past? What worked, what didn’t?

- What would a home-run solution look like for you?

Listen carefully to the words and phrases they use, and let those insights guide your marketing copy. Messaging that resonates with a cost-conscious client likely won’t resonate with someone who wants the best, fastest, or most exclusive solution.

3. Build Social Proof and Authority

High-paying clients want to see evidence. Invest in testimonials, case studies, and content that showcases your expertise and results. Your reputation, both online and offline, is a magnet for premium buyers.

4. Refine Your Offer Delivery

Higher paying clients expect a higher level of service. Review your onboarding, support, and delivery processes. Raising your price means raising the customer experience.

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Overcoming Mindset Barriers

Many entrepreneurs hit an internal wall when it comes to charging more. Imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, or the belief that your market “can’t afford more” are common struggles.

Reality Check: There is always a buyer for a premium solution. The question is whether you’re willing to reposition your offer, polish your delivery, and put in the work to reach them.

Remember: Higher prices aren’t just about more money. They attract clients who value your work, respect your boundaries, and often require less handholding. These clients see you as a partner, not just another vendor.

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The Fastest Way to Test

You don’t have to completely pivot overnight. Try this:

- Create a premium version of your existing service.

- Offer it quietly to a select handful of leads or on a limited basis.

- Refine based on feedback.

- If it flies, expand your outreach.

If you hear enough “yes” responses (or even hesitations for the right reasons), you’ll know you’re onto something. If you only hear “no,” you get free market research—ask why, adjust, and try again.

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Case Study: Upgrading the Client Base

Let’s use a practical example.

Say you run a digital marketing agency serving local brick-and-mortar businesses—restaurants, salons, gyms, etc.—charging $500/month for basic services. You’ve maxed out your bandwidth and can’t realistically take on many more clients without sacrificing work quality or burning out.

Option 1: Hire staff, scale up systems, and serve 2x the customers.

OR

Option 2: Identify premium clients—perhaps regional franchise owners, professional service firms, or e-commerce businesses—who value your expertise enough to pay $2,500/month for a “done-for-you” marketing package with advanced analytics, custom content, and dedicated support.

To pursue the second route, you need to:

- Audit your existing offer. What premium features can you add?

- Seek out spaces where higher-level business owners gather—like industry groups, advanced workshops, or paid mastermind communities.

- Revamp your sales copy and marketing approach to address their pain points (eg. “We’ll help you scale your franchise brand and dominate your territory, so you can focus on expanding instead of marketing headaches.”)

- Develop new authority assets—case studies, testimonials from bigger clients, perhaps a mini audit or strategy session for prospects.

You may end up with fewer clients, but at revenues 2x, 3x, or 5x higher per account.

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Tactical Checklist: Grow Volume vs. Raise Value

Here’s a quick-action summary to help you decide your next move:

If You Aim to Get More Customers:

- Optimize your conversion funnel for scale.

- Increase traffic via ads, SEO, content, and partnerships.

- Automate onboarding and fulfillment.

- Prepare for operational scaling challenges.

If You Aim to Get Higher Paying Customers:

- Redefine your customer avatar—Who are they? Where are they?

- Interview them. Discover the exact words they use to describe their needs.

- Rework your offer and messaging to speak directly to high-value prospects.

- Upgrade your proof—build more authority and trust.

- Streamline and polish your customer experience.

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Key Mistakes to Avoid

- Trying to Do Both at Once: Focus on one strategy at a time, unless you have the resources to support both without diluting quality.

- Underestimating Delivery Requirements for Premium Clients: Higher prices require higher touch; don’t get caught unprepared.

- Neglecting Your Current Base: If you shift upmarket, manage the transition gracefully—and consider how to either move your existing clients up or refer them to other providers.

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Final Thoughts: Which Path Should You Choose?

Every business at some point faces the ceiling of what’s possible with their current model. When you hit that ceiling, your options are to do more or do better.

Both avenues (more customers, better customers) require work, but for many service-based professionals or boutique businesses, raising the value of every engagement is the most sustainable way to grow your income, enjoy your work, and build a thriving brand.

Challenge yourself: Where is your leverage? Can you double your leads or double your rates? Who would gladly pay for the full-scale value you deliver—even if it’s more than you’ve ever charged?

If you don’t know, start by talking to people a level above your current customers. Learn from them. Borrow their words. Tweak your offer. The journey may surprise you, and the rewards can be better clients, more meaningful projects, and a healthier balance between your ambition and your lifestyle.

Thank you for reading this in-depth guide on earning more in your business! Whether you’re on the path to more customers, or better customers, keep refining, keep listening, and keep leveling up.

Stay tuned for Traffic Tuesday, where we’ll dive deep into actionable strategies for driving more of the right traffic to your business.

Here’s to smarter growth!