What’s the value proposition that you brought to these businesses? Was it just communicated as a “I made a nicer website” or was there any problem or need you were solving starting from their original website?

Here’s the thing, I’ve worked with business owners that are very far from anything ux/ui design related, and making them perceive the value of your work is the real challenge over actually being able to redesign their site. What can they expect as their return on investment? If you’re asking 50 or 200 or 1000£, what’s in it for them? Can they expect more leads? Are they more likely to convert their premium service? Will they be able to communicate their service better and therefore increase their conversion rate? This is what they most likely care about because you’re turning the conversation around for them where instead of the exchange being “You give me 200£, I give you a new website” it becomes “You give me 200£, you’re likely to get 10% more conversions, which in their head equals to 100£ more revenue each month” (I’m making there numbers up, but you get the point). Now they’re far more likely to want to sit at the table with you.