Considering a web design career?

December 6, 2010

Tags: web design

How can you be successful in a new web design career?

If you’re playing around with the idea of using your creative and technical skills to create websites, way to go! The web is still growing exponentially. 5 years ago Facebook was not a player. 10 years ago, Google didn’t rule the internet world. If someone had a website designed 5 years ago, chances are very good that they need a new one. Many older business owners who were not web savvy, held off on the internet. In the coming years, ignoring the web will not be an option to be competitive in the brick and mortar market place. So in short, there is plenty of market share available for new web designers.

What about all these off shore web designers in India and China?

Yes, web design can be bought for cheap from off shore designers and companies. But it has been my experience that nothing can replace a designer who can not only speak and write English, but who can communicate in a client’s native culture. Also, being local has great benefits. Being able to meet personally, face to face is a huge plus for small business owners who can’t afford to risk much. Finally, web design is far more than just design.

What makes a good designer?

There are quite a number of designers out there who’s primary approach to the web is aesthetics. They feel that making a pretty website, is a success. I would highly encourage you to look beyond this approach. Business owners don’t really care much about artistic flair in their business; they care about the number of new phone calls. Believe it or not, an effective website is not necessarily a work of masterful art. That said, web design does require creative talent. But you want to bring more than creative talent to the table for your clients.

Here are the most important elements for good web design.

Easy to navigate
Easy to read
Easy to find contact info
Easy to find core services

The common word is “easy”.

So when you’re studying web design, also study the internet marketers and copy writers who will show you how to make an “effective” website that will have your clients thanking you for all their new business.

How important are all of these new technologies?

Once you’ve learned how to make a creative design and then you learn how to make an “effective” website, you’ll want to learn how to integrate emerging technologies like, Facebook Widgets, Twitter Feeds, RSS Feeds, and more. If you can pick up PHP development, the more power to you. Static HTML websites no longer cut it. You’ll want to be able to integrate your design with WordPress or maybe Joomla. Then you’ll want to setup and configure plugins. If you can learn basic programming of PHP, you’ll be miles ahead of the competition.

The Most Important Web Designer Skill: Sales

Sales has nothing to do with colors and fonts and HTML, but if you can’t get in front of new prospects, you can’t make new designs. The Good News is that sales is a learnable trait. Pick up a book by Blair Singer or Jeffery Gitomer and then pick up the phone and call some people. If you can start talking to people, you’ll find out what your prospects value the most and how you can serve them.

If you have some creative talent and a passion for things techie and you’re not afraid to jump into some marketing and sales, you’ll do great. So many designers out there do not have these skills and there are so many businesses that need new or better websites.