So You Want To Be A Web Designer?

By Connie Sherlock

www.sherlockdesigns.com

For many of us web designing came because of frustration with our web designer or as necessity because we couldn't afford a web designer.  We all took baby steps to begin with, bought a great web design program such as Front Page, or used one of the free online web builders on a free hosting site to hone our skills.  But it isn't very long before we realized that we needed some education and help from the experts. There are many great websites that offer classes on web design, some free and others for a small fee.  But one of the best resources is your local college or adult education center.  The Internet is basically still in its infancy and you must be willing to put a lot of time into learning how to design websites and keeping up with the newest methods and tools. Formal education is not a requirement but I would highly recommend it. I would also recommend that you learn how to do graphics. There are several great programs available. You will need a working knowledge of hosting services, setting up shopping carts, writing content, optimizing, submitting to search engines, etc.  It’s not enough to design the site, there is so much more to it than that.

Just because you can build a website doesn't mean you can design a good website.  Some of the most boring unappealing websites have been designed by computer experts. They have a vast amount of technical expertise but they lack the visual aspect of designing.  But I have seen many sites by graphic artists that are very ineffective also.  An effective website designer needs both, and in my opinion he/she needs more of the visual ability.  Think about it – what draws you to a site and keeps you there?  Analyze a lot of sites and incorporate what you like into your design style.  Keep a file of what did not appeal to you and why.  A good designer knows how to use graphic design, technical expertise and web content in harmony to make the website appealing and easy to navigate and most importantly how to sell the product that they have designed the website around.

If you feel you have a good grasp of both the visual and the technical expertise for web design then your next step is to "go out into the world" and sell yourself and get a few clients.  When I started my clients were all visitors on one of my websites.  They liked what they saw and asked who designed it.  My newest clients come from referrals by my present clients.  When I started designing websites being a webmistress was not my goal, but since you are considering this as a business opportunity I would start by establishing a business presence.  Buy a domain and set up your website with all of the information and services you offer – keep it simple to navigate, easy to understand and with very few “bells and whistles”.  Make sure you have a portfolio and testimonials, if possible.  Next, join some online chat groups.  Groups that you can contribute to with your knowledge and expertise, always remember to include your information in the signature tag and try, when appropriate, to mention your design business.  Remember to be a participant of the group, not just an “advertiser”, you will gather clients because you have impressed them with your knowledge and have gained their trust.  You never know where a new client may come from, so be professional at all times.  Advertise locally and ask your friends to “spread the word”, make sure your information is on all printed materials that you send out, and if you sell a product include your information on your hang tags. 

The ability to listen to what the client wants is essential.  There are many times when what they want, is not the best for their website.  You must have the patience to work with them while gently "nudging" and guiding them to a compromise that will best showcase their product to their target audience.  I would say that this is the most challenging aspect of web design - you must remember that they are the clients and ultimately you must do what they want.  It's easy to have a "formula" to use for each website and crank out a bunch of them by just changing graphics and product- but, honestly who wants a site like that.  Individualize every website; they are paying for your time and skills so give them their money's worth.  Go to the website of a few of your favorite designers and look at their portfolio.  Compare the websites of several of their clients, are they individualized sites or “cookie cutter” sites?  Analyze what you liked and didn't like about their style and its effectiveness.

If you have the design skills and of course a good computer you can start your business with little or no capital, your main investment is time - and lots of it.  Between designing and maintaining sites you can easily work as many hours, or more, as you would a full time job.  When I first starting designing my website, I was told that eventually I would have to decide if I was going to be a webmistress or continue to be a pattern designer, because there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do both.  I am finding this to be very true, but at this time I am not willing to give up either. Overhead is generally low because you are doing it at home.  But if you are considering renting space for your business you will have to consider this when starting up.  If this will be a full time job you will need back up capital to live on.  If this is the case I would suggest that you add other services to your business, such as graphics, print materials – brochures, flyers, find a niche that no one else is filling.

Speaking of money - I design websites because I love the creative "rush" that I get while I am working on it, but then comes the tedious work, adding product, adding meta tags, optimizing, building a shopping cart, etc. and that is what I charge for.  Prices for a website can range from a couple of hundred to a few thousand.  You need to research your market area, before you set your price.  I have found that if you have a website done locally the price is much higher than a web designer that you find on the Internet.  Surf the web and compare prices, features and services before you set your price.  One of the things that I have noticed is that beginning designers tend to set their prices too low, due to their own inexperience or faith in themselves.  But then on the other hand – don’t overprice either.  As you gain experience and clients you can raise your prices. 

Don't expect instant success and an over abundance of clients, that will come with time if you work very hard and if you have the necessary skills.  Remember that they are putting their business into your hands; the website that you design may play a major part in their success.  Always be available to help them after the site is completed, offer them a service contract and hosting if possible.  This puts more money into your pocket with very little effort on your part.  My area of expertise is basically country/primitive arts and crafts websites.  A few years ago there were very few designers in this field, but at this time there are many good designers.  Keeping this in mind, there has to be something about my services, abilities and how I conduct my business to make them choose me over another designer.  I think they choose me because I give them more than they expect.  I give service with a capital “S”. It doesn’t take much time or effort to be kind and to give a little extra of your self.  I have found that sometimes it’s the little things that you do for someone that make a difference in their life, I do not have a client that doesn’t consider me a friend who is always there when they need an understanding friend who has the time to listen, be it business or personal and that is what I consider being successful in my business. 

Post script:  I asked my husband what he would add to this, his comment was “find a husband who can keep up with all the housework and who doesn’t mind that the keyboard is now a permanent part of your anatomy.”

You can find Connie and her fabulous work at the following websites:

www.amongcountryfriends.com - country patterns for dolls, critters & more
www.sonshineseedco.com - inspirational patterns for primitive stitcheries and folk art quilts
www.sherlockdesigns.com - web design at affordable prices
www.grandmasbuttonbox.com - needful wares for your country & prim decor
www.raggedygazette.com - Free patterns, craft projects, recipes, crafting tips, contests, and so much more fun.