An Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Web Designer

Nowadays, business is all online – let’s admit that. Unless a company has got a proper, well-designed and user-friendly website, it won’t gain much profit. Why? Because what people want is instant access to information. Once they google the name of a product or service, they are flooded with search results – some of them are relevant, others not. It’s no secret that a well-prepared, nicely-designed site will attract more attention than a dull, predictable one. Then, web designing is a perfect way to keep potential customers interested and gain more online traffic. For all of these reasons, web designing has become a significant and developing profession. If it’s in high demand, why not become a web designer yourself? We present the ultimate guide to becoming successful in creating websites.

Do Some Research

First, you need to recognise if web designing is for you. Search the internet, find videos, courses and articles about this field, read interviews with designers. Remember that at the beginning, you don’t need to have any excellent skills and experience. Once you have a creative but analytical mind, you are willing to learn and fluent in the latest internet marketing trends. Then learning to design websites should be a pleasure for you.

Master the Basics

It’s easy to say – we still associate learning new skills with a dull, demanding activity. Well, it’s all about the attitude. Fortunately, the range of learning materials available now is enormous! Browse the Internet in search of online courses in web designing – start with the free ones to catch up on the basics. Once you’ve done it, pass to more advanced ones. There are plenty of platforms that offer lessons. In the end, you may want to attend a traditional offline class. It’s not a bad idea, but always remember to check the tutors’ qualifications and the schedule of the course – sometimes, the lessons are expensive but relatively poor-quality. Keep in mind that learning is a process, and it takes time. Don’t discourage too soon!

Get Additional Skills

Web designing is quite a complicated field because it’s made of many dimensions and parts. As a web designer, you must take into account the user’s needs, the site owner’s comfort and budget, tools like SEO, and the technical part of designing connected with coding. That’s why a successful web designer should specialize in all the branches. If you don’t feel strong enough in any of those, don’t be afraid to ask for help or delegate some chores. Remember, though, that the basics of UX (User Experience) and IT (coding) are a web designer’s strong asset. To boost your designing skills, you can also take a look at some websites, for example Web Monkey Online.

Find your Clients

Once you’ve learnt a lot about web designing and know the needs of the market, it’s time to put the knowledge into practice – get your first clients. The simplest way to do it is to design your own website! Present your offer and range of service, provide clear contact information and make the site appealing. Once people see a perfectly-designed site, they will dream of having one, too! The bad news for junior web designers is that some of the clients may want to see your portfolio with some previous websites that you created. If you want to get some valuable experience, try to start with offering low-cost help to broaden your portfolio.

Keep Learning

Learning is a lifetime process. The same applies to web designing – online trends and needs are especially fast-changing fields so you need to keep an eye on them and adjust your work properly. It’s vital to stay up to date in online business. The best you can do is to attend additional courses, master your skills, keep in touch with other web designers and exchange ideas.

Web designing seems to be an ideal job for a person who values development, knows trends and is keen on business in general. If you still hesitate, though, remember that it’s just a job like any other, and all that’s necessary is practice, honesty and a strong personal brand built with time. Knowledge has never been more accessible than now, so it’s up to you whether to take the first step!

 

Kimberly Atwood’s books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Kimberly lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, an exceptionally perfect dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical research, Kimberly got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from Ohio State University. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of London and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships with some really important people who are way too dignified to be named here. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.

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