This article is about the basics of a web designer’s career. You will learn what skills are needed to start this business, where to look for customers, price your services, etc. If you want to know where to start your way as a web designer, here are some tips.
Basic knowledge
It is crucial to have at least an indirect understanding of the basics of web design in the early stages. Read a few books in this area, subscribe to exciting newsletters on thematic sites, and, of course, read other informative articles on this site.
Ideally, you should take a step-by-step video course on web design to radically change the level of knowledge in this area and increase the rate of further professional growth several times. Once you have mastered the basics of this topic, you can move on to study specific issues.
Find information on the Internet about the details that concern you and carefully process them. Constantly strive to gain new knowledge. Each new micro-chip will positively affect further work. Not sure where to start studying to become a web designer? In the early stages, pay attention to the principles and foundations of this case (HTML5, CSS3, etc.).
Programs for development
Often people who do not know where to start learning web design grab everything at once. You should not do this. Do not download all image editors you know exist. You will need Photoshop to work on the design. Constantly improve in this graphic editor, and you will be happy.
Photoshop is a great program, and you will have to spend a decent amount of time studying it.
Approximate training time
The training time it will take to become a master of web design depends solely on your perseverance, desire, and desire. I advise you not to overdo your studies and not to force yourself to memorize something. Otherwise, you will get bored quickly. Professional growth will only happen with a sincere desire for what you do.
Learn new information, try, search again, try again, and in six months, you will develop good design skills that will ultimately bring a good income.
Start of practice
You can no longer wait to register on the largest specialized job search resource in Ukraine and leave a web designer’s resume. It will be too early. Once you have learned where to become a web designer and how long it takes, you can start practicing. I recommend as the first work to try copying any sites that you like.
Strive from the beginning to perform the task qualitatively, albeit not very quickly. Increasing speed and productivity will come over time, but releasing a second-rate product can become a habit that will be much harder to get rid of.
Essential tools to start earning
First, you need to decide how you will receive money from customers. These can be personal meetings, payment by bank card, WebMoney, etc. Write down somewhere in the phone or computer numbers of wallets, accounts so that then at any time, you can reset the data of the client and not have to wait.
Also, one of the essential tools for attracting customers for a web designer is his portfolio. If you have not yet had orders, then perform quality test work for yourself. Then place it in the portfolio and show it to clients until there are other projects implemented.
Pricing
Determine in advance who your target audience is and what scale of projects you will carry out. If you are going to take on everything in a row at the beginning, then at least set approximate prices to answer the customer’s question about the cost of the order. To do this, go to the sites of competitors and study their prices.
It is not recommended to use the strategy of an artificial understatement. Sometimes it is not a plus, but, conversely, a minus because if the cost is too low, the customer doubts your competence.
Where to get the first orders?
How to sell web design services? To get started, place ads on several popular freelance exchanges. They should accompany by a quality portfolio, prices, and a story about their experience and capabilities. As a rule, after such a procedure, the first order will not take long. However, if the description is weak or the portfolio is crude, more experienced freelancers who have already gained a particular rating on the stock exchange will win.
I recommend in parallel placing ads on free bulletin boards, various forums on web design, or related topics (SEO, marketing, etc.). Additional trust among customers will cause the presence of your site, so it will not be superfluous.
Communication with customers
The first customer contacts you. You calmly pick up the phone and listen to what the person wants. Find out what examples of work he likes, and specify the timing of the task. Take the order, if you can realize it, and create in advance.
I recommend writing all the questions asked by the client on a piece of paper and consider thorough answers to them because the probability of 99.9% that on the first call, your conversation with the client was not the best. This action will help form a database of phrases that you will use to further communicate with customers.
Execution of the order
The scheme of work of most designers looks about the same. First, the client gives a technical task. Then for a specified time, the designer performs the project, and the finished result provides a layout. If the customer approves the work, you continue to work on the design.
Consider the payment system in advance (50% to 50%, after or partial/full prepayment). Here you decide for yourself, at your own risk. If you do not take a prepayment, be prepared for “tomorrow payment”, which may not occur. Read more about the behavior of dishonest customers here.
Further development
After developing basic web design skills and completing several successful jobs, do not stop and gradually expand your technical arsenal. Learn new chips and follow trends. Remember that your income should not increase from the number of completed orders but the growth of projects. It is better to do one project a month, but for $5000, than five orders on $1000.