Starting A Web Design Business
Web Design As A Business
Hi Folks
Anyone who has read my Profile Bio will know that I used to create and sell websites for a living back in the early days of the internet.
I believe it was first planned out in 1983 and then on the 6th August 1993 the World Wide Web went live to the world. There was no fanfare in the global press though. In fact, most people around the world didn't even know what the Internet was.
In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, an Internet-based hypermedia initiative for global information sharing while at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. He wrote the first web client and server in 1990.
Anyone interested can read when it became mainstream on this page
Since The world wide web just keeps growing. Businesses realize the benefits of being on the web, but don't always know how to design a good website. If you know basics about web design, you might be interested in starting a website design business.
Starting a website design business is not much different from starting any other business. However just knowing how to design a website is not enough. You need to do some research to be certain you have all the tools you need. You will certainly need graphics software and HTML editing software. Remember that you are working for businesses, so you need some knowledge of what makes a business website effective.
It will also help to target a particular market. Find something you have some experience and or knowledge of. This way you can develop ideas for that particular market.
If you are just starting your website design business. Look at websites from local businesses and call them to offer your services. Often the smaller businesses have put up their own website with no professional help. They may welcome your skills, and will later serve as a valuable reference.
As you consider starting your website design business, make sure you know what you need to know before offering your services. If you have creativity and an interest in building websites, this could be a business for you.
I started designing websites in the second half of the 1990's but I stopped doing it back in 2013, but there is a WA member who has been doing it since the late 1990's as well.
Here name is Erin and she has her own web design company - WorldHorizons Web. You can read her latest blog here - Web Design - My Business
Like any other home business, creating websites as a source of income is a very lucrative business to get into but there is a lot of work involved initially. Once you have established yourself as a good designer though you can make a pretty decent living from it.
There you go folks and if anyone else has tried or is still in this business and has a few tips and advice then please leave them via a comment below.
Onwards and upwards, and be successful.
Robert Allan
Recent Comments
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Hello Robert, how are you doing?
I do have to say that I have thought about doing something like this but don't feel that I have enough experience with it. What would be your thoughts.
Hello stranger and where have you been hiding?
Up to no good more than likely and gallivanting to weddings and putting pics of pups on FB lol.
I would stick to what you are doing now Cheryl at least until you have taken a proper and indepth course on Coding.
Hope your Monday has gone well and thank you for dropping by.
Robert
Hello friend, I keep thinking that we need to meet soon for tea and biccies. Meeeee, I always behave myself, and don't get up to no good lol. Yes I was away gallivanting to my best friends sons wedding yesterday but I don't recall putting up pics of pups on FB, you have me wondering about that now lol.
Thanks Robert, I did think I was better to leave well alone at the moment and I will do.
I have had a good day, quiet but nice thank you and you are very welcome friend.
Are you free next Wednesday for a wee catch up at all. xxxx
I think it was a video of a pup in the front seat with a safety belt.
Now I'm off for the night.
Robert
I know the one you mean, it was a friends mum that sent it to me on messenger. I didn't realise I had put it on FB lol.
Night Robert. xx
Your memory failing Cheryl - its an age thing lol.
I'm uptown already and what a miserable morning it is, cold and wet.
Catch you later.
Robert
You know what my memory is like lol, lots of senior moments I have nowadays.
You were quick off the mark this morning. It really isn't nice Robert, same here in Penicuik.
Will do and have a good day.
Speak later friend. xxxx
Enjoy the rest of your cuppa and it's dry here in Penicuik but rather grey and miserable looking.
Byeeeeee Robert. xxxx
Great post Robert. I started to get into e commerce in the 90s but did not stick with it oops. Wish I had, but am now working on it as a newbie . It is much easier with the help of the people of WA. Thanks to everyone and blessing to you. Paul.
Hi Paul and thank you for stopping by and for your comment.
As soon as I got my first one (commodore & not the game console) I took it to bits and rebuilt it so I would know how it worked and how to fix it.
Took me three weeks to put it back together lol.
Onwards and Upwards.
Robert
Thank you Robert. Unfortunately, my design skills don't shine too brightly as can be seen from my sites.
Derek
It takes time Derek as it does with anything worthwhile.
It took me quite a long time with my first website because there was so much coding to learn.
Now a days you have Wordpress which is a real boon to people who want to create their own website but not so good for website designers.
Thank you for reading and commenting and hope your Thursday turns out as well as you hope it will.
Robert
Hi Joe and thank you for taking time out to read my blog.
You are the second member to mention Al Gore - who is he/she?
I'm going to have to look it up on the internet.
Onwards and upwards to your own eventual success with your own websites.
Have a good one.
Robert
Former US vice President. Claimed he invented the internet. It has been a joke since. : )
Joe
Hello Joe thank you for the info.
No it certainly wasn't him, it was the guy above and he is English, Damn! (I'm Scottish).
It was also an English man who invented the first computer
Charles Babbage (1791-1871), computer pioneer, designed the first automatic computing engines. He invented computers but failed to build them. The first complete Babbage Engine was completed in London in 2002, 153 years after it was designed.
Damn again lol
Enjoy your Friday.
Robert
Thanks Robert!
As much fun as I’m having with my own site design, I will leave the business of doing it for a living to the pros.
I plan to add a couple more sites to my own portfolio but that will be about all I can handle!
KyleAnn
Hi KyleAnn and thank you for your visit.
I'm sure you are learning a ton of stuff here in WA and if you put your mind to it you could design other sites for family and friends and perhaps make a few dollars from it.
You will never know until you try.
Have a great Thursday.
Robert
Hello Glenys and thank you for stopping by and commenting.
No harm in giving design a try.
You have lots of free SiteRubix to practice with.
Also its always best to start locally and all this means is to ask around local business in your home town if they would be interested in having a website promoting their business.
This is how I got my start and you would be surprised just how many don't have a website and would like to see if it would improve their business.
Have a great Thursday.Robert
Great info Robert being new to website building I knew nothing about it before. The only plugin we knew about was the kind you plugin. Lol
So thank you will follow webdesign link above.
Blessings ;-))
Hi Elaine and thank you for reading and commenting.
Erin has been doing web design for a long time so she will be able to give you tips and advice that is more up-to-date than mine.
It does take an imaginative mind to create great sites and mine are a wee bit behind the times now.
Enjoy your Thursday.
Robert
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Great information thanks.
Hello Sandy and thank you for dropping by.
You have been a member for quite some time so is web design something you have decided on after trying your hand at affiliate marketing?
There is money to be made but it does take time and you must have skills you have learnt from actually being involved in design.
It doesn't really matter in what field as long as you know what you're doing.
Then of course you have to be able to work with Coding in its various forms.
Have a great Wednesday when it dawns for you.
Robert