There has never been a more dire need for web design than there is today. With the COVID-19 pandemic driving consumers towards online shopping, businesses are going all out to bolster their web presence in order to stay ahead of the competition and remain operational. If you are looking at starting a web design business, there is no better time than the present. But how do you go about starting a design business? And more importantly, is it the right business for you to start?
Should you start a web design business?
The short answer is ‘yes’. However, we don’t recommend you starting a web design business unless you have a deep passion for web design. Starting any business can be stressful, frustrating, and time-consuming. Loving what you do can eliminate these overwhelming feelings, at least to a certain degree. Here are some questions to ask yourself before you start a web design business:
- Do you work well alone?
- Do you have good communication skills?
- Are you able to handle stress and uncertainty effectively?
- Are you a self-motivated and driven person?
- Can you meet deadlines and produce quality work at the same time?
- Can you forgo immediate rewards?
- Are you sure this is a business you want to start?
If you answer “yes” to the above questions, you could succeed at starting a web design business. Here’s how to go about it.
- Pick a niche
Sure, you can build websites for all types of businesses – this might seem like an achievable task. You will need to offer what every other web designer is offering – beautiful, affordable, responsive, and professional web design. You must be able to also deliver fast web design. Having a definite niche will help you cut your delivery time by several weeks.
Rather than merely saying, “I am a web designer”, you can should specify what you do. For example, you can say that you “create web designs for online stores across Australia”.
When choosing your niche, choose something that you have a passion for and that you will succeed at. You should also think about the skills that you possess. Additionally, research whether there are enough opportunities within your chosen niche.
- Decide on the services you will provide
Decide on the list of services you want to provide your customers. You might want to only do site redesigns or site rebuilds. Alternatively, you might decide to provide complete web designing and development. Some web designers extend their services to content creation, search engine optimization, video production and editing, blogging, managed web hosting, email marketing, social media management, and online advertising.
When considering the services that you will offer, consider the business software you will need. Some business software to consider investing in includes project management software, contract software, accounting software, and design and development software. To safeguard your business, consider investing in business insurance for web designers. You can find out more here.
- Price your services so they are profitable
How do you want to price your services? Check how other designers in your area are pricing their services. Keep in mind that you are working for yourself and need to make up for vacations, sicknesses, taxes, insurance fees, office rent, employee-related costs, and retirement, as well as the costs of running your own business.
Consider the costs related to software licenses, stock images, plugins, online payments, and stock images that you use.
- Build your business website and create social media profiles
You can’t skip this step – after all, your potential clients are going to judge your work by the website you create.
When creating your website, keep it simple and easy to navigate. Use eye-catching colours and legible fonts. Most importantly, ensure your website is free of errors. Include testimonials of clients and make sure you optimize your website for search engines. Clearly state the services you will offer and how you can be contacted.
As well as creating a website, considering showcasing your work on other channels as well. For example, you can create a Yelp account to reach business owners within your locality, or you can create a Facebook business page. LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram are just some other social media sites that you can use to promote your business.
Whatever social media profiles you set up need to be managed regularly and closely monitored. If you think you won’t be able to juggle several social media channels, consider focusing on just one or two social media channels, to begin with.
Conclusion
If you consider all these steps before you jump into starting a web design business, you’re less likely to find yourself becoming overwhelmed by all the work involved. Finally, if you want your web design business to succeed, you must constantly look for opportunities to promote your business and find new clients. Remember, you won’t become a successful web designer overnight. Focus on starting small and building on your business and you take on new clients and projects – it all begins with getting started.
References
iThemes. 2020. How to Start a Web Design Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://ithemes.com/how-to-start-web-design-business/. [Accessed 18 January 2021].
Elemenator. 2020. Start a Web Design Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://elementor.com/blog/start-web-design-business/. [Accessed 18 January 2021].
GoDaddy. 2020. How to Start a Web Design Business. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.godaddy.com/garage/how-to-start-a-web-design-business/. [Accessed 18 January 2021].
Bplans. 2021. How to Start a Small Web Design Firm. [ONLINE] Available at: https://articles.bplans.com/how-to-start-a-small-web-design-firm/. [Accessed 18 January 2021].