Web Designer
There are more than 1.5 billion websites on the world wide web today, and more are added everyday. The internet has revolutionized our lives in pretty much every arena, and businesses and organizations recognize that having a well-functioning, optimized website is essential for attracting customers and staying relevant in our increasingly digital age.
Knowing the importance of having a website, many business owners go it alone, setting up poorly-designed, poorly-performing sites using today’s popular web builders. That’s why we end up with so many bad websites surfacing on the web today. All of these bad sites pose a real opportunity for freelance web designers to come in and do an overhaul. If you have the skills, you could easily carve out a sustainable career for yourself as a Web Designer VBO.
DESCRIPTION
Becoming a web designer requires a fair amount of technical knowledge. For one, you need to understand coding and mark-up languages. HTML and CSS are commonly used together to design the user interface of many sites. It’s a good idea to start there before moving onto more advanced programming languages. You’ll also want a foundational understanding of user interface and user experience, UI/UX. And while search engine optimization is really its own category, it’s helpful to have a good working knowledge of it to help you organize site structure and incorporate best practices that will help visitors find your site.
To get started as a web designer, you can’t just have knowledge alone, you need experience. Start by designing your own site, and offer your services to friends, nonprofits, local businesses or anyone else who could benefit from your skills free of charge. Once you’ve got a few sites under your belt, you’ll be able to create a portfolio that you can then present to potential paying clients. With a little diligence, you’ll land your first paying clients in no time, and you’ll be able to watch your VBO career blossom from there. Get referrals and testimonials when you can to build your business further.
Here are just a few reasons you should consider becoming a Web Designer:
Here is an example of a VBO Niche for a Web Designer
To learn more about creating your VBO Niche - CLICK HERE!
Primary Niche
Web Design
SUB Niche
Web Design for Professional Services
VBO Niche
Web Design for Law Firms
We provide some great resources to help you get up and running as a Web Designer. If you have questions about becoming a Web Designer, feel free to head over to our Groups and ask there!
TASKS
PAY
Our research shows the hourly rate charged by Web Designer VBOs ranges from $30.00 to $70.00. However, the majority seemed to land in the $40.00 to 60.00 per hour range. Factors affecting this variance include geographic location, experience, and level of expertise.
BLOGS
Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is a leading blog for web designers and web developers. They are the authority for all of the latest information in the field. They also provide insightful tools, tips and tutorials to optimize your web design skills.
Web Designer Depot
Web Designer Depot is your one-stop shop for the weekly web design news, reviews, and more. You’ll engaging, informative articles on a range of topics including UX, visual design, business and tech, content strategy, usability and testing and a whole lot more. It’s well worth a visit for anyone interested in or currently working within web design.
SitePoint
The SitePoint blog is a great resource for practical information about the web design and development trade. They cover valuable topics like HTML and CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, PHP and more. They also keep readers abreast of rising industry trends and movements while providing helpful how-tos among other things along the way.
COURSES
Udemy
Udemy is a great site for VBOs to sharpen their skills. Their classes typically range from $10.00 - $200.00. However, they are known to have frequent sales with virtually all lessons available for as low as $10.00.
Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning community with classes in that are often helpful for VBOs focused on design, business, tech, and more.
Lynda
Lynda has been around a long time and might just be one of the granddaddies of online training. Pretty much all courses are well-vetted and professionally done. While their courses may be a little more expensive, they are top quality. Since they were recently acquired by LinkedIn, some premium accounts get access to Lynda at no additional charge, which is a great deal.
Coursera
Coursera offers courses from many of the top universities including Stanford, Duke, and Penn. As a result, their courses are probably a bit more like what you would imagine getting in higher education.
