7 Ways to Make Money as a Web Designer

With the pace of digital advancement, most activities essential to sustenance have a digital co-existence today. In fact, it might even be accurate to say that a company’s social media presence today speaks as much about it as its annual report. That is how important it is for every business to be able to sustain itself online. Whether one operates a lavish escape room in Bangalore or owns a cozy BnB in Seoul, a well-designed website that introduces you to the world is a must-have for your business.

When you understand how crucial online presence is for every company today, it comes as no surprise that web designing courses are all the rage today. It is a very lucrative income opportunity while doing something you love. Here are 7 ways you can make money as a web designer –  

• Create a Show-Stopping Website

Your website acts as the representative of your brand on the web, thus making it essential that you design it in an appealing way. Headlines are undoubtedly the most vital aspect of your entire website and thus require sufficient time and devotion to craft it in the best possible way! 

Users are only going to visit your website if the headline seems relevant or useful enough for their purpose. Simply glance at your website headline as a normal user and try to understand if it seems engaging enough. Go over your headline a couple of times, until you are absolutely certain about it before you hit the publish button.

As you embark on new projects, this website can serve as a display for your portfolio as well as client testimonials that demonstrate your expertise. Constant modifications or changes in your website to keep up with the changing tastes and desires of your target audience is vital to maintaining your website effectively. Also, make sure your website is linked to your social media profiles, for you can find several new viewers by spreading your reach to varied social media platforms.   

• Freelance Work

Many individual bloggers and small company owners require websites in order to reach a larger audience. Most freelancers draw their advantage from this situation! One of the most efficient ways to start is to look through employment networks and online classifieds websites such as Craigslist. Despite the fact that you are responsible for finding clients, you have a great deal of flexibility. 

You can choose your own working hours by working as a freelancer. It even allows you to exercise a lot more freedom and creativity considering you would not have to be answerable to superiors. Even so, you’d still be accountable for your work and would have to execute assignments on time to keep your clients satisfied. It’s also important to remember that you’ll have to keep track of your taxes and other financial paperwork. Furthermore, by working as a freelancer, you don’t have a particular employer to ensure your health insurance and other perks that come with regular jobs. As a consequence, it is advised to be careful to plan ahead of time and accordingly.  

But considering you have got this covered, working as a freelance web designer can be highly beneficial. Probably one of the most exciting perks is that you can choose exactly when you wish to work. Yet another great flexibility that working as a freelancer offers you, is that you are free to choose what kind of projects you wish to work on. Based on whether you wish to work on big projects or small ones, you can accordingly approach respective companies! 

In working as a freelance web designer, you are your own boss, and thus can work as per your own terms and conditions. Furthermore, you can also harness a greater balance between your work life and your domestic life, allowing you to spend more quality time with your friends and family. 

• Specialize

Today’s market offers a wide choice in picking web design services most suited to our needs. Right from designing and building custom websites to creating social media websites to managing SEO and PPCs, web design services offer a variety of services. And while it is beneficial to have a general understanding of what all these services entail, it is always good to identify and refine your expertise. 

Becoming proficient in one aspect of web design will give you more confidence and direction in terms of the kind of work you would like to do. You could procure both business clients and freelance projects this way. Furthermore, specializing in a particular area will also allow varied businesses to approach you in greater numbers as they realize your expertise in that area. 

Giving yourself an opportunity to land repeat clients specializing in one type of service will make it easier for you to create processes in your business to complete work accurately and quickly. These processes will also help you build a team that you would need as you work henceforth.    

• Networking Effectively

You should leverage social networking sites such as LinkedIn, which are effective tools for engaging with colleagues and potential customers. Ensure your profile is updated with all the services offered and all talents you deliver. Make sure you include links to any past projects you’ve worked on.

There’s also a career board on LinkedIn which can help you avail yourself of a lot of freelance projects. Further, registering and engaging with relevant organizations can also help you acquire more visibility on the web and thus spread your reach effectively. However, if you are just starting your work as a web designer for the first time, it is best not to rely too heavily on the various freelancing websites that you may come across.

Freelancers are generally matched with modest design/development assignments through these websites. Although some developers heavily vouch for them, getting work from these websites when you’re just starting out may be exceedingly challenging, considering a bulk of your time will be exhausted in securing billable employment.  

• Start your own blog 

Blogs are a wonderful way to acquire fresh customers and other relevant parties organically. For potential clients, a well-written blog is a terrific source of amusement and knowledge. Aside from showcasing your own services, a blog may be used to earn money in a variety of ways. Once the blog grows large enough, you can incorporate backlinks, ads, or even author-sponsored content.

Many popular blogs eventually grow into full-fledged businesses in this way. Working on author-sponsored articles or even writing guest post articles in your blog can be a great way to grow your blog on the web and is a helpful way to acquire good-quality backlinks.

When you start a blog from scratch, though, it can take a long time to see a return on investment. Consider producing freelance articles for a blog that already has a constant stream of traffic to help you get started.   

• Work at a Design agency

Working at a design agency could be an ideal option if you desire a more traditional job title. Instead of stressing about the management side of things, you can focus on serving clients and constructing websites with this approach. You wouldn’t have to look for new clients, and you’ll get all of the paid benefits that normal employees get. However, you’d have to work under strict supervision and have less creative control over your projects. There will also be harsh deadlines looming over your shoulders. And this procedure will also set a wage ceiling for you. Obtaining employee insurance and securing a source income, on the other hand, can be very reassuring. This will be the best option if you’re just starting out as a web designer.  

• Start your own agency

If you feel you have enough relevant experience and are confident in your abilities to perform and manage things well, you can start your own agency. It’s a lot like freelance work, but on a much larger scale. You could even start constructing your own websites. The flexibility to employ others to do the work for you is the fundamental advantage of having your own agency. You can recruit additional designers and eventually recruiters to help you, secure clients.

Having your own agency allows you to do the work you want and in the manner that you desire. As a general rule, start as a freelancer and gradually create the foundations for your agency as you gain expertise. You can eventually automate the entire process with a lot of hard effort and a smart business plan. You will be able to collect a percentage of the money each month as a result of this. 

You must actively network with other people in your business and reach out to new clients in addition to working on your skills. If you can create a solid customer base and take measured chances with the projects you choose, you can procure meatier projects and make it big in the corporate sector.