According to whois.com and domaintools.com, there are currently over 99 million “.com” websites, thus creating a very big market for web design and opportunity for small business owners!
Marketing and building the business will be among the greatest challenges as it is for most entrepreneurs. The good news is that today there are a number of complementary businesses that can help make it easier and faster.
Step one is to identify and buy an available domain name using a company like iwhois.com. From there you will need to focus on your chief marketing tool. This will vary, depending upon the product– if you own a jewlery business it will be the jewelry you make and wear everyday. For a web design business it is your company website.
This needs to be outrageously good as it will be the#1 way in which you as a designer will be evaluated. Your website design should leave the potential customer feeling that they want what you have. The graphics, interface and copy should be so appealing that your would-be client could not help but click through to check out all of your pages.
Next: how do you differentiate yourself from all the other great web designers out there? You build a number of sites to demonstrate the scope of your creative abilities. For example, https://99designs.com/ and https://www.crowdspring.com/ are the leading sites that allow you to submit designs on spec for projects. Project revenues are on the low side and with scores of designers making submissions, the odds are low that you will land the business. But, that is not the point. It gives you the opportunity to showcase your abilities against specific client requirements. Even if it is not selected, it may still be excellent creative, gets your name out there and can be used on your site as creative work.
Another avenue is to find a well-known brand whose website you think could be improved. Create a mockup of an updated and improved homepage—even the biggest companies are constantly seeking ways to improve the look and feel of their websites. Perhaps a fresh angle is just what the brand needs and your work might get noticed with a posting on their Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages.
A case in point is the 20 year old designer Jonathan Mak who (like Raid71 before him) created a design of the Apple logo that incorporated Steve Jobs’ profile. Within days of Jobs’ death, the design went viral bringing the young designer a great deal of attention and offers.
Once you have enough creative work in your portfolio, create a profile for yourself on a site for freelancers, such as Guru, and bid on real work. Now you’re talking money! Combine these steps with effective outreach to all your contacts and you could be on your way.
You wouldn’t skimp on the foundation for a new home—the same is just as true when starting a business. The foundation is critical. Get it right from the beginning and the rest should follow.
Good luck and give us your success story. You could be the subject of a CareerFuel blog and use it as part of your marketing efforts.