Building a career as a Web Designer

Working online provides a lucrative life schedule that many people have never experienced. Freelance web development, Internet marketing, and design jobs allow any industry professional to work from the comfort of their own home. But this also requires more dedication towards building a name for yourself and getting recognized by others in the field.

There are some tips for building an online social following as a Web Designer. Being a web designer is tough and requires a lot of experience just to complete freelance jobs. But throw in the marketing side and you have a whole new set of issues. Hopefully, these tips can alleviate the initial steps.

Setup a Common Brand

People want to find you on Google by looking through the same name and references. This could mean googling your real name, company name, or past project works. But whatever the branding you choose it should be common amongst all your networks.

Be sure to create a few social networking profiles as a graphic maker for your brands. There is no need to join every new hit website as it launches. But take the time to consider where your target market can be found. Most web designers use Twitter as a means of communication between other designers and developers.

But you may feel that smaller forums or bulletin boards are an easier way of networking. The importance lies in how you create these profiles and present yourself to the world.

Offer Some Goodies

It never hurts to build a few demo projects and release them onto the web for free. Other Internet users love working with custom-built PSD and AI files. Graphics are a huge component of any successful website and this will garner some attention.

Once you are using other social networks, it is very easy to get your freebies out to the world. But larger networks such as Twitter or Facebook will help through viral sharing methods. These types of freebies can jumpstart credibility and build your name online.

Aside from graphics, you could also offer fully-coded website templates. Some popular business models are surrounding this product. But with the popularity of HTML5/CSS3 and many WordPress themes becoming open source, it’s a huge market. The demand for free web templates is through the roof.

If you can’t publish your work, then try contacting some web design blogs online. Many bloggers or editors will be happy to publish your freebies on the site. It’ll bring in traffic and also help to build your name as a content publisher.

Provide Conversation

Other web designers love to learn new things and share their knowledge. If you’re getting into building websites either freelance or full-time, keep in touch with the community. This is a great way to expand your knowledge and meet some great people along the way.

The most straightforward way to meet others is by asking great questions. Thought-provoking questions will enhance the many different web communities and also give others a reason to help. You’ll notice that more specific questions will yield greater results.

Plus, with Google, it’s now easier than ever to find answers to many difficult problems. Advanced web development techniques can be put together through Stack Exchange, Shopify, and similar web forums. And all of these questions are not of robot origin – they have been asked & answered by real human beings! It goes to show how exciting our modern Internet era has become.

Speak your Mind Truthfully

Customers may provide you with negative or positive feedback, but all this is helpful for me to learn the lessons of being a web designer. Nobody is right 100% of the time, and we’ve all got lessons to be learned.

However, this doesn’t mean you should hide behind the normal trends in design. If you have passionate opinions get them out there! Other web designers will delightfully read your words and maybe even offer their ideas in the rebound. The feedback component is essential so that you can reflect on your thoughts and determine just what your message should be.

Over time you will build confidence in yourself and your artwork. Nobody starts in the web design making it big within 1 or 2 years. Dedicate yourself to the areas you find most passionate – Photoshop mockups, interfaces, mobile apps, marketing, web analytics, whatever gets you motivated to start working.

If you don’t know enough about a topic to form an opinion that’s okay too. Your job as a web designer is to keep practicing and learning new techniques. You’ll be surprised how much you can pick up within a few weeks of studying.

Share Helpful Links & Resources

Aside from graphics or code freebies, you can help other designers by sharing great articles. There are hundreds of new blog posts on important topics like better picks and lifehacks, galleries, and tutorials published online every day. Web designers are always itching to check out the latest HTML5/CSS3 techniques.

By using any of your favorite social networks you can share links from other design blogs. It’s a great reason for like-minded designers to follow you and keep up with your feed. Even in more recent startups like Pinterest you have a tremendous user base focused on web design.

Succeed in Freelance Web Design

It is difficult to balance a digital freelance lifestyle. You have to know how to prioritize everything, work ahead of time, make your communication more effective, avoid detrimental planning, find partners and limit your working hours.

Building an online following is something that happens throughout a couple of years. There is nobody who has risen to fame in just a few weeks or months. It will take a lot of hard work, but this time will build your skillset and confidence. The best way to get yourself recognized is to persevere through all obstacles and keep your spirits up!