Web Design Business: How Difficult Is It to Start?

The Opportunities of a Web Design Business

There are many upsides when you start your web design business. The first thing is that you can have full control of your career and your business direction. You can be more flexible regarding where, when, and how you work. Moreover, your business can probably be home-based. You can probably work from home or anywhere with a reliable Internet connection.

Besides, you can easily promote your business brand by providing various services, such as SEO, website maintenance, blog customization and setup, content writing, etc. You can realize that by establishing partnerships with other web developers, SEO experts, copywriters, marketing consultants, etc. Web Design Business: How Difficult Is It to Start?

What’s more, a web design business can yield a steady income. According to Salary.com, a web designer in the US can earn from $58,000-$72,000 annually on average. Remarkably, the job outlook of web designers is positive. In general, a web designer’s salary in the US is likely to ascend by about 9% every 18 months.

The Challenges of a Web Design Business

Like all other ventures, you have to encounter a few downsides when embarking on your web design business. 

As previously mentioned, web design is a highly sought-after job, so many people are trying to start out in this industry. What’s more, several would-be clients are attempting to build their website with an in-house team. This means that you have to face fierce competition in the ever-evolving web environment. 

To be more precise, you need to keep updated with new technology and hone your web design skills continually to stay relevant in the software industry. It is highly recommended that you well understand the coding standards and technology and come up with creative and unique designs to stand out from template-driven services.

Moreover, you may be tied to your computer for many long hours daily. You need to extensively test the websites you designed on many computers and browsers. This can be a bit challenging and tiring.  

How to Start a Web Design Business in 2021

Terrifying as starting a web design business from scratch may seem at first, you can develop and run your business effectively if you follow the 5 necessary steps below. 

Step 1: Determine Your Web Design Business’ Approach

You can hardly build a thriving business if you don’t have a goal or a mission that drives you to strive. As Steve Jobs once said:

“The only way to feel satisfied is to do what we think is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what we do.” 

Therefore, you should first determine the kind of business you want to build. Are you solely interested in a web design business that targets a niche? Or do you want to go big by providing additional services related to web design such as SEO, content writing, etc.? Ensure that you have set a clear vision for your business, which can help you grow your company.

Step 2: Establish an Appropriate Business Model

After figuring out how you approach your business, you can start doing research and legal work. The first thing to do at this step is to get a business license and, if necessary, business insurance for your company. The process may be different depending on each country. If you reside in the US, you can visit the SBA website to know how to acquire a business license. You can also seek consultation or advice from a lawyer. 

After that, it’s time for you to analyze the potential competition that your business needs to handle. Whether you target local or international clients, the web design sector is fiercely competitive. Hence, you can research how your rival business is run, what kind of work they do, how they engage and retain clients. Then, go with a solid business strategy that helps you stand out from an influx of competitors. 

Step 3: Establish Your Team to Go Further

Doing everything by yourself can take up a lot of your energy and efforts. So why not work with others by building a team to advance your business. You can make a team of those with significant expertise in many aspects of your web design business model. Instead of settling for average or amateur, why not opt for the best among the best for your team.

If you have a limited budget to recruit the experts, you can have a remote team with a more comfortable expense. Many web design startups are adopting this strategy and outsourcing to do excellent work. Besides, you can build a team that works from home. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a business can typically save up to $11,000 per person annually by just allowing them to work remotely 50% of the time.

Step 4: Build Unique Website & Publish Your Portfolio Online

At this step, you have to design your business website and publish your portfolio online. A web design agency website plays an essential role in shaping clients’ awareness of your business identity. Thus, let’s exploit your skills, experience, and resources available to build a website that shows how different you are from other ordinary companies

Also, an excellent portfolio is what you need to build if you want to acquire clients. When prospective customers reach your company, they need to see examples of your work. Hence, creating a fascinating portfolio with unique designs can help you win the clients’ hearts.

To make your web design business known to more people, you can offer free service or work. Seek for clients, offer to design their websites for free, and ask them to give your company positive testimonials. You can even create beautiful website templates and publish them online for free to reach more potential customers.

Step 5: Adopt a Good Marketing Strategy & Start Promoting

You cannot get any clients if you just sit at your office and let your business unnoticed. To promote your business, you can launch a blog with a unique voice for your web design business. Also, take part in web design and development platforms, such as Github and StackOverflow, to boost your brand awareness.

Then you need to opt for the appropriate social media platforms for your business promotion. Bear in mind that you don’t need to conquer all platforms. Just find and invest in the most suitable one for your business model. Social sites such as Facebook or Instagram are where your web design business can target the right audience.

The Final Thought about Web Design Business

To wrap it up, starting a web design business is not an easy task. You need to set a clear vision goal, build your team and your website, adopt optimal marketing strategy, etc. You may encounter a few bumps along the way, but keep sticking to your business model and providing excellent design work for your clients. Hard work pays off. One day, your web design business will flourish and clients will be reaching you.

See also: A Glossary of Web Design Terms for Non-Designer