Author: Marcus Mills

In many ways, web design goes hand in hand with marketing. Many experienced marketers frequently discuss how important it is, how much it costs, where to get it…these are all pertinent topics and questions. But few people actually take the time to explain exactly what web design involves.

We think the best way to approach the question of “what” is to outline what web designers do over the course of a project.

On this page, we’ll cover everything that goes in to a web design project, so you know exactly what you’re paying for the next time you outsource web design work.

Keep reading to learn more, and contact us!

Whether you’re looking for a web designer, or a web design company , ATI Web Design has you covered.

Design vs. development

As a quick preface: you’ve probably heard the two terms web design and web development used together frequently.

The two definitely do go together, as all websites require some work in both areas to be fully functional and streamlined.

For the purpose of this article, you can think of web design primarily as the visual aspects of a website, and web development as the backend, more technical work.

So…what does a web designer do?

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

These three “languages” are the backbone of most websites, and are the three biggest tools in a web designer’s toolbox. They’re all technically “languages,” although HTML and CSS are not technically considered to be true programming languages.

HTML

HTML (Hyper Text markup Language) is a set of “markup” tags that are responsible for structuring all the various elements of a webpage. It designates headers, footers, paragraphs, links, images, and everything in between. HTML is what search engine crawlers “read” when they index your website.

Proper HTML is critical to a professional, functioning website. HTML mistakes will almost universally result in visual anomalies on a website, apparent even to users. At worst, improper HTML can essentially break an entire website.

CSS

You can think of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) as supplements to HTML. CSS is responsible for the styling of HTML elements – in other words, CSS controls how website elements look to end users.

For example, HTML uses the < p > tag to designate paragraphs, or general body text. Using CSS, a designer can make all text designated as a < p > element a certain color, a certain font size, a certain font type, and so on.

CSS can be very simple and accessible in the context of small, static websites, but can quickly grow to thousands of lines of code when dealing with bigger, more complex websites.

JavaScript

JavaScript is yet another supplementary language to HTML and CSS. It’s considered fairly easy to learn, as far as programming languages go. JavaScript also straddles the line between web developer and web designer.

To put it very simply, JavaScript allows for the enhanced manipulation of website elements. HTML and CSS are not necessarily “programming” languages, in that they essentially serve just to structure and style web pages. You can achieve some semblance of functionality with them, like causing an element to change color when it’s hovered over, but JavaScript is required for anything beyond that.

JavaScript gives designers advanced control over the elements of a website. For example, designers can use JavaScript to define that “when the user does X, Y will happen,” where Y is a functional complexity that can’t be handled by simple HTML and CSS.

A very basic usage of JavaScript is something like hiding or showing a certain element when the user clicks a specific button.

There are various implementations or “versions” of JavaScript, with jQuery being the easiest and most common for web designers to learn and utilize.

Graphical elements

It’s a web designer’s responsibility to construct the overall look and feel of a website, using images, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to do so.

Designers are typically creative in nature, and have a knack for picking aesthetically pleasing color palettes.

Designers structure websites so that the flow of information is intuitive and comfortable to users. They’re responsible for creating a cohesive user experience, whereas developers create the user interface itself.

Collaboration with developers

Again, it’s important to note that a fully-fledged website is the product of hours and hours of work put in by individuals with many skill sets, from design to development to copywriting.

Designers often work closely with web developers to achieve polished, industry-leading functionality and overall user experience.

Are you looking for professional web design services?

Now that you have a better idea of what web designers do, you can move forward knowing exactly what you’re paying for. And if you’re looking for professional design services for your website, we’d love to help!

ATI Web Design is a full-service digital marketing agency with an expansive design department. Our team of expert web designers has years of experience crafting custom websites for clients in all industries and across the country. We know how to make stylish, functional websites, and we’d love to work together with your business.

Contact us today for more information or a free quote!

If you are just starting a new business and are looking to design a new website or are looking to revamp your current one, a good website is essential. The current business culture relies on the internet for advertising, and for your business to be noticed hiring a web design firm could be important for your business.

There are many web design companies looking for work, and it’s up to you to find the one that meets your needs. Before you start looking for a designer, you should have a basic idea of what you want so you can choose the right designer the first time.

Many new business owners believe they need to have the perfect vision for their brand or website, but this is not the case. Use the tools provided to you by the internet and those around you to make your business the most successful. 

Here are a few tips for when you start looking for a web designer:

Budget:

Find someone that fits into your business model and your budget rather than working the other way around. If you are just starting out, it is crucial to get a website up and running, but it does not need to be the best website ever created. 

Further down the line, you can revamp your website and make it more elaborate, or change it to fit your growing business needs. Spending extra money on a web designer upfront can backfire in the long run. 

Make sure you give your designer enough time to come up with a design or make your design a reality. Expectations that are too high from the beginning will only alienate your designer and make the process more difficult.  

There are people out there learning to become web designers every day, and it may pay off to hire the new up and coming talent and secure them at a lower starting price. This is a risk, so use caution when hiring unproven talent and consider giving them a test project to evaluate their skills. 

Style:

Ask to see the potential web designer’s portfolio to get a sense of their style. If you have a specific vision for your website, discuss that with them to see if they have the skills to make it a reality. You can also give them a test webpage to design for a small payment to better understand their style and skill level. 

There needs to be a balance with finding a designer in your budget and finding someone that fits your style. If they are the cheapest you can find but have an entirely different style from your current vision of your site, you will be unhappy with the results. 

If possible, speak to their previous clients to get a sense of how they work with others and what type of employee they would make. Are they able to complete projects on time with what was planned? Are they easy to work with and open to new ideas? These are only a couple of questions that are important to ask before hiring a web designer. 

Future site maintenance:

Another key aspect of hiring a web designer is planning for future maintenance and updates to your site. No website is perfect from the beginning, and all of them need edits and support to keep running smoothly. 

Before hiring a web designer, ask them if they are willing and able to make edits. Can they improve the site on an ongoing basis or will they part ways once the design is up and running? There are ways around this if you found the perfect designer for your website, but they don’t do edits or updates. You can hire another person just to maintain the site. However, that will come at an extra cost and can potentially take more time for them to learn how the site was built. 

SEO Knowledgeable:

Driving traffic to your site relies heavily on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It is highly recommended that your web designer be familiar with integrating SEO techniques into your website. This will save you the hassle of trying to add them yourself later or hiring yet another person to do it for you. 

This includes adding keywords that are easily searched for and making the site quick to load. Many people will skip to the next result in their query if a website takes over a second or two to load. 

SEO is not only reliant on keywords in your site. It may also require research in your business field to determine what type of SEO techniques are necessary to be successful. For some, this may include paid advertisements or links to social media pages. Every business model is different and requires individual attention. 

Mobile-Friendly:

More and more people are using their mobile devices as their primary connection to the internet. Your page needs to be easily adapted to be viewed on a smaller screen and still be easily navigated. Websites without this feature are limited to those using a laptop or desktop computer. 

A web designer should have the knowledge and skill to make a desktop/laptop browser page and a mobile device page as well.

Making the Perfect Hire

Before hiring a web designer, ask for proof of their skills through a portfolio, test project, or previous clients. It can be beneficial to ask business contacts how they found their first web designer, or if they know a specific person they can vouch for and recommend. Online freelancer websites are an excellent place to start looking for designers if you have no one to ask. 

Businesses are not built in a day, and neither are websites. It takes time to develop a good site or come up with an innovative design. Set aside the time to work with your developer to create a website you can be proud of. It is better to delay the project’s completion by a few days or weeks than to start from scratch because you are unhappy with the results. 

Your website is a reflection of your business which is a reflection of yourself. Don’t forget to proofread and test your website before it goes live. Many errors can be easily identified and resolved using beta testers or website testing software. 

Hiring a great web designer can make or break the creation of your website. Take your time, do your research, and find the best fit. Then, work together to create something amazing. Start searching for an amazing web designer for your company today!

It can be intimidating to start a new career path, especially in a field like web design. It takes a lot of knowledge and technical skill to become a web designer. You want to feel confident you’ll succeed in your new career before investing the time and effort needed to refine your skills.

You’ve always been interested in web design, but you’re still a bit apprehensive. How can you justify putting in so much time when you can’t guarantee whether it’s the right fit for you?

We don’t have a crystal ball to show you your future, but we have the next best thing: insights from seasoned professionals on what it takes to make it in web design. The characteristics described below may reveal you’re more equipped than you thought to become a successful web designer!

Should I become a web designer? Yes, if …

1. You can explain your ideas in your listener’s terms

It doesn’t take much to just say what you are thinking, but to truly communicate is a different thing. You’ve gotten pretty good at explaining things to people who don’t think like you. Whether it’s translating design terms to family members who want your advice or explaining to your friends exactly what you hated about a movie, you know how to meet people where they’re at.

This communication skill is essential in web design, according to Sherry Holub, creative director at JVM Design. “When just starting out, it’s easy to simply go, ‘Here’s your new design!’ but without explanation, your client may not know how to respond.”

Holub says designers often get vague feedback such as “I don’t like it.” or “Can you make it ‘pop’ more?” when they haven’t walked clients through how the design meets their needs. “When you present your design to the client, thoroughly explain why it meets their needs and goals and will connect with their audience,” Holub says. The design exists to serve your client.

2. You believe in collaboration

If this is setting off warning sirens in your head from frustrating flashbacks to the past, try to keep in mind those dreaded group projects in high school often weren’t anyone’s idea of a good time. But you can recall occasions where you worked with friends or created something with a partner that was much better than anything you could have done alone. You appreciate that different people are talented in ways you aren’t and can offer skills and new perspectives—and in a professional setting, everyone is invested in the work.

If you can see the value of good collaboration, you have an excellent perspective for this job.

“An artist with the ability to work with others is rare, but useful,” says Peter Heise of Correct Digital Inc. Heise emphasizes that you can find plenty of business-minded professionals with strong collaboration skills who can fix their mistakes and deliver the product on time, but it’s harder to find a talented artist who can do that.

Part of collaboration is respecting and adjusting to the client’s requests.

“We can’t receive payment until the client is happy with the website,” Heise points out. “The ability to receive and adjust to criticism is important.”

3. You’re handy with technology

Call it extra interest or natural aptitude—there’s something about technology that you just understand. When new platforms catch your interest, you’re a quick learner.

“It’s good to already have an aptitude for web design,” Holub says. “This is something you can of course develop if you have the desire and determination. But since the digital world and the internet are constantly evolving, you’ll need to stay on top of the technology.“

Employers are increasingly on the hunt for web designers who have lots of different skills. “You’ll see the term ‘full-stack’ a lot,” Holub says. “It means they want you to be a good designer and know a number of back-end programming languages, CMS frameworks, software, etc.”

Holub says specializing isn’t impossible, but the industry is moving toward professionals who are more versatile. A natural aptitude in design and technology might be critical to help your continued learning in this career.

4. You can read people

Reading people isn’t that difficult for you. You pick up on body language and facial cues when someone is upset or disinterested, and you adjust your behavior accordingly. This is very valuable in web design.

“Website designs are emotionally laden projects whether for a small business or a large corporation,” says David Erickson, principal of e-Strategy Media. “People tend to invest a lot of their hopes and desires in the outcome.” For this reason, Erickson emphasizes that designers need the ability to read the room and see power dynamics in a group of people. 

When you are working on a project, people might feel like their reputations among colleagues are at stake. Different employees might feel invested in making their specific ideas happen—making you the mediator in a project tugged different ways.

“Being able to successfully navigate these relationships and emotions is an invaluable career skill,” Erickson says. “People will often be reluctant to articulate their emotions before a group, so it is important to be able to read their body language and tactfully and diplomatically help them voice their excitement or worries.”

5. You have a thick skin

You’re not too precious about your work. By the time you are showing a design to someone, you are ready to hear their feedback—even if it’s critical. And if you were paid to design something for someone, you wouldn’t take it personally if they wanted you to change things.

“I’ve known many designers just starting out who would really take it to heart when a client said they didn’t like the design they came up with and get upset about it,” Holub says. Overcoming this means understanding that your design isn’t about your ego or portfolio, she explains. “The design you create is for the client’s needs, goals and audience—knowing that will actually help to build self-confidence in the long run.”

6. You’re interested in marketing

In the end, designers tend to love the art of design best. But you know a thing or two about what gets people’s attention and why companies are looking for web designers in the first place.

“While creativity is a great trait to have, being grounded enough to understand that evidence-based marketing will lead to a better return on investment for your client is also key,” Holub says. “When it comes to web design, there is a wealth of research and statistics that can form a solid base for any design decisions you make. A great designer is able to balance evidence with creativity.”

Holub explains that web design has three major aspects to it: function (coding, user interface, etc.); visual (the actual design); and marketing (what actually makes the design work, connect with the intended audience and drive that audience to take action). The function and the visual parts of this career are essential of course, but designers need to understand the marketing function as well.

7. You have lots of patience

Traffic is backed up? No big deal. That soufflé you’ve been trying to master has deflated again? It’s OK—you’ll get it right next time. Your patience levels are legendary, even in the most trying situations.

“Humility and patience are rare in the visual design industry,” says Alex Wright, owner of Alex Wright Web Design and SEO. “Especially coming out of school, designers often view their own aesthetic preferences with a very high regard at the expense of the big picture end goals.”

But Wright says the more humble and patient you can be in your work, the better you can actually influence the final calls on a project.

8. You get things done on time

You took the reins and planned your friend’s surprise party down to the last detail. Your boss never needs to breathe down your neck to make sure your work is getting done. People know they can count on you to get projects done well and on time.

That motivation and time management are critical in the web design field. Heise says time management skills are very important for web designers. “Art is never finished, but business projects have a due date.”

. You’re naturally curious

Your iPod is loaded with podcasts and audiobooks about every topic under the sun—it’s all so interesting! Your quench for knowledge can’t be satisfied.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it definitely didn’t kill the web designer. The design world is constantly being updated with new technology and web designers have to keep up. “Many people think web designers are simply graphic designers for the internet,” Erickson says.

“While graphic design is a large part of the job, really successful web designers are also psychologists, sociologists, technologists, search marketers, social media marketers, usability, analytics and conversion experts.” It takes a wide array of interests to excel in web design, and professionals who are naturally curious will have a much easier time learning what they need.

So, should you become a web designer?

Do the traits above resonate with you? If so, a career in web design may be a great fit for you. You’ve already got the natural chops to make it in the field, all that’s missing is the knowledge and technical skill. As you can see from our experts, there is so much to learn in web design. The best candidates for this career get kind of excited about all there is to know and all the options ahead.

Have you ever been to a website and had no idea what they do? If so, this is probably because their homepage doesn’t effectively communicate the company’s value proposition. Your homepage design is the first thing that someone sees when they visit your website. It’s one of the most important pieces of content on your site, so it needs to be appealing and engaging.

A homepage design can make or break a business, and it’s important to create one that will engage visitors. A good homepage design should be informative and provide the right amount of content without overwhelming your audience. When designing your home page, think about: what you want people to do on the site; how much information is necessary; where you want users to go next?

The goal of the homepage design is to compel visitors to explore other areas of your site, provide a clean amount of white space, and leave visitors searching for more details on your product or service. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to create something that does just that. But how do you go about designing an attractive homepage? Here are five homepage design tips for creating a great home page design and a successful website:

Make sure it tells visitors what your business does right away

The most effective homepage design that will get people to sign up or buy from you is by making them aware of what you offer and catching the user’s attention with the very first impression. Many websites do not focus on the user experience, leaving a lot of room for improvement. An effective headline will help potential visitors learn more about what makes your company different from other businesses and other websites in your industry. Your headline should be visually prominent and offer other important elements that provide informative content for your website visitors. Feel free to use simple language and draw attention to potential customers by including only the essential information about your brand.

Include social media links

People love being able to connect with their favorite brands on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It allows consumers to feel a connection to the brand, as long as the brand does a good job at posting relatable content. It is also a fantastic opportunity for brands to attract consumers and provide them with social proof, therefore gaining their trust. Whether you are gaining the trust of an existing customer or a new customer doesn’t matter. Building your target audience is important for the growth of your business! Include your social media icons in your homepage site design, along with your service pages and your recent blog post. Make it easy for your visitors to find what they are looking for, and connect with your brand.

Be picky when choosing imagery

Use relevant imagery throughout your content and do NOT forget about alt tags on all your photos! This ensures that your photos will be optimized via search engines, therefore requiring search engine optimization. Your web designers should choose photos that align with your brand, and that grabs the visitor’s attention immediately. Make them eye-catching and easy to interpret! Oftentimes, we use stock images if a brand does not have proper visual elements. However, we do recommend you avoid stock photos and instead get professional photos that resemble your brand. We highly recommend using images directly from the client when they have an online shop or online store for an e-commerce website. A website visitor will demand to see proof of your product or service, and having that proof on your professional website is crucial. It enables users to decide right away if your product or service is the right fit.

Make the homepage user-friendly

Make sure visitors know what they’ll find when exploring beyond the homepage website design by linking back to other sections on the website with additional information. Your homepage design should also include navigation options along with a visual hierarchy, so users can quickly jump between different sections of your site without having to leave or reload any pages. This increases the conversion rate on your site, simply because your site users are able to find a call-to-action, find blogs, and reach the destination you intended. Before you officially launch your website, ensure that it is optimized as a mobile site because the majority of users will search for your website via a mobile device.

Include a contact form or chat box

Whether your contact information is in the utility navigation or you have a contact information form/chat box that pops up when you land on the homepage, it is extremely important to make it easy for consumers to contact your business. The contact information should be easy to find throughout the entire website, ensuring a good and responsive website for your website users. The sooner you can respond to a consumer, the more likely they are to be a repeat customer.

Going Solo

Entrepreneurship is a basic component of the American Dream: the small business owner who thrives despite all odds. And in the field of Web design, the odds are numerous. But going solo can be financially rewarding as well as internally satisfying.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics current Occupational Outlook Handbook, the median national annual salary for graphic designers is $47,640. As a freelance web designer, you have the potential to earn more than those working for design firms or companies. However, actual salaries vary based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience, and a variety of other factors.

Seven Tips for Web Design Business Success

Many design entrepreneurs begin their careers as in-house designers at a company. If you’re interested in breaking out or starting a business right out of school, this checklist can help you get started.

1. Take inventory. Before putting your Web design plans into action, ask yourself whether you’ve got what it takes to start your own business. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s website has a list of questions for potential entrepreneurs. Though it’s exciting to be your own boss, you need to be very dedicated to ensure that you put enough time into your business to make it succeed.

2. Target your Web design niche. Not only are there several different careers that fall under the umbrella of Web design—such as Web graphic design, interactive media design, and user interface design—there are also different market segments you can target with your design business.

3. Get the right training. Web designers generally need some level of Web design education—a certificate or associate’s degree may be sufficient if you have enough experience under your belt, but a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree can be an enormous benefit if your goal is to start your own business.

4. Invest in the proper equipment. Although you don’t need a ton of expensive equipment to get started in the Web design field, you do need to invest in some basics: an Internet connection, a sufficiently powerful computer, and appropriate design software.

5. Cultivate a business mindset. Running a Web-design business is similar to operating any other type of small business. You’ll need patience and great communication skills to work with a variety of clients and the creativity to address design problems in a way that meets the client’s needs.

6. Take care of the practical details. Do you have an appropriate home office space or another workspace? Do you need a business license to operate as a freelance Web designer? Have you written a business plan to define your goals in a concrete way? You’ll need this for any business loan you take out.

7. Grow your business. Once you’ve gotten started, you’ll need to make sure you can maintain a steady flow of clients and income. Common ways to drum up clients include networking, traditional marketing, and word of mouth.

If you’re considering starting a new career in tech, there’s a huge list of niches and job roles to consider, and even more paths to getting there. But one of the first choices you’ll likely make is pretty straightforward: design or development?

There are some big differences between web development and web design, but to put it simply, developers work on the behind-the-scenes code that makes a website or app function, and designers work on the look and feel — aka the colors, the style, the typography, and everything that goes into creating a brand experience.

If web design peaks your interest, you’re in the right place. Web design is a huge field with a variety of specializations, but they all start with fundamentals such as color theory, typography, wireframing, and more.

In this post, we’ll look at what it means to start a web design career in the broader sense, so you can get an idea of the high-level steps you need to take to get started in this field. This guide covers what you need to know about getting started in web design, from what skills to learn to the best strategies for landing your first web design job.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What Is a Web Designer, and What Do They Do?
2. The Skills You Need to Get Started
3. Salary 101: What Can You Expect to Make in a Web Design Job?
4. Landing Your First Web Design Job
5. Freelancing as a Web Designer
6. How to Learn Advanced Skills
7. Final Thoughts

1. What is a web designer, and what do they do?

WEB DESIGNER: A DEFINITION

Not to be confused with web developers, web designers are creative, digital professionals who craft the overall vision and plan for a website. Web design is less about using code to bring a website to life, and more about determining a site’s layout, color palette, fonts, and visual themes.

There are some other differences between web designers and web developers as well, but that’s the “short story” answer. Another way of understanding web design work is to consider what projects web designers work on, which brings us to…

WHAT DOES A WEB DESIGNER DO?

MediaBistro defines it(opens in a new tab) (charmingly) like this:

“These visual architects are responsible for the overall awesomeness of a website’s look—its layout, colors, fonts, icons, buttons, the whole shebang.”

Anywhere online that you see elements of visual design, it’s likely a web designer has played a part in the process. The web design role might include the following tasks or responsibilities:

• Designing web pages or whole websites
• Designing site navigations
• Mocking up mobile-first and/or responsive websites that look good on all sizes of screens
• Coding pages or sites using HTML and/or styling those projects via stylesheets and CSS (this is increasingly part of the role, though not universal—see the next section on skills)
• Project managing, including overseeing teams and/or clients

(back to top)

2: What skills do you need to become a web designer? And how can you learn them?

Web design skills can be broken down into hard and soft categories. Let’s start with the necessary tech and visual design skills, which fall firmly into the “hard” skills camp:

• Layout and navigation principles
• Color and typography
• Design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch
• Wireframing(opens in a new tab)/prototyping approaches, practices, and software
• HTML & CSS*
• Javascript*

Additional soft skills to consider:

• Time management/project management skills
• Client relations/communication skills
• Knowledge of digital marketing best practices

Want to dive deeper? We recommend everyone interested in the profession master these nine key web design skills. You can also take a look at the curriculum for our Visual Design course.

* While some might argue that HTML & CSS aren’t requisite skills for web designers, companies increasingly include them in hiring requirements in order to find “unicorn” team members, i.e. professionals who have working knowledge of both design and web development practices. Meanwhile, Javascript takes your resume one step further because it allows web designers more hands-on access during the build process. Plus, all three are great skills to have when you’re working on teams where you’ll need to communicate with front-end web developers and the like.

(back to top)

3. Web designer salaries: What can you expect to make in a web design job?

According to Indeed(opens in a new tab), as of January 2019, the average web designer salary in the U.S. is $46,346 ($23.30/hour).

We’ve broken that number down further in our Web Design Salary Series article, but keep in mind that it will vary according to certain elements — including location, experience, expertise, etc. Another thing to consider is that not all “web design” jobs will have the job title “Web Designer.” In New York, NY, a “Visual Designer” makes $79,246, on average (Indeed(opens in a new tab)). (Web design is a subcategory of visual design.)

📌 Related: What *Exactly* Is Visual Design?

To determine what you can reasonably expect to make as a web designer, Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth(opens in a new tab) tool is a great way to plug in specific details about your own circumstances to calculate a likely salary (and the right number to give when asked your salary requirements). You may also want to explore how to calculate your rate for freelance web design work.

The truth of the matter is that web developers on average do make more money than web designers. But if you’re a creative looking for a financially stable career, shifting into tech as a web designer is a smart move long-term. Here are some other helpful reads:

1. What is a web designer, and what do they do?

WEB DESIGNER: A DEFINITION

Not to be confused with web developers, web designers are creative, digital professionals who craft the overall vision and plan for a website. Web design is less about using code to bring a website to life, and more about determining a site’s layout, color palette, fonts, and visual themes.

There are some other differences between web designers and web developers as well, but that’s the “short story” answer. Another way of understanding web design work is to consider what projects web designers work on, which brings us to…

WHAT DOES A WEB DESIGNER DO?

MediaBistro defines it(opens in a new tab) (charmingly) like this:

“These visual architects are responsible for the overall awesomeness of a website’s look—its layout, colors, fonts, icons, buttons, the whole shebang.”

Anywhere online that you see elements of visual design, it’s likely a web designer has played a part in the process. The web design role might include the following tasks or responsibilities:

• Designing web pages or whole websites
• Designing site navigations
• Mocking up mobile-first and/or responsive websites that look good on all sizes of screens
• Coding pages or sites using HTML and/or styling those projects via stylesheets and CSS (this is increasingly part of the role, though not universal—see the next section on skills)
• Project managing, including overseeing teams and/or clients

(back to top)

2: What skills do you need to become a web designer? And how can you learn them?

Web design skills can be broken down into hard and soft categories. Let’s start with the necessary tech and visual design skills, which fall firmly into the “hard” skills camp:

• Layout and navigation principles
• Color and typography
• Design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch
• Wireframing(opens in a new tab)/prototyping approaches, practices, and software
• HTML & CSS*
• Javascript*

Additional soft skills to consider:

• Time management/project management skills
• Client relations/communication skills
• Knowledge of digital marketing best practices

Want to dive deeper? We recommend everyone interested in the profession master these nine key web design skills. You can also take a look at the curriculum for our Visual Design course.

* While some might argue that HTML & CSS aren’t requisite skills for web designers, companies increasingly include them in hiring requirements in order to find “unicorn” team members, i.e. professionals who have working knowledge of both design and web development practices. Meanwhile, Javascript takes your resume one step further because it allows web designers more hands-on access during the build process. Plus, all three are great skills to have when you’re working on teams where you’ll need to communicate with front-end web developers and the like.

(back to top)

3. Web designer salaries: What can you expect to make in a web design job?

According to Indeed(opens in a new tab), as of January 2019, the average web designer salary in the U.S. is $46,346 ($23.30/hour).

We’ve broken that number down further in our Web Design Salary Series article, but keep in mind that it will vary according to certain elements — including location, experience, expertise, etc. Another thing to consider is that not all “web design” jobs will have the job title “Web Designer.” In New York, NY, a “Visual Designer” makes $79,246, on average (Indeed(opens in a new tab)). (Web design is a subcategory of visual design.)

📌 Related: What *Exactly* Is Visual Design?

To determine what you can reasonably expect to make as a web designer, Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth(opens in a new tab) tool is a great way to plug in specific details about your own circumstances to calculate a likely salary (and the right number to give when asked your salary requirements). You may also want to explore how to calculate your rate for freelance web design work.

The truth of the matter is that web developers on average do make more money than web designers. But if you’re a creative looking for a financially stable career, shifting into tech as a web designer is a smart move long-term. Here are some other helpful reads:

Paying attention to website design is crucial to building your business. There are now nearly 1.7 billion websites online, which provide a lot of different types of websites to study, but also a lot of confusion over which type and design will actually work best for you.

As a designer or small business owner, you need to be familiar with all the different kinds of web pages out there, so you can decide which will meet your needs. Studying what competitors chose and conducting testing allow you to create the perfect format for each brand and their customer base.

Here are the 8 different types of websites:

1. Homepages
—

The homepage is your site’s main hub and serves as the face of a brand.

Your homepage helps site visitors get to different areas of the site, and it can also serve as a conversion funnel. Because most people come to you through your homepage, this is where design matters most.

A homepage can take on many different forms, but while designing it’s important to remember the purpose of the homepage as the main navigation and point of interest for site visitors. Make it clear what the business is and offer the unique value proposition (UVP) upfront. Establish the site’s hierarchy and navigation structure on the homepage. Utilize your brand’s color palette, logo and images highly relevant to the business. The homepage sets the tone for the business’ image, so it should tell a story about who you are through images and words.

Matcha Kari is an excellent example of this type of homepage websites. Note the navigation at the top of the page that sets the tone for what you’ll find on the site. Since the page serves as the beginning of the conversion funnel, visitors can get a coupon, subscribe to the mailing list or watch a video about their products.

2. Magazine websites
—

A magazine website features articles, photos and videos that are informational and educational. In the last twenty years, the magazine industry has changed from a print-only platform to largely digital format. The magazine website type works well for informational websites, particularly publications from universities and organizations.

As you think about creating a magazine site, start by building a basic framework. Users should see a similar layout no matter what day they land on your homepage, and each article must have a similar layout and navigation. Keep in mind how responsive the overall design is to different screen sizes to make sure your content is easily readable both on desktops and smartphones.

Urban Omnibus is an online magazine website with a fairly traditional magazine layout. The theme of their current issue is highlighted with a hero image and a box describing what’s in the feature article. Under the featured post is a grid layout of each column in the magazine with an image, headline and brief description of what readers find inside each article.

3. E-commerce websites
—

An e-commerce website is an online shopping destination where users can purchase products or services from your company.

A robust e-commerce web page makes it easy to browse products, filter by categories, highlight special sales and make purchases.

An easy way to get started is through a full-solution, e-commerce platform like Shopify or Squarespace. Your team can easily update online inventory and list new products. Plus, because the system is interconnected, sales, logistics and marketing are all kept apprised on what’s working well. On the design front, e-commerce platforms offer several templates that match the needs of nearly any business type.

Flipkart sells a wide range of products, which means there are a lot of items featured on their homepage. Note how they break items into specific categories but also offer highlighted deals of the day on their homepage. Each image is professional and shows the product clearly, but descriptions are initially brief, with more detail on the product page.

4. Blogs
—

A blog features regularly updated articles, photos and videos. Blogs started with more casual, personal content compared to magazines. But since then, the lines have blurred, and now it’s extremely common for major brands and businesses to have their own blog. Adding expert content improves the overall credibility of a company or an individual. Blogs also provide material for social media posts and email campaigns.

However, a blog can also become cumbersome for smaller companies. Make sure you have a team and strategy in place to keep content fresh before you consider launching one. It’s actually better not to have a blog and instead offer a few videos or guides, than to have a hopelessly outdated blog.

Nourish Eats keeps things simple and focused on the content on its blog. Instead of using a slider at the top of the page, the site integrates a rotating slider to the right, which goes through the different categories on the site. The slider keeps the content fresh and engages users. Users can navigate at any point or use the arrows to go forward or back.

5. Portfolio websites
—

A portfolio website allows creative professionals a place for showcasing their best work. This is perfect for artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, furniture builders—you name it.

As you build a portfolio, there’s no need to add every single project you’ve ever worked on. Instead, focus on creating categories of items and highlighting the best work from each category. A portfolio website is a bit more creative by nature, so this is the place to try unique layouts and add in interesting features.

The online portfolio for designer Gautier Maillard is the perfect blend of creativity and best project highlights. As the user scrolls down the page, different images get highlighted. Click on any image, and you see ad campaigns from the project. If you want to know more about the designer, click the about navigation button in the upper right corner and learn that he lives in Paris, where he’s studied and what projects he worked on. This layout and strategy work because the focus is on his actual work and the text is limited. Users process and remember images better than text alone.

6. Landing pages
—

A landing page is a specific page type created for a marketing campaign that drives visitors to take a specific action.

The content on a landing page should be limited and point toward the call-to-action (CTA) you’d like the user to take. Allow plenty of white space around your CTA and save elements not related to the purpose of that campaign for other pages.

Shopify’s free trial landing page provides simple headlines and calls to action, such as “Start free trial.” All the elements on the page drive the buyer through a very specific journey meant to have them become a qualified lead. They use relevant, trendy images and add a bit of a 3D effect with the sunglasses in the corner while also showing what one of their shopping sites layouts looks like.

7. Social media websites
—

There are approximately 2.77 billion people on social media with dozens of different platforms available. No matter who your target audience is, you’ll probably find them on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat or LinkedIn. Although you can’t redesign the platforms themselves, you do have some control over the look of your page, and you can create content that drives social media shares.

Go for a consistent look across all your social media pages and web pages, so users instantly know your brand is behind the page. Use the same logo and color choices. Choose a specific voice and personality that shines across all content.

When creating content, focus on things that have a high potential of being shared on social media, such as entertaining videos, infographics, memes, in-depth reports and free offers. Find more tips on how to make your social media pages work for your business here.

Nutella’s Facebook page shows an interesting mix of content that all align with the overall color palette and look of the brand. They feature memes made specifically for social media, such as “Today, I’ll share my Nutella with…” However, they also offer videos and ideas for how to use their product in unique ways. Note how they also feature social media buttons on their website so users easily find them on the different platforms.

8. Directory and contact pages
—

A directory or contact page is a place where users can connect with you or others.

This type of website works well when you want to list a repository of businesses or people within an organization. For example, a local restaurant directory features eateries in the area with menus, price ranges, phone number and reviews.

The nature of an organization creates an opportunity for a directory website. For example, an association of local dentists in a city might list each member, their area of expertise and their contact information. Keep this design option in your back pocket for clients.

Manta is a business directory featuring small businesses based on location. In addition to keyword search capability, the site offers category browsing in areas such as restaurants, contractors and doctors. Companies can add an entry to the directory and the site earns money through advertising.

Choose the right website type for your audience
—

Good design is much more than simply an appealing look, but also drives user engagement and is highly targeted to the needs of the audience viewing the site. Pay attention to what other companies have done with their website design and quickly identify which format works best for each project. Knowing what others have accomplished with different page types gives you a strong feel for the kind of website that will work best for you.

There are plenty of benefits of having a website both for small business owners and for big business owners, for startups and for large corporations. However, it’s shocking that 46% of small businesses don’t have a website yet, while 12% are unlikely to create it in the future and 10% are unsure. Now, when modern people spend about 8 hours a day on the Internet, influencing the way we live and work, any successful business should have a web presence.

In addition, low-budget web development allows you to create pretty nice websites that are highly affordable for startups. The reason why surprisingly very few small businesses have a website is that they probably are not familiar with the profitable benefits of having a website for small businesses. So let’s look at them right now.

Advantages of having a website for small business

1. Low budget web development

Small business owners usually have a small budget, as their profit will grow with time. However, they need to establish an effective web presence now, at the initial stage of their business, in order to be able to get a decent profit in the future. There is a cause-effect relationship. So if you have just started your small business, the sooner you create a website, the sooner you’ll get a profit.

You may think it is too expensive, but in fact, whatever your up-front capital is, low-budget web development allows you to obtain a simple but efficient website or app that is able to convert visitors into clients. It’s quite affordable for startups and small businesses to create a minimum viable product to quickly appear on the market and then invest in its improvements later on.

2. Wider audience reach due to website accessibility 24/7

Regardless of what kind of small business you are running, having a website accessible on a 7-day 24-hour basis without taking breaks for holidays and weekends is a huge advantage. While your physical shop is closed at night, your online shop can keep on selling and bringing you income by catering to customers at any time that is convenient for them.

One more reason to create a web presence for your business is a reduction of distances. A website allows you to expand your target audience and make deals with customers who are located far away from you. Actually, the whole globe is within your reach.

According to the statistics, 60% of people execute online research through a search engine and 61% read product reviews before making a purchase. Modern users are used to shopping online without leaving the comfort of their homes. By the way, don’t ignore the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets and apply responsive web design to provide a satisfactory UX for mobile users.

3. Brand visibility and brand recognition

If you have just begun running a startup or small business, it’s especially important for you to get as many people as possible informed about your business. You want to let people know that your company exists, as well as what your company is doing, what it is called, and how useful it can be for them — or for their friends/relatives/colleagues/neighbors, as sharing information and brand advocacy also work well.

A website that represents your business will help you provide online visibility and discoverability as well as establish or enhance brand recognition. If you have many backlinks from authoritative sites to yours, this will provide credibility for your business.

4. Easy online promotion of your small business with a website

Both evergreen website content and buzz topics help get traffic. Doing content marketing right allows you to attract potential customers and convert them. According to InsideView, companies that do regular blogging generate 67% more leads per month and thus have 67% more selling opportunities than those that don’t have a business blog.

Moreover, promoting your small business on various platforms on the Internet is much easier if you have your own website. You could enjoy the maximum SMM benefits for a business if your social media posts contain links that direct social users to your website, where they can find more in-depth information. The same is true of paid social media. Promoted posts and sponsored ads linking to a website look reliable and authoritative.

5. Customer insights by tracking user behaviour on your website

Matching and exceeding the expectations of your audience allows you to reach customer satisfaction and earn customer loyalty. If you want to offer your clients exactly what they need, obviously you should know what they really need and who they actually are.

When you have a website, it’s easy to monitor how users interact with it. You can find out what your product or service people like the most and what they like the least, from what geographic location, devices, and third-party sites they usually come to, and much more. These insights allow you to create a clear vision of your user persona.

There are many tools for tracking the behavior of your site visitors, gathering this data, presenting it in a convenient way, and storing and interpreting it. The most popular is, for sure, the one made by Google. Track key Google Analytics metrics to make your business more client-oriented. Use Google Analytics to guide your content marketing and other marketing strategies.

Today, having a company website is as crucial as having a shop, office, or telephone number. Research has found that 6/10 customers expect brands to have content online about their business. Why wait any longer than your customers are looking for you! If you own or operate a business that hasn’t taken that step into the online world, here are 10 reasons that will leave you wondering why you hadn’t done it sooner

#1 Online Presence 24/7

Having a website means customers are always able to find you – anytime, anywhere. Even outside of business hours, your website continues to find and secure new customers. It offers the user convenience as they can access the information they need in the comfort of their own home, with no added pressure to buy. Plus, as most companies nowadays have their own website, there’s every chance you could be losing customers to your competitors by staying offline

#2 Information Exchange

At its simplest, a website provides a quick and easy way of communicating information between buyers and sellers. You can list your opening hours, contact information, show images of your location or products, and use contact forms to facilitate inquiries from potential customers or feedback from existing ones. You can even upload promotional videos to really engage your customers and sell your business in an effective and cost-efficient way. This is also a good way to promote your social media channels and build up a community with your customers

#3 Credibility

In today’s modern world, there is an expectation for any reputable company to have some kind of online presence. Potential customers would likely be distrusting of any business that didn’t have a telephone number or a physical address, and the same can be said for not having a website and email address. These are useful tools to share crucial information about your business with customers and answer all the What’s and Why’s that they may have. What’s more, having a good quality, easy-to-use website makes customers feel comfortable using your services, as they will assume they can expect the same positive experience in all areas of your business.

#4 It Cuts Costs

As well as simply displaying information, you can also use your website to sell goods & services directly to consumers, in some cases removing the need to use “brick-and-mortar” stores which involve large operating costs (staff wages, rental, utilities to name just a few). Eliminating these overheads will also allow you to lower your prices, giving your business that real competitive edge. It can also be used internally within your business; do you have any news you want to share with colleagues or have any important information that can be accessed by management? Having an internal website can save you a lot of time as everything you need is in one place and can be accessed at any time.

#5 Market Expansion

As your site is accessible to anyone all over the world, the ability to break through geographical barriers has never been easier. Anyone, from any country, will be able to find your company and as such, is now a potential customer.

#6 Consumer Insights

Analytic tools allow you to identify who your typical customer is, how they found you, what they like, and adapt your business to maximize purchases through your site. The diverse range of data available can also help you better understand how your social media channels affect your brand, and can even highlight opportunities to change the offline aspects of your business such as branch opening times, promotions, and product ranges.

#7 Advertising

Tools like Google AdWords or advertising on Facebook give you the power to reach customers with much more accuracy and reliability than with traditional offline advertising methods. SEO and online advertising are a great way to help build up awareness, if it’s done correctly traffic to your website can see an increase. Be the first company that a potential new customer sees when searching for a specific product or service online, and use your website’s contact page or e-commerce features to make purchasing a product or finding a retail outlet easier than ever before.

#8 Competitors Online

If you don’t have a website it is highly likely that your competitor will do, this means that you are missing out on gaining new customers and can be at the forefront of their minds. It is crucial that no opportunities are missed and are gained by the competition.

#9 Customer Service Online

Websites provide an easier way to handle customer service. Offering answers to regularly asked questions in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, you can reduce customer service costs and save yourself time and money, as well as provide much more information. This also means that customers can receive a reply instantly and save time, which helps to encourage positive customer relations in the long run. This could be a benefit for you, all positive feedback can be uploaded into a testimonial, your customers are happy why not show it off?!

#10 Growth Opportunity

Websites, in general, are great ways to in providing a place that potential investors can be referred to. It shows what your company is about, what it has achieved, and what it can achieve in the future.

Every web design agency needs to know how to manage their clients and their clients’ expectations successfully. Effective client management is at the core of every healthy and profitable business relationship. Why? It’s because satisfied clients will always seek more of your expertise, especially expertise that they can’t find from other suppliers.

This is not a discussion of what a client’s web design expectations are, but rather how these expectations can be effectively handled.

There are two types of clients:

1. Those who provide the clearest briefs, appreciate the development team’s skills and recommendations, and even give a bonus when satisfied with the work. These clients know and acknowledge that they are not experts.
2. Those who undervalue the expertise of the team, devalue the finished project to the point of requiring it to be reproduced from scratch because they do not know what they want exactly, and refuse to pay in the end. Their requests are endless and their approvals are inconsistent.

With that said, what clients expect for a web design project is probably the same as your own expectations. But since you are the expert, your number-one priority is making sure that you and your client are on the same page. Here’s how to do just that.

1. Address the Red Flags Early On

It’s rather easy to spot the red flags. The tricky part lies in correcting them to further guide the expectations of the client. When a client tells you, “The design is easy, it should only take three days at most,” tell him, “The team needs to look at the specifications first, and they will give you a timeline for that.”

If they ask, “You can make all the decisions for us, so we can focus on other things,” tell them, “No, this is your website, not ours. Your full commitment is needed.” Or, you can say, “We will send a progress report with all the notes about the project. We expect your feedback in 1 to 2 days.”

2. Provide Clear and Honest Answers

At the start of any web design project, the client is sure to have plenty of questions. You need to answer those questions as truthfully as you can. Clients yearn for transparency right from the moment they started scouting for a provider. The more they know about the services and providers, the more they either narrow or widen their expectations.

Part of being honest involves telling a client that the features she wants do not add value to the site. When a client hears these things, the web development representative needs to offer alternative solutions appropriate for the client’s needs, preferences, and budget.

As the chosen provider, opt to educate the client whenever possible. Some clients asked for the craziest features because they don’t know any better. However, if you can guide them on what works on the Internet now and why their website must have this and that, do so. Explain the rationale behind every recommendation if you must. Prove your case by showing examples or statistics.

3. Build Trust and Confidence Ahead of Time

Whether the client used the contact form, phone, or email, the goal is to respond to the inquiry as fast as possible. That’s probably within 3 hours, definitely not after two days. Consider a canned reply to assure the client that his email message went through. There is no such thing as over-communication in the business world.

Your openness is integral to the trust-building process. It’s not just about the way you answer their questions, but also the quality of your answers. While at it, it would be nice to provide some background on how the team works, the composition of the team, how milestones are set, etc. This helps in managing their expectations in a much better way.

4. Put Everything Into Writing

Matters discussed in meetings must be put into writing. This includes things that are not included in the specifications, proposal, project scope, and contract. These are the things you can refer back to–your assurance–if the relationship turns sour. For instance, all the additional features would incur an extra cost. Additional works not included in the scope entail a signed request if necessary.

In the same vein, the deliverable, time frames, deadlines, milestones, KPIs, and feedback must be documented appropriately. The agreed outcomes should be put on paper also. All these keep the vagueness of expectations at bay while allowing you to justify additional costs if there would be any in the future.

5. Communicate Everything

Communication is the key to the kind of relationship that both clients and providers strive for in the first stages of the project. Agreeing on specific aspects of the project, including pricing, modes of payment, reporting, etc., is paramount to ensure that both understand what they are responsible for and what they can expect from the project and the processes involved.

Throughout the project, the company representative, which is usually an account executive or project coordinator, must communicate with the client by email, phone, or in-person if there are any challenges. This is mainly for issues that may affect the deliverables and on-time delivery of the project. This, too, must be included in the contract.

There are instances when approvals would take weeks when they should only be completed in 3 days. Setbacks are inevitable, but both parties must understand the reason behind their occurrence, so they won’t blame one another once their expectations are not met.

Staying in constant touch does not only guarantee a smooth sailing project. It is also an opportunity to speak about the project more when something’s not right. Things may not always go as planned, but addressing them is necessary. Tell the client if you have any concerns.

Under Promise and Over Deliver

Meeting the clients’ expectations is your goal, but you can always go beyond those expectations. What you promised is the bare minimum expected from you. If you can throw in a few freebies such as doing minimal additional works or completing the task a week ahead of the deadline, the better the business relationship will be.

As such, if you want to keep a client and keep meeting their expectations of a project, you need to exert time and effort also. Be the prudent web design and development company that you are so that you keep on winning more business.