5 Best Real Estate Chatbots & How They Work

When creating and designing your website, the user experience must be considered throughout the entire building process. This is especially true with its design, as a poorly-designed website could leave your visitors confused, frustrated and unlikely to revisit your website.

Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself someone with good eye for web design, you can still build a beautiful, user-friendly website that visually stands out. From our design gurus, here are the top web design tips for all levels of designers to create a stunning website.

1. Use No More Than Three Fonts

The more fonts you incorporate into a website, the messier it will look. Aim to have a separate font for your headers, your body content and one other element (either your logo or calls-to-action).

If your brand guidelines insist you stick to one font, that’s perfectly fine! Just make sure the font is legible and a good size (14-16 point font is the sweet spot for your content’s size).

2. Selecting the Best Colors

Your website should have a cohesive color tone to it. Just like fonts, don’t include a ton of different colors; select a consistent color scheme. Strive to keep all major call-to-action (CTA) buttons the same color (make this color pop on the page), so visitors can recognize each CTA.

If your logo has a primary color, select two or three complementary colors with an online tool. Paletton.com and Coolors are great tools to help you find the best supporting colors for your website.

3. White Space is Your Friend

Do you have a room in your house with neutral-colored walls? Our guess is you probably do; it would be very distracting to have a crazy-printed wallpaper all over your home. Think about it: if your home was filled with bold, busy walls, no one would ever notice your home’s features or furnishings!

This same principle is also applied to websites. Don’t try to fill every pixel of your pages with something; embrace the white space. By leaving white space on your website, you’re drawing your visitors’ attention to areas that you want them to focus on. Plus, it also helps your site look cleaner and uncluttered, which is design 101.

4. Get to Know a Grid System

A clean website design means every text block, button and section is aligned perfectly. This is where a grid system comes into play. Not only does this make your design easier, it’s also better for users to navigate through.

This may be a more “intermediate” tip but it will make a big difference with your website’s design. This corresponds to the next tip, so keep reading.

4. Design with Mobile in Mind

Responsive web design is today’s norm for website design. A grid system is important to learn because you will not be able to design a responsive website without one.

Check out our post all about responsive design and keep these tips in mind.

5. Implement Content Hierarchies

Often, a page full of text can leave users clicking the back button of their browsers.

For your blog posts or any pages that will have a list (i.e.: your products or services page), use subhead hierarchies with short body copy to follow (hey, that’s kind of like this post). This breaks up the text, which will make it easier to read and scannable for visitors.

6. The Easier the Navigation, The Better

Don’t make it hard for your visitors to surf around your site; keep your navigation simple and visible on every page. Make your logo a part of your navigation and have it be clickable to the homepage. As long as your navigation is simplified as much as possible, you’ve hit “web design gold.”

Ready to Take Your Site to the Next Level?

Website design can be as fun as you make it! A good first step to website planning is to design your website through the eyes of your audience.

Think about how they want to perceive your website and what elements they want to see. If you can strive to design your website using the tips above coupled with the user experience, your website will naturally become a well-designed website.

To learn more about website design or if you need help with your website’s design, contact ATI web design.

Any business that wishes to be competitive in the online or offline market must have a professional website. Internet has become the leading resource for people to find information, with business research being a leading reason to perform a search on the web.

Businesses that do not have a professionally created website risk losing potential customers on the Internet and in their storefronts. Consumers are evaluating products and companies long before they decide to make a purchase, and if your website does not seem professional or secure, they will simply move on to the next vendor.

While sales and credibility are the two main factors for having a professional website created for your business, the following 5 reasons will help you understand why a professionally created website is crucial to your business.

1. Custom design
   When you hire a professional web agency you know that your site will be created to suit your business. The web designer will evaluate your business and products, and work with you towards your goal is for the website. Do you want to generate online sales? Walk-in sales? Will your site be for informational purposes only? Once these and other questions are answered, your site will be designed to meet your specific needs. DIY site builders limit the capabilities of their site and often restrict graphics and text. A professional web designer is not captive to these restrictions.
2. Visual properties
   The way your site looks, the way it navigates, and the colors and graphics used are very important. Visitors do not like to search for information, nor do they wish to be barraged with loud colors and crowded text. A professional designer will make sure that your color scheme, text and navigation are designed to be user-friendly.
3. New technologies
   The Internet changes on a daily basis. New technologies, new computer code, new ways to draw visitors to your site happen each and every day. When using a professional web designer, you can be assured that the site is being created with the latest technologies and according to the latest trends, for optimal success. Many DIY site builders will not allow video, RSS feeds, or links in your website, which can adversely affect your site.
4. SEO compliance
   SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a technique used by professional web designers to make your website receive great rankings from search engines. If search engines cannot find your site easily, your potential clients will not either. Your site must be optimized in order to be found.
5. Webmaster services
   Contrary to what many people believe, a website is never complete. Websites must have continual maintenance to keep them current and relevant to their industry. Technology is continually changing, and for websites to remain popular and successful, they must remain up-to-date with these trends. When using a professional web design service, you benefit from their webmaster services to keep your site updated and fresh.

Many people do not realize the importance of web design, nor do they see what damage a poorly constructed site may cause to their business. There is no reason for taking such a risk with your business when professional website creation is cost-effective and easily accessible.

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

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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.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.