So you want to become the next star of the IT industry and start a web design business? Then we are so excited to see you here and present to you our bulletproof and easy step-by-step guide on how to start a business in web design and, of course, how to succeed in it!
We will begin with the basics and look through all the tiny details of this process to prepare you for all the surprises that will come on your way. Are you excited yet? Then let’s get started, shall we?
Step 1: picking your niche
If you already have experience in a specific part of web design or web development, you can skip this step.
However, if you don’t, you need to do it before taking any other steps towards creating your business. You really want to start on the right foot, and it would be so much easier to explain what exactly you can do for your client if you determine your niche.
So, to do that, you need to review your past experience, your skills, and what exactly you want to do to find out your strongest side. Now you can do research and learn whether people look for services like these and whether you will succeed in this niche if you choose it.
Step 2: deciding on goals, rates and getting your tools
One of the best tips for business owners that we’ve ever heard is to determine your goals before starting building your company. You should think about what you want to achieve, how long it will potentially take you to get there, etc.
Next, decide on the exact list of the services you will provide and the rates for every service. Different tasks take different time and effort to do them so logo design and website design should be rated differently. Here you can ask your fellow designers for help or just look at competitors to establish your prices.
Now you can purchase the tools and software you will need for your business. By this we mean, a laptop, office supplies, the best photo editing tool Adobe Photoshop, etc.
Step 3: legal side of things
We are on the way to the most exciting stuff! Now, you are actually starting your company, and you need to get a license, insurance, and all other legal aspects to be taken care of.
We advise you to go to a specialist in this area, a lawyer who will help you get the right paperwork done. It can happen that getting a license for a site for eCommerce or for a company with a corporate blog needs different licenses in your state or country, so it is better to be careful and get help from a professional here to prevent you from paying any additional fees.
Step 4: creating your website and online profiles
Let’s move on: we are creating your corporate website and online profiles. As a new company, you need to create profiles on multiple social media. We advise you to at least create pages on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to find new customers, talk to people, and raise brand awareness.
We also recommend you start your blog right after creating a website because blogging is important for your website promotion. Adding new seo-optimized articles regularly will help you become seen by search engines and eventually take first place on the first page of Google.
After creating the website, continue working on it and promoting it in search engines. Create new content, perform SEO optimization on all pages, check from time to time whether your website is still working fast and optimized for mobiles. It is a very important part of your future success, so never neglect your website.
Step 5: looking for clients
First of all, we suggest you go on social media and find people who need your services and offer to do work for them. Also, ask your friends whether they need web design services, and you can do the task in exchange for feedback.
If you are not a newbie and already have web design clients, ask them for referrals to add to your website.
Next, freelance websites are an excellent place to look for customers. Websites like Upwork and Freelancer are the first place where people are looking for IT services, and you can create and grow your profile there.
When it is time for an interview, we advise you to use screen recording software to capture conversations with your clients and have the opportunity to rewatch the videos whenever you need them. Just remembering what they’ve said is not good enough, and people (your clients too!) can simply forget about some pretty important details of your discussions.
Always warn a person you’re talking with that you record the conversation and that you will use it only for your business purposes to prevent unpleasant discussions and allegations about violating a person’s privacy.
Step 6: promote your business!
We are on the finishing line!
At this point, you have everything you need to start actually promoting your business. There are tons of ways you can do that: you can use PPC, SMM, SEO promotion, social media advertisement, etc.
You can focus on social media promotion and SEO if you’re just starting your business. You can even do it yourself first if you have enough time.
Later, you can start using a paid promotion to get more exposure than with a free one and get even more customers. However, you will have tons of clients by that time it won’t even be necessary.
What’s next?
Now you have established your business, and what’s left for you to do is keep working and continue learning.
It’s always very important not to stop online learning, especially when you work in such a fast-changing industry like IT. The Internet is full of advanced courses and new information, and you, as a web designer, should keep learning and making yourself a better specialist. Good luck!
