How to Become a Website Designer

If you have a flair for design and a passion for creating websites, a career as a website designer may be right for you. According to PayScale.com the average annual salary of a U.S based website designer with one to four years experience is $39,119. Typical clients of website designers are home business owners, small business owners, large corporate companies and writers. Formal education is not necessarily a requirement in order to become a website designer. However, if applying to a full-time position through an employer, a degree in graphic design may put you ahead of the competition.

Decide your Mode of Employment

You need to decide whether you will be a freelance website designer or will hold a position through an employer. The benefit to being a freelance website designer is the freedom in the schedule. The downside to being a freelancer is the inconsistent income; paychecks aren't guaranteed. The benefit to being an employed website designer is the consistent bi-weekly paychecks. The negative to holding a position through an employer is the regimented work environment and schedule.

Learn Coding

How do website designers create the components of a website? By coding, of course. Ten years ago the main coding used to create website was html. HTML controls simple things like font, color, placement of widgets and other small components. However, website designers have incorporated advanced coding formats, such as XTML and Joomla in order to create more up-to-date websites. Learn the basics of each and study until you are proficient in all coding formats. People will not hire you if you only hold minimal knowledge on the subject.

Educate Yourself

While you should learn the basics of coding on your own, you will need further instruction to become a true professional. You can enroll yourself in a graphic design program to attain a degree in graphic design. However, attaining a graphic design degree may take up to four years. If you are looking for a faster and efficient way to educate yourself consider enrolling in an online website design course or simply looking up relevant tutorials on You Tube.

Create a Portfolio

Regardless if you are a freelance website designer or looking for traditional employment, you need a portfolio. Website designers are hired because of their creative talents and technical know-how. The only way to prove to potential clients and employers that you've got what it takes to get the job done is through your portfolio. If you have no professional experience, offer to create websites for free for local businesses or simply create several sample websites and place the screenshots into your portfolio.

Find Work

Now that you've got your portfolio set up, it's time to go make some money. If you are looking for a job through an employer, glue your eyes to the classifieds section in the newspaper and online job boards to locate available positions in your area. Send your resume and copies of your portfolio through fax or email and wait for a phone call. Don't wait around for a phone call from an employer. Simply keep applying to open positions and eventually someone will contact you. If you are going the freelance route, you need to market your services in order to find clients. The following tactics are effective methods of marketing your services: create a website for your services; hand out your business card; run online ad campaigns; apply to freelance jobs through job boards; send out cold emails; cold calling; bidding on freelance jobs on bid sites and purchasing ad space on relevant websites.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Graphic Designer Occupational Handbook
Payscale.com: Website Designer Salaries By Experience