How to Focus Your Freelance Web Design Business
Many young, aspiring freelance web designers and graphic designers are very passionate about their work, they have to be! In essence, they are ready to tackle any new obstacle or client that comes to them, whether it is an E-Commerce website, Brochure Designs, CSS/HTML websites, Community based websites, websites using CMS software, or anything else. Most web designers also consider themselves renaissance designers, meaning that they can design for any industry website: A Local business website, artist's website, musician's website, professional website of many others. But, this is one of the main problems that freelance web designers face when starting out their freelance career and attempting to make a name for themselves.
While a great design is universal, and anyone from any industry can recognize that, if you mainly designed musician's, artists and E-Commerce websites, and you are outsourced by a Lawyer who would like a nice professional representation online, what kind of example are you going to show him? He might appreciate your quality design, but if there's another web designer who specializes in his industry and has examples to prove it, he will most likely feel more comfortable choosing the specialist. This is just one example of the downfalls of not focusing in on a niche industry, there are many more including lack of knowledge in particular industries, quality of work due to experience with specific designs, longer schedule because you're less familiar with the type of web design it is.
Most web designers think they will gain more clients by advertising their skills to everyone in any industry. While you should be capable of designing for every industry, developing a professional niche industry will ensure you survival and success as a freelance web designer.
Here's how to choose a niche industry for your freelance web design business:
1. Research your location, and what industries flourish, what industries there are a lot of, what industries do well, what industries don't do so well. If you're in Aspen, Colorado let's say, don't focus in on the Bathing Suit store industry. Also, don't jump head first into thinking you will conquer the Ski resort industry either. Choose another niche industry that makes sense for your area and has potential to keep you busy for a while.
2. Once you've decided on your freelalance web design niche, you should dive head first into this industry learning as much as you can and meeting as many professionals as possible. Go to conferences, get to know the type of people who might need your services, their personalities, their knowledge when it comes to technology and web design.
3. Contact professionals in these industries. Say there are a lot of Lawyers in your area, small law firms and large firms. Send them all a nice introduction letter and a business card. Have an online portfolio prepared and make sure the link is on your card. If you have time, it might even be beneficial to simply give them a free written website consultation. Discussing what you think would be great for their firm, your ideas to improve the current look of their site (if they have one,) etc. Another way to get your foot in the door is to find smaller but thriving businesses within your niche, that either don't have a website or have an awful website and design one for them. Show them your work and tell them about your services.
Once you've worked hard making a name for yourself as a freelance web designer in a particular niche, the job opportunities will come rolling in! Plus, the website design opportunities will slowly become easier and be finished quicker as you will accumulate templates and ideas and be able to mentally plan your site more efficiently.
If you make an incredible website for so-and-so Lawyer, his other lawyer friend compliments it, he gives him your number. This is the benefit of focusing on a particular industry as a freelance web designer. You will be the head honcho of your niche!
Good Luck!
Published by Nikki Freeman
Freelance Writer, Graphic Designer, Web Designer. My first passion was writing, my second Art, my third singing/songwriting/music/my guitar, fourth technology. Put them all together and somehow they manage t... View profile
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- 1. Research your location
- 2. dive head first into this industry learning as much as you can and meeting as many professionals as possible
- 3. Contact professionals in these industries
6 Comments
Post a CommentExcellent information. If you need a website designer http://www.Megastarmedia.com/ is perfect. Check them out if you get time.
Hi Ashley! Thank you for your comment, it is not an easy industry and just like Donna said, the stakes are getting high with what is required from web designers/developers. If you're not a programming genius, who is not only well versed but quick with web programming, you should really find one group to focus on as prospective clients. It's a great way to get edge over the competition.
This career field has always kind of interested me. Thanks for sharing the great tips.
Wow, Thanks Donna! You are totally right about the web design business right now...You can hardly expect to make a living as a web designer unless you know Web 2.0 Xhtml standards and CSS, some sort of database programming language and Flash. Even in my first year of college, we were learning simple HTML and Dreamweaver. I'm sure now they're learning PHP/Mysql and Flash in their first years. Working as a freelancer it's much easier to get away with simply knowing basic web design and developing. Finding one target group definitely helps. Thank you for the comments!! :)
I totally agree with you Donna, Nikki has provided real good advice, we were once a young struggling company. It takes a lot to get a business off the ground and to make it profitable. Only a few hit a home run on their first deal others struggle to make their business a success.
http://www.brixtel.com
This is a good article and good advice Nikki. I did well in the 90s with a Web design business but had to give it up for health reasons (60+ hours a week). I kind of wish I had stayed in it, the money is incredible now, but so are the demands in what one knows and their experience. This is great advice for anyone starting out.