Having been in the web design business in Albuquerque since 2005, and working in the industry since 1998 I have seen more web designers come than go. I get calls every day from new graduates looking to get into the web design industry. I don’t want to flatten ones hopes of becoming the next divine Albuquerque web design company however, one thing needs to be said.
The glory days of actually making money at being an Albuquerque web developer are close to extinct. With the massive influx of everyone and their mother learning a few tricks in HTML and quickly firing up the old free website builder in their shared hosting account there has been a massive shift in the IT/ web design business model.
Clients expect hours upon hours of work to build them a unique custom web layout and demand W3C clean code, SEO & interactive functionality with a guarantee of future proof coding, flawless UX Layout with compatibility on all past present and future devices on the planet, not to mention a free mobile app to boot! (are you catching the sarcasm yet?)… Then they cap that off with the old… “I am shopping you around, so I will get back to you” this only after you spent an hour and a half of your life working up a detailed specification document and a proposal for a whopping $500 worth of work that will take two weeks to complete. Then after two in person meetings, eight lengthy phone conversations and three more design mocks you get passed up for a proposal that was $150 less than yours. WOW, is this really the future of the once glorious web design industry?
Not so fast… If you are seriously thinking about getting started in this industry let me start off by offering a piece of advice.
These days clients demand more, and they should.
There have been far too many “Web Designers” who really don’t have a clue as to what or why they are doing what they are doing. They get projects with that dirt cheap pricing then take the clients money and leave them high and dry. Even worse they give them a sub-par website that ultimately does more harm than good to their clients business and reputation.
So for those of you still reading, you need to offer your clients more. You must learn as much as you can and never stop learning. Stay on top of the industry standards and do your research daily because things change fast. Learn to master what you can and don’t be afraid to rely on others for help. You cannot be a genius at everything. Pride can get you in massive trouble, so stay humble! Follow the rules set by those who have taken the time to figure them out. You will need to become a trusted resource to your clients and by simply offering to design their new website is not doing your client much good. You must know all about the many facets of the business i.e. marketing, sales, psychology, browsing behavioral patterns, demographic behaviors, itch cycles, conversion paths, onsite optimization, off page SEO, Social integration, sales consulting, project management, scoping projects and on and on and on it goes.
The more of these skill sets you can bring to the table, the more of a consultant you will become. Last I checked many business consultants make far more than web designers. So if you really want to make a living in this game then you should think of yourself as a trusted consultant. Don’t just blow smoke and hide under the “I’m a designer, see my Mac book” approach. Learn everything that you possibly can about your craft and then perfect it. Whatever you do, don’t use your clients as a test bed (aka – Microsoft).
You need to be sure that what you are offering to your clients works, and will do what you say it will, or don’t promise it. I spend a good portion of my day trying to explain to business owners that not all web design companies are going to burn them, and under deliver in the end. So many business owners are out to get the cheapest price only to have a terrible experience in the end. Then, when all is lost they call us up and want to know why they are having such trouble finding a high quality web design firm.
Having done this now for over a decade I can’t even begin to sum up all their mistakes business owners make when hiring a web development company. However, you and I both know that when you pay cheap you usually pay twice, or in the case of web design, you pay until you figure out that cheap is not a good strategy.
If you are a business owner that is tired of broken promises and a website that isn’t working give the Albuquerque web design team at TGS a call 505-903-4326. We are happy to help you in all aspects of creating a successful website that will grow your business, not damage it.
For those of you out to make a quick buck and give web design a “try”. You may want to think again as this business has become a lot more work than most think (way more than a 9-5 40 hr work week!) and there is no room for the lazy “but I am a designer” narcissistic types. Be in it for the client as they are truly #1. Remember what good old Zig Ziggler said “When you help enough people get what they want, you will end up getting what you want!”. If you don’t know who Zig Ziggler is I recommend you Google him and find out.
TGS Web Design in Albuquerque 505-903-4326