Terms like CSS, CMS, Drupal, HTML, PHP and the like intimidate a lot of folks from thinking of web design as a career for them. Not helping this is the fact that there is heavy competition in this field too. This is besides the pricing structure difference whereby there are some site designers willing to offer their services at almost zero fees giving you some serious competition.
This does not have to intimidate you though. If becoming a web designer is what you decide to be, then no one and no reason should stand in your way. All you have to do is focus and motivate yourself to follow through until success is achieved. Below are some guiding tips that can be of much help.
Tips on Getting Started as a Web Designer
Tip #1: Get Educated
The very first step to get into this career is to have some basic training in this area. You can go the official school way, or take online training courses to equip you and get some coding skills! While at it, you can seek out experts in this area and work under them for a while in an apprenticeship arrangement…more like an internship, so that you can get a firsthand experience on all aspects of web design services from an actual pro.
Tip #2: Have Mentors
Closely related to the apprenticeship idea is having people to look up to in this industry; people who can guide you, answer your questions and even share with you on their fears and how they overcome them. By looking up to a successful web designer, you will be able to build yourself intto something close to them or beyond success-wise.
Tip #3: Practice
Now, do not just learn and observe; practice. Apply what you have learnt and observed and experience the good and the bad firsthand. Get your hands dirty. It is the only way to earn experience and trust in your market.
Tip #4: Have the Tools of Trade
No one can be considered a serious web designer if they do not have the tools to design websites. Get a good computer, internet, FTP tools/software like FileZilla and even graphic design software.
Tip #5: Get Social
Join forums where web design is discussed. You will learn of the latest trends, best potential client hangouts, answers to your hard web design questions, expert review of design tools and other important stuff that you can only get from these forums.
Bonus Tip: Build a Portfolio First and Fast
When starting out as a web designer, clients will not take you seriously if you have no sample work to showcase. Sacrifice your urge for compensation to create a portfolio by offering your services at little or no cost first. Then increase your rates with time to where you want them to be with a matching list of sample website jobs to show.
Shared by http://bigdropinc.com/
