Ok, You are a creative whizz and have no issues solving problems and thinking outside of the box.  You can take content and photography, combine them with graphics and deliver beautiful websites that your clients are going to be proud of.  However, this isn’t actually your career right now, it’s been a hobby for mates and now you are thinking it is time to redesign your life.  Here’s all you need to know about becoming a full time web designer and if you get your head down you could be an expert in just a few months!

Firstly you are going to need tech skills.  If you are lacking in these you could consider an online course or team up with someone who is great at tech but not so good at design.  This way you have two experts under one roof.  But, what do you need to know.

You’ll need to get to grips with a host of acronyms and terms which you may not know.  UX is a good one.  It stands for user experience and is essentially the way a website makes the user feel.  HTML is another tech term you need to know like the back of your hand.  This is an expected skill for most design jobs. It is all about coding. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, which is the coding language used to put content on a web page and give it structure.  If all this goes over your head then you really do need a tech whizz to come on board with you.

If you are offering website design then you also need to offer hosting packages, so keep your eye out for a great reseller hosting company who can take a lot of the work off of your hands, just remember that you are going to be the point of contact for your clients.  So ensuring you have the right company for the job is essential.

Once you have design and tech sorted you need to work out if you have the skills to keep yourself organised and efficient.  Time management is vital as you will need to be on top of tight deadlines and schedules.  Get to grips with productivity apps as they will help you to master the art of prioritizing and tracking your work.

Communication is vital.  You need to stay in touch with your clients and be able to get your point across in a professional way.  Make sure you have great listening, writing and speaking techniques.  It may also be useful to offer a content service so having the ability to deliver content could add an extra string to your bow.

There is a lot more to web design than just a great creative flair so make sure you study the areas you need and get up to speed with any extra qualifications you may find useful.  Then go for it! Don’t be phased by other people’s experiences.  Have the confidence in yourself to deliver a brilliant service to your new clients.