Becoming A Website Designer

The ability to create simple, attractive and functional web pages is a highly marketable skill. There is a huge and growing demand for websites and web content, especially for smaller organization who often can't afford to hire a full-service web design firm.

Readers often ask me whether it's necessary to take expensive web design courses or to learn HTML right away to get started in this niche. Is there a cheaper way of learning these skills?

If I were in your shoes, my best investment would be to learn how to use a popular and well-supported website creation software package.

Notice that I said "popular and well-supported." There are plenty of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) web page creators out there that allow you to cut-and-paste and drag-and-drop your way to create simple, effective websites.

For instance, you could check out programs such as the 123 WysiWyg HTML Editor at http://www.123wysiwyg.com

Mozilla Composer is an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) editor that allows you to create and edit web pages. Check it out at http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/

Easy Web Editor (http://www.easywebeditor.com/ ) is another low-cost option under $100.

Several Internet "gurus" have created their own software packages. Jim Edwards, for instance, is promoting his "mini site creator" (http://www.minisitecreator.com ) program right now on the web and through affiliates.

Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as ww.godaddy.com offer their own easy website creation tools. These are fine if you if are a hobbyist or small business owner, and only want to create simple websites for your own use. But if you want to become a professional website designer, and eventually offer your skills and services to other small business owners, you will have to be able to create more sophisticated sites, with more flexible designs and features.

So the key question you have to ask are, "Am I using a program a professional would use? Will it be around five years from now?"

Years ago I chose Microsoft's FrontPage WYSISYG website editor. I knew that I would not be able to learn all the features the program had right away, but could create simple web sites for my business using the basics, then learn more, a little bit at a time.

I also figured that Microsoft was going to be around for a while, and that webpage creation was an area of business they would want to compete in. So FrontPage would be well-supported for years with new version, technical support, user forums, etc.

That has all been true. However, FrontPage reportedly has its quirks in the way it generates HTML code. Today, the best software package that I keep hearing about in the WYSIWYG category - and one used by professional website designers as well -- is a program called Dreamweaver, by Macromedia.

There are Dreamweaver version available for both the Mac and the PC, which is important. If you learn the program on a PC, you'll still be familiar with the same tools used by the Mac world, which is the dominant platform for the graphic arts community.

You can learn about Dreamweaver at: http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/ There is even a free trial option, so you can sample the software. And no, I'm not earning any affiliate commission by recommending this to you.

Dreamweaver will have far more features than you can possibly wrap your mind around at first. The trick is to use any tutorials included with the software, plus any free online tutorials (do a google search) and teach yourself how to create simple, clean web pages at first. Then you can gradually learn about other features, such as using tables, more complex formatting, etc.

From now on, as you surf the web, bookmark sites you like or designs you like, and keep them in a special folder as examples you'd like to model. There's no faster or better way to learn than by modeling success.

Launch your freelance web design practice by building your own website with Dreamweaver. If you have Internet access, your Internet provider already gives you from 5-10 MB of web space as part of your subscription. So you can practice on your first website there, at no additional cost.

For an initial investment of $399, you can become an expert using a professional tool. Once you're confident enough, build your own business site, with your own domain name, and promote your services as a web designer. I recommend using www.godaddy.com to register your new company's domain name and host your site. It can cost you less than $50 a year to do both.

You can get a professional-looking logo for your business for $25 from www.gotlogos.com What other business can you launch for under $500 that has the potential to earn tens of thousands of dollars per year?

And finally, purists and experts still suggest that you eventually become somewhat familiar with HTML, even if you use a WYSIWYG editor that hides all that HMTL code. Many professionals go in and "tweak" their web pages by hand, using HTML, to get exactly the look they want.

There are some free tutorials available to learn about HTML. Check out: A beginner's guide to HTML: http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimerP1.html And http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/

The ability to create attractive, simple and functional web pages is a highly sought-after skill. Once you have created your own site showcasing a few examples of your work, your first prospects will probably be small businesses, consultants, and retail establishments in your area. Then, with experience, you can start doing work for larger companies. There's another benefit, too. You can work for anyone, anywhere, anytime, around the world, from your comfort of your home office.

Barnaby Kalan is an award-winning freelance copywriter and author of Outsourcing Yourself: How to Turn Your Job Into a Business for Greater Wealth and Security. To get a free chapter from his latest book, visit http://www.outsourcing-yourself.com

MORE RESOURCES

People Locator find anyone in the USA

RELATED WEB SITE DESIGN ARTICLES: Build It And Build It Cheap! Part II If you are familiar with my work, then you have probably taken a look at the first part of this article, and may well be on your way to having your website up and running. Congratulation!!! It's hard work, but having pride in the accomplishment is worth it! Now you have to find the people who want to see it, AKA--site traffic. Are You A Bill Clinton Webmaster? One of the most frequent question I get asked about my ebook, Don't Get Banned BY The Search Engines, is whether I amended it to include post-Florida Google. "Florida" is the code name that search engine optimizer wizards gave to a November, 2003, shakeup at Google that left many webmasters covering themselves up with makeshift fig leaves while dangling upside down above the proverbial crocodile moat. The Key to Getting More Magic Shows Booked Online This article is the result of a conversation I had with a magician about his website. He wanted to know if I could build him a nice looking site that had his name and contact information on it. Website Promotion Ideas: 10 Tips On How To Use Your Picture Effectively To Increase Your Sales Seeing is believing.One trick to increase your visibility as well as your credibility is to use your photo at your website. Adding the Right Keywords to Your Website Content You've made your website, added a great title and keywords in the meta tags. That's it, right? Not quite. What Drives Repeat Visitors To Your Site? There can be zillion of reason why your visitors return to your web site. One might be very interested in seeing your animated photo on your main page, but kidding aside I've gathered 12 elements that invites your visitors to repeat their visits. Creating a Compelling Headline for Your Private Practice Website Your home page is the most important page of your website. It is the one that will determine what your potential client or customer does after they arrive (i. Shameless Flashers - Using Flash Tools To Create Spectacular Websites Flash is a powerful technology that can help you create spectacular websites, tutorials and demos. Find out which inexpensive tools are available to you that have very low learning curve. How to Choose a Website Design Company The internet is full of web design companies pleading for your business. They all look great! Not sure which company to select? By following these simple steps, you'll be able to select the perfect designer for your business. Website Re-Design? My site is working fine. The links work. Testament To Testimonials We have all seen websites showcasing their testimonials either spread strategically throughout the site or all together on their own glorious page. They're there with the intent of leading us toward that high dollar purchase or convincing us of something's legitimacy. Building Web Sites Using Web Templates Gone are the days when you had to rely on a web-designer to design your websites. New technologies with innovative ideas have brought out a new variant to this trend in the form of ready to use website templates. How to Hire The Right Web Design Firm Regardless whether you manage a small business, charitable organization, or Fortune 500 company, choosing the right web design firm can quickly become a full-time research project. With thousands of design firms to choose from, what factors truly determine which design firm is best for your business?The primary consideration for choosing a web design firm are:* Price * Customer service/access to support * Credibility indicators of the design firm * Portfolio and design experience * Other services offered (domain renewal, hosting, SEO) * Turnaround timeLet's take a closer look at each consideration in detail, and explore how to identify and qualify the right design firm. The Ultimate Web Site Marketing Strategies That You Should Know Most of us know that we need to advertise our products and our services, some of us still believe we are too small to invest in a advertising campaign. Now while a full-fledged marketing effort may be too much for your operation, it is however crucial to your success that you are involved in some kind of marketing activities. Basic Graphic Design Wether you design your business brochures, flyers, web page, or ads there are some things that you need to know. There are some basic graphic design principles that those of us trained in the commercial art/graphic design field don't always share. Imitation, The Smartest Form Of Flattery Unless you are an inventor, most likely you are selling a product or service that is being offered by someone else, somewhere, at some time. The first person to start your type of business would have gone through a lot of trial and error. Make Your Web Site User-Friendly You can create a website that attracts customers, not repels them, with a little common sense advice.Everyone wants an attractive professional looking website. The Secret To A Profitable Website Whether you are planning on having a website built for your business or you are looking for ways to increase the sales being generated (if any) from an existing website the following information will be of enormous benefit to you.How To Measure Your Success The success of any website marketing or sales strategy can be measured in terms of how many prospects exposed to the marketing/sales strategy actually convert to sales. How To Give Your Business Credibility Let's face it. Buying products and services from the Internet can be a bit intimidating. What I Look For In a Website As my occupation is that of a proofreader, one of the first things I look for in a website is quality copy; to me it's important that the textual content is clear and concise with correct spelling and proper punctuation. Many websites I have looked at have sadly failed to follow this basic rule and the build emphasis has been centered on flashy eye-catching graphics, quite often at the expense of the copy.