posted on March 12, 2010 08:13:30 AM new
I have a friend that wants to learn web design so that she can start a business designing websites for other. Does anyone have any suggestions where to start?
She just got laid off from a computer software company that closed their US office and sent everything to India. I don't know what she did there but it was over my head.
posted on March 12, 2010 08:35:50 AM new
geez, website/graphic design is a tough market to crack. the best thing I can recommend is for her to find a program to start with. learn that program inside and out. set up simple 1-5 page websites for a flat fee.
to be honest, i find that iweb for macs is about as simple as it can get. http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/
i took a 2 hour class for this and couldn't believe just how easy it is. things just work like you want them to. simple click and drag, easy integration with photos, images, etc. no html code to learn.
i currently use godaddy's web designer which is an online service, but i am looking at moving over to iweb.
i just switched from PC to Mac in late December and to be honest, I am SO HAPPY I did! Apple makes things so easy to use.
there are other high end web site designer applications available: Front Page by Microsoft is one.
I know the community college here in Portland offers community education courses for things like web design, etc. That is probably the best way to go. If she wants to get into it beyond creating simple sites, then she should also know html.
I think the best thing is setting up simple 1-5 page information sites. This is where she can create sites in a matter of a day and move on. She can also charge a web master fee to manage the site. some people offer flat fees for one or two updates a month. This keeps some cash flowing beyond creating sites.
[ edited by shagmidmod on Mar 12, 2010 08:39 AM ]
[ edited by shagmidmod on Mar 12, 2010 08:39 AM ]
posted on March 12, 2010 10:04:35 AM new
shag, the only problem with iWeb is it's optimized to work seamlessly with .mac or whatever it's called now. It is possible to upload iWeb files to godaddy accounts, but it's a bit wonky. I helped a friend do his site that way, and godaddy's tech support was pretty helpful.
The best thing I've found recently: If you have a blog on blogger.com, you can effectively turn it into a webpage by having google redirect your domain name. So instead of typing mysite.blogspot.com searchers can type in your actual domain name and get there. you can also purchase new domains thru google and the blog will automatically be linked to the domain name. PayPal purchase links, google adsense revenue, the ability to add separate pages, and all FREE. No hosting costs. You can do pretty much anything with a blog that a webpage can do.
posted on March 12, 2010 02:35:42 PM new
Why cant she just go to library and check out some books on web design?
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There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on March 13, 2010 08:27:16 AM new
prof- true... but that may also be an advantage to the webmaster since most people don't use macs...this keeps people relying on you as a webmaster. if you are creating websites for a living, then obviously you want to maintain a customer base even if you're not creating sites, you can still maintain them for businesses.
posted on March 13, 2010 09:52:54 AM new
If she's looking to do this professionally... she's not going to get the full range of tools that she needs from consumer oriented web design programs like iWeb or FrontPage. Instead, she should look at true commercial grade solutions like Dreamweaver (if she wants a client-based solution) or systems like Drupal if she's looking for server-side solutions. Either way... she definitely needs to make sure she has a strong foundation in design principals, otherwise the tools she uses will make no difference. She should also probably understand at least the basics of HTML coding (CSS, JAVA and Cold Fusion wouldn't hurt), be comfortable with databases and become familiar with at least a few shopping-cart and payment processing solutions (a must for e-commerce). It's a very steep learning curve to become a professional web designer, and if she's going to market herself as one, she'll have to put in some extensive training time. I'd expect it will take at least 6-12 months before she's any where close to being able to market herself.
My recommendation would be for her to start out small... making a website for herself (good way to showcase skills as a kind-of-resume/portfolio)... and try to experiment with some family & friends projects. Just don't let her fool herself into thinking that a couple hours reading a book will make her a web designer... it takes hard work, lots of learning and lots of practice!
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posted on March 13, 2010 05:41:41 PM new
There are some who advertise their service on Yahoo shopping,at one time a Yahoo shop ownner is willing to pay 30-40k for a shop design.
It makes for good cocktail party conversation but in real life,they never recoup what they spent .
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There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on March 13, 2010 06:32:51 PM new
In order to design pages that are visually attractive some art education is essential; especially in design and color theory. At least a couple of years should be devoted to the study of art.
A community college might be a good place to start.
posted on March 13, 2010 06:54:20 PM new
Is the field getting kind of crowded now?
I was browsing ETSY site and I see women making children clothes at home and some seem to have a large backlog.
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There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
[ edited by hwahwa on Mar 13, 2010 06:55 PM ]
posted on March 14, 2010 12:55:32 PM new
if i had a nickel for every out of work graphic designer that walked into our store, i would have retired already... at least here in portland. i think there are 25 graphic/web designers for every coffee and porn shop in Portland. If you've been to Portland, you know what I mean.
you have to be very good at marketing yourself too. otherwise, you'll get left in the dust by all of the other creatives out there.
posted on March 14, 2010 06:11:49 PM new
Well,like being a stock broker,the first person to open an account with you is your mother,the first person to ask you to design a website could be one of your relatives.
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There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
posted on March 16, 2010 12:22:03 PM new
Honestly, your friend would be better off doing something she already knows how to do. Maybe figure out how to turn a hobby into a business.
One field in which there is a great deal of potential (unlike website design) is being an email marketing consultant. But first, of course, you have to learn how and it really helps to be able to point to your own successful email campaigns.
There are local businesses in every town in America that would benefit from an email marketing campaign. You help the merchant to get his customers to sign up, then periodically send them interesting news and offers. You can expand the effort to Facebook and Twitter, but neither are as effective as emailing your customer list.
Again, this is only as successful as marketing yourself is. If you can't give a convincing sales presentation to a merchant, you won't make it as an email marketing consultant.
I would be in this business with both feet if I had time.
posted on March 16, 2010 05:19:06 PM new
We have a local plumber who use GOOGLE AD WORD to place himself on a site selling Febco 765 PVB - Pressure Vacuum Breaker, Bonnet / Poppet Repair Kit .
I called him and he answered right away and came within 30 minutes to look at my problem,50 bucks!
Yes,if this person can help small businesses gain visibility and business on internet,more power to her!
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There is no 'Global savings glut',only wild horses and loose bankers.
