If You Want to Become a Web Designer, Read This

I bet there's some local kid from Jacksonville right now who's good with design skills and wants to build websites for a living. It's a possibility to make a career as a freelance web designer, but I'd recommend getting an education and going to work BEFORE jumping in.

I wrote an article about being a freelance web builder on my web design website. Teachers might want to direct their students here. Parents with kids who have aspirations of grandeur in the business might want to see what I have to say about it. My business is not failing, exactly, but it's not as easy getting jobs as it should be.

Yes, there are many, many terrible websites out there, but most business owners just don't care all that much. It's an investment to get a website, and equipment for their own jobs takes precedence over a snazzy website. Also, you can't just email or call and talk to anyone who is willing to hear you, which means all kinds of time spent marketing and networking. Most of us who are good at website design are not good at this kind of stuff.

That means there are all kinds of salesmen out there selling sub-par websites, often built by people in another country. Or there are all kinds of business owners trying to figure it out on Weebly or some other platform. Or there are companies with marketing divisions charging $10,000 for a simple website. All of this makes it difficult for you, the kid from Jacksonville, to get a solid footing in the business. Read the article before you try it, and thank me later.