Getting your first web design job.
February 14, 2005
GETTING YOUR FIRST WEB DESIGN JOB
People have been asking for this one, for a long time – I’ve been a total scatterbrain lately with heaps of half-written articles and tutorials!
I must have about 60-70 pages worth of material on everything from web design tips, PHP programming, how to create a database in MySQL, negotiating a web contract – all of them about half finished!
Before I go on with the article on the web design business, I have to say that I have relearned one thing in the last 3 months: do one thing and finish it! I think this is so important, that I’ve even come up with an expression:
‘If you’re half way there, you’re nowhere!’
Wow, I’ve coined my first expression! Keep it in mind when you’re doing your thing – whatever it may be.
GETTING YOUR FIRST WEB DESIGN JOB
One of the first question people ask, is how do you actually get a web design job? This has all to do with your presentation – how the client perceives you is more important than reality!
MAKE THE CLIENT CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITY
The first thing you need to do is make the client (prospect) confident that you know what your doing. Besides being able to speak clearly and present yourself (don’t wear flip-flops) in a professional manner, you will need a few props:
- A good business card – not one you make with your home printer! These days you can get great looking business cards made for 50 USD from a professional printer, there is no excuse for cheap looking home made jobs! When you hand
someone a do-it-yourself business card it screams AMATEUR! - You’re in the web design business – you better have a kick ass site! If your artistic skills are not the greatest, please use a website template designed by someone with the artistic skill!
- A portfolio would be nice! Having a great looking website is usually not enough, you need to show prospects examples of your past work – they will always ask for it.
So, what’s a new web designer to do? What happens if you don’t have past work to show? Just do what Bill Gates did to kick-off Microsoft: exaggerate!
I would create a couple of free websites for friends, family or even yourself.
If you can’t find anyone to give a site away to, then just pick a subject you know about (outside of web design) and build a site for your ‘new business’.
Example: build a website that sells books and become an Amazon.com affiliate while your at it! Besides having a working website to show prospects, you will learn about the growing business of affiliate programs.
SETTING THE PRICE
You don’t want to set the price in the first meeting. You need to be able to go home and evaluate the work. They may push you to give a price; you should hold your ground and just let them know that you will need all the details (how many pages, who does the artwork, any special features like Flash or database stuff et cetera,) before you can give them a final cost.
Asking for these details typically holds the clients off, since they have a few things to think about. But if you really have to, just give them your
hourly rate.
GIVING YOUR HOURLY RATE
How much should you charge per hour? This depends on where you live – it cost a lot less to live in China than it does in New York City! You should be able to gauge the going rate for your part of town by calling up web design companies checking newspaper ads that your competition has placed etc.
YOU HAVE TO ‘PAY YOUR DUES’
I am assuming you are new to the game of web design, so you will probably have to ‘officially’ charge a little less than the average to get your business going.
Example: if the going rate for web designers is $50 hour, you should TELL your clients $35. That will make them feel like they’re getting a deal, and this will help you to land the job.
Some of you may have picked up something I’ve been hinting at – did you see it?
When I’ve been talking about the hourly rate, I’ve been talking about what you should TELL your client, not what you should actually charge!
🙂
Consider this: we all got to eat, even you! Working for slave wages doesn’t put food on the plate – your client probably has no idea how long it takes to build a website! Now that I think of it, most web designers have no idea either!
The point is, you have to earn a descent wage; you should exaggerate the hours you need to complete the job. But remember, if you’re new to the field, you will need to work longer (and harder hours) than someone with years of experience, simply because you need time to develop your skills.
My business experience: I’ve found that web designers with a few years experience, can produce better websites in half the time of a web designer fresh out of school.
That’s part of the reason an experienced designer can charge twice as much and still produce a better web site. Nothing beats experience.. so build, build, build!
PRICING THE JOB.
Calculate the hours to complete the web design job and then multiply that number by 2.4! Only then will you have an accurate cost. Trust me, it always takes longer than you think!
Ok, I had enough writing for tonight! But you know what? I finished an article!
Stefan Mischook
