Negli ultimi anni si sente nominare sempre più frequentemente una figura professionale chiamata web designer.
Important for the correct development of web pages and not only, the web designer is currently one of the most sought after professions both by companies operating in the world of the web and by individuals who decide to start a blog, forum or website at a professional level and take care of it properly over time.
In sostanza, il web design è una branca che si occupa dell’ideazione, progettazione e sviluppo dei siti web e di conseguenza, vista la continua crescita della domanda nel settore, diventare web designer può rappresentare un ottimo sbocco professionale.
Let's take a look at what exactly it's all about, how you can become a web designer, how much you can earn and what else you need to know about this world if you intend to go this route.
Who is and what does a web designer do
As mentioned above, web design is the design and website development.Consequently, we can define the web designer as the one who actually designs and creates the individual web pages, so this figure is responsible for both the operation of the site at the technical level that the graphic appearance of the same and also the user experience.
Non solo, il web designer pensa anche alla parte grafica e si impegna a garantire al committente un sito accattivante dal punto di vista visivo, che sia scorribile da qualsiasi browser e dispositivo mobile, indipendentemente dalle preferenze e dalle esigenze degli utenti.
In practice, we can define the web designer as an architect of the web as he thinks about the construction of the site from A to Z, so he must have skills such as to be able to ensure high quality from every point of view.
However, given the many skills needed to ensure the highest quality, web design often involves several professionals who specialize in a particular branch, just as web designers may collaborate with different professionals to create websites:
- Analysts,
- Graphic designer,
- Web architect,
- Web marketing specialists,
- Copywriting Experts,
- Mobile developer,
- Database manager,
- Community manager,
- Reputation manager, etc.
Generally a web designer has several skills, but given the complexity of some projects the collaboration with specific figures may be essential.
For example, large companies that need to create, update and take care of several pages of their website may be "forced" to delegate these tasks to different professionals working in the world of web design.
However, considering the multi-functional nature of the web, the figures operating behind web design projects vary according to the complexity, specificity and nature of the project to be implemented, but usually belong to one of the following maxi groups:
- Design figures: web designer, web architect, web project manager, etc.
- Technical figures: graphic designer, web designer, mobile web developer, etc.
- Marketing and communication figures: web marketers, web account managers, copywriters, reputation managers, community managers, etc.
- Management and/or support figures: web account manager, web master, database administrator, web security expert, online store manager, etc.
As you can see, the world of web design is very wide and there are several figures that can contribute to the various projects, but usually when we talk about web designer we refer to a person who usually performs two main tasks:
- On the one hand it deals with designing the visual communication of websites.
- Dall’altra parte codifica i contenuti in linguaggio web (HTML e CSS) o utilizzando dei visual page builder come Elementor Pro or Divi Builder.
In this way it creates the individual pages of the site, often starting from a graphic draft created by a graphic designer.
About this aspect, keep in mind that often web designers are also experts in graphic design, while those who specialize only in this subject are hardly able to design and coding sites.
Come accennato nei paragrafi precedenti, i web designer sono figure professionali molto importanti e spesso lavorano come freelance, ma non è raro che siano presenti anche come dipendenti in strutture fisse come aziende di grandi dimensioni, dove solitamente lavorano insieme ad altri professionisti come i sviluppatori web e le altre figure elencate in precedenza.
Average Salary- How much does a web designer make?
Being a very important professional, the web designer can earn very interesting amounts of money as long as he is very knowledgeable and able to get great results for his clients.
We're talking about a career that can be very exciting in every way, but has both ups and downs.
Anyway, keep in mind that the salary of a web designer is usually influenced by several factors:
1. Level of experience
This is undoubtedly one of the main factors that affect a web designer's earnings.
Who is a novice usually earns less than a web designer framed as "Senior", but in recent years, especially in some companies are taken into account especially the results in the field to decide the true value of the web designer so even if you are novice, if you are good you do not have to worry about competing with other professionals in this area, but you just have to "knock" the right doors.
2. Skills acquired
Come precisato più volte in precedenza, il web designer è una figura abbastanza completa, che generalmente, a differenza degli altri professionisti che operano nel mondo del web si occupa di più compiti.
As a result, earning money can be influenced by the skills each web designer has and usually the more skills you have the more likely you are to earn high figures.
In other words, if you present yourself in front of a client or a company with a curriculum that lists both the classic skills of a web designer and other skills (e.g. graphic designer, mobile developer, web marketer, etc.), the chances of being hired and/or being entrusted with a project increase and consequently the earnings will be higher.
In addition, companies or private clients, if they can delegate several tasks to the same person, save time as well as money, while the web designer specializing in several fields can "claim" a salary or a higher figure for the projects in question.
3. Type of work
A lot also depends on the tasks that the web designer has to perform.
If, for example, you are assigned simple tasks that do not require special skills and time, you will most likely be paid less for the work you do than if you take on very long and complex projects.
Whether you decide to work as a freelancer or for a company, consider that the earnings can vary a lot, depending on the projects you decide to deal with or that are assigned to you.
4. Place where you carry out your work
According to the estimates of the most reliable observers, a web designer's earnings vary greatly depending on where he or she works.
For example, according to what emerges from the official reports, Italian companies pay much less than those in Northern Europe, while in the U.S. much depends on the other factors listed above, but apparently we still talk about higher salaries than those received in Italy.
These are the main factors that influence the earning of a web designer, but surely you are interested in the figures and want to know more or less what amounts we are talking about.
To make a precise and exhaustive report is not possible because of the factors we have listed above, but consider that in Italy a novice web designer usually receives a salary of about 1100\1400 euros, while someone with different skills and long experience earns about 2100\2800 euros per month.
As anticipated, things are different in northern European countries where the figures just mentioned double, so we talk about a minimum of about 2200 euros for a young web designer and an income that starts from more than 4000 euros for web designers who have several skills and years of experience behind.
In the U.S. on average we can say that the earnings are similar to those of Northern Europe, but both to work in the States and in companies in Northern Europe keep in mind that in addition to having various skills acquired through well-defined studies you must "chew" very well in English, these conditions are required almost always by companies that have open positions for web designers.
Companies vs. freelancers: which formula makes more money?
Now that you've also seen some figures you're probably wondering which is the winning formula to earn more money. On one side there are companies and on the other side there are freelancers, two very distinct working methods that have pros and cons.
Again, there are several factors that can affect earnings, including the items listed above, but the main difference lies in the risk involved.
Let's talk about the business risk in the case of freelancers that, as in any other field in which you work independently, can be a brake, but commitment, perseverance and quality can make the difference and decrease almost completely the risks.
Working as a freelancer can be a solution that has several advantages:
- Unlimited opportunity to earn money: You don't have a fixed salary every month, but you can earn very high amounts of money that vary constantly.
- You get to choose when, with whom and from where you work: As a freelancer you can also work from home, staying in your pajamas, cutting the costs of running your small business.
- You choose your collaborators: Working independently, if you need to collaborate with other professionals you decide which ones you can (and want!) to establish a convenient working relationship from every point of view.
- You decide how much work: By being your own boss you can decide how many projects to take on, how to organize yourself, etc.
As you can see there are several advantages by choosing to work as a freelancer, but there are also points that not everyone likes and must be addressed by choosing this method of working:
- Paying taxes independently,
- Paying employees,
- I risk not earning as much at certain times,
- Rent payments,
- Purchases of licences, etc.
Let's talk about risks and obligations to be taken into account when working as a freelancer, headaches that usually do not have those who work as employees for companies, which is why many people prefer to work as employees.
Basically you have to understand what you aspire to, if you are willing to "settle" for a salary that is fixed every month but that does not give you any thought once out of the office or if you have great confidence in your abilities, entrepreneurial spirit and want to get involved independently without having any limit to earnings.
The choice is entirely up to you!
Web design courses- What to study to become a freelance web designer? (even self-taught)
Let's start this chapter with a good news: even if until now you have never followed a course of study related to web design you can still become a professional in this field.
How?
By committing yourself and following specific courses you can acquire the necessary skills to work in this sector.
Passion should not be missing, so if you already have an interest in this discipline, you like to create and you are fascinated by everything that is behind the world of the web you are already on the right track.
Ovviamente questo non basta, così come non è indicato iniziare ad interessarsi a questo mondo solo per un discorso economico, ma se vuoi intraprendere questa tipologia di lavoro perché sei spinto dalla passione, dalla curiosità e dalla voglia di emergere allora diventare un web designer di successo non sarà difficile, nemmeno se sei un autodidatta.
The first step to follow is to learn about the history, the basics of the web design world through books, blogs courses and webinars from professionals in the field.
Then you have to start specializing, delving into different subjects and taking specific courses.
We're talking about courses that you can also find online (usually the best ones are paid) and that allow you to develop different skills, including those related to codes and aesthetics of the work you're going to do in the future:
Non solo, per comprendere pienamente il web e diventare un web designer di successo devi conoscere anche gli altri aspetti che riguardano il web: SEO, Social Media Marketing, Copywriting e tutto quello che gira attorno all’user experience.
Online there are numerous proposals that allow you to learn these subjects and I suggest you choose carefully, taking into account the quality offered, type of course, reviews, assistance offered, etc..
You will probably have to take more than one course, but keep in mind that in order to be really useful you must always choose the solutions that allow you to apply the theory to the practice as you follow the course and you must be able to count on a specialized tutor to assist you during the lessons or when you have difficulties in some points.
What skills are needed to become a web designer?
At this point, let's recap the part about the skills of the web designer and see what are the main skills that you need to develop after delving into the basics of web design.
- The language of the web: let's talk more about HTML, HTML5, CSS, etc. They are indispensable for those who aspire to become a web designer, so take courses on them and practice a lot, until this language becomes child's play.
Otherwise, learn how to use visual page builders (Elementor Pro or Divi Builder) that allow you to create professional websites without having any knowledge of computer languages, in addition to the fact that they are full of ready-made templates.
- Responsive Web Design and User Experience Design techniques.
- Be familiar with graphics processing programs such as Illustrator, PhotoShop and Dreamweaver.
- SEO e dinamiche del Digital Marketing.
- The basics of Copywriting and Social Media Marketing.
How to become a successful freelance web designer?
Diventare un web designer freelance di successo non è un processo immediato, ma neanche impossibile.
The web is an ever-changing and also fast-paced world, so in order to reap considerable personal and monetary benefits in the long run, you need to acquire certain characteristics and practice certain behaviors that will help you succeed:
- Don't stop studying: Being a world that changes constantly and quickly, at a professional level the web requires continuous updates, so do not stop studying and deepening the subjects related to web design.
- Specializzati in più campi: non fermarti ad una o due competenze, ma cerca di migliorare sempre e di apprendere nuove materie che possono esserti utili nel tuo lavoro. Questo ti renderà più completo, professionale e aumenterà le probabilità di successo.
- Confrontati con la concorrenza ma non copiare: dare uno sguardo a chi ha già successo e prendere spunto è una buona idea per migliorare te stesso, ma non copiare nessuno. La creatività e l’unicità sono due fattori sempre importanti per raggiungere il successo come web designer.
- Offri servizi di qualità: per diventare un freelancer di successo ed essere conosciuto nel tuo settore la qualità non deve mai mancare. Offri sempre servizi di alta qualità, assistenza e soluzioni realmente utili e innovative.
- Investi su te stesso: dopo aver sviluppato le competenze necessarie per diventare un web designer continua a investire nella tua formazione scegliendo solo le proposte di qualità, così puoi offrire ai tuoi clienti novità allettanti e soluzioni che i tuoi competitors non offrono.
- Fatti conoscere: usa i canali online e offline per farti conoscere e offri delle garanzie ai tuoi nuovi clienti, così puoi accrescere la loro fiducia in te e fidelizzarli.
- Crea una tua rete di collaboratori e accetta i tuoi limiti: non ostinarti ad occuparti di compiti in cui non sei specializzato, rischi solo di rovinare il lavoro che devi consegnare. Piuttosto cerca di crearti una rete di collaboratori fidati specializzati in campi che tu non conosci bene e che possono aiutarti a creare dei progetti di altissima qualità.
- Investi in strumenti professionali: imparare tutti i linguaggi informatici e a creare un sito web da zero può richiedere molto tempo. Il tempo è denaro per un freelancer! Più velocemente potrai completare un progetto, e più velocemente potrai iniziarne uno nuovo.
Dai Un Occhiata
A Astra Agency & Elementor Pro!
Elementor Pro e Astra Agency sono due strumenti ECCEZIONALI che ti aiuteranno a creare siti web in tempi record! Con Astra Potrai importare siti web completi in 2 click, e con Elementor Pro invce potrai modificare ogni minimo dettaglio senza alcuna difficoltà.
Buying these 2 tools, could be the best investment and decision you could make throughout your web design career.
Tips for finding work as a freelance web designer
Se hai deciso di diventare un web designer freelance probabilmente ti chiedi come trovare clienti e farti conoscere.
In addition to creating your own website where you promote your business, you can also take advantage of other online channels, such as marketplaces for freelancers.
Fiverr is undoubtedly one of the best platforms of this kind where you can offer your services to people all over the world and also create fixed partnerships with communication agencies and other professionals.
Otherwise there is Freelancer, UpWork, Guru.com and other similar platforms where you can sell your services in different ways.
Instead offline you can make yourself known in your city through flyers, proposing collaborations to communication agencies in your area, etc..
Don't underestimate the advertising campaigns that especially at the beginning of your business can be very useful, both if they are carried out on social networks and on search engines like Google.
Inoltre, puoi anche godere dei benefici della SEO implementando una strategia di content marketing e concentrandoti a scrivere contenuti per il web (rivolti al tuo pubblico ideale) ottimizzati per i motori di ricerca.
How to earn money on Fiverr as a freelance web designer
Let's get back to talking about Fiverr as it can be a great showcase for freelance web designers. Finding clients isn't hard, as long as quality services are offered at fair prices, so let's see how.
1. Sign up for Fiverr
Sign up to Fiverr through the button above and create your profile by entering all the data that are required.
Also take a cue from the tips offered by the platform to increase your chances of being chosen by potential customers.
2. Create your own GIGs
Fiverr gives you the ability to create different packages to sell, proposals that on this platform are called GIG.
You decide the prices, what to include in the service, the delivery time, the cost of any extras, the terms of sale, etc.
Make sure you're clear about the services you offer in each package so buyers can understand right away what services you offer.
3. Activate your GIGs and advertise your business
When you're done creating your GIGs activate them and then advertise via your social channels, on blogs, etc. GIGs are easy to share, just one click away.
Remember to take care of every detail carefully so that you create eye-catching ads and services that are truly useful.
Having done all this your GIGs will appear in the specific search results as pictured above.
Potrebbe interessarti: La guida su come utilizzare Fiverr per guadagnare online
Conclusion
The web design is undoubtedly an attractive job opportunity that can be undertaken even if you have not followed studies related to this area and if you are looking for a job that can allow you to turn your life around.
Grazie al web oggi è possibile reinventarsi, lavorare anche da casa senza dover togliere tanto tempo agli affetti famigliari e guadagnare anche cifre molto interessanti.
Among all the possibilities that this virtual world offers, becoming a web designer is the ambition of a good part of web lovers and actually this profession can give a lot of satisfaction.
Have you had any experience in this field before and have you tested freelance platforms like Fiverr?
Tell me your experience with this or share your thoughts.
With that said, all that remains is for me to thank you for your attention, and wish you the success you deserve.
See you anon!
A hug.
