Web Designers Are in High Demand (Why You Should Start a Web Design Business in 2022)
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There’s no doubt our world has shifted over the last year. And while I’m certainly not here to spew my personal opinions and philosophical stances on it all, I am here to address a problem that a lot of people are facing: financial and employment insecurity.
Here in Washington state alone, around 2,500 restaurants had to shut their doors permanently in 2020. That means owners, servers, cooks, and hostesses—people dependent on the restaurant industry—were not only without work, but with a confusing future since their skills lay in an industry that is being shut down left and right.
Across America, the amount of businesses who ended up having to shut down for good because of COVID is in the six figures. Since most of those businesses employed a lot more than 1 person each, it’s safe to assume many millions of people are now without work suddenly, unexpected. And finding a new job in such a market is not so easy, I imagine.
I have a friend who knows a man that was a successful restaurant owner in Kentucky. He ended up having to close his restaurant for good when the second round of lockdowns came, unable to afford the associated expenses anymore. Now he works as a greeter at Wal-Mart.
It’s heartbreaking.
Many businesses have had to make a quick pivot and take their storefront online, while other people are having to reconsider their profession entirely and even begin a whole new career path.
So are former entrepreneurs and unskilled workers going to be forced to work for Wal-Mart and Amazon in order to make ends meet? In this article, I want to present another option to consider.
Is Web Design A Good Career in 2021?
Businesses shifting to Ecommerce
The need for websites is probably not something that will decline anytime soon.
Even before the events of 2020, people needed websites.
New businesses need websites, old businesses need new and improved websites.
New solopreneurs and service providers need websites.
It seems these days that everyone has a website for something.
Enter COVID and the ensuing lockdowns and many businesses had to quickly go online in order to stay afloat.
“Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow as ecommerce continues to expand.”
Average Growth Rate For Web Design is Double The Average of Most Occupations
In America, the average growth rate for all occupations is 4%.
However, between 2019-2029 the job outlook for web designers (and developers) is projected to grow by 8%!
Should you start a web design business in 2021?
Going remote
Add in the fact that many companies are transitioning to online remote work for their employees, and outsourcing more, I think there’s no better time to teach yourself web design.
From there, you can either work for yourself and grow your own business online, or you can join a company as a regular employee. Most businesses need at least one web designer/developer on staff, if not a few.
Do you need a college degree to be a web designer?
Nope. A college degree is not necessary to be a web designer or web developer (or graphic designer, or video editor, or any of the other numerous online career paths you can take!).
I have been running a successful online business as a web designer since 2017, and I taught myself everything. Over the years, my work speaks for itself. Whether or not I have a computer science degree doesn’t matter as long as my clients websites look good and perform well ;)
Most web designers are self-taught. I also have a friend who is a senior software engineer for a large well-known company and though their job listing said “computer science degree required” he secured the job after just one phone interview simply because he’s knowledgeable in his field. So just kick imposter’s syndrome to the curb and go for it!
How to become a web designer?
Decide on the platform you want to use (Wordpress, Squarespace, etc.) and/or learn programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript
Start taking online courses and YouTube tutorials — create your own school and commit to it!
Get certifications online for various related skills
Create websites! You’ll need a portfolio after all
Start marketing yourself and applying for jobs!
do website designers make good money?
I think the average salary for a web designer is around $60,000, or about $30/hr. and I assume that’s as an employee.
But if you’re self-employed, it’s reasonable to make six figures each year.
Running your own web design business means you can take on more clients and work more hours if you so choose.
Or you can work less hours and enjoy more time and freedom. It’s up to you once you get established.
Interested in Starting Your Own Squarespace Design Business?
I built my Design Business using the Squarespace platform, and haven’t looked back!
More people seem to be drawn to Squarespace as opposed to Wordpress and I think the Squarespace platform will be going strong for a while to come.
Moreover, it’s easy to use and learn, so you can hop in now and get started simply by taking free YouTube tutorials. Get your feet wet by creating a couple of websites and then learn how to run the business side of things with my course: How to Start a Squarespace Design Business.
No matter which route you take, I think the time is ripe to transition to this kind of work. Even if you’re still fortunate to have your career despite the ongoing social changes happening around us, you still never know what the future holds.
If you have a Squarespace website, you can also just monetize that. You don’t have to become a designer. In my brand new course, I teach you how to do just that. Check it out!
My personal opinion is this is a time for all of us to diversify our skills and offerings, to give us the best possible chance of success.
Hopefully this article was helpful for you and please let me know in the comments section if you have any questions!
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll talk to you soon,
x
Tiffany
Welcome!
Hey there! I’m Tiffany ~ a Squarespace Web Designer & SEO Expert. I design beautiful & professional websites that rank well on Google, & I teach courses on becoming a Squarespace SEO Expert, Monetizing Squarespace, and Starting Your Own Squarespace Design Business!
Feel free to contact me at: tiffany@tiffany-davidson.com
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