Is web design still a good business model? + 8 tips
There are a variety of possible business models for self-employed people on the Internet, including web design, which is very popular.
But how useful is the web design business model today and why did I stop doing it a few years ago?
You will learn that and more in today's article.
Everything was better before?!
As an online founder, you can use online platforms to sell products or start your own shop. You can advertise your services online or offer support to customers. And there are many other business models , such as web design.
In the good old days of the dot.com bubble at the beginning of the millennium, life for web designers was even more pleasant. If you look at what hourly rates were paid back then, you get wet eyes.
Of course, prices fluctuated back then, just as they do today, but overall the earning opportunities were often significantly better in the wake of the Internet frenzy.
And there are a few other factors that nowadays raise the question of whether “web design” is still a reasonable business model.
Note: This article is written from the perspective of a former web designer. Of course there are also big web design agencies and some people will see the arguments differently here. I would definitely appreciate your opinion and your experiences.
What speaks against the business model “web design”?
First, let's start with the arguments why you shouldn't necessarily go into the web design business anymore.
Cheap competition
This is often one of the main problems in this area. In the end, anyone can claim to be a web designer and the market is accordingly overcrowded. This means that prices are falling and many customers are first of all looking at the money.
Differ
It is often difficult to stand out from the competition in the eyes of customers. There are dozens of web designers a customer can choose from and if they hardly see any technical differences, then they'll consult the price even more than they already do.
Customer taste
That may bother some and not others. But it can be quite frustrating at times, what customers put on as a taste. Sometimes you really ask yourself what you're doing there.
Ready-made solutions
There are now out of the box CMS systems that actually neither require a web designer nor a programmer. Many hosters also install the CMS, the blog or the shop including a template.
Templates
The selection of ready-made templates is huge. Be it for the WordPress blog or your own company website . Why pay someone dearly to make something that you can get for free or at least cheaply online?
Website builders
There are more and more website builders that can create individual layouts to a certain extent and also enable laypeople to create a website.
Many no longer need their own website
In times of the social web, many small customers no longer need their own website. Various online platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram, enable everything from displaying your own company to selling products.
The effort is often not in proportion to the return
The web designer himself often puts a lot more work into a project than he gets paid in the end. Or who really only works from 8 to 5?
In my opinion, the above mentioned reasons are the most important ones to question the business model “web design”. But there are also a number of pro-arguments in favor of this business model.
This post is published by the Digital Gravity web development Dubai company which offers a wide array of solutions such as web programming, web design, local SEO Dubai and marketing know-how from a single source with a manageable budget.