Making money with web design can be incredibly rewarding. However, skilled web designers are leaving money on the table by not maximizing their creativity.
As a web designer, you should live life on your terms. In addition to having a good-paying or flexible job, you also deserve to have financial freedom.
However, I know everybody wants to earn more money. It’s why we work. But why would you put a lot of creativity into your work and not get paid enough for it, how does that make sense?
In this article, you will learn 12 ways to make money as a web designer. After reading this, you’ll have more opportunities to make money as a designer than ever before.
Let’s get started.
1. Work as a freelance designer
The simplest way to make money as a website designer is to work freelance or contract for clients. There are a good number of freelance designers on the web today. People looking to promote their business or website can easily hire you if you have some experience in this field.
Here are some quick tips for being a freelance web designer.
- Have good design and coding skills
- Be creative
- Offer results-oriented packages
- Know how to write a professional freelance project proposal
- Charge affordable prices
- Always communicate with your clients
- Avoid spamming your clients with ads for other services
- Sign up with various freelancing platforms
- Consistently supply the client with work and updates
- Comply with deadlines and deliver on time
- Have a portfolio cataloging your best jobs to show prospective clients and employers. Luckily many websites builders allow you to build your portfolio and show your talent as a web designer.
You will get a lot more clients if you create very attractive and useful designs for the websites. Freelance designers charge $50-$200/hr or more depending on the complexity and delivery time. I can see you making some cool cash with this.
Learn more: Best website builders for web designers
2. Work for a web design firm
Every single day companies and people all over the world need custom-designed websites. When you work for a web design firm, there is no need for you to have your setup. Everything that you need will be at your disposal. All you need is to start offering your services without any delays.
You will not have to worry about legal compliances and other formalities. The firm will take care of them. In addition, you will consult with different clients so that they can get the best results for their business requirements.
Working with a web design agency or firm can earn you up to $2,870 per month depending on your skills.
See also: How to Get Entry Level Digital Agency Job
3. Offer web design courses
Web design is one of the most in-demand and profitable areas of expertise. The most convenient way for people to learn web design is through an online course. Think about it, why not create a course and monetize it? Thanks to online course platforms, creating an online course is even easier now.
Here are some tips on how to deliver the best courses for your target audience
- Utilize a course creation platform (I recommend Thinkific)
- Consider using affiliates for promotion
- Come up with a payment system
- Build a sales funnel
- Determine the duration of the course
- Assign projects for students to work on
- Offer the course and set price tags
- Use testimonials and free bonuses
- Become a better teacher
Building a course on web design could help you make passive income month after month, even after the launch of the course. Some web design courses charge members after they have completed their purchase or monthly to make more money.
See also: Best Online Course Platforms
4. Blog about web design and monetize it
If you’re a designer, you can always start your blog. Keep in mind that the blog should be about web design itself. You’ll find it easier if you use WordPress, or a CMS similar to it.
Open a blog for another revenue stream. Write posts about web design, hosting, and what tools you use. Include commercial links in places that are appropriate. Your readers will start to see your blog as reference material.
Here’s how you can get started.
- Create blog topics for profit
- Pick a topic that people want to read about. Popular topics include web design trends (designing for iOS 14.6, Google’s recent updates in their algorithm, etc.), keeping up with technology news and gadgets.
- Answer questions in a way that builds trust
- Add ads, affiliate offers, and other forms of monetization
- Build an email list so you can turn readers into customers and clients
- Create products and services for your audience (e.g. sell web design tutorials/worksheets)
- Charge for one-on-one coaching or consulting with your audience members
- Optimize your sales page
By sharing your knowledge, you’ll be able to connect with even more people in the industry.
Everything you write will be extremely shared and read. That’s how you turn your blog into a money-making machine.
Learn more: ways to monetize a blog.
5. Sell custom themes and templates
A web designer can sell a variety of themes and templates to a client. The themes and templates can be given to the client as is or customized to their needs. Know that many clients are looking for simple designs and shortcodes for their content.
If you like to build websites, why don’t you turn your design skills into dollars by selling custom themes or templates? You can create a theme marketplace to sell your themes on WordPress, for example.
You can also offer a free download but require payment for updates or maintenance work like security fixes, etc… There are many ways you can go about this. The world is your oyster.
- Build WordPress themes and designs
- Create and sell logo designs
- Sell favicons
- Create and sell blog templates
- CSS layouts
- Make premium plugins, widgets, and shortcodes
- Sell HTML5 web design services
Fully customizable, highly professional themes and templates can range from about $99.99 to $400. The price is even higher if it is custom-built. Whatever your skillset, creating these custom themes and templates is a great way to earn income as a web designer.
6. Offer web design support services
Web design support services help website owners keep their online presence fresh and up-to-date. There will always be someone who wants to set up their company’s website, redesign their existing one, or simply get some pointers.
Here are some ways in which you can start offering services to potential clients.
Consultation
This can be anything from initial consultation to discussing your project to creating a full plan of action. This is often charged on an hourly basis though in the case where you need advice but not necessarily actionable items, a set fee agreement will be more appropriate.
Website maintenance
A website requires regular maintenance to keep it working at optimal performance levels and to fix bugs or potential problems before they arise.
Website maintenance can vary from adding new pages to information updates and search engine optimization (SEO). You get paid to make sure the website is working and up to date.
Back-end solutions
In this case, you will be able to earn money before the site is even built. Maintain a competitive edge by regularly using back-end consultancy or development services. It is also possible to charge regular maintenance fees for client databases, which is a more lucrative opportunity.
7. Become an SEO web designer expert
SEO web designers are web designers who specialize in making websites that search engines will find and rank well. It’s a type of job in demand as the Internet becomes ubiquitous across the world.
Sounds exciting? Yes, there are lots of opportunities for SEO web designers to make good money for themselves. There are multiple ways in which you can make money with SEO web design services. Some of these services include
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Descriptive URLs
- A fast loading time
- Crawling and accessibility
- Navigation
Got a knack for SEO positioning? Is search optimization one of your strong points as a website designer? Then you may be able to make money as an SEO website design pro for local businesses.
The client will love you for it because they’ll get more targeted visitors and their site will rank higher on search engines.
Learn more: ways to improve your SEO.
8. Create and sell websites
Creating and designing websites is what you do best. With everyone going online now, there will be plenty of demand. So why not earn money by creating a website that solves a problem or fills a need for your client?
While creating the site, give it extra love and attention, the kind that will set it apart in a crowd. Keep it simple, but keep it elegant. One unique selling point would be to design it in a way that is compatible with any device.
There are numerous options available for you. You may create and sell websites such as
- Marriage and baby shower websites
- Real estate website design
- Customized business sites
- Car parts online store
- Health and medical website design
- Online auction websites
- Pet food site
Pay attention to those who have small businesses around you. Make a bespoke website that they cannot resist. If you think you’ll have a hard time getting someone to give you money, think again.
As long as you can create stunning websites, the number of income opportunities will only be limited by your creativity.
Learn more: Best websites to buy and sell online businesses.
9. Partner with developers or join a startup team
The demand for web designers is increasing with each passing day. A web designer can help them create an online presence that connects brands with the rest of the world. A good way of making money from your skills is to partner up with an established developer or a startup team.
Furthermore, it’s important to have a solid portfolio. Your hard work and dedication may get noticed by developers or startup teams that are looking to build web applications.
These brands or companies usually need a nimble team of individuals who can meet deadlines. Perhaps a startup may approach you looking for someone with previous experience creating high-quality websites.
When looking for partners or companies to design for, make sure they have the interest or capacity to pay you after your work is done. In the case of a startup company, ensure you get equity in return for your efforts.
10. Work multiple remote jobs
Working multiple remote jobs is a great way to make additional income in addition to your regular paycheck from your full-time job. You might not be able to live off of just web design, but it’s certainly possible to supplement your income with multiple remote gigs.
As a web designer, these remote opportunities are numerous. There are many companies with whom you can create custom websites without being physically in their office or studio. With remote job work, your job will be outsourced to you and you’ll be able to create the website without having ever met the person hiring you.
Several companies near your region hire remote job workers. Working multiple remote jobs will give you the greatest variety of hours and income potential.
In the US, the average pay per hour for a web designer is $35. You can make more if you know how to bid for projects.
11. Take advantage of training opportunities and fresh ideas for revenue streams
What grows better with age? No, not wine, your skills! A good solid training venue is worth its weight in gold to a web designer. No matter your expertise as a web designer, there is always an opportunity to be creative and add new features and services. This is where training comes in.
Keep up with market trends by attending training sessions, workshops, podcasts, and technology summits. It is at these events where you will find a lot of learning opportunities for revenue streams and ways to strengthen yourself as a web designer.
Web design training is a great investment. Train yourself and invest in your future. Build a strong foundation for your business and you will make money.
See also: Best Video Conferencing Software
12. Go above and beyond with customer service
Many web designers don’t go the extra mile, but it can make a huge difference with clients and get more gigs. You know the more gigs you get, the more money you make. One way to set yourself apart is to provide customer service beyond what your client reasonably expects.
Whether it’s bringing them coffee or lunch—or meeting tomorrow instead of next week, you’ll be creating customers for life. Also, maintain good relationships with clients. Being continually in touch with your clients will ensure that they remain your clients for long.
Some clients will be good friends; others will be acquaintances. Both kinds will deserve your best efforts and you should offer a warm handshake and considerate smile.
See also: Best CRM Software for Small Business
How much money can you make with web design?
Web designers create the look and feel of all those sites that you love to visit. According to findings, web designers can make between $58,512 and $119,589 per year depending on their expertise.
Depending on many factors, the amount of money you can earn as a web designer can vary widely. Some of the factors include certification, experience, multitasking ability, etc.
Starting a web design business can be very profitable, especially in today’s market. The digital arts and computer skills you have, along with your artistic flair, is the perfect fit for a career in this field.
FAQs
Can anyone learn web design?
Yes. Anyone can learn web design, as long as they are willing to read and put in the time to practice what they are learning.
Can you work from home?
Yes. You don’t need to have a physical office as most of your time will be spent on the computer creating websites. The first thing you will need is the skill. Then you need a laptop or desktop and a decent internet connection.
Where can you find jobs for web design?
Jobs for web design are available online through freelancing sites. These platforms allow you to bid for jobs, usually hourly or project-based, just like an auction.
Other ways to find jobs include message boards and directly with companies that need a new website.
Should you pay for all web design tools or software?
This may sound like a no-brainer, but some software out there doesn’t add any benefits to help you complete tasks. Instead, they just include features that are overly complex or unnecessary.
Use the right tool for the right job. Web designers avoid spending thousands of dollars on unnecessary tools. Use free or open-source tools and resources whenever you can. By doing this, you gradually save money.
The key to success in any kind of venture is to reach and keep a positive cash flow, a situation where you are earning more money than you spend. It costs money to make money. It can cost a great deal of money if you’re not careful.
The goal is to eliminate as many expenses as possible without eliminating the ability to make money.
What are common web design mistakes?
There are many common mistakes that web designers make when they design a website. These mistakes can be costly to both them and their clients. First, the designer fails to have a clear set of objectives in mind.
The client is usually left to understand the purpose of their website after the designer has already worked on the site. Next, the designer focuses more on aesthetics than content, often resulting in poor-quality content that doesn’t engage visitors.
A third mistake involves having too many colors and graphics on the website, which may confuse visitors or distract them from important information.
Yes, web design is not easy. As a web designer, it’s important to know what you are doing. Otherwise, your website will look funny and may have some functionality issues that will harm your business.
Conclusion
Are you an experienced web designer, a newbie, or a curious mind looking for how to make money with web design? I’ve put together this guide to help you to grow your income.
This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide, but it should get you well on your way to earning a steady income from your web design skills. There has never been a better time to become a web designer.
Based on my experience as a web designer, I made more income become having multiple streams of cash inflow.
I made and sold themes, partnered with developers and startup teams to create tech products, created and sold blogs, taught some close friends programming and web design, and have a full-time job.
This may seem like a lot if you’re just starting out. Remember, there’s nothing impossible if you put your mind to work. You can definitely do better and make more money if you work smart and not hard.
In case you enjoyed this post, you’re sure to enjoy my post on how to make money with graphic design, by the way. Please take a moment to check it out.
If you decide that the best way to earn money with web design is to blog about it, I have something exciting to share with you. I’ve written a post on how to start a blog, isn’t that cool?
This blog provides information about making money in several ways. You will find it to be a valuable resource if you are looking for ways to make more money.
Thank you for reading. All the best.
