6 Easy Steps to Turning a Web Design Hobby into a Real Business
6 Easy Steps to Turning a Web Design Hobby into a Real Business

6 Easy Steps to Turning a Web Design Hobby into a Real Business

Published on September 4, 2023

Research has shown that there are around 26,905 web design businesses in the US. These businesses are in high demand and have a wide market to fill.

Most web designers begin their careers as simple hobbies in their free time. They realize how much they enjoy what they're doing and decide to turn their hobby into a profitable business.

Transitioning a hobby to a web design company is quite simple. There are just a few steps that you need to follow for success in this new venture. Keep reading to find out more about how to start your own web design business.



1. Adopt the Right Mindset

One of the most important things you need to do when you want to start a business is to adopt the right mindset. A hobby mindset and a career mindset are two very different things.

A hobby is something that you often do for fun in any free time that you have. While a business is going to require much more of your time and much more dedication.

The hardest part of this transition is making sure you're looking at your business as a career. You can't look at it as a hobby anymore, otherwise, you won't do what you need to do. You need to believe that this can actually be a career path for you. If you do not believe in yourself, you are not going to be as motivated to take the steps that are necessary.

Changing your mindset is also going to help you to persist. There is a lot that goes into a business, and you will need to have the persistence to get through all of the steps. You may run into some issues as well, and you want to be prepared for that. The right mindset will help you to be confident and ready to tackle these tasks as they come.



2. Have a Plan

It is very important to make sure that you have a plan when you want to start a company. When you start a web design business, you do not simply want to jump in.

You are going to need to create a plan that you can follow throughout this process. This plan will usually include what you know your business needs to entail.

Everyone needs to create a business plan that they can look back on. This will help you to know how far you have come and how much more you have ahead of you. A plan will also help you to stay on task and not get distracted by small jobs that are not necessary. For instance, do you want to build your website before you focus on branding.

Your plan will help you to stay on task and know what needs to be done and win. This can be very helpful when you are feeling overwhelmed or confused about what to do next. There are many things that need to be done for a web design agency, but they need to be done in steps. You do not want to get ahead of yourself or have to go back and fix things.



3. Invest In Your Business

You are also going to need to be prepared to invest in your business. This is something that you might not have done as a hobby, as it was just something enjoyable.

But if you want your company to thrive, you are going to need to invest in it. A successful business cannot be created without some money going into it. One of the most important investments you will make is professional web design software. This is vital in creating your website as well as offering services to future clients.

Web design software companies like SiteSwan offer affordable options for this. This allows you to invest in your business with software and other helpful tools that are going to pay off in the future.

You will also need to invest in a design to logo for your business. A logo is memorable and needs to be something that looks professional and attracts clients.

You may also want to invest in different classes or courses. These are investments that will help you to become a better web designer.

It is also important to invest in the tools that you will need for the services you will offer. Some common tools and resources that web designers find beneficial include professional email, Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), platform for day-to-day management of documents such as Google Workspace, and a platform to create marketing assets.



4. Set Goals

Setting goals for your website design business is going to be vital to your success. If you do not set a goal, you are never going to achieve a goal.

Goals are similar to a plan and help you to stay on task with what you need to do. You do not want to focus on creating a beautiful website if your actual goal is to attract more clients.

The most important goal is going to be how many clients you want. You should set a rough number so that you have something to aim for. Many people may also set an earning goal that they want to meet weekly or monthly. This is also important and will help you to figure out how many clients you need.

Depending on what you want to achieve, your goals are going to look different. But these are the two basic goals that most companies should have.
As you achieve your goals, you can create more extensive ones. These help to give you direction and boost your confidence during this career transition.



5. Hold Yourself Accountable

Learning how to start a web design business is not going to be easy. This is a difficult task that many try but fail to achieve.

Part of being one of those successful people is holding yourself accountable. Your web design career is in your hands, and you directly impact it. If you are not seeing the results you want to see, you may not be investing your time well enough. Or, if you do not have many clients, you may not be attracting the clients you want.

It is important to take accountability and look at yourself. Your business will not get anywhere if you simply blame outside elements for a lack of success. Holding yourself accountable also gives you a better mindset. This helps to motivate you and push you to do your best because you know that your career is at stake.

Doing this is also good because it helps you to learn from your mistakes. Making mistakes is a natural part of this process, but you also want to take accountability for them. These mistakes can help you to learn and grow your business in a better direction. Helping you to prevent these mistakes from occurring again in the future.


6. Decide on Your Services

It is also very important to make sure that you know what kinds of services you want to offer. Web designing is pretty straightforward, but there are differences to consider.

You are going to need to choose the niche that you are going for. Once you have done this, you will be able to figure out who your clients are going to be. This can also impact the services that you need to offer to your clients. These are skills you will need to learn, and you will most likely need to invest in the necessary tools.

What kind of services you offer is going to impact how you prepare your business. That is why it is important to figure this out early on during this process. This is also a good time to figure out the kind of branding you want. Your branding will impact all aspects of your business, so it is important to pick the right branding.

This should also be done before you invest in a logo. You want your entire business to be branded the same way so that it is immediately recognizable.



How to Start a Web Design Business From a Hobby

If web design is just a hobby for you right now, you may be wondering how to start a web design business. Turning a hobby into a business is a step that can be very beneficial for many and done relatively easily.

A web design career can be a great option, if you enjoy web design and have a talent for it. Many careers take the form of a hobby before they actually become a business. If you’re passionate about web design and are ready to take your hobby to the next level, use the tips in this article to make your move towards owning your own business.

If you're interested in running your own professional web design business, click here to learn how to get started with SiteSwan today!

We'd love to hear from you!

Share your comments or questions using the form below.