A website is a business’s online representation. So it becomes imperative for every business to focus on making it not only visually appealing but also optimally functional in every sense, including its design, features, navigability, and other important aspects. A business website is a doorway through which potential customers can visit a business and see how different it is from other businesses.

Web designing is a demanded industry in today’s times and the market is expected to grow to USD 14.3 billion by 2026 (Source).  The market for web designers is going to grow in the coming times as more digital innovations keep happening. The website plays an important role in revenue generation, risk management, customer success, etc. A website extracts a lot of data from the interaction it has with its users. The procured data is then analyzed and appropriate actions are taken.

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This is an opportunity to turn that potential into loyalty. A website can help a business gain a competitive advantage and stand out from the crowd if you like. Businesses thinking about building a website have to make sure that they give website design its due importance. This is where the need for talented, experienced, and proficient web designers comes into the picture. Web designers with the right skills can make a website a revenue-generating machine. 

The internet has been around for some time now, but there is still a great demand for website designers. This is testimony to the importance that websites hold in the online market. A website has the power to make or break an online business. No wonder web designers are considered such a valuable resource, even after such advancements in technology.

So if you are thinking of making a career in web designing or switching careers, you should know that there are ample web designing career opportunities available. Let us now focus our attention on who exactly is a web designer and what that professional does. 

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Who is a Web Designer?

The biggest attribute of a web designer is the combination of technical inclination and creativity. This combination works wonders when a web designer builds or redesigns websites. If you have these qualities, you should definitely pursue a career in web design. For the right education, you can look out for a short-term online certification course that helps you learn the basic as well as advanced skills of web designing. After completing this course, you will be market and job-ready.

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You will learn to make websites easier to use and more functional while not leaving their aesthetical appeal to chance. It is not a new job profile. It has been around since the internet became a household phenomenon. But it hasn’t still lost its popularity.

Web designers are still in demand across the world and will remain so in the times to come because no matter what, the internet is going to be there, and so will its ability to facilitate businesses as a platform to reach people across the world. You can rest assured of your future growth and job prospects. Let us now find out what you will be required to do as a web designer. 

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The web designers plan the website from scratch as they are responsible for planning, creating and writing the codes for the website. The website must be aligned with the vision and products r services of the company that get reflected on the website. And accordingly proper images, texts and videos are out by the designer.

A web designer makes sure that the website is user-friendly, supports the latest technologies and is easier to navigate. There are various factors included in website design, such as user experience (UX), user interface (UI), and search engine optimisation.

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As a web designer, it is important to understand the brand vision and create a website that is marketable and appealing to the target group. This can be understood from the layout of the website that which the target audience is pointed towards. 

The website must be interactive and the users should be able to have a good experience while navigating through the website. An interactive website implies a collaborative, engaging website along with various aspects.

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Read about: 5 Interesting Web Designing Project Ideas For Beginners

What Does a Web Designer do?

The basic responsibility of a web designer is to design web pages. Users may not be able to grasp the amount of effort that goes into building a website. A lot of it is done by a website designer. The website needs to have the right combination of colours, images, layouts, fonts, and other elements that make a website what it is.

The right combination of these elements brings a sense of relatability to the target group. For example, if the website is targeting the age group between 18-25 then the elements on the website should be peppy and zesty. 

The layout of the website also matters a lot, because a good layout makes the information on the website accessible and intuitive. A bad layout takes away the user experience and does not set a good brand image.

The web designer needs to strike a balance between the look of the website and its usability. A website that gives more importance to one of these two elements doesn’t usually farewell. Building a website that resonates with the target market is what a web designer is required to do. 

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Maintaining a harmonious relationship between the website and its usability is very important for web designers. In the path of being creative, they should not forget the functionality, otherwise, it could result in an unpleasant experience.

Let’s take an example to better understand how it all works. So if a web designer is asked to build a website for a gaming company that is targeting teens, they will focus on using more exciting and bright colours along with images. There won’t be a lot of text used. The objective is to leave a great impression on the target audience and to make them use the website to play online games.

Websites designed for other businesses and target audiences will gain keep in mind the unique characteristics of the business as well as the people the website is being built for. This job lies in the hands of a web designer. This is why businesses are very careful in hiring these professionals for building or redesigning their own websites or their clients’. Web designers are highly important and respected on the work front. The apprehension of “Is web designing a good career?” gets resolved. Let us now look at the salary that you can expect to earn as a web designer.

Salary of a Web Designer

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The average base salary of a web designer in India is around Rs 2,86,000 per annum which includes about Rs 16,000 in bonuses and Rs 20,000 on profit sharing basis. As you gain more experience, your salary will also continue to increase. The salary of an entry-level web designer with no and very little experience working in the field earns around Rs 1,96,000 per annum.

A web designer with 1-4 years of experience makes around Rs 2,55,000 per annum. Professionals with web designing skills who have experience of more than five years and less than ten years can expect to earn around Rs 4,10,000 per annum. Web designers with experience of 10 years or more are paid around Rs 5,78,000 per annum. Beyond that, you can earn in the range of Rs 1,300,000 per annum. 

So, in addition to proficiency in CSS, JavaScript, HTML, Adobe Dreamweaver, jQuery, and others that you are expected to have as a web designer, additional skills that can help you get more salary to include proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

If you are working in Bangalore, you will earn around 25% more than the national average. Likewise, you will earn a higher salary in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. However, you will be paid less than the national average in Ahmedabad and Kolkata. 

In the web designer career enhanced skill sets, and higher experience are also contributing factors behind procuring a higher compensation.  Some of the skill sets that are in-demand for this job role are mentioned below-

1. Visual Designing
2. HTML
3. CSS
4. JavaScript
5. PHP
6. Photoshop
7. My SQL

How to find your first job in website designing?

If you really want to land a good job in web designing, you will have to prepare yourself for it and show that you are worth it. In addition to acquiring the right skills, you will need to build a work portfolio that shows how you are better than others. As you are fresher, this is the only way to show your potential employers that you have what it takes to become a successful web designer. Your portfolio should speak for itself. Here is what your portfolio should include:

• Mock projects: As you don’t have prior experience in the field, mock projects are the best way to show that you have the required skills. You could do a website design job for your friend’s website or do a redesign for the brand website of your favorite company. You can also build a newsletter for a campaign that you wanted to be part of. All we want to tell you here is that there are a number of project ideas that you can work upon and then add to your portfolio. These projects won’t pay you initially but will definitely help you land a good-paying job. 

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Some of the mock project ideas are mentioned below-

1. Food and Dining
2. Talent and Management
3. Healthcare
4. Feedback reviews
5. E-commerce website

• Create a portfolio that looks the part: If you want to make the most of the web designing career opportunities available at your disposal, make sure that your portfolio gives your potential employers a glimpse into what they can expect from you. It is amongst the first things along with your resume that a hiring manager will look at. Leave a lasting impression!

Some of the tips to make a standout portfolio are mentioned below-

1. Define target audience
2. Define the goals of the website
3. Identify which types of brands you want to work with
4. Prepare work according to the types of brands you want to work with.

Some of the features that could be included in the portfolio are mentioned below-

1. Design
2. Logo 
3. Tagline
4. Images
5. Videos
6. Texts
7. Call to Action
8. Product
9. Product Description
10. Services 
11. Feedback
12. Testimonials
13. FAQs
14. Link to social media platforms

• Pitch your credentials right: A stellar pitch can go a long way in helping either shift between different roles that don’t match or enter a new industry. Make sure it clearly puts out your strengths, how you are unique, and why hiring you will help a company deal with its existing problems related to web designing. 
• Personalized resume and cover letter: A lot of professionals don’t pay heed to these small but very important elements. If you are new to web designing, you can’t apply for a job without a custom cover letter. Know more about the company, find out trends related to their projects, and mention those in your cover letter. You can even mention an experience that you had with the. Keep it as original as possible! Your resume needs to be as good as your portfolio. You can even get a professional resume and cover letter designed by experts.
• Look for relevant jobs, but don’t hesitate to explore: Most job portals and professional networking sites, such as Naukri.com, Indeed, LinkedIn, TimesJobs, and others, will help you filter your jobs by experience. However, if you think you can fulfill all the responsibilities mentioned in the job description, then go ahead and apply for jobs that require some experience as well. If you can convince the hiring manager that you are a proactive learner and that you can fit in, other requirements may not even be considered necessary. 
• Pursue a relevant short-term course: Look for an online course that can help you add a few more important skills. If you are switching profiles, a course is a must. It will help you come to terms with the nuances of web designing.

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Web Designer Job Roles

A web designer can work in a variety of roles as there are ample job opportunities for web designers. Here we are going to talk about a few job profiles relevant to web designing professionals.

• Front-end developer: A front end developer is required to add visual effects or elements to a web application that users see and interact with at the front end of a website. 

Front-end development in the web design careers is one of the most sought-after jobs-

1. Enhance user experience
2. Make use of HTML, JavaScript, CSS
3. Maintain and develop the UI (User Interface)
4. Manage the software workflow
5. Increase interaction on the website
6. Align the website with the brand vision
7. Make sure the website is targeted toward the target audience
8. Test website
9. Browser Compatibility

Some of the skills that are useful as a front-end developer are mentioned below-

1. React
2. Java
3. CSS
4. HTML
5. MySQL
6. Node.js
7. Communication
8. Creativity

On average front- end developers procure a salary of 4.5 lakhs per annum. The salary range for a front-end developer is 1.8 lakhs per annum to 12.3 lakhs per annum (Source).

• Back-end developer: Back-end developers are responsible for handling the server-side aspects of a web application. They also integrate the work that front end developers do. 

Some of the job responsibilities for a backend developer are mentioned below-

1. Create Codes
2. Test codes
3. Ensures the back-end is functioning smoothly
4. Improve the server
5. Compile and analyze the data

Some of the skills that are required from a backend developer are mentioned below-

1. Python
2. Java
3. PHP
4. Git
5. SQL
6. CSS
7. JavaScript

On average the salary procured by a backend developer is 5.5 lakhs per annum. The salary ranges from 2.0 lakhs per annum to 19.7 lakhs per annum (Source).

• Web application developer: These professionals work, keeping in mind the requirements of the client. They perform different responsibilities, such as website designing, coding, modifying, layout, and more.

A few of the job roles for web application developers are mentioned below-

1. Create applications for websites
2. Test application for websites
3. Collaborate 
4. Website traffic monitoring
5. Troubleshooting website problems
6. Work in collaboration with graphic designers 
7. Website maintenance and updating

Some of the skills required from the web application developer are mentioned below-

1. HTML
2. CSS
3. JavaScript
4. Testing
5. Debugging
6. Version Control

On average the wen application procures a salary of 4.5 lakhs per annum. The average salary ranges from 1.8 lakhs per annum to 12.6 lakhs per annum (Source).

• Senior web analyst: A senior web analyst is responsible for building and maintaining solutions with advanced technologies.

Some of the job responsibilities for a senior web analyst are mentioned below-

1. Senior web analyst supports  the analytics needs
2. Monitor traffic website
3. Maintaining the computer systems
4. Perform the planning of development projects.

Some of the skills required as a senior web analyst are mentioned below-

1. Quantitative skills
2. Technical skills
3. Analytical skills
4. Customer centricity 
5. BI tools knowledge
6. Web Analytics

• Web marketing analyst: The responsibilities of a web marketing analyst include gathering and analyzing data for studying client behavior, search engine optimization, website analysis, and online advertising. 

Read: Front End Project Ideas & Topics For Beginners

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Conclusion

Web designers continue to be in demand. They play a very important role in helping businesses to go online. People who want to make a career in web designing can join a course that provides them with the knowledge and skills that are required to excel in the field. There are several such courses available online. Join a course that improves your chances of getting hired.

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