It is becomingly increasingly more difficult for web designers to make a decent living on purely design projects alone. In recent years there has been a boom in the web design industry which has paved way for a wealth of potential business for the modern-day designer. That of course has also allowed an increase in the field’s competition, meaning that it really is boiling down to survival of the fittest out there (in business terms that is!).

So if you’re a web designer that is struggling to gain business, what can you do to increase opportunities and boost your own professional potential? The good news for any 21st century web designer is that there are a couple of things that you can do to kick-start your career again.

Be Versatile

The first key to success in virtually any industry is to be versatile. Instead of solely undertaking web design projects, a good web designer will be able to adapt and work across a variety of mediums, optimising their scope for business. This can be in the form of undertaking graphic design work such as logo and brand designing, creating business cards and letterheads as well as designing and producing business brochures and flyers.

If you own a web design company consisting of several web designers then this should be an easy transformation. The benefit of having a team of staff is that each of them has their skills and strengths so you should identify what these are and then you can assign them the relevant projects as and when they come through.

Make Sure You’re Mobile

In today’s digitally-saturated society, every web designer must have mobile web design skills in their arsenal. There is a huge demand for mobile optimisation of websites currently, so if you or your design team can’t produce mobile web designs then you will certainly be missing out on a healthy chunk of business. Get trained!

Get Educated

Today there are many ways of learning new skills or programs by taking courses or modules to develop your knowledge of the web and everything it has to offer. By investing some time and effort into learning a new design tool, for example, you have the chance to apply fresh ideas and applications to virtually any project you undertake in the future. Local courses can usually be attended in the evening or at weekends (ie outside of your usual working hours), plus there are plenty of online qualifications you can sift through in the comfort of your own home. There’s no excuse not to add another string to your bow by spending some time expanding your horizons.

Don’t Just Sit There

Another great way to ensure that you keep up with the competition is to attend web design seminars and conferences. Rifled with leading experts, brand new technology and business innovators, these corporate events are a great opportunity to identify the current and forthcoming trends in your field and how you can incorporate them into your business model, allowing for maximum business growth in the coming months and years.