The Business Side of the Website Designer
and Webmaster
So you have decided you want to become a website designer, or more
commonly known as a webmaster, but have you really thought about
what that decision will mean? Today’s world of site design is more
competitive than ever. The global impact makes striking out as a
website designer even more difficult. When you think about competition,
you have to think globally. Technology makes it easy to be a website
designer because you can market your skills to just about anyone
and anywhere. The website designer does not suffer from geographical
boundaries as most other business types do. Moreover, if you are
just starting out and not established, then entering the market
will be even more difficult.
Lay of the Land - Expectations for Website Designers and Webmasters
From a Potential Customer’s Point of View
Today’s website design customers are expecting more and more from
their designers. Once upon a time, it was enough to offer a great
looking page with easy navigation and aesthetic looks to draw customers
back. That is no longer the case. Today they expect more abilities
from their website designers. They expect that not only will their
pages look good, but also is good enough to rank highly in search
engine positioning. Today’s website designer must be a hybrid of
design plus marketing, copy-writing, content generation, and search
engine optimization / positioning. Not only will you need the latest
design skills like ASP, PHP, JavaScript, and the likes, but you
will need to keep up on emerging technologies as well.
You will need to know about things like link relevance, link popularity,
search engine optimization / positioning, graphic design, page layout,
and the list goes on and on. You could abandon all of these suggestions,
but how satisfied will your customers be if you can’t fulfill their
needs? Furthermore, how much business will you be able to maintain
as the results? There’s allot to take into consideration when deciding
to strike out as a website designer or webmaster. Fail to evaluate
such considerations and you will almost assuredly fail in your quest.
Even if you have this entire suggestion list ready to go, and you
know what you’re talking about. You can design great pages that
position well in search engine results. You can write content that
will bring visitors back to your customer’s site, but there are
still other legal considerations to take into account before you
strike out as a website designer or webmaster. Self-employment is
nothing to jump into lightly.
Legal Implications for Website Designers and Webmasters
The first question is what is your business structure? Will you
operate a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation?
Each one has it’s own unique advantages and disadvantages. The key-determining
factor is usually the eventual goal you have in mind for the business.
Do you want to make a part time income to supplement your present
day job? Do you plan to make a full time living out of being a website
designer or webmaster? Do you plan to become a driving force in
the website design or webmaster community? The bigger the steak
the more protection you will need.
If you are only out to make a part time income, or a full time
income, then the sole proprietorship or partnership may be the right
business structure for you. The sole proprietorship means that you
are the business. When the business gains, you gain, when the business
loses, you lose. Everything transfers right to you in the end, the
profits, and the expenses. You are on your own.
The partnership allows you to share the things mentioned in the
sole proprietorship. Two or more people work together through a
legal agreement that evens out the profits and expenses of business
operations. They will usually also share in the work. Partnerships
should always be formed with the aid of a legal professional. The
agreement should outline all responsibilities. How profits are split,
and how the expenses are paid. Make sure you know your potential
partners before you enter such an agreement with anyone. Money can
make people act strangely. Get it all in writing so there are no
misunderstandings later.
If you are striking out to be a driving force in the website designer
or webmaster community, intend to have numerous sales to other big
business and large corporate clients, and intend to have high income
through such clients, then the corporation might be the way to go.
Corporations are their own entities, and help shield you from potential
problems. The corporation choice offers the most protection of all
business forms. Claims must go through the corporation entity before
they can transfer internally to the corporate officers. The corporation
offers the ability to shield personal property from potential claims
brought against your business. Always seek professional legal assistance
when forming a corporation.
After you figure out what kind of business form you are going to
operate under, it is then time to look at other legal implications
related to website designers and webmasters. You may need to obtain
a business license, a Doing Business As (DBA) certificate, and even
a zoning permit. You may also need to file state and federal forms
on your business. Speak with your local offices to determine what
they require for business operations. If you have a Town Hall, then
start there.
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The
Business Plan (Article Continues)
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By James R. Sanders
February 3, 2004
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About the Author
James R. Sanders is the owner of Sanders
Consultation Group Plus. He has been a webmaster and website designer since
1997. He has also been involved in self employment ventures since 1992. He is
presently a contributing author of NewbieHangout,
and has been published through WebProNews
and 4Rankings.com.
His writing is targeted to webmasters, would be webmasters, website designers,
would be website designers, self employed, or those researching information
looking for solutions to questions associated with design, business operations,
and promotion today. His goal is to provide practical information based upon
his years of experience to help webmasters, website designers, and self employed
people achieve their goals in today's competitive global market. You can subscribe
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Wednesday, October 19, 2005 11:41 AM
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