Having left work in March to become a Web Designer I offer these tips to a safer business:

1. Pray - personally I find when I get God involved life gets into more perspective.

2. Family and friends are your most important asset. Don’t miss out on them just to get that job done.

3. Be yourself - I am an easy going relaxed and chill sort of guy. A business adviser said to me to get a suit. A suit - it’s just not me. I find the best technique of selling yourself is to be yourself.

4. Develop relationships. Always keep in contact with the client even when the job is done.

5. Enjoy what you’re doing - if you don’t do something different. Even if it means a radical change in your lifestyle.

6. Never be afraid to ask for help. Don’t just ask for help when you’re in trouble - ask for help when all is going well. It will enable you to be better prepared for the future.

7. Always be ready to offer help. Even if it costs you in time and money.

8. Never take it out on somebody or something else - always be ready to take responsibility for your own actions.

9. Don’t squash snails - ok what I mean is appreciate the small things in life. And don’t squash snails.

Rich
Romans 12 v 1

Who’s your target audience? And what’s your purpose?

Who’s your target audience?
The duty of a writer is to think of the reader first, last and always. The same is true of the web designer. You must have a clear idea of whom you are attempting to reach in order to be effective. A website of interest to teenagers, will not interest adults. Women and men respond to different approaches and topic areas. Individuals of different occupations, educational backgrounds, ethnic and cultural heritages need to be approached differently.

How?
So the question is: how do you go about doing this? The first step is to imagine a typical visitor to your website. This does two things. First, it makes the concept of audience analysis more concrete if you think about it in terms of a single person. Secondly, it reminds you that no matter how many visitors come to your site, they all come one at a time. All communication in the end is one-on-one.

Demographics. Consider the basic defining characteristics of the individual. Some basic considerations include: age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, language usage, educational background, occupation, political affiliations, religious background, and special interests like hobbies.

Psychographics. Originally coined by marketing experts during the 1970s and 80s, this refers to the setting in which the person receives the message. For instance, what time of day are they accessing the website? Are they surfing from home? At work? At school? Do they use a public computer or a private one? Do they have time to read something long or are they in a hurry?

What’s Your Purpose?
Once you have a clear idea of your visitor, answering the next question becomes easier: Why does this website exist? What are you giving to this typical visitor when they arrive?

Before you think about design or graphics, HTML code or search engine submissions, you must answer these two questions. Without having a clear vision of your audience and your purpose, regardless of its technical perfection, your website will fail to see the results you desire.