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What better way to practice your web design skills than to start designing web pages?
Go ahead and apply the principles you’ve just learned and:
I created this site for our students to practice. Take advantage of this site, especially if you need some time to save money for your own domain, hosting, and themes.
Customize the themes, add menus, and practice however you want.
Then, screenshot your output and upload it as a portfolio item on Upwork.
Request for access here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210491357154561&set=oa.1750210771963164&type=3&theater
As a web designer, having your own business website adds a lot of credibility to your skills. Not only that, it makes it a lot easier for direct clients to find you and inquire about your services!
a. Purchase a domain name and a host.
For your domain name, I recommend using your business name (or yourname).com to sound more professional.
For cheap domains, I like namecheap.com.
For hosting, I recommend Siteground because it’s just $3.95/month (or $14.95/year) and has VERY good support. I have heard good things about Interserver, too but I haven’t tried them personally. You might also want to check them out.
b. Install WordPress.
If you bought hosting from Siteground, you may install WordPress through their wizard: https://www.siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress-wizard-installation.htm
c. Install a Theme or a Page Builder.
I recommend investing in a highly-customizable theme like Divi ($89/year) or page builder such as Thrive Content Builder ($67/license).
*If you plan on offering these themes for clients’ websites, you might want to consider getting multiple licenses.
d. Design your own website.6
To make your website look professional, I suggest sticking to neutral colors and legible fonts.
Avoid using flashy, neon colors and unreadable, LOUD fonts.
Suggested Palettes:
Credits: http://www.creativecolorschemes.com
For suggested fonts, you might find these helpful:
https://www.typewolf.com/google-fonts
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/30-sans-serif-fonts-perfect-for-website-headings
e. Choose your Site title, tagline, and add your Pages.
At the minimum, create:
- Home Page
-Portfolio/ Case Study/ Gallery
-About Page (with your best professional photo)
-Contact Page
Some add-ons to consider:
-Your own logo
-Your own favicon
-Plug-ins (There are lots, but I recommend having at least a Contact Form, Yoast SEO, and Google Analytics)
-SEO
-Blog Posts (If blogging is necessary for your niche, start planning out topics for your articles by doing some keyword research.)
IMPORTANT: Only start a blog IF you can keep blogging AT LEAST ONCE a month. Otherwise, don’t. Having an outdated blog is a big turn off for clients.
More websites = more portfolio items!
Most web design clients will look at past projects before deciding to hire. So, build up your portfolio as much as you can.
If you’re just starting out, you can volunteer to build websites for friends or clients (in exchange for honest feedback and permission to add their sites to your portfolio).
If free labor doesn’t appeal to you, you can also offer discounts or freebies to your first 5 clients.
That's it!
I wish you all the best in your freelancing career. ?