Randy A Brown

Author: Randy A Brown

  • Gutenberg Editor – Review

    Gutenberg Editor – Review

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    I don’t often review something in beta, but the Gutenberg Editor is getting closer to becoming an integral part of WordPress, so it’s time to start digging in to see what it can and cannot do, what’s good and what’s bad, and what it means for the future of WordPress.

    What is the Gutenberg Editor?

    The Gutenberg Editor, named for the creator of movable type, Johannes Gutenberg, is an upcoming replacement to current TinyMCE design. The current format has been the editor that everyone has gotten used to for many years. It’s intuitive and easy to add text, media, links, and HTML. Themes and plugins that use text modules, like Divi, use TinyMCE as the editor. It’s gotten streamlined over the years, and many feel that it needs an update.

    The Gutenberg Editor is more similar to the editor you’ll find in web-building platforms like Squarespace. It creates paragraph blocks where you choose the content type from a drop-down box and then place your content within the block.

    The first thing I noticed that I don’t like is no access to the Divi Builder. My preference for content creation is to write in the TinyMCE Visual Editor, add all of my images last in their proper locations, and then copy the content and paste it into my custom blog layout. That’s not possible with the Gutenberg Editor (at least with the beta version).

    I started this post in TinyMCE and then did a copy and paste into the Gutenberg Editor. Each paragraph and header is pasted as its own block. I like that.

    It is easy to create the content blocks. Just hit enter. Each paragraph is its own block. You can also insert blocks by clicking Insert in the upper right corner of the screen.

    Drop Caps

    If you want a drop cap, simply click on the Block to the right with your cursor placed on the block that you want to have the drop cap. Click the switch to On, and you have a drop cap.

    Uploading and Placing Media

    Media such as images are placed into content a couple of different ways. One is to click the image icon at the bottom of the content. You’ll have to click the arrow to the left of the content block in order to move it into place. It’s a tedious process. Image alignment still works as expected.

    Another way is to click the Insert button at the top right and choose what to insert. The block will be placed at your cursor’s position. The image above was placed using this method. Using the insert feature, you can place common blocks, formatting, layout blocks, and widgets.

    Cover Image




    The Cover Image feature is interesting. Insert a Cover Image and then add your text over it. Choose Fixed Background for parallax and Dim Background to darken the image so your text stands out. This is one of my favorite features so far.

    Classic Text

    It does have a Classic Text block that brings in the familiar features of TinyMCE’s Visual Editor. It doesn’t include the Text tab or a media feature.

    Plugins that add shortcodes to TinyMCE do not appear within the menu. Hopefully, this is due to the plugin still being beta. The Insert drop-down box does include a shortcode block, but you have to paste in the shortcode.

    Settings Sidebar

    To the right of the screen is a list of options with tabs labeled Document and Block. Document includes the expected options for publishing, choosing categories and tags, setting the featured image and excerpt, allowing comments, choosing the post format, and adds a new feature – viewing the table of contents.

    The Table of Contents shows your headers in an outline form. Clicking on one takes you to that header. I like this feature a lot.

    Text Tab

    Changing to the Text tab in the upper left corner reveals a few tags you can add to your content. This works like the Text tab of the TinyMCE editor.

    My Initial Thoughts About Gutenberg Editor

    There are a few things I like about the editor. I like the drop cap feature and the clickable Table of Contents. The Document area to the right is cleaner than the current settings area. I like the ability to insert a widget for the latest posts, categories, or shortcodes into the content. I like being able to choose the author from the editor. I like the auto-save feature. I also like the multi-column feature in the Insert drop-down. I love that it can display cover images with text overlays in parallax.

    Unfortunately, what I do like is far outweighed by what I don’t like. There are no SEO adjustments for my favorite SEO plugin. I can’t use the Divi Builder (my building tool of choice). I can’t publish without a sidebar like I can with Divi and Extra. Hopefully, this will be fixed before it’s added to WordPress.

    It doesn’t show my my word-count. This is important for writers who charge clients by the word or someone who tries to target a word-count range for their posts.

    Overall, the Gutenberg Editor feels awkward to me. I’m not even sure what the goal is, but it doesn’t seem to be to make the UI easier to use. I like the idea of a clean UI, but I don’t like common features turned into blocks as options to insert into different locations from a dropdown box. I found the old method of showing them at the top of the editor to be more intuitive.

    The content being broken up into blocks makes my content feel disjointed. There’s no drag-and-drop feature, so you have to move blocks around with the arrows. It’s actually easier to copy and paste the content than it is to move it. The worst part is I can’t use the Divi Builder to create my layouts.

    Matt Mullenweg has stated that the Gutenberg Editor will replace TinyMCE in WordPress 5. I think at the most it should be an option – not a replacement. Let those of use that want to keep the editor we’re used to have our choice. Don’t turn WordPress into Squarespace or a similar UI just to be changing it. WordPress doesn’t have to be like those editors.

    TinyMCE is simple to use. The Gutenberg Editor doesn’t feel like an improvement. Instead, it complicates the process by adding steps that are not needed. I want tools across the top like a ribbon – not in a drop-down box that adds disjointed elements to the page. This isn’t the kind of word processor I would use to write with. It just makes creating content more difficult or confusing. The user interface should never get in the way of creating content.

    I suspect that if TinyMCE is removed from WordPress, we’ll see lots of third-party plugins that will add it back with even better features than before.

    The majority of this article was written in the Gutenberg Editor. I did start to get the hang of it, but it never felt as intuitive as TinyMCE. I ended up pasting the content back into Divi to publish with my Divi blog layout.

    Let’s Discuss

    • Have you tried the Gutenberg Editor beta plugin?
    • Do you prefer Geutenberg, TineyMCE, or would you rather have something else?

    Let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading, and please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image Munich – Deutsches Museum, from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Designing for Your Audience – Identifying the Target Audience

    Designing for Your Audience – Identifying the Target Audience

    Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the balancing acts of designing a website is finding that happy medium between what the client wants and what their readers need. The design shouldn’t just be a client’s wish list. It should also consider the end user’s wish list. After all, the website should actually be designed to meet the needs of the end user. In order to know who the end user is, you must first identify the target audience.

    Since a website is often constrained by budget and time, not every item on the wish list will make it into the website before time for launch. It’s a good idea to list the client’s top 3-5 items that are the most important, as well as listing the top 3-5 items that are the most important for the end user. This determines the content and features of the site.

    Identifying the Target Audience

    In order to know the top 3-5 things the readers need, and to help inform your website design, you’ll need to identify the target audience. Knowing the target audience will also help determine the types of graphics, animations, navigation structure, images, and other features that the website will need.

    The best way to identify the audience is to create a checklist of questions to ask your client. Your client’s will need to provide a detailed description of their industry, trends, customers, and competition.

    Have a meeting with your client with a prepared list of questions. Questions will be different for each project, but it helps to have a template to work from. Questions can include:

    • What types of customers are you targeting?
    • How would you describe each type of customer?
    • What is unique about each type?
    • What are their specific needs?

    Customer Profile

    Create a profile of each type of customer. Many designers like to create a mockup customer complete with name and biography. This is often called a persona. This will make the customer seem like a real person with real needs. The website can then be designed to solve those needs. This should be modified as needed in order to help improve the website’s design.

    Scenarios

    Once you have the personas, you can build scenarios that will help you determine how they will use the website and the type of content they will need. The result will be a website that’s designed to meet the needs of the end user.

    Let’s Discuss

    • How to you identify your target audience? 
    • What types of questions do you ask?
    • Do you develop customer profiles? 
    • Do you develop scenarios?

    Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image by Chad Kirchoff on Unsplash

     

     

  • The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 5 – Maintain

    The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 5 – Maintain

    Reading Time: 2 minutesOnce the website is deployed, as in seconds after, it’s time to maintain the website. This includes the backend, the frontend, and content. This is also when you should start implementing additions that were not ready or available during the first four steps. A maintenance schedule with items in a checklist can help keep the schedule on track.

    Under the Hood

    It’s important to keep your WordPress installation up to date. This includes the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. The majority of updates are security patches that fix holes. A website that hasn’t been kept up to date will be a security risk for the server and anyone that visits the website. If the server gets malware the website can be blacklisted.

    First, always keep an updated backup. Never perform a software update on your live website without a recent backup. I prefer to perform the updates on test sites first. Once you’re sure the updates are safe it’s time to update the live site.

    I recommend running periodic tests for speed and usability to ensure your website is loading correctly.

    Frontend

    The frontend also needs to be maintained. This includes colors, styles, design elements, images, animations, etc. You don’t want your visitors thinking they just stumbled into the way-back machine (unless it’s a retro design on purpose).

    Not only do design elements need to be maintained, but also calls to action, button arrangement, colors, etc., need to be changed as needed in order to get the best results. I don’t recommend changing at random though. One of the best ways to know what to change and how to change it is to use a/b testing. This will show you which colors, styles, buttons, etc., are the most productive for your website.

    Content

    News, products, offers, prices, images, articles, ads, etc. should be kept up to date. Your site would not look very professional if product prices were several years or weeks old. How many times have you driven by an old gas station with prices from years ago on the sign? What are your thoughts when you see that? You automatically assume they’re out of business. A website with old content looks like it’s out of business.

    The same goes for articles. How many websites have you seen where the last post was “I’m Back!” and that was three years ago? You don’t have to post every day, but the more often you can post the better. Set a schedule and stick to it. At least 4 posts a week is ideal for the best traffic results.

    Lets Discuss

    • Do you use a maintenance schedule?
    • Do you implement updates on a test server first?
    • Do you use a/b testing to see what is effective?
    • How often do you post?

    Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. 

    Featured image by Igor Ovsyannykov 

     

     

  • The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 4 – Deploy

    The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 4 – Deploy

    Reading Time: 2 minutesStep 4 in the 5 steps of developing a website is deploy. Once the website’s checklist is complete with all of the elements in place and the site has been thoroughly tested it is time to publish the site. Even though the site is tested ahead of time, we can’t just publish and walk away. There may be issues we haven’t found yet. Users might not enjoy using something that we thought would be a great choice. Something might be too confusing, or the functionality or needs might change.

    Deploy according to your launch plan and check everything multiple times as you deploy. This will include setting up the domain on the new server or removing the coming soon message, disabling IP blockers, sending out emails, promoting in social media, setting up any necessary redirects, etc.

    Quality Assurance

    This person continues to watch the site for problems. This includes using different browsers, checking links, using different platforms and devices, etc. They will also check for load times and take feedback from users. These tasks are especially important if the site was moved from a test server to a live server.

    A/B Testing

    In order to help improve the site’s design and functionality, the blog manager or QA person should use a/b testing. This will help determine where changes need to be made. It would test the layout design, color choices, button styles, call-to-actions, and more. The results of the tests should be logged and used for inform website changes.

    Analytics

    The blog manager should analyze the site’s traffic to see which marketing efforts are effective, learn more about the audience (which can tell you more about their needs and what the site needs to provide), which browsers and devices are the most popular, what other websites are sending traffic, etc. This will help you focus your best efforts where they are the most effective.

    Security

    Security should remain a concern. Keep a check on the security logs. This will tell you of potential threats and identify IP’s that should be blocked and any holes in the website’s security. It’s important to respond to problems quickly.

    Let’s Discuss

    • Do you follow a launch plan when deploying a website?
    • Is your launch plan different from what I’ve discussed here?
    • Do you have anything to add?

    Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image by SpaceX 

  • Guest Appearance on Elegant Theme’s Divi Nation

    Guest Appearance on Elegant Theme’s Divi Nation

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteToday I was the guest on Elegant Theme’s Divi Nation. We discussed writing content about Divi and how I got started as a content provider.

    https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/divi-resources/creating-effective-content-for-your-brand-with-randy-brown-the-divi-nation-podcast-episode-54

  • The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 3 – Develop

    The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 3 – Develop

    Reading Time: 3 minutesDevelopment brings all of the design elements together to build a workable website. Since it’s a content management system complete with database, content creation tools, and media storage, WordPress greatly eases the pain of development. The backend already exists and the frontend uses themes that are pre-made, customized, or built from scratch built on top of the WordPress system. Many themes and plugins include drag and drop tools that make it easy to place the elements where you want them. Let’s take a look at the steps involved in development.

    Comps and Wireframes

    Comps are the mockups that many designers create in Photoshop that show the design of the layout. Lots of designers skip Photoshop and build the mockup using tools such as Divi to build the wireframe. The comps or wireframes are used to build the site.

    The developer, which can be the same person as the designer and sometimes does both jobs simultaneously, places all of the elements in their proper locations, adds the CSS (by hand or by using plugins), adds any PHP needed (or plugins) to create any special features for the theme, adds backgrounds, graphics, fonts, menus, buttons, social plugin, newsletter plugin, security, backups, eCommerce, analytics, etc., for both frontend and backend.

    This work is sometimes done on the actual server while others prefer to develop the site on a private server and move it to the live server when the site is ready. Either way the domain name and hosting are prepared, sometimes with WordPress installed and security plugins in place, and a coming soon page displays to visitors and provides an email opt-in and social follow and sharing buttons.

    Content

    The content team will create the first round of written content for the website based on the direction decided in the design phase. This includes any copy for the pages and the first set of articles. This content is based on a spreadsheet called a content matrix.

    Many use tools such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to keep the list for the content matrix. Content creators use these tools as a checklist to produce the content. The blog manager will create the user accounts and have each user upload their content.

    Media

    Media includes podcasts, video production, slideshows, etc. The media development team create podcasts and videos (which are sometimes the same content). This also includes any videos to be produced such as company introductions, tutorials, product information, etc. This may require high-end recording equipment and software. The material is often written by the content team.

    This will also include storing and presenting the media. For example, the design phases answers the questions of will the media be stored on the website itself or another site such as YouTube and then embedded within the content. In this phase those tools and accounts are gathered and prepared to store the media.

    Blog Management

    The blog manager will publish the pages and posts as they are approved. At this point the website will still display a coming soon message to visitors, so they won’t see the content until the site is ready to go live.

    Let’s Discuss

    • Do you build comps with Photoshop or a similar tool?
    • Do you prefer to build a wireframe with tools such as Divi?
    • What is your favorite content matrix tool? 

    Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. 

    Featured image by Tirza van Dijk 

     

     

  • The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 2 – Design

    The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website – Step 2 – Design

    Reading Time: 3 minutesThe second step in developing a WordPress website is Design. Fortunately WordPress, being an amazing content management system, takes care of handling content database and other parts of the website under the hood, so you’re not designing from the ground up. Instead, you’re designing on top of an already powerful platform. Fortunately, this platform doesn’t place heavy restrictions on the design.

    There are several steps to designing the website. Be sure to include the client in every step – getting their feedback and explaining design choices. This will help keep the project on time and within budget, and will reduce surprises while ensuring you’re creating the website the client needs.

    Sitemap

    A sitemap is a diagram of the website. It will show what the pages are and how they’re connected. It will show the navigation structure and the categories for the content.

    One of my favorite tools for building sitemaps is a mindmap tool called Coggle.

    Wireframe

    A wireframe is a series of diagrams that show the details of each page. It shows the page’s navigation, the content such as text and images and how they relate to each other, and the interactive portions such as calls to action and links. (The image above shows Divi Wireframe Kit Vol. 3)

    Many designers use tools such as Photoshop, Gimp, etc. I prefer to create wireframes directly within the page itself using Divi. Other building themes and page-building plugins are great too.

    Content Plan

    The wireframe shows where the content will go within the page’s design. The content plan will show what the content is, where it comes from, will it include snippets that link to blog posts, will those snippets include images and if so what size, what is the character limit of the snippet and posts’ title, will it include meta information, how will the user interact with the snippet, what categories will be included, etc.

    The types of content, writing style, length, types of images, video, etc., should also be included within the content plan.

    The Look of the Site

    The look of the site is what we usually think of when we talk about design. Once the client has approved the sitemap and wireframe design, the visual designers can add visual elements on top of the wireframes. This includes choosing colors, fonts, and adding graphics.

    Be sure to test the site on multiple screen sizes and devices, and in multiple web browsers.

    UX/UI Testing

    Once the design is in place it’s a good idea to test the site with a small group, taking their feedback and making improvements. Some prefer to test multiple designs from the same wireframes in order to get the best design possible. This will help ensure that you provide the best design to the client and you’ll also be able to provide feedback from the test group if needed.

    Let’s Discuss

    • What are your favorite sitemap tools?
    • What are your favorite wireframe tools?
    • Do you use a process different from this?

    Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image by Galymzhan Abdugalimov

     

     

  • The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website Step 1 – Define

    The Steps of Developing a WordPress Website Step 1 – Define

    Reading Time: 3 minutesLike any successful project, developing a website should follow a proper sequence of steps. The steps, often called phases, help keep the project on track and within budget. They also help ensure that the website that’s built is the website the client needs – without bugs and scalable. This requires breaking the project down into a series of steps. In this series we’ll look at the steps of developing a WordPress website.

    Five Step Process

    Many developers use a five-step process:

    1. Define
    2. Design
    3. Develop
    4. Deploy
    5. Maintain

    There are lots of variations on these steps, but this is a simple plan that moves the project from concept to finished product. The steps follow a common-sense methodology. Let’s take a look at each of the steps.

    Step 1 – Define

    Before starting on the website’s design you must first define the website. This includes the site’s business goals and customer requirements. Before designing the site’s structure you need a clear definition of what the site is for.

    Site Goals

    Clearly define the top 3-5 goals that the website needs to meet. These goals will help determine the layout, visuals, navigation, and content requirements per page.

    For example, a site for a local handyman business might only need to have a one-page layout to specify the services provided and give contact information, or it might need multiple pages with detailed information about each service and include purchasing through the site with recurring payments. Those are two vastly different levels of design for the same type of business.

    Business Requirements

    Meet with the internal stakeholders and have them help you create a list of the site’s business goals. Make statements for them to finish, such as “the site must be able to…”. This isn’t the look of the site. Rather, it’s the functionality of the site. It will answer the question “what are the site’s primary abilities?”

    Create a list of all of these abilities the site must have and then have them prioritize the list. The first few should be the most important that the site must have at start-up and the rest can be added later.

    In this meeting try not to discuss how something will be accomplished. The focus should be on what needs to be done rather than how it will be done.

    Request For Proposal (RFP)

    The client will need to create an RFP. It will include the project overview, the site’s business goals, and the site’s requirements.

    Project Plan

    This will be the roadmap for the project. It will list all of the steps required and specify the time, people, and budget required for each step. Break the steps down into milestones with a time and budget for each. Most recommend adding a little extra time and budget for unforeseen issues.

    The project should be tracked using a Gantt Charts or similar tracking tool. Microsoft Project is a popular tool for project management. You can also get templates for Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet apps.

    Let’s Discuss

    • Do you use the common 5-step project plan or do you use another plan?
    • What are your favorite questions for defining the website’s requirements?
    • What is your favorite tool for tracking the project?

    Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already. 

    Featured image by rawpixel.com

    Stay tuned for Step 2 – Design

  • The People Involved in Developing a WordPress Website

    The People Involved in Developing a WordPress Website

    Reading Time: 4 minutesDeveloping a website, especially large website, often requires a team. However, WordPress now has many themes, plugins, and features that have helped to reduce the work required to the point that a single person can develop high quality websites, making it possible to run a WordPress development business by yourself.

    This is a look at the people, tasks, and skills involved in developing a website with WordPress. If you’re doing this alone these are some of the hats you’ll wear or some of the people you’ll hire. Every project won’t need all of these people and tasks, but they are typical in one form or another.

    Project Manager

    Someone needs to be in charge of keeping the project on task. Without a project manager it’s likely the scope of the project will grow (scope creep), due dates will be missed, and budgets will be broken. This person should be able to determine what can be done when and for how much.

    Many clients don’t have a realistic idea of what’s possible at what cost. They may think that a website with 1000 items in a store can be developed from scratch by tomorrow for $100. The PM will help set the clients expectations and keep the project on track (both on time and within budget).

    Business Analyst

    There are too many websites out there trying to get everyone’s attention. We can’t just set up a site and expect people to find it. Even if you’re not involved with marketing the website, those who are need to be involved with the web design from the beginning. They will perform tasks such as:

    • Set goals for the site. This will determine what the site needs to accomplish.
    • Identify the target market. This will determine who the site is designed for.
    • This will determine the keywords used for the site’s SEO, ads, partnerships, etc.

    Information Architect

    This person will determine the pages that the site will need and the navigation structure. They will create a sitemap diagram that will be used to create a wireframe diagram for each of the pages to show the navigation structure. They will test this navigation structure and streamline it according to usability.

    Visual Designer

    The Visual Designer will take the sitemap and wireframes and design the look of the site, with the company’s branding, into the wireframes – modifying the layout as needed. The use best-practices for layout, color, fonts, buttons, animation, etc., to determine the best user experience with the content. It will look great while remaining practical and loading fast. Photoshop is a popular tool for visual design.

    Web Developer

    The web developer creates the design in WordPress. In many instances this is the same person as the visual designer and many visual designers work with WordPress rather than other design tools (although a lot do use Photoshop to create their wireframe). Many use tools such as Divi, Beaver Builder, or Elementor to create the design.

    Once the design is created in WordPress they add the HTML, PHP, and CSS that’s needed to make the site unique. They will use API’s to connect WordPress to other services, integrate with various platforms such as forums and learning platforms, etc. Sometimes they focus on front-end or back-end development.

    Programmer

    WordPress programmers add features that are not normally available such as creating plugins and theme development. They use languages such as PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL. They should be familiar with React, Node, API’s, etc.

    Content Creator

    Also known as content developer, content provider, copywriter, or simply writer, content creators provide what is known as copy. This isn’t the same as print copy. This is copy that is designed specifically for the unique nuances of the web. (this is my profession btw)

    This is usually two different tasks or roles:

    Content Strategist – also known as a blog manager, they identify the types of text required including articles (which will include text, images, illustrations, etc.), text for buttons, menus, product descriptions, etc. This requires knowledge of SEO, content design (including word choices, sentience and paragraph style, headlines, lists, descriptions, etc.), character limits, word counts, etc.

    Copy Writer – they write the text itself. They will use good structure which places the major points first followed by supporting text, laying out the content in a design that’s easily scanable, using action words rather than passive words, making the best use of the word count, and driving the readers toward the call to action.

    Media Specialist – they create media such as podcasts and video. These are usually tutorials, interviews, training, etc.

    eCommerce Specialist – they create product pages including descriptions, images, video, demonstrations, etc. Online stores can have as few as a single product to many thousands of products. This person may be required to manage the store.

    Ending Thoughts

    Many soloprelancer’s (solo-entrepreneur-freelancer. I don’t know if that’s a real word, but it is now) have done these tasks for so long that they don’t even think of them as separate jobs. Unless you’re an expert in all of these fields and have the time to invest, don’t try to go at it alone. It’s better to get help in your weaker areas and focus on what you do best. Use tools that we have at our disposal.

    WordPress is not hard to learn, it’s in high demand, and the business possibilities are endless. Become familiar with a few good tools, such as an all-purpose theme like Divi and learning CSS, and use them instead of trying to build from the ground up. Fortunately there are many plugins and themes that do much of the work for you.

    Whether you focus on just one thing and become part of a team, or become good at several things and start your own solo business, the skills covered here are crucial to a successful WordPress website.

    Let’s Discuss

    • Do you perform multiple roles or do you prefer to focus on one thing?
    • Are there any roles you would add?
    • Which role is your favorite?

    Thanks for reading and commenting. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image by Helloquence

     

  • How to Know if a Career in WordPress Web Design is Right for You

    How to Know if a Career in WordPress Web Design is Right for You

    Reading Time: 3 minutesWeb design and development are among the fastest and best careers today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that web development will grow 27% through 2024 with an average wage of over $66k per year. The typical entry position only requires an associate’s degree. Many developers are self-taught and self-employed. Others are part of teams where they perform part of the tasks in a team environment. Most work full time.

    Needless to say, a career in web design and development is a good idea. In this series we’ll look at what it takes to launch a successful career in web design. We’ll look at the people involved, the skills needed, and the process from start to finish.

    How to Know if WordPress Web Design is Right for You

    Let’s look at some of the tasks that are required for designers and developers. If these tasks sound good to you then you will most likely enjoy this career choice.

    Some of the tasks include:

    • Meeting with clients to determine the needs of the website.
    • Working with team members to determine the content of the site.
    • Creating a mock-up of the design based on the client’s needs.
    • Creating graphics for the site.
    • Creating code (usually HTML, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, or SQL) to perform desired functions.
    • Choose themes and plugins.
    • Modify the design as needed.

    If you’re a freelancer that works alone you’ll be responsible for all of these tasks. If you work with a team (either as part of a team or as a team that you hire), and depending on your role, you could be responsible to manage the project and the team. Freelancers will have business management tasks as well, which include:

    • Marketing
    • Accounting
    • Customer service

    Designers and developers must be driven to meet client’s deadlines and they must take goals seriously. This requires:

    • Concentration – they must have the ability to work on project for long periods of time.
    • Detail oriented – all of the elements must be thoroughly thought through. Code is especially important as one minor error can bring down a server and affect thousands of websites (just ask Amazon).
    • Creativity – using modern design trends for layouts, graphics, fonts, colors, and even going beyond the standard and creating new designs that make your work stand out (in a good way, of course).
    • Soft skills – developers and designers have to communicate with clients that don’t know anything about web design. This requires patience and being thorough in asking and answering questions.

    Related Careers

    There are lots of related careers that designers and developers can move into. They include:

    • Computer programming
    • Database administrator
    • Graphics designer
    • Information systems Management
    • Security analyst
    • Software developer
    • Systems analyst

    Most of these careers require bachelor’s degrees. The pay ranges from around $50k to over $100k. Most are in high demand. Even if you decide that web design and development is not for you, you have similar careers to move into that use your skills.

    Let’s Discuss

    • What skills do you see as the most important to a web design career?
    • Do you prefer to design and develop the site yourself or do you prefer to be part of a team?
    • What other careers do you see as related to web design and development?

    Let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you haven’t already.

    Featured image by Lee Campbell