Low-Investment Profitable Business Models

Profiting with Web Design Services

• Barry KuKes • Season 1 • Episode 6

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This overview discusses web design, acknowledging its complex nature and the variety of services available, ranging from basic template use to custom coding. It notes the evolution of web design tools, highlighting the shift from code-heavy methods to accessible platforms like Wix and Squarespace, which empower individuals to create comprehensive websites. The text also addresses the business aspect, emphasizing how understanding these modern tools allows individuals to offer affordable services that can significantly undercut traditional design firms, using a personal anecdote as illustration. Finally, it touches upon Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as a related service offered by web designers and suggests educational resources for those interested in pursuing this career path.

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SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're jumping into the world of web design. We've got some really interesting materials actually sent in by you, our listener. Yeah, it's a great topic. So whether you're maybe thinking about setting up your own website or trying to figure out what your company site actually involves or, you know, just curious.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

We're going to explore it.

SPEAKER_00:

And what's interesting right from the start is this term web design. The sources point out it's... Well... It's kind of ambiguous.

SPEAKER_01:

Ambiguous, yeah. Not as simple as it sounds.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. It's not just one skill. It covers a whole spectrum of services and approaches, really depending on what someone needs online.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, right. So let's dig into that. Our sources, we've got pieces from Web Design Business Fundamentals and something called Web Design Acuity Business Pass. They really highlight this. It could be anything from using a ready-made template.

SPEAKER_00:

Super basic stuff sometimes.

SPEAKER_01:

All the way to a whole team coding a custom site from absolute scratch. It's a huge range.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's the key thing. When someone says I need web design, what they actually need could be wildly different.

SPEAKER_01:

Like one person just wants a simple page, maybe contact info.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, exactly. Or a business might need a full-blown online store, payment processing, the works. The term means different things.

SPEAKER_01:

It reminds me of saying I need car repair. Could be an oil change. Could be a new engine.

SPEAKER_00:

That's a good analogy, actually.

SPEAKER_01:

So to get a handle on where we are now, it probably helps to look back a bit. Like, how did this all start, say, 30 years ago? Things were pretty different, I gather.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, absolutely. Worlds apart. In the early days, building a website almost always meant coding. You had to get your hands dirty.

SPEAKER_01:

With things like?

SPEAKER_00:

HTML.

SPEAKER_01:

HTML for the basic structure, yeah. Then you had CSS for the styling, the look and feel, and other languages, too, for more complex stuff. Java, PHP, SQL for databases. It was much more technical.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so definitely needed specialist knowledge back then.

SPEAKER_01:

For sure. But then things started to shift. We saw the rise of YSYWigi editors.

SPEAKER_00:

YYSYWigi.

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What you see Ah! Our

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sources mentioned tools like Microsoft Front Page, Adobe Dreamweaver. These were early examples.

SPEAKER_01:

So these let you design visually without seeing all the code underneath.

SPEAKER_00:

Pretty much. You could arrange things on the screen and the software would generate the code. It made things more accessible, visually driven.

SPEAKER_01:

That sounds like a big step. But were there downsides? Like, was the code any good?

SPEAKER_00:

That's a great point. Often the code generated by these early WIS IYG tools wasn't as clean or efficient as handwritten code. Right. And you still needed some understanding of web principles to use them well. But yeah, it was a huge step. It started opening things up beyond just the hardcore coders.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. So fast forward to today. Now we have what the sources call turnkey codeless services.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. Think about platforms like Wix, GoDaddy, Squarespace, even Canvas. Right.

SPEAKER_01:

I've seen ads for those everywhere.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's

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really changed things for, say, small businesses or individuals.

SPEAKER_00:

Completely changed the game. Getting online is much faster now and often way cheaper.

SPEAKER_01:

And they do more than just build the site, don't they?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's a key point in the sources. Many of them bundle in other features, things like processing online orders, handling credit card payments, even managing inventory.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow, okay. Yeah. Which actually leads us perfectly into this case study from the sources. This was pretty eye-opening.

SPEAKER_00:

It really was. It involved an organization that hired a large design firm.

SPEAKER_01:

And the cost. Get this,$73,000. Just to create the website.

SPEAKER_00:

$73,000. And that wasn't all.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh. Plus, another$35,000 every year just for hosting.

SPEAKER_00:

$35,000 a year for hosting. Now, what kind of site was this? Super complex.

SPEAKER_01:

You'd think so, right? Yeah. But no. The source says it was basically a simple landing page. Just links out to other third-party sites.

SPEAKER_00:

Not an e-commerce giant or anything?

SPEAKER_01:

Not at all. So their contract ends and someone else steps in. An individual.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. And they recreated the website using Wix.

SPEAKER_01:

Using Wix and the cost this time.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

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$2,200 for the build.

SPEAKER_00:

$2,200 compared to$73,000. And

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the hosting,$600 a year, down from$35,000.

SPEAKER_00:

That's quite a difference.

SPEAKER_01:

And here's the real kicker. The source says the new Wix site actually had better features. It was improved.

SPEAKER_00:

Improved for a tiny fraction of the cost. But wait, there's more. Oh. The source dug into the hosting. Turns out both the expensive firm and Wix were using the same underlying infrastructure.

SPEAKER_01:

You're kidding.

SPEAKER_00:

Nope. Something powerful like Amazon Web Services, AWS, probably with NetApp involved too. Same backbone.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. Okay. So the same hosting tech. Vastly different price tags.

SPEAKER_00:

It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? About value, transparency. Are clients sometimes paying hugely inflated prices based on maybe an old idea of how hard web design is?

SPEAKER_01:

Especially for simpler sites, yeah. It definitely suggests, well, potential for being taken advantage of, perhaps.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a stark contrast, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so it's gotten way easier to build a site. Once you have it, people need to find it, right? Which brings us to SEO.

SPEAKER_00:

Ah, yes. Search engine optimization. Crucial stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

Can you break down what that really means and why it matters so much?

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. SEO is basically about trying to get your website to show up high in the search results, like on Google, when people search for things related to your site.

SPEAKER_01:

Ideally on the first page.

SPEAKER_00:

That's the goal. But the challenge, as the sources highlight, is that it's incredibly competitive, especially for broad terms. Imagine trying to rank number one for just shoes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, impossible probably. You search for something general like that, what do you see first?

SPEAKER_00:

Ads. Lots of ads. Often the whole first page or most of it is paid advertising.

SPEAKER_01:

Totally. I remember trying to find like a specific kind of running shoe once.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Scrolls and scrolls of ads first.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. Even if you get more specific like shoes near me or maybe little girl tap shoes near me, you'll get more relevant organic results further down. But the top spots. still often ads.

SPEAKER_01:

So even if platforms like Wix have SEO tools built in.

SPEAKER_00:

Which they do, and they can help with the basics.

SPEAKER_01:

It doesn't guarantee you'll beat the paid ads for visibility.

SPEAKER_00:

Not necessarily, especially in crowded markets. Paid ads often get preferential placement. So foundational SEO is important, yes. But getting real traction organically can still require specialized skills or an ad budget.

SPEAKER_01:

Which is why web designers still offer SEO services, even with all these DIY platforms.

SPEAKER_00:

Precisely. It's a whole separate ongoing challenge beyond just building the site itself.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. This is fascinating. So if someone listening is thinking, okay, I'm interested. I want to learn more about this stuff. What's the path? How do you get into web design or just understand it better?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, the sources have some good advice. One obvious route is hands-on experience, maybe working for a web design company, if possible.

SPEAKER_01:

Learning on the job?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. But even outside of that, the key thing is continuous learning. This field changes so fast.

SPEAKER_01:

True. Tech always does.

SPEAKER_00:

And here's a really practical tip from the materials. Check your local library. The library,

SPEAKER_01:

really?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Many libraries offer free access to online learning platforms. LinkedIn Learning is a big one they mention.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, OK. I've heard of that.

SPEAKER_00:

It has tons courses on, well, everything web related. WordPress, Wix, CSS coding, using Canva for design, open source tools, even AI in design now.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow. So potentially a huge resource right there for free.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And what's kind of amazing, according to our sources, is that if you really committed and went through a bunch of these courses,

SPEAKER_01:

you

SPEAKER_00:

could actually end up knowing more than maybe a surprising number of people currently working as web designers.

SPEAKER_01:

Seriously?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. These courses cover the platforms, design basics, user experience, maybe even some marketing concepts. It shows how much learning has been democratized.

SPEAKER_01:

Incredible. Okay, so let's sort of wrap up this deep dive.

SPEAKER_00:

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01:

We've seen how web design started out super technical, needing code.

SPEAKER_00:

And how it's evolved massively with these user-friendly platforms like Wix and Squarespace making it accessible.

SPEAKER_01:

We talked about that case study, the huge cost difference. That was pretty shocking.

SPEAKER_00:

Definitely a standout point. Using the same hosting tech underneath it all.

SPEAKER_01:

Right, and we touched on SEO, how vital it is, but also the challenge of competing with paid ads.

SPEAKER_00:

And finally, how accessible learning resources are now, like through your library.

SPEAKER_01:

It's been really insightful. Lots of surprising turns.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a dynamic field, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Which leaves us, and you, with a final thought to chew on. Given how easy tools have made building a website, yet considering all the complexities we've talked about, like strategy, SEO, value, what does it really mean to be a web design expert today? Something to think about. Thanks for diving deep with us.