A Roadmap to Your First 90 Days as a Web Designer
So, you’ve decided to enter the field of web design—welcome!
Establishing a successful web design business is all in the foundation. Your first 90 days are crucial to getting started and creating long-term habits, especially if you want to make web design a full-time career. Ahead is a week-by-week schedule, along with some related resources, to help you get off to the right start.
Before you begin: Set up business essentials
During your earliest days as a web designer, there are important business logistics to handle. Before jumping into website builds or announcing your new career on social media, you’ll want to cover the basics like selecting a business entity, setting up your taxes, opening a business bank account, and more. It can feel overwhelming at first, but our free, on-demand course provides everything you need to get started with confidence.
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Weeks 1–2: Establish your foundation
Familiarize yourself with essential design software and website builders, like Squarespace. Make an account and play around in the platform, becoming acquainted with all the elements and tools available.
Watch tutorials and experiment with mock projects. Learn design principles, focusing on topics like search engine optimization and web accessibility. There’s a lot out there on the essential building blocks of web design, so start with the basics.
Set up a project management system to track client interactions, projects, and timelines. You’ll also want to find an invoicing software so you can prepare to receive client payments and create and send proposals. You can send invoices and proposals using documents in Squarespace. Learn more about Squarespace’s project management tools.
Pro tip: Stay on track with our guide by adding weekly deadlines to your project management tool. This will help you get familiar with your chosen tool and keep you on schedule.
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Weeks 3–4: Create your portfolio
Now that you’re more familiar with what Squarespace can do, it’s time to build your web design portfolio. If you haven’t worked on client projects yet, no worries. Create mock sites and add those to your website. Start with one-page websites, event pages, or sites for family and friends. You can even create sample sites for made-up businesses. There's a high demand for websites among businesses of all industries, so it’s important to build a diverse range of sites. You’ll want to dedicate time to practice setting up a variety of ecommerce sites, including online stores selling physical and digital goods, non-profits seeking donations, and service-based providers taking appointments.
Practice designing for computer and mobile and learn how to integrate basic SEO techniques and accessibility standards into these projects. This will also help you get familiar with Squarespace’s built-in responsiveness.
While you’re getting your portfolio ready, you’ll want to work on your web design business plan. This document reads like a how-to guide, spelling out exactly how you’ll build and grow your web design business. You’ll also note your services and pricing model, which can be an hourly or set rate.
Start with our business plan template.
Pro tip: In the early stages, competitor pricing can help you determine the rate that best matches your skill level.
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Weeks 5–6: Niche down and refine your portfolio
Choosing a niche, or an area of specialization, can help you focus your efforts by becoming an expert in a specific genre of web design. Research different web design niches (e.g., ecommerce, personal portfolios, industry-specific sites) and determine which one aligns best with your interests and skills. Create at least one more niche-related website to showcase in your portfolio. Then, work on refining and polishing your portfolio with SEO-optimized project descriptions and calls to action.
After identifying your niche and target customer, develop a content plan for your website to highlight the services you offer. Think about your target audience's needs and your key offerings, then create a content calendar of blog posts, case studies, and portfolio pages that showcase your expertise.
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Weeks 7–8: Start marketing and networking
Begin marketing yourself as a web designer on social media. Craft a professional bio and establish a consistent online presence. Add a link to your portfolio in your bio, making it clear how and where potential clients can contact you.
Join web design communities, like Squarespace Circle, and other freelance networks. From there, you can engage with other designers for feedback, collaborate on projects, and start building a professional network.
Don’t be afraid to cold call or email businesses to offer your services. You may even consider visiting your local business district and connecting with business owners in person. And add your business to local online platforms (e.g., the nearest Chamber of Commerce site)—many locally owned businesses want to work with other small businesses in the same area.
Pitch your services to small businesses or individuals in your network. Use social media channels and job boards to find your first paying clients.
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Weeks 9–10: Onboard your first clients
While your outreach hits inboxes throughout your network, prepare for your first client by crafting a proposal template outlining project deliverables, timelines, and pricing. This will ensure you’re prepared to onboard your first client the moment they reach out.
Once you’ve booked your first client, clear communication is key to a fruitful working relationship. It’s vital to align expectations upfront about how and when you’ll communicate with your clients. During your project intake call, establish the contract and project scope. Take into consideration extra services the client might need, including copywriting, photography, email marketing, or brand identity work. Make it clear what services are included in your work and how more services will affect your contract. This is also the time to verify if their budget meets your pricing.
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Weeks 11–12: Complete and handoff your first project
Complete your first project and deliver it to the client. Ensure all requested features are implemented.
Establish a clear client offboarding process that includes handing over assets, login information, and any necessary documentation. Conduct a walkthrough of the website, providing basic training for clients on how to make updates on their own. The goal is to make your client feel comfortable managing the site independently.
Finally, confirm client satisfaction and request feedback. This insight will be invaluable as you continue to build your business. Ask to share positive testimonials to your website. There’s nothing like social proof to convince prospective clients you are the right designer for them.
Pro tip: Stay on top of regularly updating your site with client testimonials and project examples by adding it as a task in your workflow. You can even add a reminder to ask for testimonials to your project management system so you won’t forget.
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Week 12.5: Evaluate and market your skills
Take stock of your first 90 days. Reflect on your progress and workflow, and refine your service offerings based on your findings and client feedback.
Update your portfolio with completed projects and testimonials to showcase your expertise. Then, write a blog post or social media update about your journey to connect with potential clients and expand your online presence. Use marketing tools like Email Campaigns and create targeted messages to draw in new leads based on your experiences and growth over the last 90 days.
If you feel the need to workshop any part of your process or gain more insights, return to our “How to Become a Web Designer” course. It’s designed for you to revisit anytime, helping you continuously refine your skills and improve your workflow.
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
