Web design: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering web design
You design websites for businesses, so customers judge you on the look, clarity and how easy the site is to use on a phone. A strong portfolio and a clear process win the project.
What customers ask
- Can you make it look like my brand?
- How many revisions are included?
- Who owns the design?
- Will it work on phones?
- Can I edit the site myself later?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask the business type, the main actions visitors should take and the sites the client likes
- Write a short scope with the pages, templates and revision rounds
- Show two or three directions early so the client can choose the look
- Design for phones first and show those screens in the first review
- Hand over the design files, the style guide and the font and image licenses
- Explain what the client can change later and what needs a designer
What to put on your profile
- Portfolio pieces with the problem, the goal and the result
- The industries you design for most often
- Your design process in plain words
- Your contract terms for files and licenses
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a design review after the site has been live for a few months
- Suggest a set of landing pages for a new service
- Send a note on updating the design when the brand changes
Licenses and permits
Web design is usually not licensed. Check state and local rules for business registration and any contract or tax rules that apply where you work, and keep your insurance current.
Questions
How do I handle a client who keeps changing the design?
Set the revision rounds in writing, and quote additional rounds separately once the included rounds are used.
What do I do if a client wants to use an image without a license?
Explain the license risk, and offer a licensed image or a placeholder until the client has the rights.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer web design remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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