Besides being a terrific Web Designer there are other skills that if mastered will guarantee you success in the web design industry.

1. Communication – One thing a lot of Web Designers never seem to understand is there is a time to be quiet and let the Website Design customer talk. One important fact that sometimes is hard to remember is that the site you are developing is theirs! You can learn a great deal more from listening to your customers than from asking questions. Trying to impose your ideas or sounding like your ideas and vision are more important than your customers is a quick way to alienate them. Your customers want and need to feel as if they are part of the team that is developing their website. Always take time to listen to your customers ideas. With this skill mastered you will not only have happy customers but the end result will be more to the liking of your Web Design Customers.
2. Accessible – Web Designers have a bad reputation for being flaky. What I mean by this is that Website Developers are known for not answering the phone, or returning phone calls. Always try to keep in constant contact with customers both active and ones that are in management. Nothing aggravates your customers more than to be hard to contact. Most all customers naturally feel they are your only customers. Nothing you can say short of being rash is going to change that attitude. Since the day of the first service related business being born, this has been the attitude of customers.
3. Do what you say you are going to do – Whatever it takes to follow through with commitments and promises is a must in any business. Even if you have to delegate tasks or outsource projects be aware of the commitments and follow through with then at all cost. Making this a practice is one of the secret attributes most successful business have done.
4. Always look at things from a customer’s point of view. Always try to think like a consumer. If this practice is adhered to most arguments and disagreements in business will never occur. Not thinking like this is a bad habit a lot of business owners not only Web Designers become guilty of.

By not allowing yourself to fall into the traps outlined above greatly enhances your skills as a business owner and Web Designer. You will be miles ahead of your competition in the Web Design industry and will shine in the eyes of your customers.

I have been a Portland OR Web Designer for over 10 years and I know because of practicing these good business skills; it has been very instrumental in creating my business into what it is today.