There's a fundamental question to ask - am I adding value?
If you're a low-skilled web developer who can knock together a reasonable website using something like Wordpress, you probably aren't offering a service that is usefully better than Squarespace or Wix. You might still pick up some work from businesses that just can't be bothered to do it themselves, but you'll be continually squeezed on your rates.
If you understand online marketing and can help businesses increase their sales, you're in a good position. Some small businesses just want a pretty website or a cool app for the sake of vanity, but most would prefer to make more money. If you know a reasonable amount about UX and SEO and direct marketing, you can justify a decent daily rate.
Basic stuff like "you haven't updated the menu on your website since 2015" or "Google Maps is directing people to the wrong side of your building" can make a meaningful difference to someone's bottom line. I've spoken to a lot of small business owners who were surprised to learn that an email newsletter subscriber is usually several orders of magnitude more valuable than a Twitter follower. It's not rocket science, but it's worth paying for. Squarespace can commoditise the technical function of web design, but they can't commoditise marketing consultancy.
Right. A common thought among small business owners is "I should have a website because everyone else does." The details
like content freshness, design aesthetic, or site speed don't even matter. So long as my-business-name.com goes somewhere familiar. But this line of thinking escapes the opportunity to drive business over the web.
In my experience, there's plenty of money for the consultant who teaches a business how to stop settling for their website as a commodity and start seeing it as an extension of their "brand".
If you're a low-skilled web developer who can knock together a reasonable website using something like Wordpress, you probably aren't offering a service that is usefully better than Squarespace or Wix. You might still pick up some work from businesses that just can't be bothered to do it themselves, but you'll be continually squeezed on your rates.
If you understand online marketing and can help businesses increase their sales, you're in a good position. Some small businesses just want a pretty website or a cool app for the sake of vanity, but most would prefer to make more money. If you know a reasonable amount about UX and SEO and direct marketing, you can justify a decent daily rate.
Basic stuff like "you haven't updated the menu on your website since 2015" or "Google Maps is directing people to the wrong side of your building" can make a meaningful difference to someone's bottom line. I've spoken to a lot of small business owners who were surprised to learn that an email newsletter subscriber is usually several orders of magnitude more valuable than a Twitter follower. It's not rocket science, but it's worth paying for. Squarespace can commoditise the technical function of web design, but they can't commoditise marketing consultancy.