Beyond Web Design: 6 Extra Skills All Web Designers Should Learn

As a web designer, you already know how to maximize space and layout. You understand color palettes and stay up to date with the latest design trends.

But what if you could go one step further?

What if you could arm yourself with a handful of extra skills and make your work stand out even more? What if you could exceed your clients' expectations, raise your rates and expand your services?

Web design overlaps with countless other disciplines, from marketing to development to search engine optimization. Add these to your arsenal and you become much more valuable.

If nothing else, the world of web design moves so fast, it pays to learn new tricks and stay on top of the game. Here are six of the most valuable strings to add to your bow.

Upgrade Your Web Hosting Knowledge

No matter what design you create, the web host plays a huge part in the performance of a website. If you want to deliver a site that's fast, secure and up-to-date, it pays to know a thing or two about web hosting.

Not all web hosts are created equal, and what's right for one website isn't necessarily the right choice for another. By learning more about your hosting options, you can advise or implement the most appropriate host for your clients.

Understanding the difference between Managed WordPress hosting and simple shared hosting, for example, could save you and your clients a lot of time and money.

On top of that, you could charge a retainer for ongoing web host admin and management. Most people don't want the hassle of managing the backend, so offer it as an extra service. It's an easy way to generate recurring income.

Start by reading hosting reviews and trying out different free trials to familiarise yourself with the many hosting options. A2 Hosting review is a good place to start.

Learn How to Optimize a Website for Search Engines (SEO)

SEO is a science of its own. As wide and deep as web design itself. However, learning the basics of 'on-page' SEO will add a ton of value to your service.

'On-page' SEO is all about optimizing the foundations of a website with targeted keywords and a strong architecture. As a web designer, you can include and tweak meta-tags, image tags, site maps, and URL structures. You can use keywords within the titles, headers and content.

Include SEO optimization as part of your package, or charge an additional fee for it. It makes your service more professional, and gives you an edge over others.

Moz's beginner's guide to SEO is a fantastic introduction to the topic.

Figure Out How to Write Show-Stopping Copy

A lot of designers leave place-holder copy and content for their clients to fill in. But, what if you wrote kick-ass copy and content as part of the package?

Web designers are often tasked with creating a 'brand' for their clients. But design is just one part of brand creation. The other aspect is wording and messaging. What if you could come up with killer headlines, titles and content to fill in the gaps. What if you could write a powerful tagline?

You already know how to draw the eye to a call-to-action button, so why not seal the deal with killer conversion copy. Writing copy is a natural extension of web design, allowing you to become a branding expert.

Copyblogger have a ton of great resources to help get you started.

Learn How to Take Beautiful Photos to Use Online

One of the biggest problems facing any web designer is finding great royalty free images. Most free stock images suck, and the good ones cost a fortune.

Designers can save themselves a lot of hassle by learning a few photography skills. Not only will you have freedom to capture beautiful images for your clients, you can guarantee they won't get a copyright notice down the line.

It's easier (and cheaper) than ever to get your hands on a digital SLR camera, and the basics are easier than you might think.

Become a Master of UX Design

UX design, or 'user experience' has become one of the most talked-about aspects of modern website creation. Beautiful design is one thing, but making it functional, simple, and enjoyable for the user is an entirely different skillset.

The basics of UX design is anticipating what the visitor wants, and giving it to them. UX design works hand-in-hand with web design, and you'll soon find yourself naturally incorporating the concepts. Chances are, you're already doing much it without thinking. However, it doesn't hurt to sharpen those skills.

UX design goes beyond traditional design to consider psychology and usability. What will make the design more intuitive? What makes it more enjoyable? What changes will make the user more likely to buy something.

Mastering UX design makes you a smarter, sharper designer. Use it to show clients that you're thinking about their broader goals and taking their audience into account.

The Hipper Element has put together one of the most comprehensive crash courses in UX design. Take a look.

Arm Yourself with Business Acumen, Communication and Marketing Skills

First up, business skills are essential to growing your own web design company. Communication and marketing are fundamental to landing clients, convincing them of your value and delivering your best possible work.

But, there's a bigger reason for sharpening your business skills. Almost every client has their own business idea in mind. Getting into their mind and understanding what goals they want to achieve from their website is essential.

How will your design help them achieve their business goals? Who is their target audience? What features will help them sell more products or convert more visitors?

By creating a design that supports their business or moves it forward, you instantly add value.

Web design overlaps with all sorts of different sectors whether it's development, marketing, branding, search engine optimization and copywriting.

By arming yourself with knowledge in each of these areas, you become a better-rounded web designer.

Always think about how to add value and go one step further. With thousands of competing web designers out there, it pays to give yourself an edge with additional skills.

Are there any other skills you've found essential to your work in web design? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comment section!