Every web site needs a good web design and in fact there is so much scarcity of good web design that people are eager to pay premium price to make sure that their web sites are attractive as well as easy to use. So if you have an eye for good design and you are comfortable with learning new technologies then you can make a good living designing web sites for various clients.

What do you need to be a professional web designer?

* You need communication skills so that you can independently promote your web design services.

* You will need to keep abreast of emerging web technologies and be able to implement them as necessary.

* You should be able to demonstrate your skills with current web design software.

* You should have some working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and a bit of scripting.

* You should definitely be artistically inclined or know some people who can create great layouts.

* And sometimes it helps if you know Flash etc.

If you can tick all the boxes and are confident that you have the necessary skill set then one of the first things you will need to plan for is your own website to get you started in the web design business. You will also have testimonials from your past clients. You will require a convincing copy on your main page and good content on other pages. Optimising for the search engines can be difficult as "web design" is a competitive term, but the sooner you make a start the sooner you will start achieving worthwhile results. You can either hire and SEO company to increase your search engine visibility or you can on your own spend some months optimising your website.

You will also need to consider the more mundane housekeeping items, such as:

* Local advertising and marketing (formulating a marketing strategy).

* Stationery pack including letterheads, compliment slips etc.

* Setting up a business bank account.

It is also a good idea to have freelancers (particularly in areas where your own skill set is weaker) available to undertake work that you are unable to complete yourself for whatever reason.

Now, to the important stuff - what do your clients expect from you as a web designer?

* Great designing abilities.

* Ability to create pleasing color themes.

* Writing W3C compliant code and possibly no errors.

* Knowledge of manipulating graphics and images * Working knowledge of JavaScript and other scripting languages.

* Exceptional service.

* Transparent communication.

Some may add low cost to the list but I have personally experienced that cost does not matter to clients who appreciate a good service.