I want to be a consultant offering a service to small companies & startups, and I want to be in a field where I will have plenty of work. I'm taking classes to learn web development, thinking I can build web/mobile sites for startups. But I realize that once you make a site for a client you get paid and are done. No more money from them. Then I think of doing marketing and advertising and that's an ongoing thing where companies keep paying me to do their advertising for them. So I'm wondering should I stay with web development or switch to marketing and advertising? Does one area grow faster than the other, or have more headaches than the other? Or are they both just fine?
The short answer: both. There are tons of web developers out there, and you'll be competing with overseas companies and freelancers who charge nothing. One of the ways to differentiate yourself from them is to be a full-service provider. Not only can you build a site for a company, but you can support and market it long-term.
There is plenty of recurring income when you develop a site, most of my clients have been with me for over 10 years. Web development is not a 'build it and you are done' type of thing, as the web is constantly changing. For example, sites I built 10 years ago obviously need face lifts to keep up with the current trends, and with the advent of mobile phones, responsive design is now the way to go. Some sites get redesigned yearly.
Pick up as many skills as you can so that you can offer your potential clients all of the services they need to be successful.
Answered 8 years ago
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