Web industry hit by economic strife

According to a survey conducted by UK hosting company Heart Internet and British web design blog Design Shack, web designers are finding it harder to get work compared to the same time last year.

The survey received responses from 500 designers and asked about their attitudes towards the state of the web industry. Eighty per cent of respondents said they felt web design work is either more difficult or just as difficult to come by compared to a year ago. The survey also found that the situation is worsened by increased competition within the industry forcing prices down. This, says a Heart Internet press release, is increasingly leading web designers to look for additional means of earning money, including “premium resource websites, guest blogging and running their own advertising-driven blogs”. A fifth of web designers have advertised services on freelance websites, in an attempt to gain work, claims the survey.

Heart Internet director Jonathan Brealey said that with many businesses tightening their belts “new websites are often one of the first expenses that are cut from the budget”, while David Appleyard, owner of Design Shack, commented: “An increase in competition combined with a decline in demand for web design work means that web designers are facing a difficult period. Designers can maximise their appeal by expanding their skills and services.”

How are you finding securing work in the current economic climate? Do you think web designers should consider expanding their skills to secure alternate income streams, or is it best to remain focussed? Let us know in the comments.