From Web to Wealth : From Web Design to Internet Mastery

The Internet has come a long way in the little over a decade it's been part of daily life. Not only do some 25% of the world's population now have 'net access [Internet World Stats, June 2009], but it's easier than ever for those users to contribute to the Web rather than just passively consuming its content.

Only recently the field of Web design emerged as a hot new profession. Every business wanted a presence on the Web, and in the days of the dotcom bubble investors were lining up to throw money at Web startups. Someone had to build those sites, and that someone was the Web designer.

The profession lost its sparkle after the 2000 crash left too many Web designers chasing too few jobs. But the technology that's arrived since has virtually killed Web design. That technology includes blogs, social networks, cell phones and everything else that allows anyone to establish a fancy Web presence with just a few clicks and update it just by typing in a box.

These days there's scarcely a high school student who doesn't have their own blog or Facebook page complete with flashy design, audio & video.

But all is not lost for former Web designers. Like a phoenix, the occupation has risen from the ashes, transforming itself into the Internet professional.

Internet pros have a deep understanding on the Internet environment and generally specialize in one or more of the following areas:

Understanding and refining the client needs

Selecting, modifying or creating the most appropriate technologies to build the site

Planning the architecture and creating the infrastructure to form the client's site

Implementing the decisions to build a platform that the client can maintain

Designing site-wide usability aspects that enable users to easily find what they are looking for, avoiding loss of traffic through frustration

There are a number of niche areas offering the Internet pro gainful employment, including:

e-commerce - building the infrastructure of online shopping including product location, selection and payment processing

e-learning - a huge and growing application of the 'net. The role involves building platforms to support online learning and may be advertised as learning technologist, educational technologist, e-learning specialist etc

Security - keeping sites and data safe from hacking

Search engine optimization - modifying sites to maximize free targeted traffic from search engines

The Internet has already revolutionized society, but we have only witnessed the tip of the iceberg. If you're a Web designer frustrated by the lack of work, don't despair. Broaden your horizons, re-brand yourself as an Internet pro, and be ready to take advantage of the huge potential yet to come.