How to offer web design services when you don’t know how to code

You want to start offering web design as a service in your design business, or as a freelancer, but you don’t know how to code. So how do you do it?

You certainly aren’t alone here. There are many designers out there like you who want to venture into the world of websites but worry about how to go about turning designs into fully-functioning websites.

In this post I’m going to share 4 ways that you can offer web design services when you don’t know how to code.

Learn how to code (if you actually want to!)

Ok hear me out! I’m guessing if you’re reading this post that you don’t already know how to code. But before we go any further I want to ask you an important question: do you want to learn how to code?

If the answer to this question is a definite “no” then feel free to move on to the next point. But if the answer is an absolute “yes” or even a “maybe”, then continue reading.

Being able to code is an incredibly value skill to have. It can open up more job opportunities, it can help you to improve your problem solving skills and it can even make you a better designer.

I’m not saying you should learn how to code, particularly if it doesn’t appeal to you. It’s certainly not for everyone. But what I am saying is that if it is a skill you actually want to learn then I want you to know it’s 100% possible, and you should definitely pursue it.

Use a “no-code” platform

One way to start offering web design services when you don’t know how to code is to use a “no-code” website platform. These are platforms that allow you to build websites without needing to know how to code at all. Instead, these platforms allow you to create a website using drag-and-drop functionality.

Not only does this make it easy for you to build a website in the first place, but it also makes it easier for your clients to use.

Popular examples of no-code platforms include Squarespace, Wix and Showit, but there are many more no-code platforms emerging.

No-code platforms aren’t suitable for creating all types of websites, and it important to establish the needs and goals of your client before building their website on a particular platform.

Use a page builder on WordPress

If you find that no-code platforms are too limited for you or your client in regards to design capabilities and functionality then you might want to look at a different website platform that is much more powerful and diverse such as WordPress.

WordPress powers around 40% of all websites and contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for blogs. It can be used for building e-commerce websites, directories, course platforms, memberships and more thanks to plugins.

Plugins are packages of code that allow you to add different functionality to your website. You name it, there’s (probably) a plugin for it. This includes page builders that allow you to build a website without any coding knowledge.

Elementor, Divi and Beaver Builder are all popular third-part page builder plugins for WordPress that allow you to build web pages using drag and drop functionality, much like the no-code website platforms we discussed before. This means you can utilise all of WordPress’ powerful functionality without knowing how to code.

The page builder approach might seem like the ultimate solution to all of your problems, but as with any solution, it has its downsides. I go into a lot more depth about the pros and cons of page builders in this blog post.

In recent years WordPress has introduced it’s own page builder known as the block editor or Gutenberg. As this is a core part of WordPress, it solves a lot of the problems that arise from using third-party page builders. And although it’s still a work in progress, I would encourage you to look into the WordPress block editor as a way of building WordPress websites without needing to code.

Collaborate with a web developer

If you’ve ruled out learning to code yourself, then why not team up with someone who already knows how to code.

Collaborating with a web developer to bring your designs to life is perhaps the best way to offer web design services when you don’t know how to code.

Yes, of course I’m going to say that; I am a web developer after all! But hear me out!

When you know that you don’t have to build a website yourself, you will can be more creative and design freely because you don’t have to worry about the capabilities of your no-code platform or page builder of choice. You can design (pretty much) what ever you want in the knowledge that a web developer can bring it to life for you.

You can focus on what you do best and do the work that you really enjoy instead of spending hours trying to make your designs a reality. And in turn you can reclaim valuable time that you can use to take on more design projects (and make more money!) or to spend more time away from your desk.

You can find out more about the benefits of working with a web developer in this blog post, and if it’s something that appeals to you then click the link below to find how you can work with me, an experienced WordPress developer, on your next website project.