In the earlier days, your resume represented you or your visiting card (or letter head) symbolized or denoted your organization. This kind of representation is easier when you meet the prospective client face-to-face. However, these representation tools, became difficult for use, when businesses were liberalized and were no longer just local. Globalization, made it even more necessary for better and quicker forms of interaction, requiring quick identification across the globe. Globalization ushered in more innovative techniques through the Internet and soon gave rise to the concept of Websites.

Website became an easier and convenient method, of letting the world see and know you and your organization. With your company logo, banners, organizations business objective, values etc., all displayed through the website, customers, clients or anybody from around the world, could now view your position and services / product that you offer. What more Using a website, you gain a global platform, with hardly any investment from your end. You jump in leap and bounds in generating prospective leads, that is otherwise difficult to be done or managed without using a website.

With more and more companies opting the global way to shout out their services and products, many individuals also began using personal websites to display their alma mater and credentials. This has given rise to a whole new spurt of small and quick businesses in the field of Web designing. Web designing today, is not just limited to websites; it also includes the following:

· Managing customer FAQs, thus reducing time and effort on phone.
· Database management
· E-Commerce
· Web hosting

There are many organizations today that offer you services to design your website. This service also includes domain registration and hosting, provide web space on server, design web site and also mange daily activities. Today some organizations also provide information and services on search engine optimization (SEO). This involves, writing Search Engine friendly content. Website designing (henceforth referred to as, “industry” in this article), has developed many business opportunities that complement the enhancement of this industry. The minimum requirements that make a website, are company logo, text and graphic content that populate the web page, Flash animations, web programming, website architecture and visualization, graphic optimization for effective web performance. Most companies manage with general content, but few companies make use of specialized services and expertise, developing customized content specific to their business. This has led to an increase in content developers and writers (often operating as freelancers), who offer tailored content that speaks and sells your core business products / services. Then there are freelancers that provide services as graphic designers, who assist you in designing your company’s logo, or, include specific image files (designed for a specific purpose).

With huge projects outsourced to vendors, many website designers float small businesses, by forming associations with freelancers, such as, graphic designers, content writers, logo designers, web page layout designers, template designers, etc. Along with the mushrooming of many companies (focused in Website designing), many institutes have included, “Website Designing”, as a syllabus in their courses. Many freelancers also make business by providing home tutoring, whereby learners are able to design and develop websites on their own.

Nowadays, the latest concepts to hit the internet business (and also impact this industry), is the idea of Affiliate marketing.

Many online shops (also known as Merchants), make use of other websites, owned by individuals (also known as Affiliates), to divert visitor traffic to Merchant websites. There is a fair deal of sharing of the web traffic. It works with a particular strategy, as listed below:

1. Merchants and Affiliates approach a common network that acts as a forum / mediator between the Merchants and the Affiliates.
2. Affiliates choose from various merchant programs, listed on the common network. The program details out on the various deals offered by the affiliate. The various deals that are popularly available today are CPA, CPC, CPL etc, along with the individual rates.
3. Having selected a program, the Affiliate offers to advertise the Merchant’s products on the Affiliate’s website.
4. The Merchant takes the offer and ensures the accepted deal to be paid at specified deals.
5. The Merchant places as per the accepted deal (banner, links, advertisements, images) etc., in the Affiliate’s website.
6. Visitors surfing the Affiliate’s website may opt to access the Merchant’s website.
7. If the visitor clicks (the items leading to Merchant site), and makes purchases, or completes forms, or ensures a lead, then accordingly, the Affiliates earnings are accrued.
8. The accrued amount is paid at specified and agreed time lines.

Along with the revenue earned, the common network also provides, other facilities like, tracking the traffic flow, track and view visitor hits, blog blaster, ezine blaster etc. These facilities are mostly provided free of any charges. The Affiliates can avail of additional income, along with, gaining popularity as well.

Infact, today many have ventured out into the quick-buck-making industry of “Affiliate marketing network”. This industry is fast making a popular and highly profitable “hot-cake” with many individual businessmen. Most opt for this as a part-time or side business, while continuing to work in their current professions.

A unique kind of business that is lately catching up, is concept of adding “brand-value” to your product, and your website is the best place to bring out the brand image and required repute. These professionals provide services that deal with designing your web page, very well keeping in mind, your market position. This business also deals with massive market and research, with respect to your product / service. The researched and analyzed content is then used to, bring out that highly customized logo and design.

It is your website that speaks or represents you. Many projects / assignments are undertaken as business (either full time or part time), and many street-smart and brave professionals have raked in heavier moolahs. Many are thriving jubilantly, rather than just striving or struggling with their regular job or income.

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