Many years ago, when I was but a whippersnapper of a freelance web designer and developer, with only a few years of web design experience under my (slightly smaller) belt, I remember leaving a dismissive comment on a piece of Mac shareware, listed on the now-defunct VersionTracker software website. The comment went something along the lines of: “If you realise there are already too many of these applications, then why make YET ANOTHER?”.
I felt very pleased with myself and would certainly have dropped a microphone had I been holding one. The name of the application itself was essentially “Yet Another [Bit Of Software That Does That Thing]”. It’s function is irrelevant; the less-than-subtle point I’d missed in my naivete was that the developer clearly recognised there were already too many applications of this kind, but had created yet another one anyway. They’d then made light of this in the naming process, presumably to capture the attention and be a bit “different”.
Fast forward to today, and… cue the first post in my new web design blog!
This is not the only web design blog on the internet
I haven’t counted them all, I confess, but there are a lot of web design blogs on the internet. A LOT. This certainly isn’t the only web design blog by a freelance web designer either. There are plenty of those too.
The difference with this one — hopefully — is that it won’t quickly descend into a glorified list of web design tips and tricks, as many often seem to.
That’s right — you won’t find “5 Things You can do NOW to Skyrocket your Website up the Google Rankings” here. Or “Which is REALLY better: WordPress or Wix?”. Or “Why you NEED to hire a freelance web designer — TODAY!”. Nope, there’ll be none of that. It’s all been done before, thousands of times (probably). Boring!
The actual process of writing these generic, done-to-death blog posts and articles is also pretty dull — well, it is to me anyway — and I’d hazard a guess that it’s possibly one of the reasons why lots of web design and development blogs seize up after an initial smattering of optimistic posts.
During my extensive research for this blog post, I discovered there are at least TWO people in the world who will DEFINITELY post more on their web design blog THIS year, especially given they didn’t post AT ALL last year. The horror!
Wow — you’ve changed, Mister Freelance Web Designer!
Turns out I’m still a little dismissive perhaps? To be fair though, I’ve been there myself. I first started a blog on this website back in 2016, accumulating all of FOUR (count ‘em!) blog posts. They’re now unpublished drafts on this here very blog, with captivating titles such as “A Better Web Design for 2016” and “The Web Design Monthly Prize Draw: Why I’m giving away a free website)”.
I remember writing these blog posts — worryingly with much the same optimism and intent as I’m writing this one, which bodes well for post number five second time around.
Yet another web design blog that’s “different” then?
So why have I started this web design blog up again? And what makes it different to blogs from other freelance web designers and developers?
Well, I’m starting again because, today, more than ever, content is king. Yes, it really is.
Search engines consume it, analyse it, rank it, and then spit it out again in their search results if it’s deemed sufficiently tasty for further consumption by the general public. People continue to scroll through algorithm-served helpings of it on their phones in bed, often deep into the night. And, if they like it, or it makes them giggle, then those same people will share it with their friends, colleagues, LinkedIn networks, and WhatsApp groups — all of which increases exposure for the content creator. Who, in this instance, is me.
Yes, it’s all about me…. oh, and you too, of course
I’ve recently rebuilt and relaunched this website after a period of full-time work at a web design and development agency. I then took an extended career break to pursue other professional interests, as well as play my part in raising a human child (my son) as a single dad. More on all of that in blog post #2 (with a bit of luck).
I’m now seeking to “increase exposure” — to both search engines and other humans — in order to build my network and grow my freelance web design and development business. You know — so I can pay bills, buy things, and be happy and stuff.
This web design blog will be different because it won’t be a list of “How To” articles and general web design and web development advice. It will actually be a blog in the truest sense of the word; defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as: “A regular record of your thoughts, opinions, or experiences that you put on the internet for other people to read.”
That’s far more interesting to write. No guarantees of course, but I reckon I’ll make it to AT LEAST double figures this time around. Hopefully this approach will also make it far more interesting for humans like you to read. You might even come back again to read MORE! You may even share it with the world so that others can delight in its warm and fuzzy glow! Oh…! Hallelujah!
Erm… it’s still about web design though, right?
Let’s not get carried away. It’s still mainly a web design blog; I am a freelance web designer and developer after all.
Having said that, this blog might also be about music production and DJing — because I do these things too — and networking, and growing a small business, and raising a child, and paying the bills, and being happy. Some of that might relate to you too perhaps?
Yet another personal development blog then.
Let’s see how it goes.
Love and Light.
