1. Do a few web pages for yourself, family and friends

2. Use your home page as a billboard or resume'

Make a list of your experience:  html, graphics, music, guest books, forms, animation, etc...
Build a portfolio of your web accomplishments to show prospective clients

3. Look at other sites and stay on top of trends

4. Always be tasteful and
professional with your designs

My personal philosophies on design:

Creating
Killer Web Sites 
by David Siegel

Recommended Reading

If you use sound on a web page, always give the audience a way to turn it off.  Better yet, start the page with no sound, and give them the option of turning it ON.

Keep browser technology in mind.  Always check your work in multiple browsers - old and new.

Be nice to eyes - get rid of complicated backgrounds.

Try not to use silly horizontal rules which would only distract from your client's content.

5. Learn all you can about preparing Images for the web.

The Color Cube
 

The Netscape Color Cube
 
These are the 216 colors that the Netscape browser uses in its palette. By using these colors on your web pages, you can be assured that the viewer will see your images exactly as you intended. If you don't use the color cube, Netscape will use it for you.

JPG - Photographic and rendered images
GIF - Indexed images of up to 8-bits (256 colors); Also used for animations

6. The MOST IMPORTANT part of web site design - SPELLING and GRAMMAR

A web site is built to communicate ideas and information.  If they think you "ain't got no" common sense, do you think they'll hire you to design their web site???  Your ability to communicate effectively will directly affect your success in this and any other business endeavor.  Learn how to read, write and think clearly!

The "SELLING" part of Web Site Business

1. Customer Expectations

2. What do you charge?

3. Planning:

Domain Name?
Hosting?

4. Marketing:

Links
Advertising
Search Engine Registration

1. Business and Finance

2. Marketing and Promotion

3. Computer Skills - Operating system and software fluency

4. Graphic Layout and Design