5 Reasons Why ODs Should Learn Web Design

Learning how to build a website can be a powerful skill. It can help you unleash your creativity and provide you new opportunities to explore your passions and share them with the world. Who knows, it may even turn out to be a hidden talent you didn’t know you had! Here are 5 reasons optometrists should learn web design.

New web design platforms like WIX and Weebly have revolutionized web design in recent years because they automated the technical aspects that used to make web design hard and tedious. Today, you can build a beautiful website using a drag and drop user interface with no coding necessary.

This makes creating a website or blog as easy as it was to make a rad Myspace page back in the day. Better yet, these platforms let you build websites for free if you don’t mind having a branded web address (ie. sitename.weebly.com).

After picking a platform to experiment with you can take advantage of thousands of online videos that will coach you through getting started with whatever web platform you choose to build with. You can also find free in-person coaching through public libraries, and local meetups of web design lovers through websites like meetup.com.

Platforms like Wix and Weebly even have co-working spaces that their users can use for free to meet up and learn from one another. There has never been an easier time to learn how to build a website, web-app or blog.

Owning a practice is a career goal for many of us. We often hear that owning your own practice means that you must be willing to wear many hats. This is especially true when you’re starting out and establishing your practice. You have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and do as much of the work yourself as possible so your business can survive.

The question is, can building your practice website save you enough money to justify the effort? Well, let’s imagine that you’re able to only save yourself $50 per month on web design services by building your own website. Over a 40 year career that adds up to $22,000. That’s money that can be better invested in growing your practice.

A good reputation is a hallmark of a successful doctor. Our reputation reflects the value that we bring to others. Building a website gives you a platform that you can use to bring value to others and build a good reputation in the process.

For example, by sharing educational content through your website you can help people in your community live healthier, more productive lives and in the process you will build a reputation for being a knowledgeable clinician. By sharing your insights on current events and future trends with colleagues you will build a reputation as a thought leader in your profession. By sharing your aspirations and your journey to becoming a great doctor you can inspire your colleagues and students who one-day hope to achieve what you’ve achieved.

The founders of Airbnb were new industrial design grads who went through many failed business ideas before stumbling onto the idea for Airbnb. To test out their new idea they built a prototype website. They put together a very basic blog with a description of what they had to offer and a map to show guests where their apartment was. It was enough to get the job done, and the rest is history.

Today, Airbnb is valued at 31 billion dollars. Without the ability to build that prototype website, the company would never have gotten off the ground. The founders were totally broke and couldn’t even afford to pay rent, let alone hire a web developer to build a website for them, so they rolled up their sleeves and did it themselves.

By learning web design you’ll be able to build demos and prototypes that help you share your ideas with others. Best of all, it makes you self sufficient since you don’t have to rely on someone else to help you illustrate your ideas.

Check out these 12 awesome websites and blogs built by new optometry grads and students to get inspired and to see what’s possible when you learn web design.