Elementor Surveyed 1000 Web Creators — Here’s What They Found
Could you enter this booming industry?
Everybody has an opinion on what online business people are like but few actually do the research.
It’s why you have to be careful when reading advice online especially from those who are in the industry they talk about themselves. Each of us has our biases which stop us from understanding the community as a whole. When a creator extrapolates their experience to speak for everyone, it can often be unrepresentative. They may be stuck in their bubble where the people they interact with think like them but it could be a group of anomalies. People often seek resources to back up their opinions rather than to learn.
This is why surveys like Elementor’s Web Creator survey are so useful. It’s a rare insight into what the actual web creator community looks like. Rather than trust the word of one person, you see a higher-level picture that reveals some interesting truths about web creators that you might not have expected.
It’s not only a young person’s game
67% of web creators are Gen Z or Millennials.
This statistic jumped out at me. It’s no surprise that the majority of web creators are young as this is the stereotype so often portrayed. Yet only two-thirds are Gen Z or Millennial meaning a third are older. This is a significant minority that gets forgotten.
If you’re reading this want to get into the website industry, you shouldn’t worry you are too old. You may keep reading stories about young innovative people but there are plenty of web creators with more experience who are succeeding too. Whether you consider yourself old or young, you’ll have plenty of people for company.
81% of baby boomer web designers do it in their spare time
When I think about side hustlers, I tend to think of people who are young and crippled by debt. It’s harder for me to imagine someone aged between 57–75 moonlighting as a web developer but this exposes my biases. I see so much of the information on blogging sites as aimed at younger people because I am the target audience. Potentially, these bloggers are missing out on another audience that they didn’t realize even existed.
Side hustling isn’t just for millennials and anyone can become a web creator on the side with the right web training. There’s no harm in learning the skills and deciding whether or not you enjoy them. It could be a handy way to earn some extra money each month.
They are optimistic
68% of web creators experienced a surge in demand since the outbreak of Covid-19
The digital economy was one of the big winners from the chaos that erupted from the pandemic. Many businesses that had neglected their websites and digital presence were suddenly reliant on it. Understandably, this led to many web creators feeling an increase in demand for their services.
This number is lower than what I would have expected though. This could be due to a combination of factors. The key factor is likely to be the pandemic-induced recession. With less income, fewer businesses may have felt they could invest in web development and tried to do it themselves. We’ve all experienced these kinds of websites and often left them straight away.
If this is the case, it’s positive news for those looking to enter the industry as it hasn’t peaked yet.
78% expect web creation demand from clients to grow in the upcoming year with
If you’re thinking about learning how to build a website, it seems as if there is no better time. You haven’t missed the boat. More people in the sample believed demand would rise in the upcoming year than those who experienced an increase during the pandemic. The national lockdowns only accelerated the existing trend toward digital storefronts.
As the economy recovers and businesses are able to spend more freely, there will be more willing to invest in a quality website. We don’t know if the existing web creator community can cope with such a demand increase so, in the short term, many could raise their prices to deal with greater demand than what they can service.
They are proud
78% of Web Creators are proud to identify as such
Today, web creators can hold their heads high at the important work they do. Global understanding of the importance of a strong user experience has greatly increased. More people understand the job isn’t as simple as clicking a few buttons and that there is an art form to creating a site that looks and feels amazing.
There are many career paths available to people who wish to work on the web too. Some people work for an agency whereas others live by their own rules and take on the clients of their choice. The rise of platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr means web creators can build the lifestyle which suits them and be well paid for doing so.
80% of Millennials say their families are supportive of their career choice
This statistic is heartwarming. Life is easier when you aren’t fighting the people around you. I know when I took the full-time online business route, I was scared of what people would think of me. I was in the corporate world and I was worried people would think I was making a poor decision.
Yet this wasn’t the case at all. My family was supportive and most people I meet are interested in my role. Don’t let what you believe others will say about you stop you from doing something which could potentially change your life for the better.
Takeaway
Web creation is a booming industry and the community themselves believe there is a lot of growth still to come. They are a more diverse bunch than you might initially think with a range of ages and people who do it full-time and part-time. It’s a career that commands respect and most web creators are proud of what they do and their families believe in them.
You shouldn’t believe you need to meet certain criteria to get involved. What’s stopping you from joining the web creator ranks?
