In the ever-changing world of the internet there are always new things to learn. KERRY ANN EUSTICE talks to a web designer with her finger on the button.

Qualifications:

I have been a computer programmer for 35 years. In 1970 I took an aptitude test for London Boroughs Joint Computer Commitee (a IT consortium for four boroughs), did a one-month course to learn the basic skills and have trained on the job since then.

You can take courses in web design and be trained in programmes used to create websites such as Dreamweaver.

Place of work:

I run my own company with my husband called Advertise by Design in Eltham.

Earning potential:

If you are working commercially for a large company I imagine it would be £25,000 to £35,000. If you run your own service or work freelance you could potentially up to £40,000.

What hours do you work?

When you own your own business you tend to do more than the usual office hours, but we try not to work weekends.

What is your typical day like?

I firstly respond to any enquiries we have had. If I am starting a new site, I start off by designing a test page graphically. I use it as a storyboard to establish the overall theme of the site, as the overall look of the site has to be consistent.

I then send this to the client for approval, tweak it accordingly and make the other pages. We mostly make sites of around five to eight pages for small to medium businesses. These pages are linked together and made easy to navigate. We also make them search engine friendly by registering them and include phrases and words people are likely to use when searching for the product and advise clients on marketing their site.

A domain name also has to be rented from a hosting company. It can then be sent live. We also design e-commerce pages sites you can buy things from.

Why did you decide to become a web designer?

I first got into computer programming because in the 70s it was fairly new and sounded interesting. I tried it and loved it.

When web design first began to take off I saw it as a logical step and I could use my computing and design skills.

Where do you want to go from here?

Technology is always changing so I'll ensure we keep the business up to date. I'm happy to continue working with small to medium businesses.