Website developing, designing and hosting are lucrative options for those with the requisite technical skills, a basic aesthetic sense and a creative mind, writes Peeyush Agnihotri

IN this e-dominated era, it is often said that a business does not exist if it is not online. Those who have a flourishing brick-and-mortar business are getting their websites launched for global presence and recognition. They take the help of professional website makers. Then there are those who are working out e-business models and are launching the portals all by themselves. The end result — website launch and design is becoming a lucrative profession wherein a talented team can earn Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh annually on the lower side.

Website creators can be divided into two types — those who have a definite idea of their own and prefer to earn with an altogether new concept, the B2B or the B2C (business to business or business to consumers) way. They are much sought after by venture capitalists (remember Sabeer Bhatia, the ‘hotmail’ who earned millions when he sold his ‘working brainchild’ to Microsoft). Then there are those who devise websites for a customer depending upon the latter’s requirement. They are called professional website developers.

Talented teenagers

Our own region is full of so many students, either teenagers or barely out of their teens, who have designed online businesses that have become an instant hit worldwide. Photography, songs, printing, SMS. Every concept they laid their hands on became a cash-cow.

Take for example, Gurpreet (19) and Kunal (20), third-year computer engineering students from Jalandhar, who have smelt success consecutively, something, that has even eluded Sabeer Bhatia. Already basking in the success of www.funtooz.com, the first-ever Hindi SMS portal, they’ve come up with www.genieprints.com, the first-ever visiting card printing website.

The duo took eight months to complete the website. And within days of the launch they’ve been flooded with orders from India and abroad. "It (the site) will change the method in which people deal with printing. All one needs to do is log on to the website, choose from hundreds of templates, feed in the information, have a print preview and click the order button. The product will be delivered free of cost. Only shipment/postal/courier charges would be applicable, which are Rs 75 within India and Rs 300 abroad," they explain.

Such has been the success of the website that already enquiries are pouring in and five franchises have been sold within 3 weeks flat, garnering a revenue of Rs 5 lakh.

For printing, these youngsters have tied up with GenieXpress, a Solan-based printing firm. Explains Rajesh Batra, the printer and a maths postgraduate, whose firm has tied up with the portal. "In developed countries like the US and the UK, besides corporate executives, students too carry visiting cards on them. We plan to popularise the same concept in India," he explains. Their focus — institutional selling.

Geeky geniuses

Then there is Maninder Singh, a Chandigarh-based Fine Arts graduate. He has a photography Website to his credit. His target audience are the NRIs, specifically those who have held a family function at their home in the recent past and are awaiting the photographs of the event. "The concept is simple. I contact various studios and upload mini-albums for NRIs. Otherwise, it takes more than two months for a complete album to roll out of a studio. This way eager clients, sitting miles away from home, are able to view their photographs." The final phase of the site is still under ‘construction’ but Maninder is already getting orders.

Another geeky genius is Prabhloch (18), an S.D College student, who has designed a website for music lovers. He designed, www.bombayvikings.com, the official portal of Bombay Vikings rock band (Neeraj Shridhar). The site also offers a number of special features like a free e-mail account of 6 MB, a lyrics section, electronic greetings etc. The latest from Prabhloch’s stables is jatonline.com, where one can find Punjabi videos of UK artists, besides other features. "I offer free e-mail with 6 MB storage capacity at yourname@boldmail.net," he says. Prabhloch has floated his own web solutions’ outfit, netprabhu.com, for he avers that IT is a concept that has come to stay.

Needless to say, there is a deluge of greenbacks in the bank accounts of these geeks.

Website wizards

Besides such all-in-one geniuses, there are those in the market who see immense potential in website designing, developing and hosting. These are professionals who have all the required skills and infrastructure to give a client’s concept a proper e-shape. They are the ones who fiddle in aesthetics and technology with dextrous ease.

"One has to have a basic aesthetic sense, besides being qualified in design, fine arts and computer technology. Programming in Javascript, C, C++ and Visual Basic helps. The person should have an eye for good graphics, colour components and animation since design application is required in a big way," explains a team member of 3bd Interactive, a website design and hosting company.

Apart from being technically sound, the designer should have a balanced mind and excellent) PR skills. All that is required is office space, nearly seven fully loaded top-of-the-line personal computers and a plethora of legal software and anti-virus programs.

In case, someone fits the bill, there is no dearth of money. The annual turnover can touch Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakh. May be much more.

Bharat Sharma, a Sector 34-based designer explains that there has been a surge in the demand of web presenters because of the high Internet awareness, the advantage of wider reach through the Net and the desire of a business house to make its mark overseas. "After a site is made, it is hosted on servers, many of which are in the USA. This requires an annual cost of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 depending upon the platform (Linux or Windows-based) preference of a business house. As a career, it is lucrative but is also highly qualitative. Provide bad quality and the market forgets you easily," he cautions.

Have talent? Go ahead. The mouse and the moolah await you.