2013 Year in Review
2013 is coming to a close, and seems a good time to reflect on what I accomplished professionally this year.
After seeing many other web industry leaders tabulate their last 365 days, I thought it might be fun to do likewise.
I will be doing this every year around the end of December, or the beginning of January, for as long as I’m running the business.
Note from John (2019): I was doing some client work in summer 2012, but didn’t become a full-time web designer until November of 2012. That may be why I didn’t do a Year in Review until 2013 wrapped up.
Writing Stats
527,000 is the number of times people read an article I wrote in 2013.
I wrote a total of 56 articles for 6 websites this year.
15,628 is the number of page views I had on this website in 2013. almost a quarter of that in December alone.
I wrote 21 articles for this website in 2013. in 2014, my goal is to write 365.
Community Stats
I attended 5 Meetups and 1 major web conference this year. I’d like to make this number higher in the coming year.
I gave 1 short talk this year, at a local Meetup. It wasn’t the greatest, but sometimes that’s the point—you have to not worry about how good you are, and just practice getting better.
I started a YouTube channel to accompany this website. I like video because it’s a good way to reach people quickly and make a specific point. I’ll be watching to see how many people engage with this channel in 2014.
Work Stats
I built and launched seven brand new sites in 2013, participated in the redesign of six others, and have two more set to launch in early 2014.
Highlights of the Past Year
I was able to survive my first full year working for myself as a web designer.
I got to help numerous small businesses grow, and I was able to meet some of the amazing people behind those businesses.
Looking Ahead
This past year was a great start, but I’m always looking forward. I’ll be sure to check back with you in a year and give you an even better recap of what transpired.