A Day In The Life Of A Freelance Web Developer

You’re thinking about doing freelance web development, and you want to know what a typical day looks like. It’s a good question because freelance is tough. 

You are trading the predictability of a 9-5 job for the ability to create your own hours and work from anywhere in the world. Freelancing can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s never as easy as it seems. 

This article will go into detail about my particular experiences with freelancing, but also give you some tips on how to navigate your own life as a freelancer!

Takeaways
1. Freelance web developers have a dynamic and varied daily routine.
2. Communication and collaboration with clients are essential aspects of the job.
3. Time management skills are crucial to balancing multiple projects and deadlines.
4. Continuous learning and staying updated with the latest technologies are necessary for success.
5. Freelancing as a web developer offers flexibility and the opportunity to work remotely.

Set Your Goals And Hustle To Achieve Them

As a freelancer, you can set your schedule and deadlines. But that freedom can also be overwhelming if you don’t take the time to plan out what exactly you want to accomplish on any given day. It’s good practice to start each week by identifying your short-term goals and long-term objectives, then breaking those down into priorities for each day.

For example: If one of your goals is “I want to complete 3 web development projects this month,” then divide that up into weekly milestones of “I will complete 1 project this week.” 

Once again, be ambitious but realistic when setting these goals you’ll need to identify areas where you excel as well as any weaknesses or obstacles along the way (like not having enough free time). 

Next, make sure that both short-term and long-term objectives align with each other; maybe it would be better for one particular project if it were completed at least two weeks from now instead of next week. 

Finally, keep track of progress towards achieving all these things by creating reminders in Google Calendar or another scheduling tool; look back over them periodically so as not to lose sight of what needs accomplishing first!

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Keep Learning

The web development world is constantly changing, and to stay competitive, you’ll need to keep learning. This could mean reading books on new technologies or techniques. It could also mean watching tutorials on YouTube. If you’re feeling ambitious, it could mean taking a class or two at a local school (or even online).

There are so many ways to learn that it’s important not to get overwhelmed by the options out there you might try one thing first and then decide whether or not you like it (or perhaps find something else along the way). 

It’s important not only that you are keeping up with what’s happening in your industry but also that you’re learning from other’s successes and mistakes as well as your own!

Have Your To-Do List Ready

Before you start your day, it’s important to have an idea of what you need to accomplish. The best way to do this is by creating a checklist of everything that needs to be done. It can be as simple as jotting down bullet points on a piece of paper or in your favorite digital equivalent. 

Having an outline will help keep things organized and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Don’t forget that life doesn’t just work you also need time for family and friends! Make sure not only work but personal time gets its due attention as well. Your family will appreciate the fact that you’ve taken time out of your busy schedule for them; in turn, this will make them feel more comfortable trusting their loved ones with their web design needs.

Starting your freelance journey from your phone can be convenient and efficient. Learn how to get started with our comprehensive guide on how to start freelancing from your phone and embrace the freedom of working remotely.

Get Dressed And Wake Up As You Have Somewhere To Go

Get up. Get dressed. Wake up as you have somewhere to go. Drink some coffee, check your email, and make sure your calendar is free of any conflicting appointments or meetings. Take a shower, eat breakfast if you can (or lunch if it’s already noon), and then grab a cup of that same coffee with which you woke up (or any other beverage of choice). 

Use this time to check all the other things on your list: social media accounts, phone calls, the weather forecast for where you’re going (if relevant), financial accounts everything!

And then go out there and do whatever work needs doing today!

Create Checklists

If you’re a solo worker, you probably find yourself bouncing from one task to the next throughout your day. But if you don’t create checklists (and stick to them), things can get confusing and disorganized quickly.

Checklists are also really helpful because they give us a sense of accomplishment when we tick off items on them. And when we’re done with something, we can cross it out!

This is especially true if you have multiple projects going at once: having a checklist for each project will make it much easier for you to stay organized and focused on what needs doing right now.

Work Ahead

While working ahead is a great way to get ahead, it’s also important not to rush. If you don’t have time in your work schedule, then you might end up having to work on very tight deadlines, which can be stressful and counterproductive. 

You should also avoid scheduling lots of meetings before or after working hours so that you can spend more time with family and friends during those times.

Working ahead doesn’t mean constantly staying late at night or taking weekend nights off from the gym because “it’s not like anyone else cares about their health” anyway! People who do this will burn out quickly! Instead, we should work smarter by getting things done on time but also enjoying life along the way!

Take Breaks

When you’re getting started, it can be tempting to work non-stop. But to stay focused and energized throughout the day, freelancers need to take breaks.

How Long Should You Take A Break?

Each person has different needs based on their body and mind, but generally speaking, we recommend taking at least 5 minutes every hour or two to stretch your legs, get some fresh air and grab a drink of water. Once you’ve been working for a while though, it might be time for something more substantial maybe even an hour away from the computer!

How Can I Make Sure That My Clients Don’t Need Anything During This Time?

For starters: always let them know when you are going away from your desk so that they will have time to reply if needed (for example “in 20 minutes”). If possible try setting up auto-responders whenever any kind of delay is expected. 

For example: “I’m currently unavailable but will respond once I return.” This way they know what’s happening without having someone else bother them unnecessarily (and vice versa). It will also help prevent them from contacting other people who could potentially be more helpful than yourself right now; keeping everyone informed is key here!

Are you passionate about design and considering a career as a freelance designer? Discover the steps to success in our detailed guide on how to become a freelance designer and turn your creative skills into a thriving business.

Make A Routine For Yourself That Includes Exercise

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to exercise. Exercise helps you feel better, improves your mood and sleep quality, helps keep weight in check, increases energy levels, and reduces stress. The health benefits are numerous!

To make exercising a part of your day-to-day life as a freelancer, don’t wait until the end of the day or weekend before deciding to go for a run or hit up the gym. Instead set aside time at work each week even if it’s only 15 minutes twice a week to get moving. 

If this feels overwhelming at first (and we get it), try breaking down how many minutes per day makes sense for you: 5 minutes? 10? 15? It doesn’t matter; just getting started is important! Once you start feeling better from working out regularly it’ll be easier to add more time into your routine as needed.

Stay Organized By Keeping Your Desk Clean And Organized

Keep your workspace as clean as possible. You are a freelancer, so you don’t want to waste too much time on cleaning and organizing your desk. However, it can help keep you focused and productive.

After folding your clothes, put them away immediately so they don’t clutter up the floor or end up getting mixed up with other clothes.

It’s also important to keep the rest of the house tidy when working from home so that you don’t have distractions while trying to focus on work tasks such as writing an article or programming some code for a website project.

Learn To Say ‘No’

If there’s one thing that can make your day-to-day life as a freelancer more rewarding, it is being able to say ‘No’ to things that don’t feel right for you. This is especially important when it comes to selecting the projects you work on and the clients you work with. 

You need to be selective about your time and energy, because if you don’t, then those things are going somewhere else and likely not where they should be going.

Be selective about the hours you work. If an opportunity comes up that will take up all of your time during a particular week or month and doesn’t line up with your goals for yourself (such as getting more exercise or spending quality time with loved ones). 

Then consider letting it go in favor of something else more beneficial in terms of personal growth and happiness even if that means turning down some money in the process!

Be selective about what activities occupy your free time outside of work and who you spend that free time with too! While hanging out with friends is fun (and sometimes necessary), try not to let it take over every waking moment so much so that there’s nothing left over for other meaningful pursuits like reading books or learning new skills online. 

Don’t underestimate what these types of activities can do for improving self-confidence levels outside work environments too…

Learn How To Prioritize Your Tasks

To be more productive, you need to know how to prioritize your tasks.

1. Start by asking yourself, “What do I want my result of this project to be?” This will help you set priorities and decide what needs the most attention now. For example, if the client asked for a site that works on mobile devices as well as on desktop computers, then that would be something valuable for them to use immediately.

2. Next, figure out what other resources are needed for finishing each task (e.g., time). If there are no other resources that need attending to first before working on a certain task (e.g., designing). 

Then try breaking down each piece into smaller parts so that it becomes easier for you to finish in time without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out about rushing things along too quickly. 

Just because there’s pressure from others around us who needs our work fast too but may not always consider all aspects involved before making decisions which could cause us stress due to lack support systems available like working remotely without having colleagues around us who can help them solve problems etcetera…

Freelancing offers the opportunity to embrace a flexible lifestyle and explore the world. Dive into the experiences of a freelance web developer and the gift of time and travel with our article on how freelancing gave me the gift of time and travel.

Create A Brand

It’s important to have a brand. This means creating a logo, your website and social media presence, and business cards. You can get the logo done for $99 at Fiverr if you want to spend less money on it. 

Your website should have some information about who you are and what services/products you offer; many people use WordPress for this purpose because it is easy to use. 

If nothing else, it’s good to have one or two photos of yourself somewhere on your website so that potential clients know what they’re getting into when they hire you (and so that potential clients can see that you don’t just sit in front of the computer all day long). 

That said, I’m not too concerned about my appearance online because I’m not too worried about going viral with my face plastered all over social media; 

However, having at least one photo of myself seems like an easy way to make sure potential clients know who they’ll be working with when hiring me and will give them something familiar and tangible when looking through my portfolio!

Build Relationships With Other People In The Industry

While it’s easy to be a lone wolf, it’s important to build relationships with other people in the industry. The more people you know, the more likely you are to find work and be taken seriously.

You should constantly be networking with everyone you meet at conferences and workshops, even if your relationship is brief or fleeting. 

Whenever someone asks me for advice about freelancing or being an entrepreneur, I try my best not only to share what I’ve learned but also to connect them with others who could help them out too! 

Collaboration is key when building a network of fellow freelancers: by working together on projects and sharing resources, we all benefit while saving time and money on our projects.

Finally (but most importantly), remember that your peers are your support system; they’re there as much for themselves as they are for each other. 

If one of us needs help with something whether it’s just a question about HTML tags or an entire website redesign there’s always someone else around who can lend their expertise on the topic at hand!

Keep Learning

If your job is to be a web developer, then you should probably be taking the time to learn something new every day. Reading books, watching videos, taking online courses, and joining communities are great ways to keep yourself sharp. 

If you don’t know how to do something ask questions! Don’t be afraid of looking stupid or embarrassing yourself in some way. You’re only going to get better by asking for help when you need it.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable With One Platform Or Programming Language

So you have a pretty good handle on WordPress and JavaScript? That’s great! But don’t get too comfortable with just those platforms or programming languages. Learning new things helps keep you sharp, and will also help you build better sites for your clients. Not to mention, it’ll make you more marketable as a freelancer.

If the thought of learning new things makes your stomach turn, that’s okay! It can be scary at first, but once you break through that initial barrier it gets easier every time. Just remember: if anyone else could do it then so can we!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help either even if it feels embarrassing sometimes. If someone replies with “You’re doing this wrong,” take their advice as an opportunity to learn something new rather than getting defensive about yourself or your work ethic (it doesn’t matter how smart or experienced they are). 

You’ve got nothing to lose by admitting when something is outside of your comfort zone; in fact, asking questions is one of the best ways to level up in any field including web development or coding!

Crafting a persuasive freelance proposal is essential to win clients and secure projects. Learn valuable tips and techniques in our guide on how to write a freelance proposal that doesn’t get you rejected and increase your chances of success in the competitive freelancing market.

Conclusion

I hope this has given you some insight into what it’s like to be a web developer and provided some helpful tips to get you started if you’re interested in pursuing this career. It’s not an easy job, but there are many resources available to help guide you on your journey. I wish you the best of luck!

Further Reading

A Day in the Life of a Web Developer: Explore the daily routines and tasks of web developers in this comprehensive article.

Freelancer Friday: A Day in the Life of a Web Developer: Join Rachelle Wise, a web developer, as she shares insights into her typical day as a freelancer.

What Is a Typical Day in the Life of a Web Developer?: Gain a deeper understanding of the daily experiences and responsibilities of web developers through this informative blog post.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 What Is A Day In The Life Of A Freelance Web Developer?

Well, it’s pretty much just like every other day! Instead of working for someone else, I’m working for myself. A lot of people think that means I get to sleep in and work on my schedule, but that’s not always true. Sometimes I have to work late or on weekends to make sure an important project gets done in time. But when it works out, it’s pretty nice.

How Do You Stay Motivated While Working Alone?

I love what I do! So I’m always excited to get started on a new project or even just take on a small project that helps me improve my skills or learn something new. Plus, having my own business is fun because then all the money goes straight into my pockets (and then right back into more fun stuff).

What’s The Most Important Thing When It Comes To Running Your Own Business?

It can be hard to stay focused on what matters most when you’re juggling so many different things at once but ultimately if you want your business to succeed.

What skills are essential for a successful web developer?

Successful web developers often possess a combination of technical skills such as proficiency in programming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.), knowledge of frameworks and libraries, familiarity with web development tools, and an understanding of design principles and user experience.

Is it necessary to have a formal education in web development?

While a formal education in web development can provide a strong foundation, it is not always necessary to have a degree. Many web developers acquire their skills through self-study, online courses, coding bootcamps, or practical experience. Building a strong portfolio and demonstrating proficiency in relevant technologies is often valued more than a formal degree.

How do web developers stay updated with new technologies and trends?

Web developers stay updated by actively engaging in the web development community, participating in online forums, attending conferences, following industry blogs and publications, and continuously learning through online tutorials and courses. Being adaptable and open to learning new technologies is crucial in this fast-paced field.

What are some common challenges faced by freelance web developers?

Freelance web developers often face challenges such as finding a steady stream of clients, managing multiple projects and deadlines, ensuring consistent income, staying motivated and disciplined while working independently, and keeping up with evolving technologies. Developing effective time management and marketing skills can help overcome these challenges.