Have you ever wondered how some people become freelance web developers in less than three months? Yeah, me too. But I figured it out. And it’s not as hard as it seems.
I’m talking about more than just learning a new language, toolset, or framework. I’m talking about the thinking, habits, and mindset of those who succeed at becoming a freelancer while most others struggle.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything I learned from studying successful freelancers so that you can do it too—in less than three months. Let’s get started!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelance web development can be a lucrative and fulfilling career path. |
| To become a freelance web developer, you should have a strong foundation in web development, good communication skills, and the ability to market yourself. |
| Building a portfolio of projects and networking with potential clients is crucial for success as a freelance web developer. |
| Learning new technologies and staying up-to-date with industry trends is essential in the rapidly evolving field of web development. |
| It’s important to set clear expectations with clients, establish contracts and pricing, and manage your time effectively as a freelance web developer. |
1. Start By Learning
If you’re like most people, the idea of launching a freelance career in the tech industry sounds rather daunting. While it’s true that web development is a tricky business, there are a lot of ways to get started that don’t require you to know everything there is to know about coding.
I’m not going to lie: I was really freaking out when I decided to become a freelancer. My biggest fear was not knowing how to do anything and being stuck in an uncomfortable situation where my clients were paying me but I was also asking them questions they couldn’t answer (which would be totally embarrassing).
After doing some research, I realized that there were many different types of freelancers—not just tech nerds who live on their computers and that many had started by learning just enough programming languages and web design software to make their dreams happen.
What language or resource you decide to learn depends on what type of projects you want out of your career as a freelancer; for example, if you want more control over your schedule, then it’s probably better for you to invest your time in learning technical skills like HTML5 and CSS3.
However, if you’re happy with taking on whatever jobs come your way as long as they pay well enough, then it might be wiser for you to pick up some accounting skills since they aren’t as specific as programming languages and will give you more flexibility in finding freelance work.
It doesn’t really matter which skillset(s) or resource(s) works best for your personality because the point here is just to get started so we can all dance around our startup offices without having jobs.
Looking to improve your web design freelancing skills? Our expert tips guide can help you take your career to the next level and stand out in a competitive market.
2. Build Your Portfolio And Website
The fastest way to get freelance gigs is to have a website, and the fastest way to get a website is to pay someone who knows what they’re doing. If you can’t afford the big bucks for one of those fancy web developers, there are plenty of portfolio services that will do it for less than $50.
This can be done in under an hour if you know how to use WordPress, so don’t worry about getting stuck in some process that will take days or weeks. The goal here is speed because jobs come up quickly and last only as long as you have them.
It’s important to have a portfolio site even if you’re just starting out because clients need your examples on their own websites so they can show promote your work.
3. Post Your Portfolio To Different Designer Communities
Web design is an exciting industry to get into, but it’s not usually the kind of career you can just jump right into. You need to have a portfolio of your work and a number of qualifications and certifications under your belt before you can take on many jobs.
That said, if you’re thinking about making a career shift toward web development, it’s possible to start working from home as a freelancer in as little as three months. And by working from home, we mean doing this full time not just doing it for fun or for extra money on the side!
If you’re interested in becoming a full-time web developer, get ready for three months of long days and late nights spent tracking down leads and pitching (or creating) awesome websites to clients. In order to give yourself the best chance at success, here are some important things you’ll want to think about before getting started;
Get your website off the ground; You have no doubt heard that when starting a business online (and particularly with respect to building websites), it’s always better to just build it yourself than hire someone else to do it for you. While there is certainly some truth there (you won’t be dependent on someone else’s schedule or skillset) there are other advantages too namely, more control over how your website looks and feels (which is often more important than having something built quickly).
After all, if your goal is simply to land freelance design jobs after spending three months honing your skills part-time while holding down another job, then why bother building something that will eventually become obsolete? If anything, building a site yourself first is going to prepare you for dipping your toe into the world of freelance web design by giving your experience developing sites from scratch. .
Create social media accounts; A lot of you will have heard the advice to post your work on different designer communities like Dribbble and Behance. While this is good advice, it’s not the only way to increase your visibility. In fact, for many designers out there, there are better ways to go about it than posting on these communities.
This is not to say that designer communities aren’t useful in their own way. They’re a great source of inspiration, as well as a place to get feedback on your design work. But they can also be distracting if you’re trying to build up your portfolio online.
The reason why designer communities are so popular is that they provide a place where designers can connect with each other, learn from one another and share their work. If you want to be successful in the field of design, then it’s important that you do the same thing: create social media accounts where other people can see what you’re up to.
Starting a web design freelance business can be challenging. Our guide on top 17 things to consider will help you set yourself up for success and avoid common pitfalls.
4. Learn How To Pitch To Clients And Market Yourself
Being a freelance web developer is all about building relationships and pitching clients. If you’re serious about being successful in this field, it’s important to learn how to create an appealing pitch and what other materials to include when trying to get hired by a client. Having the right materials not only helps sell yourself but also gives potential clients a chance to look at your prior work.
5. Pick A Niche
In order to be a successful freelancer, you need to choose a niche. This means figuring out what kind of work you want to do and then doing it. For example, if you want to be a web developer, are you going to focus on building e-commerce websites, or mobile applications? Maybe you’re going to make WordPress sites for dentists’ offices. Maybe your area of expertise will be graphic design: logos, brochures, social media posts.
If your specialty is designing iPhone apps (and let’s say it is), don’t go trying to get gigs making websites for accountants. While lots of different markets can use help with graphic design or software development, they’re two completely unrelated fields that require different skill sets.
Starting out as a web dev but eventually expanding into graphic design would probably be much easier than trying to become an expert at both from the start you’ll have less competition and more opportunities available.
Once you’ve settled on what kinds of projects or clients you want to take on in the future, hone your skills in that niche and develop a website where people can go for your services (resume pages are free).
Even if this isn’t fully fleshed out yet just get some basic info up there about who you are and what you do! The point here is just getting started: the sooner you start marketing yourself as the mini-big fish in that pond, the better off you’ll be when it comes a time (or if it comes time) for those bigger fish to nibble on your toes.
Struggling to come up with a unique web design idea? Our tips on how to generate web design ideas can help inspire your creativity and lead to innovative solutions.
6. Pick A Rate That You’re Comfortable With And Keep It Consistent
When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, it’s easy to feel intimidated and think that other people have this all figured out. However, just like everyone else, they’ve experienced their fair share of frustration and confusion in the past.
For example, how much should you charge? Do you base it on your previous salary? How long the work will take? That’s what we had to figure out when we first decided to give freelancing a try. The only problem was that we couldn’t decide on one number for all projects—it needs to be different for every project!
We have found that adjusting your price is one of the most useful tools in your freelance toolbox. You might charge $20/hr for smaller sites and $50/hr for larger website projects depending on time constraints, possible risks, or anything else really. It doesn’t matter what anyone else charges–the only number that matters is yours. Set a rate and stick with it so clients know exactly where they stand with you from the start.
Need some inspiration for your next web design project? Check out our list of top 20 web design ideas that will help you stand out and impress clients.
7. Update Your Portfolio On A Regular Basis To Showcase Your Latest Projects
After you’ve been working for a few months at your full-time job and have a few freelance gigs under your belt, it’s time to get serious about freelancing. Your portfolio is the first thing people will see when they’re considering hiring you, so it’s important to make sure it is always up to date with your latest projects and skills. Adding new projects regularly and showing how you used new technologies or learned new skills shows that you are continually learning and improving.
In addition to being your primary method of showcasing what you can do, a portfolio website will help establish trust with potential clients. Websites that aren’t easy to use or navigate won’t instill much confidence in visitors, who will assume the rest of the work done on the site was done in just as sloppy a manner. It’s also great practice for making sure everything works across all browsers you never know which one someone might be using!
Before updating your portfolio and attempting to land some freelance work, there are some other things you can do to keep growing as a freelancer:
Learn from experienced freelancers in order to improve your own process
Make sure you are always learning new skills. This may mean taking time out from client work every now and again for personal projects (which can still be great for networking). Try starting a private blog where you write about what interests you (and then link potential clients back to this site). You might even find something that comes up during these explorations that open an exciting opportunity for a client project!
Improve your communication with potential clients by expanding the way possible points of contact between yourself and interested parties: try social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn, email newsletters like MailChimp, or even Snapchat if appropriate (just make sure not everything is too personal!).
Interested in freelance web design but don’t know where to start? Our tips for getting started in freelance web design will give you the guidance you need to launch your career and find success.
Wrapping Up
One of the best things about freelancing is that you don’t have to have a perfect resume or any particular training. You just need to know how to do your job, make sure that you can do it well and provide your client with a positive experience, and not get fired. As long as you feel confident in your skills, you can be very successful in freelancing.
This article is an overview of a detailed guide to becoming a freelance web developer. If you’re interested in becoming self-employed, but don’t know where to start, this is the resource for you! The guide includes tips on how to learn web development, build a portfolio and website, pick a niche, market yourself, find clients, and charge rates you’re comfortable with.
Further Reading
CareerFoundry’s guide on becoming a freelance web developer: This comprehensive guide covers everything from building your portfolio to finding clients and pricing your services.
StudyWebDevelopment’s tips on how to start freelancing as a developer: This article offers practical advice for getting started in the freelance web development world, including tips on creating a business plan and setting up your website.
Kinsta’s in-depth guide on how to become a web developer: This guide offers an overview of the skills and tools you need to become a successful web developer, including tips on learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
FAQs
What skills do I need to become a freelance web developer?
As a freelance web developer, you’ll need strong technical skills in programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You should also have a solid understanding of design principles and be able to create responsive, user-friendly websites.
How do I find clients as a freelance web developer?
There are several ways to find clients as a freelance web developer, including networking, advertising your services on social media, and using freelance job boards like Upwork and Freelancer. You can also reach out to local businesses and offer your services.
How much should I charge as a freelance web developer?
Your rates will depend on your experience, skill level, and the complexity of the project. Many freelance web developers charge hourly rates ranging from $50 to $200 per hour, but you can also charge flat rates for specific projects.
What should I include in my web development portfolio?
Your portfolio should showcase your best work and demonstrate your skills in web development. Include examples of websites you’ve designed, as well as any testimonials or feedback from clients. You can also include your resume and a brief bio to give potential clients an idea of who you are.
How can I stay up to date with the latest web development trends and technologies?
Staying up to date with the latest web development trends and technologies is essential for success as a freelance web developer. You can stay informed by reading industry blogs and attending web development conferences and meetups. You can also take online courses and tutorials to learn new skills and techniques.
Is It Hard To Be A Freelancer?
Well, it depends on who you ask. There are some people who will tell you that freelancing is the best thing since sliced bread. They’ll say that being your own boss and getting to work from home or Starbucks whenever you want is “the dream”.
But for every one of those people, there’s also probably someone who will tell you how much they hate freelancing. They’ll say that it’s lonely and stressful, and they miss working with other people. They’ll say that freelancing is a lot more difficult than they expected.
So, which one is it? I’d say both are right. Freelancing has its upsides and downsides just like any other career path. But if you’re willing to put in the work, you can make a successful career out of freelancing!
Is This A Real Thing?
We all have so many different goals and dreams, but sometimes we just don’t know how to get there. In this case, I want to talk about how you can start making money as a freelance web developer in under 3 months with no prior experience.
But first, let’s talk about what it means to be a web developer in the first place. A web developer is someone who uses code to create a website for others to view and use on the internet. Web developers are often responsible for all of the visual design, as well as the coding that creates a functional website. They need to be able to communicate with other people on their team (if they are part of one) and with clients in order to work effectively and efficiently.
It sounds intimidating, but if you have a passion for solving problems and building things, then you have what it takes to be a web developer!
Why Freelance Web Development?
Maybe you are like me and have always wanted a job that allowed you to work from home and manage your own schedule. You might be looking for a way to make some extra money on the side or in retirement, or maybe you just want something more flexible than a 9-to-5 traditional office job.
Regardless of why you’re considering becoming a freelance web developer, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you start this career path more quickly than traditional college programs or training courses.
Do I Need To Have Previous Experience To Become A Freelance Web Developer?
No, you don’t need to have previous experience to become a freelance web developer. Our students come from all kinds of backgrounds: some are just starting out, others are switching careers, and still, others are looking for a new way to use their existing skillset.
What Kind Of Projects Will I Work On While Completing The Program?
You’ll work on real-world projects during the program. For example, if you’re working on building websites for clients during the course, then those will be the types of projects that you’ll complete during the course.
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelance web developer is someone who works independently, instead of working for a company. Instead of working on a team of other developers, they work alone, or with other freelancers hired by their clients.
Why Do People Become Freelancers?
Many people choose to become freelance developers because they don’t want a traditional, full-time job. Freelancing gives them the freedom to work wherever and whenever they want, and this allows them to have more control over their schedule. Freelancers are also often very passionate about technology and enjoy working on projects that interest them.
How Do I Get Paid As A Freelancer?
Freelance developers usually charge per hour or per project, depending on the type of work they do. If you’re just starting out as a freelance developer, it’s important to have some sort of business plan in mind so that you know what types of projects will bring in the most money for your time invested.
When it comes to getting paid as a freelancer, there are two main ways: through direct payments from clients (or employers) or via contracts with companies (often called “clients”).
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.