If you’re a WordPress developer, you know how lucrative freelance work can be. There are countless companies and individuals who want websites built for them, but don’t have the skills or resources to do it themselves. And since WordPress is a well-known platform for web design, there’s no shortage of demand for people who can work with it.
But finding that work isn’t always easy especially if you’re just starting out as a freelancer. Here are 12 steps that can help get your freelance career off the ground:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Building a strong portfolio is key to becoming a successful freelance WordPress developer. |
| WordPress developers need a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, themes, and plugins. |
| Toptal is a great platform to find freelance WordPress developer jobs. |
| Networking and establishing relationships with clients is crucial for freelance WordPress developers. |
| The average salary for a WordPress developer is around $73,000 per year in the United States. |
1. Build Your Brand
One of the best ways to get freelance work for a WordPress developer is to brand yourself. Branded developers tend to have a better reputation than those who are not because branding is a marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol, or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. This helps make you more recognizable and memorable, which can help you get more clients.
This means that your name and logo are all over your website, so it’s important to choose them wisely. You want something that is unique but still represents you well.
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2. Create A Portfolio Site
The next step is to create a portfolio site. This will showcase your work and give potential clients an idea of how you can help them. The design should be clean and easy to navigate, as well as responsive and mobile-friendly.
Make sure that you include links to all of your social profiles, a contact form, an email address (or phone number), and client testimonials if possible. Make the contact page the first thing they see in the header or sidebar so it’s easily accessible.
3. Work On Your Own Blog And Keep It Updated
I must admit that I was terrible in this area for a long time. I did not work on my own blog, nor did I update it regularly. And yet, when potential clients would come to me to ask about what experience I had with WordPress, they would find my website and see that the last time an article was published there was approximately three years prior.
Needless to say, this didn’t help much in the way of establishing credibility, even though my portfolio of completed WordPress projects more than compensated for this.
So what is the takeaway here? The main point is that if you want to attract clients as a WordPress freelancer or service provider, you need to maintain a presence online by writing tutorials and helpful tips both on your personal site/blog and other places as well (which we will get into later).
4. Build A Few Sites To Polish Your Skills Before Offering Your Services
If you want to become a professional WordPress developer, it’s important to gain experience in building sites from scratch. Even if you have the basic skills needed to set up a site, there are still other things that you can do to brush up your skills and make sure you’re ready for clients.
Set up a free site on your own domain and install WordPress. This is an essential skill for any freelancer you’ll need to be able to do this quickly and correctly every time because clients won’t be happy if their sites aren’t up and running when they expect them to be.
Try out different themes and plugins to find the best combinations. Not only will this help you get familiar with a variety of popular tools, but it will also give you some insight into the kinds of problems and solutions that clients might ask about later on. If possible, try installing WordPress on a subdomain so that you can test out different combinations without impacting your main website (or even better: use a staging site).
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5. Build Websites For Free To Attract Clients
One of the best ways to get freelance work (especially when you’re new) is to offer up your services for free. This doesn’t mean that you should take on every project in the hope that it will pay dividends down the line it means taking on projects that fall within your areas of expertise and interest, and which will enable you to build a portfolio of work.
For instance, offering your development skills to local charities or small non-profits can be a great way to build up a client base at no cost. You might also want to consider offering your services for free in exchange for testimonials and referrals, both of which can help you land more paid gigs in the future.
You can also use social media as a platform for promoting yourself and your work, for instance, popular web design forum SitePoint runs regular contests where participants create websites based on themes specified by the community, giving them an opportunity to showcase their work while competing against other developers around the world.
6. Create A Good-Looking Resume
It’s time to whip your resume into shape. If you’re not sure where to begin, we recommend choosing a modern template that makes your qualifications stand out and look professional. You can also refer to other WordPress developer resumes for inspiration for instance, this one has a nice layout and draws attention to the applicant’s experience with plugins and themes.
Once you’ve picked out a template, you’ll want to make sure that the information is accurate and formatted correctly. Bullet points are an easy way to make your list of skills stand out, while quantifying achievements whenever possible will help potential employers get a sense of how well you performed in previous roles. For instance:
“Identified cost-savings opportunities by analyzing revenue data from two product lines” is much more effective than “analyzed revenue data for cost-savings opportunities” because it shows how much money was saved as well as which products were part of the analysis.
Choosing the right freelance web designer can be a daunting task, but with the right criteria in mind, you can find the perfect fit for your project. Check out our article on the 15 tips to help you choose a freelance web designer to learn valuable tips on finding and vetting the right designer for your needs.
7. Use Linkedin For Connecting With Potential Clients
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows users to build and share their online resumes. It also helps people connect with others in the same industry, and offers many different ways to find and apply for jobs.
LinkedIn can benefit you in your job search because it helps you:
Connect with potential clients. LinkedIn’s “Search” feature narrows its millions of users down by many different filters, including geography and job title. This makes it easy to find businesses hiring WordPress developers near you. You can also see if any of your contacts know someone at the business, which could be a route for applying for an open position (more on this later).
Build your reputation or name in your industry. Whatever category or categories you’re interested in working within it could be web design, information technology, marketing, or anything else you’ll be able to connect with other people who specialize in the same field as you do.
By participating in discussions on LinkedIn groups related to those industries, sharing articles relevant to them, or writing blog posts about them, you’ll become well-known among the right people and more likely to land new work opportunities down the road based on that growing reputation for yourself.
8. Respond Timely To Client Inquiries And Comments On Their Website
When you respond to client inquiries or comments about their website on social media, it demonstrates your interest in working for them.
The very best way to get hired is often by responding properly to client inquiries and questions posted on their blog or other web properties. Even when a company isn’t hiring, you can make yourself stand out by asking questions and showing an interest in helping them solve problems. This is a great way to build up your reputation as a positive and helpful freelancer someone who shows his or her work instead of simply talking about it.
I know what you’re thinking: asking questions? Are you sure that’s the key to success? Yes! The most successful freelancers ask thoughtful questions before they act because they understand that knowing the right information before taking action saves time and money for both their and the clients.
By asking some simple questions upfront and demonstrating that you have a problem-solving mindset, clients will be willing to pay more for your services than if you just did as requested without offering any additional value.
Determining the right price for your freelance web design work can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies, you can set your rates competitively while also valuing your time and expertise. Check out our article on how much should I charge for my freelance web design work to learn more about pricing strategies for freelance web designers.
9. Write Guest Articles For Famous Blogs In The WordPress Space
As a WordPress developer, your expertise is valuable to the community. You can earn money from this expertise by writing guest posts on other blogs in the WordPress space. If you want to reach your target audience and make money, you’ll need to write articles that are relevant to them. The following are some tips for how to do this effectively:
Always start by researching your target audience before you write anything. You can learn who they are and what interests them from websites like Wikipedia and Social Mention. As you write your article, always use clear and structured language that’s easy for people to understand, including lots of action words that show what you’re talking about (like “Figure out” instead of “I found”).
Be a positive role model for writers in the WordPress space. When someone reads one of your posts, they’ll likely learn something new about WordPress or about themselves even if it’s just a change in perspective on something they already know.
10. Join Online Communities To Engage With Fellow Developers
Join online communities to engage with fellow developers and designers and gain access to useful resources
With millions of WordPress users around the world, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of online communities for developers, designers, and other tech professionals. Joining these groups can be a great way to connect with other people in your field, learn from their expertise, and even find potential clients in some cases (more on this later).
Facebook groups – There are a ton of Facebook groups for WordPress developers out there. Some include WordPress Developers & Designers Worldwide, which has over 4k members; WP Beginners Connect; and WordPress Developer Community.
Slack channels – Slack is a popular work collaboration tool that has many channels dedicated to WordPress developers. Check out the channel listings under “technical” at Slack List to see what’s available (there are over 100 in total!). Some examples:
WP Designers Team – Share your ideas/problems related to design/development in WordPress here!
11. Be Available For Work On Weekends Or Other Non-Traditional Hours
When a client needs something done right away, they are going to pick a freelancer who is available and willing. When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, be sure that you are available on weekends or other non-traditional hours.
The upside to working weekends or nights is that you can be more flexible with your schedule. You can also be available when others are not. It’s an easy way to get a jump on the competition.
The downside is that you have to do the work! But it may only take a couple of jobs to build momentum and find clients who will want your services full-time during normal business hours (depending on your niche).
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12. Maintain An Ideal Personal Life Balance
Being a freelancer, it’s very important to maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re working from the comfort of your home. You might find yourself turning off the music while you watch television or even leaving the housework aside because “you might lose focus.”
It’s not easy to make that distinction when you work from home, but it is necessary. It will help keep you creative and allow your brain to rest so that you can get back in front of the computer feeling fresh and ready for more tasks.
Follow these tips if you want to start off right as a freelance WordPress developer
Now that you’ve seen the various ways to find freelance WordPress development work, you may be wondering how long it takes to become a successful freelancer. Of course, there’s no set answer it depends on the time and effort you put into your business. But if you’re willing to work hard and consistently put yourself out there, I believe it is possible to land clients within a few months of starting your freelance business. Once you get started and truly begin putting your whole heart into it, I know that your first client will soon be followed by many more!
Final Thought
It’s not easy to get freelance work. There are more and more qualified candidates, so standing out can be a real challenge, and making a good impression has never been as important as it is now. However, with determination to succeed and dedication towards improving your skills in WordPress development and freelancing in general, you should be able to find success before too long.
Remember to follow best practices in the industry, always provide the best service possible, and make sure you communicate well with clients.
Focus on building a good reputation for yourself and don’t shy away from asking for help when you need it or making some mistakes during the process of learning how to handle everything by yourself.
Further Reading
How to Become a WordPress Developer: A Complete Guide – This comprehensive guide outlines the skills, tools, and resources needed to become a successful WordPress developer.
How to Become a Freelance WordPress Developer: A Guide – This article provides a step-by-step guide to becoming a successful freelance WordPress developer, including tips on building your portfolio and finding clients.
Toptal Freelance WordPress Developer Jobs – Toptal is a platform that connects businesses with top freelance WordPress developers. Browse their job board to find opportunities to work with some of the world’s leading companies.
FAQs
What is a WordPress developer?
A WordPress developer is a professional who specializes in building and customizing websites using the WordPress content management system. They may work on the front-end, back-end, or both.
What skills do I need to become a WordPress developer?
To become a successful WordPress developer, you’ll need a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. You should also be familiar with WordPress themes and plugins, as well as the platform’s core functionality.
How do I become a freelance WordPress developer?
To become a successful freelance WordPress developer, you’ll need to build a strong portfolio, establish a network of clients, and have a solid understanding of WordPress development. You can find more tips in our guide on how to become a freelance WordPress developer.
What is the average salary for a WordPress developer?
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a WordPress developer in the United States is around $73,000 per year. However, salaries can vary depending on experience, location, and other factors.
Where can I find WordPress developer jobs?
You can find WordPress developer jobs on a variety of job boards, including Toptal, Upwork, and Freelancer. You can also search for opportunities on LinkedIn or reach out to local businesses in your area.
What Is A WordPress Developer?
A WordPress developer builds websites on the WordPress platform. They are familiar with PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (they often have database knowledge too). They can create themes, and plugins and modify existing code to meet the needs of clients.
What Skills Do You Need To Be A WordPress Developer?
WordPress developers should know how to code in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP (familiarity with databases is also useful). A strong understanding of how WordPress works will help them determine which approach to take when building an application.
How Much Does A WordPress Developer Earn?
This depends on the location and experience of developers but it is not uncommon for full stack developers who excel at front-end development as well as back-end programming languages such as Python or Ruby on Rails to earn upwards of $150 per hour while entry-level positions start around $30 per hour depending on where you live in North America or Europe
Is WordPress Developer A Good Career?
Yes! Becoming one will give you the ability to work remotely from anywhere in the world if that is what interests you most about being involved with web design projects because there are always people looking online for someone who can provide assistance getting their sites up running smoothly again after being hacked or experiencing issues with plugins that no longer function properly due to changes made by other programmers over time without testing every possible scenario beforehand.
So taking this type of job would allow them more freedom than working at an office where their boss tells them when they have vacation days off each year instead of making their own schedule based on client needs
How Do I Become A WordPress Developer?
The best way for people interested in becoming professional web designers who work exclusively on familiarizing themselves with various open-source software products available through the use of Google search engine results including “WordPress” since these types of applications have been developed by other programmers around the world, therefore, all one has do download free versions.
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.