We live in a space full of technical expertise. It has become a vital part of our lives that we cannot live without. Most of us use technology in one way or another on a daily basis. With the invention of technology, many job opportunities opened up because almost every field moved into technology. Among all, web development takes one of the top places because it is one of the fundamental careers in technology. If you are good at Information Technology and want to earn some extra bucks using your free time, the world has plenty of opportunities for freelancers. It is essential to understand how to become a freelance web developer in this competitive world in order to stand above the competition.
Advantages of becoming a freelance web developer
Freelancing has many pros. There are many full-time workers who are now leaving their 8 to 5 jobs to freelance.
Freelancing has many capacities.
Web development is one of the many branches of freelancing.
Web development is a field that is required by a lot of companies and individuals.
Therefore, it is fantastic to be able to freelance in such a field in your own time. There are many advantages of becoming a freelance web developer such as;
- Working at your own space without going to an office
- Scheduling work timings according to your own needs
- Building clients as you wish
- Marketing and advertise the projects at your capacity
- Withdrawing from the job whenever you want
- Having the ability to say ‘NO’ to customers who do not pay on time
- Having the ability to shift work patterns
- Advertising in your own social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
You do not get these advantages when you have a regular job. When you want to start up your own business, you will still require capital or an investor.
Freelancing lets you become self-employed without any capital. It gives advantages first hand as soon as you start it. That is why many web developers opt for freelancing during their free time so they can earn extra cash.
How to become a freelance web developer from scratch? – Step by step guide
Freelancing has become one of the most moving business strategies in the world with the hike of technology. People do not necessarily need offices anymore. Most technical jobs are now operating in your own space.
A freelancer is a person who gives his or her services at a price, usually with no contract or work commitment.
Most of the freelancing jobs are home-based, and it is sort of a self-employment strategy used by many individuals. Among the freelancing tasks, web development has taken a prominent place because most companies require web developers.
How to become a freelance web developer can be quite enjoyable once you start seeing the number of opportunities landing at your feet.
Becoming a freelance web developer is not the hardest. All you need is a computer, internet connection, knowledge in web designing, and, most of all, commitment. With these, you can reach heights in freelance web development easily.
- Find your niche
Freelance web development is a vast area of expertise. If you can focus on being an expert in one particular field rather than being an ordinary programmer, you have a higher chance of standing out in the crowd.
It is easy to make a name and a standard for yourself if you specify what you are good at, precisely, rather than just putting in general information.
- Start building your portfolio
Once the niche or the specification is located, you have to build a strong portfolio.
Build the ideas you have in an exciting way and present them in the profile to grab the clients’ attention.
You have to mention your strengths, past works, and specified skills in order to make your portfolio a successful one.
- Build your brand
You have to make a name for yourself in the market, especially if you are intending on freelancing.
It is a complete hustle to stand out in the crowd. But it is not impossible to do so. Once you have located a niche and built the portfolio, you have to approach people online and offline.
Talking to people and letting them know about the freelancing work you do is one of the best ways to build your brand. You can also use social media platforms for advertising your work, such as Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.
- Organize yourself
Being a freelance web developer is not only knowing about coding and programming. It is also about managing, handling projects, customer care, and being a salesperson.
When one is a freelancer, he or she has to manage the business, handle different projects, handle clients, and sell the work. These things mean being organized.
You can use one of the following project management tools to increase your freelancing capacity.
- Toggi
- BillingsPro
- HubStaff
- QuoteRoller
- Asana
- Build experience
Your experience comes with the projects you complete. You have to focus entirely on finishing web designing projects to get more orders.
If you fail to impress the clients on the first go, you are less likely to get more business. While you undertake freelance jobs as a web developer, keep upgrading and educating yourself.
In that way, you can establish a secure working experience and learn how to become a freelance web developer successfully.
- Be courageous
More than anything, you need courage and commitment. If you do not have the motivation required, you cannot hustle the freelancing way out.
It is vital to remember that freelancing entirely depends on YOU! YOU have to make the change, YOU have to market yourself, YOU have to build your personal brand, and YOU have to approach people to build a client base.
It is essential to stay courageous throughout the journey until you reach the pinnacle.
How to get a job as a freelance web developer?
Becoming a freelance web developer is not rocket science. There are plenty of websites that offer platforms for freelance web developers in many fields.
You can sign in to any of these kinds of sites and make your profile in order to get jobs for yourself.
Generally, freelancing websites offer jobs in various fields apart from web development.
However, if you want to stand out among the crowd, it is vital that you create an impressive profile that catches the attention of clients to be assigned.
Here are some of the significant freelancing websites in the market:
- Topal
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- Guru
- PeoplePerHour
- iFreelance
- 99Designs
- Craigslist
- SimplyHired
You can select any one or more websites to make your profile. It is entirely up to the freelancer to choose the platform they are going to use. It is a self-employment method that enables you to work at your own time, at your own speed, in your own space.
Once you go to any of these websites, they will ask you to register/ sign-up to create the profile in your desired field.
Once you sign-up, you can select ‘web developer’ as your choice of freelancing and add all your knowledge and skills in order to make the profile interesting.
You have to ensure to mention any past works or assignments that you have successfully completed, to provide assurance to the client. Since most freelance web developer jobs are online, the risk for the client is high.
Therefore, if you are intending to become a freelance web developer, make sure you enter genuine information and profiles to build a long-term career.
Freelance web developer job description
Web Developers have customized job descriptions according to the job you are undertaking.
When it comes to freelance web developers, the job description varies from client to client. Since a freelance web developer does not work only for a single client, it depends on who you work for, to describe the job profile.
Generally, a web developer is responsible for the coding, designing, and laying out a website or a webpage according to a company’s or an individual’s specifications.
Web developers have a lot of opportunities as freelancers as they can work at their own time in their own space. Web developers are expected to have knowledge in graphical user interface and computer programming, in order to successfully design a website or a web page.
Therefore, a web developer’s job description can only be altered if the client is asking for additional services.
Freelance web developer salary: How much do they get paid?
Freelancers get paid at various rates. There is no specific freelance web developer salary as a standard.
The payment for a freelance web developer depends on the projects they do and the clients they work for.
According to Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, the estimated average freelance web developer salary be $73,710 /year.
Glassdoor:
ZipRecruiter:
But in general, you can earn really well if you are freelancing your work. Some students make most of their college fees through freelance web development. It is a full-time earning for some people too. Once you have created your platform, it is easy to earn and make a secure database.
Making money online through freelance web development at home
People have found various ways of earning online. It is one of the easiest forms of self-employment without investment. You can utilize your knowledge and earn online while sitting at home.
Making money online through freelance web development has become one of the most popular ways of earning among IT professionals.
If you are an IT student with a little bit of free time, freelance web development is one of the best ways to polish your skills and earn some money. It truly depends on your commitment to succeed.
Search Remote web developer jobs
You can find a lot of remote freelance web developer jobs on many websites.
Whether you are a freelance front-end developer or a back-end developer, there are many websites that offer freelance remote web developing job opportunities such as remote.co, reddit.com, ZipRecruiter, and indeed.com.
They work on your profile and give you a lot of experience in order to get in touch with more clients.
You do not have to be limited by your location to do a remote web developer job. You have to remember that if you market your niche correctly, there will be companies needing you than, you requiring companies.
Conclusion
The world is highly competitive in every field. It is very tricky to get to a place where you stand above the competition. In order to go ahead, one needs extreme commitment.
Freelancing can bring a lot of challenges. For instance, it can look like it is going to be a waste of time when you first start it. But when you keep at it, you will start seeing results.
Success in freelance web development does not happen overnight. It takes time, energy, commitment, and consistency to show results. Web development has become a massive trend in every industry.
If you carefully look, companies and individuals need expert web developers more than ever. They all need to have an excellent website for their companies.
If you are that person with the capacity and time to create an outstanding website, you will succeed following one project to another.
How to become a freelance web developer takes more than mere knowledge. You have to remember that the competition for freelancing is very high.
Therefore, first, take time to improve your skills and market them correctly. Patience is utterly vital in freelancing if you want to see results. If you hastily give up, you will not be able to see the bright side of freelancing.
Imagine no one telling you to come on time and go on time! You are your own boss. It is YOU who decides which project comes in and which one does not.
If you wish to be a freelance web developer, there are plenty of websites you can go to for help and assistance. They all will give you guidance in building an attractive portfolio and marketing properly.
