If you want to prosper as a freelance web designer, you have to develop successful networking strategies. Web design skills are separate from marketing skills. Still, they both relate to each other.
If you’re an excellent web designer, you’ll have no problem impressing clients with the quality of your work. But you need to find clients to impress. Conversely, if you’re an excellent marketer, you’ll have no problem finding clients. But you need to have impressive work to show them.
Obviously, you need both to prosper as a web designer running your own business. Even if you’re not running your own business at the moment, these skills are important to learn because you may one day decide to go into business for yourself.
Know Your Worth
Web-designers earn a good living. The median income for web-designers is $64, 027. 10% earn about $47,064, 25% earn about $55,148, 75% earn about $75,400, and 90% earn about $85,754. You have a very valuable skill and if people are not willing to pay you for it, then you need to move on. You may be a nice person, but this should not target you as a sucker.
Preparation Meets Opportunity
You must have samples. People like to see what you can do before they are willing to talk to you. A fancy resume will not do, nor will a pleasing personality.
If you have a smattering of skills, you may want to consider going to a web design school. This is where you can automatically build up your portfolio as you learn a wide range of skills. Students who take web design classes at Platt College exhibit their top design projects on the Platt Blog to show prospective employers what they can do. Attending a school like this can teach you invaluable skills that are difficult to learn on your own, mainly because you don’t know what to study or how to resolve problems when you get stuck. You also get a chance to showcase your skills by building an impressive portfolio.
Clients who pay well want proof. Give it to them. Check out our complete Web Design tips for more.
Develop a Marketing Toolkit
Fortunately, most people who hire web-designers recognize their value and are willing to pay for it. Usually these are professional people with established businesses. Here are some tools to connect with the right clients:
- Build a Search Engine Optimized website.
This is where you can describe what you do and show samples of your work. You don’t need an elaborate website. Five or more pages are enough. This should be a website that shows up in the search engine results pages so that your ideal clients can find you.
Keep the following goals in mind for your website:
- It should have a strong value proposition.
- It should have customer-centric copy rather than be all about you.
- It should showcase your best work, convincing visitors of your knowledge and skills.
Print the URL on your business card. Think of this website as your online catalogue.
- Develop a social media presence.
While you don’t have to be on all major social media or spend more than an hour a day on it, you should have a presence on the most popular social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Google +, Linkedin, and Twitter. You can add a few more, of course, if you have the time– for instance, Tumblr, Instagram, and Flickr– too, but be sure to be on the top five as millions of people frequent these social media platforms.
Start A blog
The purpose of a blog is to develop name recognition. Once you post a blog post, send it out to your social media platform. Over time, people will associate you with your blog.
Stay Out of Shark Tanks
You should not give away your work free or do it at a low cost to win future business. Occasionally, you may run into people who are actually not willing to pay you what you’re worth.
There are two kinds: “the intimidators” and “the seducers.”
Intimidators put you in a position where you feel that you must bargain for the work they are dangling before you like a juicy carrot. They are often found on freelance job sites where professionals are pitted against each other to benefit clients. Here you are treated as if you have no valuable skills and are lucky to get a job.
Seducers implore you to help them and promise future rewards. They are entrepreneurs who have little money, but lots of ambition. You will find seducers when you go to generic network marketing meetings for business people. These are smooth-talking entrepreneurs who have no funding for their startup and can only promise future rewards.
Sharks like to take advantage of your good nature and your high skill level. Since they usually don’t have much money, they resort to manipulation to fulfill their business ambitions. Once you recognize how people try to manipulate you in the marketplace, you can avoid them.
You are Valuable!
You have a very good chance of doing well as a web designer since you are in a big market that has plenty of work available. Prospective clients will be as eager to meet you as you are to find them. You fill a pressing need for them.
Featured image credit: ShutterStock
