4 Useful Tips for Freelance Developers

Online freelancing is one way that millions of people make a living. Instead of relying on available jobs in the community, the Internet provides a much greater selection of potential clients. As a result, a lot of people find comfort in working from home while putting their skills to work for themselves.

In many ways, it is more difficult to be a freelancer than a traditional employee. There are far more responsibilities, and the whole process requires more focus on dedication and motivation. However, the experience has potential to be more lucrative than many corporate career paths.

Whether designing graphics for WordPress, hosting sites or a content writer, it takes more than just skill to be successful on the Internet as a freelance professional. Below are four tips for freelancers that will boost success for almost anyone.

1) Exercise Optimal Time Management

One of the most difficult parts of being a freelancer is time management. Too many people believe that working from home gives them freedom to do what they want. While this is true to an extent, there still needs to be some kind of schedule involved.

For example, many clients will keep normal business hours. This means the freelancer needs to as well if he or she wants a wider selection of available jobs. While some developers will be able to work nights, others may find more jobs available in the morning.

Time management is vastly important to the freelance developer. Whether it's content or graphics, being able to meet deadlines and delivering work in a timely fashion plays into being paid regularly. As most freelancers are only paid when the job complete, this means taking too long to finish a project takes away from weekly income.

What can a freelancer do to improve time management?

•Dedicate specific times of the day to work.

•Clients rely on communication and need to be able to contact the freelancer during agreed schedules.

•Keep distractions to a minimum.

•It can be easy to get sucked into watching YouTube or Netflix during a "break" and lose time.

•Complete all jobs as soon as possible while delivering quality performance.

•Taking too long to complete a task may cause the client to seek other professionals who are quicker.

2) Put Effort Into Branding and Marketing

Unlike a regular corporate job, the freelancer is usually paid per job and not per hour. This means he or she needs to have a steady flow of clients in order to pay the bills. In essence, the freelance developer needs to put effort into branding and marketing to attract those clients.

If a brokerage site is used, such as Freelancer.com, keeping profiles current and updated is only the beginning. The more attractive a professional appears, the more likely he or she will be hired for a task. This means more money and greater opportunities.

A few other ways to boost branding include:

•Building social media pages for freelancing.

•Professional social pages are better to distribute to potential clients than personal ones. This keeps professional and personal views separate.

•Diversifying the portfolio.

•Expand abilities offered to the client. For instance, a content writer can increase his or her workload by including graphic design if possible.

•Using more than one brokerage website.

•Freelancer.com isn't the only brokerage site on the Internet for professionals. Expanding the sites a freelancer uses also expands his or her potential for finding clients.

3) Using a Website as a Portfolio

One of the best ways a freelancer can engage clients is to demonstrate his or her abilities. This is when a website is greatly beneficial. An online portfolio is great because it is accessed from virtually anywhere and advertises the freelancer 24 hours per day. It's like an online resume that is constantly available.

One platform that a lot of freelancers use is that of WordPress. It's an easy system to get a portfolio website up quickly whether it's to demonstrate graphics or content development. The extreme versatility of the system is one of the reasons why many choose WordPress hosting when sharing their abilities with potential clients.

Websites make great portfolios because they can be easily shared online, added to business cards and can drive traffic from other potential clients through search engines. Additionally, they can also provide the owner with a small stream of income by monetizing the site with ad sharing networks such as Google Adsense. This is especially effective if the freelancer develops amazing content around his or her abilities.

4) Have the Right Attitude and Mindset

While it may seem like a great way to make money, not everyone has the right mindset to succeed as a freelance professional. It takes a certain attitude and mindset to keep clients coming back for more. Although a freelancer can't go anywhere without skill, there is more to making money than just ability.

Customer Service

Customer service is just as important for the freelancer as it is for any corporation. Keeping clients satisfied will help create a long-lasting flow of work. Because there are so many freelancers available online, superior service will keep the freelancer in the minds of those customers.

Motivation

It can be difficult to get out of bed on some days. Motivation is a key element when it comes to getting the work done efficiently. Understand that every moment that isn't used working on a client's project is money that is lost.

Constant Development

While current skills may be in high demand, it doesn't mean they will stay that way. In fact, many freelance developers continuously develop their skills to remain competitive. This includes everything from monitoring trends to exploring the latest technologies and procedures.

In Conclusion...

In most instances, it's the effort and mindset of an individual that will play into success. Things like an online portfolio on WordPress hosting, social media engagement and superior customer service will help keep a freelance professional working. In a world filled with freelancers, one needs to set him or herself apart to attract those perfect clients.