How to Succeed As a Freelance Web Designer

If you have an eye for incredible design and aesthetics, along with a talent for all things technology, the career path of a web designer may be one worth pursuing. Being able to create a website which is not only functional and practical, but beautiful and worth shouting about is a skill to utilise if you possess it. Becoming a freelance web designer is a fun and exciting path, where you can work on various projects, each as individual as the next. What do you need to truly succeed, though?

Find somewhere to be productive

How can you be productive if your space isn’t conducive to your needs? When you are building your business, it is easy to resort to working in your living room, snacking on your favourite goodies. However, this is a business, and you need to treat it as such. It means finding somewhere within your home where you can concentrate without distractions. Perhaps you have a spare room which you can turn into an office, where if the door is shut, your family knows you aren’t to be disturbed? Alternatively, if your home isn’t the ideal location, why not look into hotdesking in a co-working space? You then have the option of somewhere to focus, but on a no-contract basis, meaning that you can cancel the membership if you have a quiet period.

Nurture your professional reputation

Your reputation as a freelancer is crucial. After all, who would want to work with a professional who doesn’t listen and doesn’t deliver the project on time? Word of mouth recommendations is very important when you are building a business, and freelancing is no different. Quite often, when you use freelance websites to advertise and source clients, your rating will depend on previous jobs, and the previous experience clients had. Your reputation can also determine your pricing. It is tempting to want to charge a certain amount, but if you don’t have the portfolio or the reputation to back the prices, people simply won’t pay. To build a great reputation, follow a few simple rules and you’ll go far. These include never taking on projects you are unsure you’ll complete, not listening to your client’s requests, and not delivering the project on time. Don’t forget, the work you do for previous clients will be the portfolio you use to source new.

Make time for yourself

It’s tiring work building your own business! You need to ensure you take care of yourself, rather than driving all your time and energy into growing your freelance web design career as quickly as possible. If you try to do so, you will burn out, which will certainly halt your web design word domination plans. Therefore, take time off on the weekends, adhere to a schedule where you don’t answer work queries after a certain time, and when you shut the office door for the evening, work stays in there. By looking after yourself and making time for your own wellbeing and your family, you will be able to approach every project with a refreshed mind, ready to give it your all and truly impress your clients.