How to get Started in Freelance Web Development

The rise of the internet has created a vast industry of web content suppliers as well as web developers. With the right qualifications and background, a web developer can become successful enough to start their own company as a freelancer. Here's what you need to know about freelance web development.

Educational Qualifications

Although a college degree in web development is not essential to becoming a web developer, a degree will set you apart from the crowd and expose you to many different programming languages and programs. The skills you earn during your degree also allows you to build a portfolio to show potential clients. You don't have to have a degree, but the benefits of earning one far outweigh the costs if you want to go into business for yourself.

Working for a Company before Freelancing

Before starting your own business as a web developer, it would be a sound strategic step to put in a few years working for a company. Here's why:

Experience

You need to walk before you can run. There's no point in setting up your own business if you are unfamiliar with the corporate world you hope to sell your services to. In order to better understand your client, you need to have an intimate understanding of how and why they would need your services.

Networking

The biggest pitfall of freelancing is being unable to get clients. After all, you are only one of hundreds of other freelance web developers who are desperate to get hired. As an employee at a company, you will be able to make contacts and create a network of clients who like your work and are willing to hire you to work for them.

Referrals

The biggest boost to freelance work is provided through word of mouth publicity. If your former company bosses and seniors commend your work and refer you to their associates, it will prove to be the best kind of promotion you can get!

Job Description

Once you do start on the freelancing career path, you will need certain skills and abilities in order to be successful, such as:

Programming Knowledge and Coding

With an increasing variety of programming languages being used for coding, you need to be able to understand as many such languages as possible in order to increase your value in the eyes of employers. Even after school, you should never stop learning and always be sure to keep up with your field.

Being aware of your Niche

As a freelancer, it will be essential for you to find a way to stand out from the crowd, so as not to get lost in the sea of freelancers. For this, you will need to find a niche you know a great deal about and have previous experience in, and then build up your professional profile as an expert in that particular niche. This will drive clients seeking your specialized services right to you, and they will also be willing to pay you a higher amount than the industry average in order to obtain your expert skills.

Demonstrable Skill

It's not enough to just have skills, you also need to prove those skills in a quantifiable manner that potential employers can use to judge your expertise. For this to work, you need to work on as many projects as possible. Start your own website, offer your services to charity and nonprofit groups, and try to get work on as many high profile sites as possible. Basically, your goal at this point should not be to get clients, but to build an impressive resume of past work to impress your future employers with.

Social Skills

Your bread and butter as a freelancer will depend on how many clients you can get for yourself. For this, you will need to go through an endless cycle of initiating contact and getting mostly rejected, before managing to land a client. Through all these times, your communication skills will determine whether or not the client decides to hire you. You need to know how to make your case for getting the job without coming across as desperate, and how to be gracious in the face of repeated rejections.

Branding Skills

All the work you do, and all the goodwill you generate from your clients is aimed towards creating a service brand for your skills that attracts further business in the future. To succeed, you will need to be aware of strategic marketing and PR skills that complement your skills and increase your brand value.

Do you think you could thrive as a freelance web developer? If you are interested in earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science Degree with a concentration in Web Development, consider ECPI University for the educational background you need to stand out. With accelerated classes and a year-round schedule, you could see yourself graduating with a bachelor's degree in as little as 2.5 years. Don't hesitate, now is a great time to contact an ECPI University admissions advisor to discuss your options.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Web Development - Bachelor’s

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.