Getting Started As A Freelance Web Designer, No Experience Required
When it comes to working from home, one of the most popular options is freelance web designing. For freelance web designing, you typically only need a computer, allowing you to do it from the comfort of your own home, or even on the go if you prefer. In addition, a degree is not required to perform web design jobs, provided that you have the necessary skills.
If you’re looking for a way to build up a career from home, and you think you have an eye for design, then web design could be for you. Here’s everything you need to know about getting started as a freelance web designer:
Get The Skills
First, you need to be able to perform the job. If you have no history or training with web design, you’ll need to learn the skills. This means learning things like HTML, CSS, graphic design, and more. Luckily, there are plenty of online tools – many of them free – from which to learn the required skills. Even if you know some of this already, it’s not a bad idea to learn some more, or to freshen up your skills before you go out on your own.
For a more complete list of the skills you’ll need, check out this article, which also gives some places to start learning.
Get The Tools
Once you have the skills down, now you need the right tools. For starters, you’ll need a computer, one with preferably a large, high-definition display. While not required, we also recommend a comfortable chair, large desk, and an easy to use mouse.
Past that, you’ll need the right software on your computer. There are a lot of different tools available out there for web designers, and you’ll need to decide which one you like best. Find something that is easy to use, offers you plenty of features, and fits your budget. In addition to web design software, you may also need some FTP software and some graphic design software, so have a look around for these as well.
Build A Portfolio
Now you’re ready to start finding clients and making some money. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to dive in with a big-name client right away. You need to build up a portfolio to showcase your work. When you have a strong portfolio that demonstrates your best work, jobs come easier, and you’ll be able to charge more for your time.
There are a few ways to build a portfolio when first getting started as a freelance web designer. First, you can find jobs that are willing to take on unknown designers. These typically pay less, but since you are just starting out, you’ll have to accept it for now. By taking a few of these lower paying jobs, you add real-life work to your portfolio, and can then charge more to future clients.
If you can’t get work without experience, consider offering your services for free. Perhaps there is a local charity in your area that could use a new website, or a friend of yours is looking to start their own blog. While it’s never ideal to work for free, if you can help someone out, and add to your portfolio, you may find that it is worth your time.
Finally, if none of those options exist, just make up fake websites. Come up with fake companies, design a page for them, and then add them to your portfolio. Of course, you should make it clear that these are merely examples of the work you can do, and not from real clients. As you add more real clients, you can replace your fake examples with real-life ones.
If you’re not sure how to build the portfolio itself, this article gives you some places on where to host one, and how to get started.
Start Marketing Yourself
With a portfolio built, you want to start reaching more clients. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Build social media pages for your service, and start promoting them to friends and family.
- If you have the time and money, create a separate website that introduces yourself and promotes your work.
- Place ads in a local newspaper or newsletter
- Hang fliers on local bulletin boards
- Post your services on sites like Craigslist
- Create accounts on freelancing websites like Upwork and Guru.
- Print business cards to hand out at networking events, or whenever you can.
- Place a link on the bottom of completed projects linking to your portfolio/website
Local businesses are a great place to start, so check your own area first. However, you reach a lot more people online, so consider looking for clients on there as well. You’re just starting out, so find as many clients as you can handle in as many different ways as you can.
Side Note: Setting Rates
For a lot of people getting started as a freelance web designer, they are unsure of how to price their services. If you want a quick estimate, the low end for freelance web designers is typically around $40/hour, while the high end is around $75/hour. Price yourself based on experience and skill, and raise the rates whenever you think necessary.
Going Forward As A Freelance Web Designer
There, you’ve done it! Hopefully you built up all of the skills you needed, got the right tools, and are now designing websites as a service to other people, and being paid for it. While this is a great accomplishment, you likely don’t want to stop there. You want to continue to grow your new business, and continue to take on bigger, and more lucrative, jobs.
These come over time. As you gain more experience in web design, and your designs get better, you’ll be able to take on larger projects. Don’t be afraid to raise your rates if you think you’re worth the money.
It’s also important to remember to hone your skills as you go along. Coding languages change, as does web designing software. You want to keep abreast of how things change, lest you find that your methods suddenly out of date and unwanted.
Getting started as a freelance web designer isn’t always easy, but the rewards are worth it. Soon you’ll be working with your own clients, doing work that you enjoy, and all from the comfort of your own home.