How Can You Start Your Freelance Career As A Web Designer?

Is it being difficult to wake up early? Is it getting boresome to commute to the same place every day?

Are you not enjoying being bossed around? Is your creative aspect being killed by your team leader? If yes, you are just like other designer working in different mobile app development or web development companies.

Quit it! This is something you would have thought a Million times but gathering the courage and actually doing it is a whole different story. There is a risk of being jobless and salary-less. If you plan it well, you would have work, get paid beautifully, yet not have to go to the office and being bossed around. No, this is not in some fantasy world, this is possible in real times.

Working as a freelance web designer is something you should try. I know there would be a series of questions running in your mind. Take a deep breath, put on your reading glasses, take a cup of coffee, and just continue reading. We have a long way to go with the answers to your questions and how can you become one.

FAQs About Freelance Designer

1- Can I earn more money in freelancing work than a regular job?

I don’t want to give a diplomatic answer and make you hate me for this question and the answer. But, really it depends on your skills and client relationship management. At first, it might be difficult to fetch the clients and survive without any stable salary base. But, once you have got your skills all set and charge half the price than the development companies with faster and better work and yet make more money for yourself, you are going to have the satisfaction and monetary gains.

Well, I am totally jealous of my freelance web designer friend who doesn’t take to wake up early, take shower, get into boring formals, and travel a long way in the traffic to the same boring place to see the same boring faces every day.

2- Am I free from dealing with all the annoying people?

Well, being a freelance designer doesn’t mean you are free from dealing with people. You would still have to work with clients. You never know which client is like what. So, working in a web designing company or working as a freelancer, you will not be free from tantrums of people.

3- Do I have total freedom while working as a freelancer?

I am sorry to give you a rude awakening from your fantasy world. But, no you will still be bound by the deadlines by the clients and have to work with it. But, at least you have the liberty to decide on which time you want to work and which time you want to enjoy. You can complete a project in 3 days and enjoy the rest three days of the week. It’s totally upon you. Also, in case of the creative liberty, it’s the client you have to impress or take the opinion from and not bound to pass through the process of a senior designer, team leader, boss, and the client.

How Can You Become A Freelance Designer

1- Portray Your Designing Skills

You will have to interview once and got the skills. But, when you are a freelance designer, with every new client, you will have to prove you are creative and expert. A portfolio of past works can be a help here. You can showcase your skills on different platforms like Behance and Dribble. Portray various skills with samples of website designing and mobile UI design.

2- Create a Profile on Platforms

There are special platforms for freelance jobs. Register and create a profile on these platforms to get work, popularity, and of course money. Here is the list of these platforms:

• Upwork
• Freelancer
• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• Webflowexperts
• Toptal and alternatives

3- Search For The Clients

There are plenty of different ways to search for clients. You can have your own website showing your services and client reviews or reviews from your past employers. Start sharing posts about your work on different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and various others. Share with your friends and family. Ask your past clients and ask them to spread the word as well.

4- Maintain Relation

Maintain the reputation and relation with the clients. Ask them if they need any help and do it as a favor to them. This will create a positive image of yours and whenever someones approach with a question, do you know any freelance designer for my mobile app designing or website designing project? The answer will be your name.

5- Be Time Bound

The chances of losing the clients would be very high when you don’t fulfill your time commitment. Provide a timeline only which you can comply with. A delayed timeline would be a disappointment on the client side and chances of referring you to other clients would be diminished.

6- Use Best Designing Tools

Of course, staying updated with the latest designing tools is one of the must follow things as not just freelance designer but as a designer on a whole. Let me jot down some of the best tools you must be using:

• Photoshop
• Sketch
• Illustrator
• Harvest
• Mockplus
• Slack
• Bonsai

If you don’t want to regret the decision to chuck off the job and be your own boss. Here are some of the essential things you must know and follow.

1- Be Transparent About Payment

It’s not just about how much money you should be taking but it is also about how and when you are receiving. Decide beforehand whether you are working on an hourly basis or fixed cost. Also, take the payment in milestones. You don’t want to keep asking for money for months even after delivering the work in decided time.

2- Written Contract

This is the only thing that can help you from frauds. Clear the terms of work and payment in the written contract. Be clear about whether you can publish the work or show it to future clients for reference.

3- Future Planning

Make a note of how much money you are going to need before the start of the month. Also, check in whether you will be able to make that amount of money if you ditch your job. If you are confident enough, you are ready to be your own boss.