You\u2019re here because you\u2019re ready to become a freelance web developer.<\/p>\n
The freelance web developer lifestyle can be alluring. You get to work on interesting projects, have the freedom to attend tech events and be part of tech communities, work from home, travel, and have a better work-life balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, before you start drafting your resignation or thinking of how to quit your job in the most creative way, it\u2019s important to have a more holistic view of the freelancing world.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s learn more about the freelance web developer\u2014who they are, reasons to consider becoming one, the steps to take to get into freelancing, and some other questions that you might have (like how much freelance coders earn and the skills that you need).<\/span><\/p>\n If you’d like to skip ahead to a section, just use the clickable menu:<\/p>\n A freelance developer works with clients, businesses, or organizations on a contract or project basis to make apps or websites, test them, and put them online.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re usually self-employed and may be affiliated with one or more brands as contractors. Their scope of work includes client and project management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some freelancers might have a set of skills, while others are highly specialized. A freelancer, for example, could create an end-to-end mobile app and deliver it to end users. Another might be specialized in testing applications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A freelance web developer builds websites and web applications. There are many \u201ctypes\u201d of web developers, such as frontend and backend developers, full stack developers, and Salesforce developers, to name but a few.<\/span><\/p>\n Freelance programmers also work under different terms and conditions. Some charge hourly or daily rates; others charge on a project basis; and others run agencies individually or as a team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because freelancers are self-employed, they\u2019re responsible for filing their own taxes and other aspects like drafting contracts, sending out invoices to clients, following up on payments, looking for new clients, and keeping the current ones happy.<\/span><\/p>\n Now that we know who a freelance coder is, let\u2019s examine crucial factors to determine whether this is a path you should take. <\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re already a developer, you\u2019ve most likely been working for the same company for years, or have been bouncing from job to job each year. What started out fascinating quickly became mundane.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a tech junkie, you\u2019ll be looking for a way to build a skillset that allows you to work on your own terms.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve already trained in HTML<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Learned CSS<\/a>.<\/p>\n You\u2019re a dab hand at JavaScript<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then it\u2019s the perfect time to join the freelance programmer movement.<\/p>\n Having a portfolio is an awesome way to showcase your skills. With freelance projects, you can establish your developer profile.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Better still, working on freelance projects will push you to learn faster and improve your web development skills. <\/span>This is because you\u2019ll need to learn some things in order to solve problems in your project and deliver a complete product to your clients.<\/span><\/p>\n Even when you cannot figure something out by yourself, you can ask for help from tech communities, and your new best friend in 2025: generative AI. Another reason freelance web development is so appetising these days is due to the host of AI programming tools<\/a> which have come online in 2023. Used correctly, these tools allow all types of coders to maximise their efficiency, building bigger and faster. This means that the kinds of projects that a one-person freelancer can take on has increased, leading to a bigger portfolio and more work.<\/span><\/p>\n If you suffer from impostor syndrome<\/a>, seeing yourself create solutions in the real world will help you become more confident.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As you ship more projects and become better at your craft, you can eventually get referrals and take on bigger projects. <\/span><\/p>\n Here are four major benefits when working freelance:<\/p>\n As a freelance web developer, you put yourself in a high value position. However, getting started can be tough<\/a>. As a freelancer, you have to be able to run your own business, and self discipline requires hard work. You have to be strict with yourself.<\/p>\n If you need the motivation, here are 3 major pros about being a freelance web developer:<\/p>\n First:<\/strong> There’s lots of demand.<\/p>\n Your skills are highly sought-after in every industry. There are currently over 15,000<\/strong>\u00a0web developer jobs<\/a> in the United States alone!<\/p>\n Second:<\/strong> There is a huge shortage of web developers<\/a> worldwide. In 2020, an estimated\u00a01 million software developer<\/strong>\u00a0roles went unfilled in the tech industry.<\/p>\n Third:<\/strong> Contract salaries are frequently high. According to job site Glassdoor<\/a>, the average freelance web developer salary in the US is $79,806= awesome!!<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019re convinced the life of a freelance web developer is for you, it\u2019s time for us to walk you through the step-by-step process.<\/p>\n At this point, you\u2019re probably really excited about becoming a freelance web developer. So, naturally, your next question might be how to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n Want to stand out from the crowd?<\/p>\n Firstly you\u2019ll need to find a web development course<\/a> and upgrade your skills. Then, find yourself a niche and focus your skills. \u201cBecoming known as the solution to a particular set of problems is crucial to your freelance career, so you need to be willing to differentiate and then lock it in.\u201d \u2013 Ted Johnson, freelance web developer<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You don\u2019t ever just want to be \u201cthat developer I know\u201d but rather \u201can expert developer for [insert problem here]\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be much easier to advertise your skills and make a name for yourself if you can say you\u2019re the best in a particular, sought-after area, or the only one who can do it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to hone your skills and stay on top of current trends. The world of web development is vast. There are multiple programming languages<\/a> to choose from (including Ruby, Python, and JavaScript), plenty of frameworks (React<\/a>, Node, and Vue), and even platforms (WordPress, Shopify, Salesforce, and Directus).<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve found your niche. Congratulations! Now it\u2019s time to get building.<\/p>\n The best place to start is your portfolio website<\/a>, the one website you will update, edit and continually develop for your entire career.<\/p>\n Your portfolio is a way of displaying your skills and having an easy reference for potential clients.<\/p>\n If in doubt, remember: your goal is to be easy to find, easy to remember, and good to know.<\/p>\n That’s exactly what CareerFoundry graduate Aron Eidelman did, by filling his software engineer portfolio with impressive projects such as his “Makeup and Hair by Adelina” site<\/a>, built in JavaScript and styled with HTML and CSS.<\/p>\n So, once you\u2019ve published your CV, previewed samples of your past work and added a contact form\u2014what should you do now?<\/p>\n Build your ideas<\/strong>, they are what make you, you! Once you\u2019ve built your portfolio, next you\u2019ll need things to put in it. This is an opportunity to boost your personal brand by:<\/p>\n Your portfolio is your shop window, so make sure that it, and its contents, represent your very best work.<\/p>\n And if you want help making it better, help others! Contributing to open-source projects can further boost your credibility as a programmer.<\/span><\/p>\n Better still, the source code is accessible to everyone to tweak and contribute. You can find some open-source projects on GitHub<\/a> and contribute to improving software or adding a use case!<\/span><\/p>\n Keep a blog that explains your process, ask and answer questions on social media, and build, build, build every day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about the hustle! Getting your name out there as an expert in the field can be tough,\u00a0but if you want the freelance lifestyle, you\u2019ll have to hustle for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n The good news is that there are so many opportunities for professionals to get known without spending a penny.<\/p>\n Your personal brand transcends your portfolio. It’s how people perceive you. As a freelance web developer you should strive to be seen as reputable within the tech and business communities.<\/span><\/p>\n That means in addition to delivering sublime projects, you need to be professional in how you deal with your clients and end users.<\/span><\/p>\n You also need to have a strong online presence. This means being present where other developers and potential clients are.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s crucial that you talk to people. Online and off.<\/strong><\/p>\n Always keep in mind that you\u2019ll have to talk to a lot of people to find and land clients<\/strong>, so get used to it!<\/p>\n Professional freelancer Rebecca Shapiro has this advice:<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure that you seek freelancers outside of your industry, as well. Be as far-reaching as possible. Go into building these relationships with an attitude of giving instead of getting and you\u2019ll find you\u2019ve easily built a reciprocal referral network.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Make yourself visible by keeping your goals simple. Getting Google to find you if you have a normal name can be tough.<\/p>\n Focus on attaching your name across your portfolio, social profiles and content to the terminology of your niche skill.<\/p>\n As usual, the internet is an extremely valuable resource. There are some great websites for online marketing that you\u2019ll already be familiar with, but they can be great for different reasons:<\/p>\n These are just some platforms to get you started. Other tools you can look up include tooling around project management like <\/span>Jira<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Trello<\/span><\/a>, documentation tools like <\/span>Confluence<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Gitbook<\/span><\/a>, and of course <\/span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a> to show that you\u2019re a real professional.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Becoming a freelance web developer is not just about knowing how to code<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about being a project manager<\/a>, a salesperson and Head of Customer Care\u2014all at the same time.<\/p>\n You might not have had much experience in these areas but they are just as crucial to the success of your freelancing career.<\/p>\n This means you need to get organized\u2014and we all need help with that!<\/p>\n Use these time and project management tools to make life easier:<\/p>\n In addition, always have a contract in writing<\/strong>. Some companies will have you sign one when you begin working with them. Individual clients usually don\u2019t have contracts. This Github repo has some <\/span>contract templates<\/span><\/a> you can use.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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1. What is a freelance developer?<\/h2>\n
2. Why you should consider freelance web development<\/h2>\n
So, you have the skills:<\/h4>\n
Build your craft faster<\/span><\/h3>\n
Freelancer benefits<\/h3>\n
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The advantages of being your own boss<\/h3>\n
3. How to become a freelance web developer in 6 steps<\/h2>\n
Step One: Find your niche<\/h3>\n
\nWhile it\u2019s great to be a programmer that can do a bit of everything, your value will be higher as an expert in just a few areas.<\/p>\nStep Two: Build, build, build<\/h3>\n
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Step Three: Create your personal brand<\/h3>\n
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\nAs a freelancer, you can use Slack for collaboration and communication with your clients. If you\u2019re affiliated with a specific company on a longer-term contract, they might create a Slack channel for you for collaboration purposes.<\/span><\/li>\nStep Four: Get organized<\/h3>\n
Time and project management tools<\/h4>\n
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