Getting Started as a Freelance Web Designer

There are many students and college graduates out there who have been or are involved in freelancing to make some money in their free time. There are still many who keep on asking about the ways to improve themselves and their skills. Anyone who is looking to start as a freelance web designer will find this article useful to get started.

The first thing you need to remember is that there are no shortcuts to success in freelancing. It will probably take 2-3 months to get build up your reputation before you start making any real money. So it’s better to prepare yourself for the hard days before you step into it. Also, your success will depend on your reasons to become a freelance web designer. If you are only in it for money, you are likely to be blown away. You have to be patient and passionate about the work to succeed.

You must decide in advance that if you are going to be a web designer or a web developer. People often confuse these terms, however, their functions are completely different to each other. A web designer deals with the front-end that is the design of a website while a web developer has to know a programming language to develop the back-end of the website.

You may be adept in coding but what about user experience design (UXD) and web usability? To excel as a freelance web designer you must assume that you know nothing. There are many resources and guidelines available online that you must access to polish your skills. Unlike web development, web designing requires you to be more creative. The two above mentioned skills need to be mastered in order to excel at web designing. They help to understand the psychology behind a web design.

Your clients would want you to not only design their website but also expect you buy a domain and a hosting plan and completely set up their website. You must learn how to buy and configure a domain and work with web hosting and FTP clients.

Along with your knowledge of web design, you are required to learn some stuff about graphic design as well. As a freelance web designer you will be required to create logos, animated characters etc. to include on the client's website. Having a graphic design knowledge will greatly help you to build up a good reputation in the freelance industry.

Lastly, you need to build up your portfolio. Any client who approaches you will ask to see that if your previous work has been up to the standards. It is also a great way to boast about your skills as a designer. Do some free of cost work too if you don’t have a portfolio as yet. Display your portfolio online so that anyone interested may be able to review your work before hiring your services.