2018 is the year where Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are realities which were once considered science fiction. When technology is paving the path to perhaps a jobless world, coding has become a common skill where the competition can swish by you at every potential client. There is a horde of freelance web developers today, thus the quality of work and the value of the skill has dropped immensely.

This congregation of coders seems to religiously develop lifeless websites, unproductive applications and meaningless designs. To stand out of this crowd, it’s quite crucial to focus on the very fundamentals of web development and client dealing.

In this article, I will share with you 7 tips of utmost importance for a conducive and rewarding career as a web developer.

Be Part Of The Solution Not The Problem!

The congregation that I mentioned above is shaping a huge problem in the web development industry. To create a substantial amount of clients and a flow that never stops, it’s important to realize that offering mundane and mediocre service is not the way.

One simple practice that can make you effective is to identify the problem. Whether you are running a website, working for a client or simply contributing in an open source project, identify the problem that needs to be solved. It will not only improve the efficiency of your design but will also concoct an efficient and effective asset for the client. This will add value to your work.

Create a network that connects your to the right sources

Generally, we perceive other professionals of the same forte as competition which is an erroneous tendency. Befriending the fellow freelancers and professional, pitching in their work with suggestions and improvements, maybe even helping them out with their work for free will pay you in ways unimaginable.

It will create a strong network of homogenous people who can work for each other’s benefit. If there are events and conferences being organized in your cities then it’s an excellent way to network with the people of the same industry. You must always be in touch with people that compliment your industry like ‘GraphicDesigners’. It is likely that a Graphic designer’s client is also looking for a Web Developer.

Be willing to help by generously giving inputs to fellow freelancers, open source projects, someone who is starting a blog etc. This is a great way to bond with others that in future may bring you potential clients because this way you will be on their minds.

Become A Referral Giant

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In a study done by Heinz Marketing, it was revealed that 84% of the B2B decision makers start the buying process with a referral. Most of the businesses are being backed by referrals. Againnetworking is a great way to build a referral engine for you.

How do you become contagious?

So, how to be contagious that people cannot stop referring you to other clients? It’s a beautiful concoction of your talent and networking skill.

  • If you work for the pleasure of it, it will reflect in what you do. Keep follow-ups with your clients like asking them, ‘Is your service working out for them?’ ‘Are you having any issues running the website?’ Then you can gently ask them to refer you to other clients.
  • Your work must not be mediocre, try to give value for your client’s money and always be a solution.
  • Don’t be afraid to give free suggestions and valuable insight to other freelancers and project leads. A well-concocted professional is always irresistible. Try to be selfless and enjoy the work you are doing more than trying to extract money for it.

Create Content that promotes you

When a client is looking for a developer, it’s better you are all over the internet so that he cannot miss you. One thing that will really set you apart from the crowd is the content that you create. This content will not only display your skills and help you create rewarding connections but also promote you. Essentially, the content should not be directly promoting you but inevitably it will serve the purpose.

What do we mean by content here?

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  • It’s said that the best way to learn is to teach. Create tutorials, share your skills, and teach how specific problems can be solved. Creating tutorials will get you a lot of interaction online and it’s a great medium to get recognized by potential clients.

Go Exclusive!

Being exclusive suddenly gives you an extra edge, a sense of being great at something. Working on crowded platforms like WordPress or Weebly can give you a lot of competition which can ironically be toned down quite easily. If you have a website or online store where you display your work, always keep an exclusive section of your service. That is something that you are really good at.

You can charge more or quite the opposite; charge less for your exclusive service which gives the client a sense of getting something at a lower price which was supposed to be worth more. It will give impressive conversion rates to you.

Create A Non-Negotiable Checklist

2018 came with new tools and standards for web development. In order to give value to the owner and an excellent user experience, there are certain parameters that cannot be compromised.  Create a non-negotiable checklist of standards for yourself and make sure that when you do your work, it is not sloppy and lifeless.

A fully functional and acceptable website must have the following features.

  • Fast loading
  • Search engine optimized
  • Conversion optimized
  • Fully responsive and mobile ready
  • Tracking enabled
  • Equipped with Social Media
  • Equipped with email marketing tools
  • Fully secure
  • Equipped with progressive web apps

Find Your Niche

We already discussed that the market for web developers is overcrowded. In this context, specializing in a specific language or technology can really bring competition down. It is always better to be a master of something rather than being a jack of all. Mastering one dimension of your craft will not only set your work standards apart but is also a reason for you to charge more.

Find a niche for your work on WordPress; identify something that is your best suite like corporate theme developer, WordPress developer for content-based startups etc.An array of trending technologies like headless CMS or Apple’s new Swift Programming language can be explored to find your own niche.

Working as a web designer can be a little challenging today. It does not mean that there is no scope of it. The potential is almost limitless. To excel in as web designer, it takes a workable concoction of talent and networking. We hope the article was of help to you.