The world of web design and programming has exploded with a multitude of well-paying opportunities that allow freelancers to work from anywhere in the world. Simply being a good designer does not mean you will immediately find work as you have to market your skills on a variety of platforms. There are a large amount of different marketing tactics that can get a designer noticed by a large company looking to contract out some work.
Ask Clients To Put Your Name Out There
The referral as a designer is extremely important as there are plenty of great designers but not all of them are pleasurable to work with. These clients might also be willing to give you more work as well. Many companies spread out contract design work to a community of designers. One reliable designer can do the work of multiple designers and companies are more likely to go to these people for rush projects or for important projects. Make as many contacts as the companies you work for as people tend to change jobs quite a bit. This can help expand your client base as selling your services is much easier with a contact you have previously worked with.
Freelancer Platforms Are Free Advertising
There are plenty of freelancer platforms that help to connect companies and freelancers. These can be a great place to find clients and work with them outside of the platform long term once you have completed a few projects together. These sites allow you to modify your hourly rate which allows you to slowly drive your services pricing up. The more good reviews that you have on your profile the better as clients and potential clients will know you deliver work on time at a high quality.
Examples of Work on Your Website
The best way to showcase your skills is to show previous work that you had done for clients. Of course you will need permission from your client if you have signed any type of NDA. Along with the projects you should have pricing for what it would cost for a project of the same scope. This will give people a better idea of how much you will be charging per hour or project. First time clients can have a discounted rate as most clients will be willing to be paid more once they have worked with you before as they know what they are getting.
Content Marketing
Content marketing both on and off of your website is important as many people turn to search engines to find the right designer or design company. The right marketing company can help you do this for a fraction of what your time would cost. This can help drive customers via the search engines and increase your traffic overall through promotion. Showing off your knowledge by teaching people through content can be a way to garner trust from potential customers.
As you can see it is important to be proactive when trying to drive business as a freelancer or small design company. Do not just wait for the business to come to you but rather market yourself to make the business come to you.