Many people dream of working from home so they can spend more time with their family and have a flexible schedule that is not subject to someone else’s control but are unsure just how to go about it. One way to make your dream come true and work from home is by becoming a Freelance WordPress Web Developer.
All businesses today, regardless of size, need a website to advertise and sell their products and services, and as a freelancer, you can fill this niche and fulfill your dream of working from home.
Before you go quitting your day job, it is crucial to make sure you have what it takes to become successful in your freelancer journey. Dreams can take time to come true so make sure you do your research and have the skills necessary to become successful, listed below are some of the attributes you will need to make it as a Freelance WordPress Web Developer:
Learn the Necessary Technical Skills
You need to have the necessary coding skills in order to take full advantage of the WordPress platform. While WordPress does make it easier to interface, the more knowledge and experience you have, the better and more professional websites you can build, leading to higher-paying clients. You are only limited by the amount of time and effort you choose to put into learning coding skills and keeping up with coding trends. The more you know, the more successful you will be.
Learn Customer Service
To become a successful Web Developer, you will need to know more than computers and coding; you will need excellent customer service skills as well. Strong customer service skills are necessary to find and keep clients. It is important to understand your clients are paying for a service, and the more they spend, the more they expect, so you need to make sure you can deal with the demand’s clients will place on you. It is vital to be able to communicate with the client and understand their specific wants and needs as well as keep updating them constantly.
Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills
You will need to make sure you have excellent problem-solving skills to become a successful Web Developer. When dealing with clients and coding, there will inevitably be problems that arise that you will need to know how to deal with quickly and effectively. The ability to think and act quickly when facing a problem can mean the difference between a happy client and an unhappy one. The ability to problem-solve is essential in the freelance world as you no longer have managers and coworkers to help you through a problem as a freelancer it sits squarely on your shoulders so make sure you can handle problem-solving before taking the leap into full-time freelance work
Niche Down
To become a successful Freelance WordPress Developer, you will want to find a niche that you are good at and focus on that to save time and make more money. While some web developers prefer to be generalized, finding a niche allows you to become an expert in that type of business and provide a better service to your clients.
Read: Top 20 WordPress 5.0 Themes for Niche Sites
This will also allow you to keep up with the current trends in that niche and not become overwhelmed. For example, if you have experience or interest in real estate, you may want to make this your niche, or dentistry, automobiles, etc. the possibilities are limitless.
Be Passionate
While becoming a freelancer may help to fulfill your dream of working from home and setting your own hours, but it is vital that you be passionate about what you are doing. It will not be easy switching to working for someone else and receiving a steady paycheck to freelancing and being responsible for finding and generating income, and if you lack the passion or drive, it will be nearly impossible. You will need to be prepared to perform work you are not getting paid for like bookkeeping, finding clients, and keeping up with market trends. If you are passionate about what you are doing, this will be easy; if you are not, you may want to consider another career.
Stay Organized
To become a successful freelancer, you must be organized! I cannot emphasize the importance of organization. You must be disciplined with your time and create a schedule to perform work for clients but also mundane tasks, including accounting and research. Without organization, you will find yourself lost and losing clients as you are not able to complete work on time. Clients are not paying you for excuses; they are paying you for work, so make sure you have the necessary organization skills before you decide to become a freelancer.
Network to Get Clients
One of the keys to becoming a successful Web Developer is the ability to network. Building a network of clients will take time and effort, so be prepared to do a lot of leg work before you begin seeing profits. As the famous quote by John Heywood states, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” neither will your business. You will need to create a portfolio website where potential clients can visit and get a better understanding of who you are and what you have to offer.
Be Persistent
A vital attribute of a successful person, in general, is persistence. Clients aren’t going to magically appear and give you money; you will need to take the time and effort to actively seek out clients. Persistence will allow you to push through the tough times and will enable you to achieve your goal of becoming a successful Freelance WordPress Web Developer. Make sure you set realistic goals and make an effort to meet them; the only one holding you back from your dream is you.
Go the Extra Mile
It is essential that you make yourself available to clients around the clock and go the extra mile to make sure they are happy with the product or service you are providing. In today’s world, business is conducted around the clock, and if a client has an idea or needs to change something, they must have a way to contact you, luckily with email and text messages, you can make yourself available 24/7. The happier your clients are, the more referrals you will get, and the more money you will make.
Keep Learning
It is vital to your success as a freelancer that you keep learning. Technology and market trends are constantly changing, and it is up to you to change with them. If you fail to change and grow, you will end up with a boring product that clients will not be willing to pay for. This will take time and effort, but in the end, it will be worth it. If you can stay ahead of your competitors and provide new and fresh content for your clients, you will find the effort it took to keep up will lead to more profit.
Conclusion
The only thing holding you back from your dream of becoming a successful Freelance WordPress Web Developer is you. If you follow the above advice and are ready to take on the responsibility and hard work it will take to get your business up and running; then there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to achieve your dream. It will take time and effort on your part, but the rewards will be worth it as you will be making excellent money and can set your schedule and work from virtually anywhere. Make a plan, stick to it, and make your dream a reality.
About the author
Steve Harris is a WordPress Design Manager at Formal Site. Steve was a freelance WordPress Developer for more than 8 years. Now, he leads his team at Formal Site. During his free time, Steve likes to read about Digital Marketing and Investing.
