Smashing eBook 2 Sample

7/25/2019 Smashing eBook 2 Sample

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Smashing eBook Series: #2 Successful Freelancing for Web Designers_____________________________________________________________

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Imprint

Published in June/2010

Smashing edia !mb" Freiburg !erman$

Book %o&er Design: 'ndrea 'us(oni

)llus(ra(ions: *icardo !imenes

Proofreading: anuela +ller

%once,( - .di(ing: S&en ennar( i(al$ Friedman

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Preface

Being a grea( eb designer or de&elo,er is one (hing 3 running a

successful freelance business ano(her4 Whe(her $ou alread$ ha&e ork

e5,erience in com,anies or $ou6&e 7us( gradua(ed from design school:

Being self8em,lo$ed en(ails a number of (asks $ou mos( likel$ didn6(

ha&e (o deal i(h so far4 's a freelance eb designer $ou also ha&e (o

be a ,ro7ec( manager office adminis(ra(or accoun(an( con(roller and)9 e5,er(4

Juggling all of (hese among mos( designers no( e5ac(l$ ,o,ular (asks

hile concei&ing crea(i&e ideas and ,roducing s,lendid ebsi(es can

be &er$ arduous4 9o hel, $ou i(h (his fea( e ha&e com,iled 21

selec(ed ;2 ne< ar(icles abou( successfull freelancing (ha( ha&e

been ,ublished on Smashing againe and =ou,e in 200> and 2010offering $ou in&aluable (i,s and guidelines from ,rofessionals in eb

design4 9he focus lies on communica(ing i(h clien(s and co8orkers

including marke(ing s(ra(egies and ,i(ching as (his (ends (o be mos(

,roblema(ic for freelance eb designers4

We ho,e (his carefull$ edi(ed and es,eciall$ illus(ra(ed ebook ill

make $ou e&en more successful and hel,s $ou mas(er ?7uggling@4

S&en ennar( i(al$ Friedman anuela +ller

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Table of Content

Imprint........................................................................................2

Preface........................................................................................3

Basic Skills of Freelance Web Designers..................................6

.ssen(ial "abi(s of 'n .ffec(i&e Professional Freelancer444444444444A

%ommon ues(ions of Web Designers44444444444444444444444444444444444444444421

9he Designer Who Deli&ers44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444CC%ri(ical is(akes Freelancers ake4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444440

9he )m,or(ance of %us(omer Ser&ice4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444>

%rea(i&el$ "andling (he 'dmin Side of Freelancing444444444444444444E

Pi(ching ike a Pro44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444A1

9he Finances of Freelancing4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444>G

Communication it! Clients " Partners.............................#$6

"o 9o )den(if$ and Deal Wi(h Differen( 9$,es Hf %lien(s4 410A

E Sim,le 9i,s for )m,ro&ing Designer8%lien( *ela(ionshi,s 11>

"o (o %ommunica(e i(h De&elo,ers .ffec(i&el$4444444444444444412A

"o (o .duca(e Iour %lien(s on Web De&elo,men(444444444444441CG

"o (o .5,lain (o %lien(s (ha( 9he$ 're Wrong444444444444444444444441C

"o (o *es,ond .ffec(i&el$ (o Design %ri(icism44444444444444444444441EA

"o (o Persuade Iour sers Boss or %lien(s44444444444444444444444444441G

"o (o %rea(e (he Perfec( %lien( ues(ionnaire44444444444444444444441AG

%arketing & Con'incing Strategies for Freelancers...........#()!e((ing %lien(s: ',,roaching (he %om,an$4444444444444444444444444444441G

%on&er(ing Pros,ec(s in(o %lien(s444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444441>A

arke(ing *ules and Princi,les for Freelancers44444444444444444444444420A

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"o an$ )deas Do Iou Sho Iour %lien(sK444444444444444444444444444421>

Contracts " Pricing ..............................................................22*

Freelance %on(rac(s: DoLs 'nd DonL(6s44444444444444444444444444444444444444444422Wha(Ls )n ' Price: !uidelines For Pricing Web Designs4444444442CG

uali($8Price8*a(io in Web Design4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444442E0

T!e +ut!ors...........................................................................26$

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Basic Skills of Freelance Web Designers

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,ssential -abits of +n ,ffecti'e Professional

Freelancer

by Rob Smith

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9hereLs &er$ li((le (o s(o, an$one becoming a freelancer4 )n a highl$

com,e(i(i&e and in mos( ,laces sa(ura(ed marke( $ou need (o make

sure $our re,u(a(ion as a freelancer is ell8managed and con(inues (o

gro4 )(Ls &er$ ,ossible (o ge( a good re,u(a(ion i(hou( being (he

bes( in (he orld and i(Ls e&en easier (o lose (ha( re,u(a(ion4 )n (his

ar(icle eLll e5,lore 1E habi(s (ha( are essen(ial in hel,ing freelancers

effec(i&el$ safeguard and gro (heir re,u(a(ion and eLll also discuss

ho (o make freelancing ork for $ou4

%arketing an /elations!ips

#. T!e Presentation -abit

Iour ebsi(e should be a( (he cen(re of $our marke(ing s(ra(eg$4 )(Ls

here ,eo,le go (o see ho $ou are ha( $ouLre abou( he(her $ou

kno ha( $ouLre (alking abou( and ha( ork $ou ha&e done4 )(Ls$our silen( 2/A salesman and i( needs (o be righ(4 For(una(el$ ha(

$our ebsi(e needs is s(raigh(forard:

Well8,resen(ed ork i(h a good descri,(ion of (he roles $ou

,la$ed

' brief his(or$ of ho $ou are and h$ $ouLre here $ou are

%on(ac( de(ails (ha( are easil$ accessible %on(en( (ha( is con(inuall$ (eaked added (o and u,da(ed

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H(her (han (ha( $ou can go here&er $ou an( i(h $our on

ebsi(e M and so $ou should4 Personali($ is ke$4Jason Santa Mariagoes the whole hog with a new design for each post a lot of work

but he stands out from the crowd as a result

2. T!e 0etorking -abit

9he$ sa$ (ha( i(hin G degrees of se,ara(ion e&er$one knos

e&er$one4 So $ou need (o make sure (ha( e&er$one i(hin $our 1s(degree i4e4 ,eo,le $ou kno


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famil$ and associa(es are $our free ord8of8mou(h marke(ing 3 so

ge( (hem (alking abou( $ou righ( no4

Hnce (his is done $our ne(ork needs (o be e5(ended and enhanced4

*egis(er i(h an$ social ne(orking ,la(forms (ha( can ork for $ou

M inked)n Facebook and 9i((er4 Wi(hin (hose ,laces s(ar( ge((ing

in(o (he righ( circles4 Hn inked)n $ou ma$ 7oin some a,,ro,ria(e

discussion grou,s (ha( are ei(her local or skill based4 Hn 9i((er $ou

ma$ s(ar( (ee(ing and including a,,ro,ria(e hash(ags so more

,eo,le can see $our (ee( on (ha( sub7ec(4

9here are man$ a$s (o ne(ork and connec( i(h ,eo,le so i(Ls

crucial (ha( a freelancer no( be afraid (o (alk (o ,eo,le and share

informa(ion and con(ac(s4 earn (he ne(orking habi( and ge( $ourself

knon4

3. T!e 0ic!ing -abit

Freelancers can ge( in(o (he habi( of no( onl$ finding (heir niche bu(

crea(ing niches4 ' niche in (his case is an area in $our o&erall field of

ork in hich $ou ,ar(icularl$ s,ecialise4 )f $ouL&e become &er$ good

a( crea(ing ebsi(es for golf courses for e5am,le (hen (ha(Ls a grea(

niche4

9he reasons ha&ing a niche is &aluable are sim,le: )(Ls easier (o

become an e5,er( in a niche4 )(Ls easier (o sell (o o(her ,ros,ec(s

i(hin (ha( niche as (he$ can see ha( $ou ha&e done before4 's an

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e5,er( in (ha( niche $ou can charge a ,remium for $our de,(h of

knoledge4

9he ke$ (o (his habi( is (o ,roac(i&el$ build $our on niches4 Seek ou(

,rofi(able areas in hich $ou can ork and concen(ra(e on building

niches4

1. T!e Pricing -abit

"o $ou ,rice $our ,ro7ec(s can easil$ be (he difference be(eeninning and no( inning some ork4 Iour ,ricing needs (o be

(rans,aren( a( all (imes and should be agreed u,on u, fron(4 9hings

go rong hen hidden cos(s a,,ear la(er on4 %lien(s like (o kno

ho much (he$Lre ,a$ing hen (he$Lre going (o ,a$ i( and ha(

(he$Lre ,a$ing for4 So make i( clear from (he s(ar(4

Second ,ar( of (he ,ricing habi( M ,ro(ec( $ourself4 )(Ls eas$ (o ge( sora,,ed u, in inning a ,ro7ec( (ha( $ou forgo( some sim,le rules4 )f

$ou ha&e ne&er orked i(h a clien( before ask for a small

,ercen(age of (he fee before $ou do an$ ork4 '( (his earl$ s(age $ou

onL( kno he(her (he$ ill ,a$N *educe $our bad deb( b$ ei(her

onl$ orking for clien(s $ou (rus( or ha&ing some remunera(ion firs(4

9hird ,ar( of (he ,ricing habi( M be fle5ible4 ake sure $ou find a a$(o make (he commercial deal a in8in for bo(h ,ar(ies4 9his could

be:

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on(hl$ ,a$men(s regular cash flo o&er (he course of (he

,ro7ec(

Documents

Smashing eBook 2 Sample