Making yourself unique to potential clients will help them understand that you are the best option available and that doing what you do isn’t cheap or something that can be delivered fast-food style. Meeting their expectations takes time and expertise, and you want to be recognized for your skills.

But how to do it, considering you probably have little money and time to spare? So here you will find a step-by-step guide on personal branding for web designers that will cost you almost nothing.

Step 1 – Define Your Brand

The first thing you will have to do to start building your personal brand is define what it really means. In other words, what you are being asked here is to decide how you want to be perceived by your clients and which promises you will be selling.

For starters, you should concentrate on your strengths and expertise. What makes you the best choice for them? Why should they contract you and not another web designer? What is the added value that you can offer to your clients?

You can list from best pricing and fast delivery to the use of specific techniques or software, unlimited reviews, a first-class portfolio, 5-star testimonials from your clients, etc. Write down what you think makes you stand out as a web designer so that you can use it on your personal branding messages.

Rest assured that even companies invest in their leaders’ personal branding, so, as a freelancer, you shouldn’t ignore it. But remember, what you are selling is yourself. Faking or exaggerating who you are might bring some clients initially, but they will run away from you as soon as they notice the fraud. And, possibly, they will leave awful feedback behind them, which is even worse in the long term. So always be yourself and find your own style.

Step 2 – Analyse Your Target Audience

Now that you know which type of service you are selling, it is time to decide who would contract it. Consider your potential clients, their characteristics, and what they might expect from a web designer.

Do they belong to a specific industry, in case you have specialized in just a few of them? Are they used to contract freelancers, or will you need to explain to them the advantages of dealing with a remote worker? Above all, where can you find them? And which is the best channel and way to communicate with them?

On the other way around, spend some time trying to learn how to communicate with your clients in a more effective way as well. So when they contact you, you won’t lose any contract out of some misinterpretation.

Step 3 – Figure Out How Much Time You Have

We all have busy schedules nowadays, but if you want to grow your brand, you must make time for it. Still, it is understandable that you will need to be realistic here, as you need to get done the job you already have in your hands and that you probably have a life as well.

So, give some thought to how much time you can spare per day or week to build and grow your personal brand as a web designer. Consider, for example, that it is not just a question of posting things online but also of answering comments and emails as quickly as possible. Plus, you will have to monitor and analyze your metrics.

More hours you can set aside, the better and faster results you will get. But you will be surprised by how much you can do with as little as 30 minutes per day.

Step 4 – Build Your Online Presence

Nowadays, the cheapest and easiest way to build a personal brand is through a strong online presence. Especially in your case, as a web designer, not having profiles on the most important social media networks, plus a well-selected online portfolio, is almost a professional suicide.

So make sure that:

1. Your LinkedIn profile is updated, as many potential clients might want to check your CV there.
2. Your Twitter is full of articles and tips about web design.
3. You explore the possibility of using Pinterest to showcase your portfolio.
4. You have, at least, a basic website with your bio and portfolio.
5. Your Facebook is set to private if you won’t be using it for professional purposes.
6. You use an app, such as Hootsuite, to schedule all your weekly posts, so you won’t waste time posting every day.

Step 5 – Write About Web Design (and publish it)

If you want to be seen as an authority in your field, you need to let them know that, which means you will have to show off your skills and write articles or posts about web design.

You can either have your own blog, possibly linked to your website, or search for a guest blogging guide, so you can take advantage of other sites’ established reputation and high traffic. And nothing is stopping you from trying both, either. You can also post texts directly on LinkedIn and other social media channels.

In order to do it, make sure that you are updated with the latest trends in digital marketing, so your texts will be relevant. And don’t forget to share your article on your social media channels and to comment on relevant sites, blogs, and forums.

Don’t be afraid if you are new in the area and think that you don’t have much to say. Share the new skills you have been learning (because this is what should be your top priority) so far, and people will follow you the same way.

Step 6 – Try Some Offline Channels as Well

Despite the fact that you work online, it shouldn’t stop you from making the most of the offline possibilities to grow your personal brand. Congresses, workshops, mass-media publications, and conferences can all bring many clients to you and turn you into an authority overnight.

So if there is an opportunity for you to get an article published by a local newspaper, to give an interview to a radio station, or for a presentation at a congress, go for it. Take some old-fashioned business cards with you and reach out to as many people as possible.

And don’t ignore small events as well. If you are invited to talk to a small class of students about what it is to be a web designer, accept it with a smile. You never know who their parents are.

In Conclusion

Building and growing your personal brand as a web designer might seem daunting, but you can easily achieve it. You just need to make sure that you know your strengths and that you make people aware of them as well.

Keep everything consistent, and don’t be afraid to show off your skills. With a bit of time and money, you are bound to bring to yourself the best clients out there.

The post How to Build & Grow Your Freelance Web Design Personal Brand appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

My career options were pretty minimal, so going back to school was a no-brainer. Because I had always been a bit fascinated with code, web development seemed the natural choice.

Little did I know that becoming a developer would be so easy. Instead of returning to a college campus for night classes, I discovered a wealth of training, much of it free, online. Way to give the traditional brick-and-mortar schools some competition! And given the potential salary for developers, this was like finding a pot of gold.

Today, life is a lot better – great company, great salary, and great fun doing what I love. For those of you who are toying with the idea of a career in web development, I say “toy no more.”

Here are eight websites where you can get web development training on your own time, choose as few or as many languages as you want, and emerge ready for a great career.

Codecademy

Codecademy was by far my most favorite learning website. The courses are well structured, and the explanations are basic and easy to understand. And it’s interactive.

As you practice, you are told where your errors are and then gives hints on how to fix them. Once you access the site (very simple and sleek – no frills), you register, take a look at the courses, and decide where you want to begin.

Total newbies can start with Web Fundamentals, or you can choose a course in PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, Ruby, jQuery, or API’s. You’ll also see stories of real people (full names given) who went through Codecademy and are now very successful. Best of all? Not a penny will be spent!

TreeHouse

TreeHouse is truly “learn by doing.” The teaching is project-oriented, so anyone wanting to build a website or an app can focus just on that.

All code instruction is project-based too, and it is video-based with practice to follow, along with quizzes. You have access to all of their courses for $25/month, or, as you become more adept, you can upgrade to the $49/month plan for more interaction with experts and access to workshops.

TreeHouse is for beginners through “budding” experts. You can choose from foundation courses in HTML, CSS, CSS3, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, jQuery, or JavaScript, or you can go straight to a project. Everything is in learning modules. If you have a web project or want to develop an app, this is the place to go.

Code Avengers

Code Avengers is my second-favorite site because it is so much fun. These people know how to make what could be kind of boring pretty entertaining. Right now, they only offer JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5, and the focus is on building websites, apps, and games.

There are three levels of training for each language, and the average time is about 10 hours per level. A very comfortable learning environment for beginners. This one’s a freebie too.

Udacity

Highly interactive and for intermediate to advanced learners. Udacity is where you go once you have the basics down. What you get are great video lectures from industry veterans, including employees from Google. You get a screencast and then quizzes.

This site provides more videos than other sites, and you have real-life experts providing the instruction. You have the choice of taking specific courses or enrolling in one of their “nanodegree” programs. These programs are tuition-based, but you get half of your tuition back if you finish the program – a pretty big incentive. There are some beginner degree programs too.

CodeHS

CodeHS is a complete curriculum for teachers and students, focusing on teaching programming/coding to high school students. From introductory courses in the fundamentals of computer science to the development of games and apps, all of the lessons involve problem-solving, using JavaScript, game design, puzzles, and animation as the venues for teaching.

But wait – you do not have to be a teacher or a high school student to benefit from these courses. You will, however, need to pony up some money. If you really want to develop games and apps, this is an excellent site for beginner to intermediate levels.

Coursera

MOOCs have become a hugely popular source for students who want an academic environment and the chance to learn from real professors from top-name universities. With Coursera, students in both web design and web development can take basic programming and/or more specialized courses from such universities as John Hopkins, Stanford, and MIT.

While you will probably pay for certificates for some of the courses, many are free. A beginning student can get all of the introductory courses for free and then move on to the specializations that are fee-based.

Coding Boot Camps

Boot camps are not online courses; however, they are short-term total immersion programs that usually last 2-3 months.Students emerge from these as true experts. They are great alternatives to college courses and are the perfect solution for the newly unemployed that wants to train towards a new career.

They can be a bit pricey, but if someone will get right on it and get through a course before that unemployment insurance money runs out, these are great options. Once finished, a graduate will find a high demand for developers or freelance work. Some of these include generalassemb.ly, startupinstitute.com, appacademy.io, fullstackacademy.com, and flatironschool.com.

Khan Academy

Obviously, no list would be complete without a mention of Khan Academy. While there are no structured curricular programs, students can pick and choose and have great video tutorials.

This is a great source for beginners who can take a programming basics course and then move on from there based on their individual goals.

Today, life is a lot better for me – great company, great salary, and great fun doing what I love. For those of you who are toying with the idea of a career in development, I say, “go for it!”

The resources are out there, even if you have no money to spend. And unlike so many other fields, getting a job or striking out on your own doesn’t require that piece of parchment we call a degree. If you have mastered the skills and can demonstrate them, you will be in demand.

The post Learning Web Development in 2023 is Much Easier than You Think! appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.