How do you do freelance web design online?

Question

I've created my website, it's still a work in progress,
http://www.freewebs.com/advice_1_girl/indexgraphic.htm
I'm starting out with very low prices to gain experience working with clientelle and to pump up my portfolio.

My question is do you send them the code by email, file transfer program? Do they fill in the blanks or send you there text by a word document? Do they supply the pictures? I'm new to this and I would like a step by step directions on how to do freelance work over the internet. Do you find clients coming back to you for upkeep of the site? I know how to create the website, but how do you transfer it over to the business? Please someone clue me in, thanks, or point me in the right direction.

Answer 1

As a freelance web designer, it concerns me that you are offering professional web sites for $9.99 and you do not know how to post to a customers url.

When I started web design I made my own site (www.dmc-hq.com) so that I could put up a professional front and have a place to show samples. I also wanted the site to show my own design and graphic skills - plus I wanted customers to see that I could be found in a search engine (something they will want me to do for them).

I design a site and host it on my domain while the work is in progress and then I ftp it up to their domain once it is approved by the client and the passcodes are provided. Sometimes a client wants to use text they have, other times they want a copy writer to do it and other times I do it. Same with pictures. Some clients do their own updates (I have trained a few to do so) and other rely upon me to do updates.

When a customer approaches me, we discuss what the client wants and I put together an estimate, based upon an hourly rate and the specific work they want. I put it together in a contract - once the contract is signed and 50% of the estimate is paid, work begins (with the remaining 50% due upon completion of the project).

My advice to you is to approach your competition and find out what they are charging and how they are doing business by posing as a potiential customer and asking them what they would and charge you for a site. I would also try to remember that you get what you pay for - and no serious business is going to run their business on a web site that cost just under $10 to create. When your prices are too low you look like an amateur and you attract customers who have no money (not a good combo if you wish to make money at this venture). Better to do some projects for free for samples (or make some up) and then advertise a decent price for paying customers.

Peace!

PS - The answerer after me recommended you learn a bunch of other stuff, and I don't think that is necessary. CSS is style technology. PHP is more database technology as I see it. I personally don't think you need to learn everything for web design, but you might want to consider CGI or PERL, because that will allow you to do special coding on site (using variables, processing forms, etc.) or you could just partner with folks who do that already. That is what I do. I know graphics, design, Photoshop and Dreamweaver and anything else I need I outsource to other professionals I know.

Answer 2

Typically you develop on your server then upload to theirs.
The clients usually dont' know or understand squat.
You have to hold their hand the whole way - make it like a fun little experience for them.
If they dont have artwork and or content then they are wasting your time. When i encounter a knucklehead that wants a site but all he can do is talk about it and expects me to be his content writer, graphic artist, site architect, and developer and all for some ridiculously low price, i run like crazy throwing oil cans behind me.
Get some of the money up front - getafreelancer.com is a website that will hold funds in escrow, it's also a good place to pick up work. Dont miss deadlines. Communicate alot with them.
If you can't do that, you are a bad developer.
If you have never done a commercial site - likely you will have to pick up neighborhood friendly work for a bit. Perhaps some volunteer stuff.

Answer 3

The pitch is that writing on the world wide web is in large demand and you can earn up to $30 per site submit, up to $200 day for proofreading, and so on. In addition, when you join, you get an automatic novel author as effectively as an automated thought generator and automated report author so is unattainable not to do this job.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

i looked at your page. no offense but you have a bit of things to learn.

learning html is easy

designing a web page is not. it takes practice and time and effort.

let me give you some advice
it will be overwhelming but you need to learn
1) html (seems like you got that)
2) css
this is used to seperate styles from content. you attach them to an html page and then use special tags from your css in your html page. css is a text file like html but its in a special format. when it's attached to an html page you can use all the styles you made in your css file. they work together.

for example you can make css tags also called a "class" which makes a font a certain size, type, color, whatever you want. the advantage is huge because if you dont use css you will have to go thru by hand and change all fonts in your html page if you decide someday that you want to make all your fonts bigger (or even just one). with css it's only one change in the css. you html does not change but you will see the new bigger font. :)

3) learn a scripting language like php and store content in a database like mysql. if you've never heard of that before this of it like this....

when you make an html page you put all the text right in the html right? what if you want to change that text? you'd have to manually edit the html page and reupload it to your website.
with a dynamic website you still have an html page but it uses php to dynamically fetch content for your site. basically what you're doing is separating the content of your website from the html design of it.

if you want to make a change with a php/mysql site you build a custom backend of your site to make it super easy to add changes. all you would have to do is go to your special php/mysql backend and you could edit your webpage content online, much like you can edit say your bank information or shipping addresses at an online store. it wouldn't be possible for them to save and display that data without a scripting language (ie php/asp/jsp) and a place to store the data (mysql/mssql database)

i mean think about how we are posting and answering these questions on yahoo. all of these questions and answers are dynamic... which means they're stored in a database and fetched out of there using a scripting language. you can do it too and its easier than you think ;)

now all this may seem overwhelming so take it one step at a time.

learn html.
then learn css.
then learn php.
then learn mysql.

you dont have to be an expert but you should get the basics before you move on. practice, practice, practice.

if you just make and sell static html pages (without a scripting language and database) it will be tough to sell them nowadays. people expect more than they did in 1996 and a html page that never changes (or is a pain to change) isn't going to cut it.

use google to find guides for html, css, php/mysql. they're tons of guides on the net. i've been doing web development for about 10 years, i'm completely self taught all from the net. i make a great living doing just that.

keep in mind you dont become an expert over night. for you to get a good grip on all those technologies you'll need at least 1-2 years, but that is how you will be successful. you have to stick with it.

use internet forums to ask for help when you're stuck. i'd suggest:
http://forums.devshed.com/
http://sitepoint.com/forums/

if you're serious about web design then take my advice. i wish i had someone to lay it all out for me like this when i was starting out. :)

good luck, godspeed. :)

Answer 6

search in google for instruction and you see it in youtube...