Freelance designer? See our tips for more success

[dojo]

You have got some design skills, you can code quite nicelly and you think it's time to get some money from this? Let's try and gather here some tips for all freelance designers to use.

Try to have a portfolio
Yes, that's right. Get yourself to the computer and put down some ideas and start a site for you only. You are allowed to do ANYTHING to make it look nice and mostly CONVINCE people you CAN design. Spend some quality time making it state of the art. An ugly portfolio won't get you clients, that's for sure.

Domain
To look even more convincing spend some money on a domain. It's not mandatory to be .com, can be with your country's "extension", but secure a domain. A free hosted site is OK for some projects, but as web designer strive to get a domain. I can tell you from my POV it's not mandatory for you to show me a page on a domain, but people tend to be shallow and think you might not be serious and trustworthy if you haven't got a domain.

Have a serious email address
Since you've already got a domain, it's a good idea to have an email address on it. Free addresses are not the best way to your clients "heart". Yahoo and Gmail are good for your personal use, in your "business" life use a "serious" one.

Try to give them the idea you're big business
Are you working on a 486 in your mother's basement? OK no problem. Still on your portfolio you can act BIG. As long as you deliver state of the art services, you can claim to be God, nobody cares. Try to backup your words with serious skills and dedication though.

[suhaibkb]

that's a nice piece of advice...thanks

[max4999]

thanx for the advice. but that all i have since last three years, tell us something new!

[dojo]

The article is 3 years old

Back then it was something new I assume, sure we're already knowing this stuff now

[ezrashem]

Thanks for the tip dojo. Love that advice from you. I guess its a good start of advice for someone who wants to be a freelance designer