Why hire a freelance web designer? Is a freelance web designer right for my business? … I’ll do my best to explain.
By definition freelance means: “working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company.”
And a web design, well that pretty straight forward, “The process of designing a website.”
What does a freelance web designer do?
My career as a freelancer web designer has been full of various types of work. Some freelance web designers focus on one area such as design or development. In my experience I have found that my clients were looking for both in one individual. In today’s market it is necessary to know and understand code even if you are strictly doing design.
In my 20s, as a freelance web designer, I would provide my clients with simple static HTML websites, which were efficient at the time. Technology has advanced and the capabilities of websites are much more in depth. So here are some of the services I offer as a freelance web designer.
Freelance Web Design
Using tools such as Photoshop and Sketch to produce a website design that includes things like color scheme, typography, and information architecture. Depending on how complex the website may be, I usually start with creating a sitemap and some wireframes so that there is an understanding of how the site should flow.
Freelance Web Development
Web development is the process of coding the design of the site. Using HTML, CSS and Javascript to produce a functional website that conforms to modern web browser standards and mobile platforms. The process also includes integrating the design into a CMS (Content Management System) such as a WordPress theme or Drupal theme. This allows the client to edit content, and create new pages as needed.
Freelance Web Marketing
An important part of building a website is having a plan to market your site. Things that I consider when marketing a website are the business goals and the desired target audience. After some initial research, we can develop a marketing strategy to generate traffic, convert leads to sales, and creating new content to keep your site up-to-date and relevant for potential visitors.
Why hire a freelance web designer?
The main reasons people usually hire a freelancer are:
- Save money: Freelance web design rates can vary, but are usually always lower than big web agencies. A standard web project is usually about 60%- 70% more cost effective with a freelance web designer.
- Focused attention: A freelance web designer can provide undivided attention to a project vs. an agency wit several big clients.
- Individual support: My clients can literally pick up the phone and get something done, rather than waiting in a queue for some general support team to help with an issue.