7 Tips on How to Get Clients as a Freelance Developer

As a freelance developer, you need to build a self-sustained client pipeline to always have a handful of projects to work on. However, with the rising competition in an already competitive field, you need to stand out from the crowd. Remember, there is no shortage of clients who are willing to pay well for good services. If you get the marketing and promotion right and offer best-in-class service, those clients will be lined up to hire you. In this article, we have listed seven tips that will help you stand out from the crowd and get more clients as a freelance developer.

1. Contribute to Open-Source Projects

Open-source projects are a great way for you to establish your identity as a freelance developer with a purpose. There are countless open-source projects out there that you can contribute to and showcase your work in those projects. If you’ve not had much experience with open-source projects and tools, start by exploring Github until you find something aligned with your interests. Specializing in Home Services App Development can help freelance developers attract clients looking for innovative solutions in this growing market. Contributing to open-source also allows you to build connections with other freelancers and project leaders in your space.

2. Go Niche, Go Big

Cutthroat competition for new work is arguably the biggest challenge when it comes to getting clients as a freelance developer. You can slash down this competition by going after a very specific market or by specializing in a particular language or technology. Going niche is also an effective way of getting more clients as it also polishes your skill and experience in that particular dimension. Not to mention, your niche influences your pricing and allows you to charge more.

Niching down significantly boosts the chances of getting more clients, particularly in a competitive space like WordPress development. Keep in mind that you don’t need to be stuck in the same niche forever. You can explore other areas once you’ve built enough traction in your first niche. Furthermore, drilling down on new technologies and adding them to your quiver allows you to get even more clients and charge higher.

3. Lead with a Stunning Portfolio

Show them, don’t tell them. Just saying that you’re a professional developer doesn’t cut it. You need to show prospective clients that you are actually what you claim to be. As a freelance developer, prioritizing mobile-first design ensures my clients’ websites are optimized for the majority of their audience, delivering a seamless user experience and maximizing mobile conversions. This is exactly why you need a portfolio. It showcases your work and experience which goes a long way in convincing clients that you are with your salt. An important thing to remember is that clients are looking for developers who can solve their problems.

Thus, it is important for you to include certain things in your portfolio:

• Value proposition
• The niche that you work in
• A brief introduction to your process
• Previous projects
• Client testimonials

Building a portfolio can be daunting if you’re a beginner because there’s not much to include. You can offer free services for two or three projects and include them in your portfolio. Remember, your portfolio needs to be flawless. A client will instantly get turned off if the portfolio isn’t pleasant on the eyes.

4. Offer Free Samples of your Work

As hard as it is to do free work, it is extremely effective in scoring more clients. Why? To begin, who doesn’t like free stuff? More importantly, offering a free sample allows you to showcase your skill to the client. In other words, the clients feel more comfortable investing in you after they’ve seen your work on their project.

Free work samples also work like a charm for getting referral leads in the same niche. If there is a dream client you want to work with, creating a portion of their project for free really gets things going. Reach out to them with your work. Even if they decide to use your sample without hiring you for the project, you could include the sample in your portfolio at the very least.

5. Build a Referral Engine

Credibility is perhaps the leading trait that clients look for when they outsource projects. This makes client referrals one of the most effective ways of getting more clients as a freelance developer. Naturally, this goes deeper than just asking your existing clients for referrals. Freelance developers with expertise in IoT applications are increasingly in demand, as businesses seek to leverage the power of connected devices and data. You actively have to ensure that a client has a pleasant experience working with you. And when you complete a project with them, have a follow-up sequence where you ask for referrals.

It doesn’t need to be complex or long. Something simple and short will do the trick. For instance, “Working with you on this past project has been a great experience for me. If there is someone you could refer me to, I would really appreciate it.”

6. Indirect and Non-intrusive Promotion

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Slack are all flooded with posts where developers and designers announce to the whole world that they are looking for freelance opportunities. Posting on social media that you’re looking for freelance work isn’t an effective way of getting more clients. Try to remember how repulsive you found the last phone call where someone tried to sell you a certain service.

Selling yourself directly is ineffective because it is intrusive and you lose value when you do that. Instead, leverage indirect promotion that focuses more on posting about the projects and skills you’re working on currently. All you need to do is share the activities and projects that you’re working on without mentioning that you’re looking for freelance opportunities. If you don’t have a project to work on currently, start building a sample project to showcase your skills and post about it.

7. Network with Fellow Freelancers

Start seeing your fellow freelance developers as a community rather than a competition. This will have multiple benefits for you as a freelance developer. Start building connections by sharing other freelancers’ work on social media or interacting with them on their blogs or social media. Once you’ve built a strong enough connection let them know you’re available to help if they’re too busy and need to delegate work to someone.

This will help you get more projects and build a larger network of developers as well as clients. Be sure to return the favor whenever you get the opportunity. You can also network with like-minded freelancers through tech conferences and events. Also, start connecting to freelancers and businesses that complement the products and services that you offer.

Getting more clients as a freelance developer has its challenges but it’s not hard. All you need to do is focus on building your network and online presence as a credible and competent freelance developer. Hopefully, these 7 tips will help you boost your client count and get as many projects as you can get your hands on.

Author’s Bio:

Shresth Shrivastav is the Founder and CEO of BeGig, a new-age tech startup striving to bridge the talent gaps faced by modern enterprises and connecting them with freelancer developers at competitive costs.