How To Make Sure You Have Clients (and income) All Year Round
By April Greer
In this article April Greer explores the reason why many designers have high times of business and other times are low. Greer says, "The big problem with this statement (and similar ones) is that you’re not marketing yourself when you’re busy." Once you run out of client work then you will have plenty of time to market because you did not secure clients when you were busy. Failing to make sure you have clients that are lined up, even when you are busy, can lead to loss of money and loss of clients in the long-run.
I seem to deal with this a lot. I will have three to four clients during high times and almost none during low times. I think I should take Greer's advice to heart and start marketing for the next big project as one ends. Instead of waiting until the last minute when all my current projects are complete, I should begin to find more work as the projects end. This will ensure that I always have someone to do work for and have a year round income.
One way Greer suggests you do this is to make time and deadlines for yourself just as a client does for you. Taking time out of the day to market yourself and make sure you have an appropriate amount of clients/work will ensure a secure income. She also suggests that you don't just make this a time block but you also focus on certain issues during this time. Certain issues can be fixing website bugs, planning your social media strategy, or creating topics for blog posts ( much like this one).
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
When to turn down projects
When and how you should turn down projects
by Brent Galloway & filed under Client Advice, Freelancing.
It seems this happens to me a lot. Many times I find that I am working for client X with $N budget and client Y comes along to offer me a more suitable budget. Brent Galloway explains the best way to think about giving up a job is to think of the better job that may come along. By saying no to the job that you are taking just to make some extra money, you can simply open yourself up to more opportunities. Galloway also suggests that scenario where client Y does not come along. "But, what if client Y never comes along? What if you had turned down client X and then been without work for that week?" Instead of thinking of the project that was lost, think of the time as time to invest in learning something new that may help you with future projects. Learning to say no to projects can be hard but I think it is a lesson learned over time. Being able to say no when the time is right is important because you could end up wasting time doing something that is not worthwhile in the long run. Galloway says the best thing to remember when declining clients is, "Just because you’re declining the project, doesn’t mean you need to decline the relationship." This is a great article that shows the advantages of turning down a client once in a while.
by Brent Galloway & filed under Client Advice, Freelancing.
It seems this happens to me a lot. Many times I find that I am working for client X with $N budget and client Y comes along to offer me a more suitable budget. Brent Galloway explains the best way to think about giving up a job is to think of the better job that may come along. By saying no to the job that you are taking just to make some extra money, you can simply open yourself up to more opportunities. Galloway also suggests that scenario where client Y does not come along. "But, what if client Y never comes along? What if you had turned down client X and then been without work for that week?" Instead of thinking of the project that was lost, think of the time as time to invest in learning something new that may help you with future projects. Learning to say no to projects can be hard but I think it is a lesson learned over time. Being able to say no when the time is right is important because you could end up wasting time doing something that is not worthwhile in the long run. Galloway says the best thing to remember when declining clients is, "Just because you’re declining the project, doesn’t mean you need to decline the relationship." This is a great article that shows the advantages of turning down a client once in a while.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Pricing Strategies
What your Pricing Strategies say About you as a Freelance Designer
In this article Preston Lee explores what your freelance prices can say about you. I know that this is something I constantly struggle with and thought you might also struggle with this as well. Lee concentrates on what a high price and what a low price says about you as a freelance designer. I think I am more on the lower priced side of things. I seem to always charge too little for the amount of work the client wants completed.
Lee says that charging too much for a simple project can make you appear cocky and/or inexperienced. "Having a ridiculously high pricing strategy doesn’t make you look like more professional, it makes you look like you don’t know what you’re talking about."
On the flip side of things charging too little for projects can make you seem like you do not have much to offer or you do not spend much time on the work. I think I need to pay special attention to this because I always end up spending more time than I originally anticipated on projects doing revisions and making final decisions. Coming off as not having much to offer is also another point I need to steer clear of . Lee says, "You don’t bring very much value to a client/designer relationship and you don’t really know why anyone would even pay you at all."
In this article Preston Lee explores what your freelance prices can say about you. I know that this is something I constantly struggle with and thought you might also struggle with this as well. Lee concentrates on what a high price and what a low price says about you as a freelance designer. I think I am more on the lower priced side of things. I seem to always charge too little for the amount of work the client wants completed.
Lee says that charging too much for a simple project can make you appear cocky and/or inexperienced. "Having a ridiculously high pricing strategy doesn’t make you look like more professional, it makes you look like you don’t know what you’re talking about."
On the flip side of things charging too little for projects can make you seem like you do not have much to offer or you do not spend much time on the work. I think I need to pay special attention to this because I always end up spending more time than I originally anticipated on projects doing revisions and making final decisions. Coming off as not having much to offer is also another point I need to steer clear of . Lee says, "You don’t bring very much value to a client/designer relationship and you don’t really know why anyone would even pay you at all."
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Worst Client Comments
Worst Client Comments Turned into Posters
These are the best or rather worst client comments turned into some great poster designs. I'm sure you all have heard many of these things said to you. The first one is the best, "I really like the color but can you change it." Enjoy!
These are the best or rather worst client comments turned into some great poster designs. I'm sure you all have heard many of these things said to you. The first one is the best, "I really like the color but can you change it." Enjoy!
Monday, February 4, 2013
4 Major Website Problems that are costing you
4 Major Website Problems That are Costing you Clients
In this article Preston Lee explores some major reasons why your website may be costing you clients instead of getting you clients. He touches on four main reasons why this may be happening including; No call to action, Mediocre "About" page, Limited contact methods, and a Mobile unfriendly site. Lee makes some great points in the article that made me take a closer look at my site.
Going through my site I looked for a call to action first. I have a contact section but immediately it should say "Contact Me". Only after the initial click do you come to a section called, "Let's Get in Touch!". I think adding something a bit more direct could help me gain clients faster and more efficiently.
The next thing I looked at was the "About Me" page on my site. Lee says, "One of the easiest ways to capture potential clients through your web site is to beef up your “about” page." He suggests taking a more objective approach and talking about what you can offer instead of what you have been doing. Instead of saying, "I am a web designer" you should say, "I have been making websites for over 10 years" or "Giving website to small businesses for 10 years." This is something I can definitely work on. I talk a lot about myself where I can talk more about what I can do for you as a client.
My contact methods seem to be in good standing according to Lee's guidelines. I have a contact form as well as links to three different social media sites. My facebook page, twitter, and linkedin page can all be accessed from my site. I have also included a link to this blog in my "About" section. I think I am doing well in this area.
The last thing that Lee takes an important look at is having a mobile friendly site. To be honest, I wasn't sure if my site even played in my mobile browsers web, so I checked it out. It does!
Overall I would say that I need to beef up my "About" section and add a more aggressive call to action and I will be in good shape!
In this article Preston Lee explores some major reasons why your website may be costing you clients instead of getting you clients. He touches on four main reasons why this may be happening including; No call to action, Mediocre "About" page, Limited contact methods, and a Mobile unfriendly site. Lee makes some great points in the article that made me take a closer look at my site.
Going through my site I looked for a call to action first. I have a contact section but immediately it should say "Contact Me". Only after the initial click do you come to a section called, "Let's Get in Touch!". I think adding something a bit more direct could help me gain clients faster and more efficiently.
The next thing I looked at was the "About Me" page on my site. Lee says, "One of the easiest ways to capture potential clients through your web site is to beef up your “about” page." He suggests taking a more objective approach and talking about what you can offer instead of what you have been doing. Instead of saying, "I am a web designer" you should say, "I have been making websites for over 10 years" or "Giving website to small businesses for 10 years." This is something I can definitely work on. I talk a lot about myself where I can talk more about what I can do for you as a client.
My contact methods seem to be in good standing according to Lee's guidelines. I have a contact form as well as links to three different social media sites. My facebook page, twitter, and linkedin page can all be accessed from my site. I have also included a link to this blog in my "About" section. I think I am doing well in this area.
The last thing that Lee takes an important look at is having a mobile friendly site. To be honest, I wasn't sure if my site even played in my mobile browsers web, so I checked it out. It does!
Overall I would say that I need to beef up my "About" section and add a more aggressive call to action and I will be in good shape!
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