Successful Freelancing for Web Designers: The Best of Smashing Magazine (Smashing Magazine Book Series)

Preface......Page 2
Imprint......Page 3
Basic Skills of Freelance Web Designers......Page 6
Essential Habits of An Effective Professional Freelancer......Page 7
1. The Presentation Habit......Page 8
2. The Networking Habit......Page 9
3. The Niching Habit......Page 10
4. The Pricing Habit......Page 11
6. The Time Management Habit......Page 12
7. The Flexibility Habit......Page 13
8. The Honesty Habit......Page 14
9. The Over-Delivery Habit......Page 15
11. The Email Habit......Page 16
12. The Project Management Habit......Page 17
14. The Sales and CRM Habit......Page 18
15. The Accounts Habit......Page 19
Professional Diagnosis and Solutions......Page 21
1. Getting started as a freelance designer......Page 22
2. How to explore what the customer wants......Page 24
3. Charging comps – what is the usual number?......Page 26
4. Driving the design process in an agency......Page 28
5. Jugding one's communicational skills......Page 29
Beyond Design – Aspects of Professionalism......Page 30
The Designer Who Delivers......Page 33
The Appropiate Number of Mock-Ups to Deliver......Page 34
Brochure Website......Page 35
Application Website......Page 36
Red Flags......Page 38
Lessons Learned......Page 39
Critical Mistakes Freelancers Make......Page 40
They don’t use a contract......Page 41
They misuse social media (or don’t use it at all)......Page 42
They stop learning......Page 43
They fail to prepare for dry spells......Page 44
They miss a deadline (and think it’s no big deal)......Page 45
They lack confidence......Page 46
They go to work for someone else......Page 47
The Importance of Customer Service......Page 49
Does it Really Matter?......Page 50
Be Friendly......Page 54
Be Informative......Page 55
Be Proactive With Mistakes......Page 56
Go Above and Beyond......Page 57
Creatively Handling the Admin Side of Freelancing......Page 58
Scheduling......Page 59
Tips for Tackling......Page 60
Tips for Tackling......Page 61
Correspondence......Page 62
Tips for Tackling......Page 63
Client Relations......Page 64
Backups and Updates......Page 65
Tips for Tackling......Page 66
You are creative, so act like it!......Page 67
Do not elaborate, that just complicates!......Page 68
It’s in your reach, you just have to go for it!......Page 69
Pitching Like a Pro......Page 70
Anatomy of a Professional Proposal......Page 71
Nondisclosure Statement......Page 72
Company Statement......Page 73
Client Goals......Page 74
Special Considerations......Page 75
Project Specifics......Page 76
Project Phases......Page 77
Fees......Page 78
Next Steps......Page 79
Formatting Your Proposal......Page 80
Standard Business Format......Page 81
Business Letters......Page 82
Special Email Considerations......Page 83
Stress Your Strengths......Page 84
Ask Questions, Offer Solutions......Page 85
Things to Watch Out For......Page 86
Scope and Scale of the Project......Page 87
Effectiveness......Page 88
Experience......Page 89
Time Required on Their Part and Yours......Page 90
Content Ownership......Page 91
Price......Page 92
In Conclusion......Page 94
The Finances of Freelancing......Page 95
What to Invoice For......Page 96
Quoting Best Practices......Page 97
Streamline Your Process......Page 98
Avoiding Pitfalls......Page 99
Banking......Page 101
High Level Perspective on Your Income......Page 102
Taxes......Page 103
Conclusion......Page 104
Communication with Clients & Partners......Page 106
How to Identify and Deal With Different Types Of Clients......Page 107
The Passive-Aggressive......Page 108
The Family Friend......Page 109
How to Deal......Page 110
How to Deal......Page 111
Identifying Characteristics......Page 112
The Scornful Saver......Page 113
The “I-Could-Do-This-Myself”-er......Page 114
How to Deal......Page 115
How to Deal......Page 116
Identifying Characteristics......Page 117
Wrap-up......Page 118
How to Improve Designer-Client Relationships......Page 119
1. Don’t be afraid to say "no"......Page 120
2. Talk things out......Page 121
3. Create a work process......Page 123
Get feedback from the right people......Page 124
5. Be timely......Page 125
Conclusion......Page 126
How to Communicate with Developers Effectively......Page 127
1. Provide an adequate level of documentation......Page 128
2. Be decisive......Page 129
Don’t change mid-cycle......Page 130
4. Avoid feature creep......Page 131
Stay Focused......Page 132
Don’t make promises you can’t keep......Page 133
6. Test it yourself......Page 134
How to Educate Your Clients on Web Development......Page 136
You’re Not as Smart as You Think......Page 137
Negotiating for a Win-Win Result......Page 138
Damage Control: Giving in Is Part of the Job......Page 139
Position of Authority: Your Voice Must Be Heard......Page 140
How to Explain to Clients that They Are Wrong......Page 143
Is The Client Wrong?......Page 144
Speak the Client’s Language......Page 146
Be Professional......Page 148
Don’t Be Shy about Citing High-Profile Clients......Page 149
Backup Recommendations with Evidence......Page 150
Sometimes, Being Direct Works......Page 152
Know When and How to Admit Defeat......Page 153
Treat Defeat as an Opportunity......Page 154
Summary......Page 155
How to Respond Effectively to Design Criticism......Page 157
1. Have the Right Attitude......Page 159
2. Understand the Objective......Page 161

3. Check Your First Reaction......Page 162
4. Separate Wheat from the Chaff......Page 163
5. Learn from It......Page 164

6. Look for a New Idea......Page 165
7. Dig Deeper When Necessary......Page 166
8. Thank the Critic......Page 167
How to Persuade Your Users, Boss or Clients......Page 169
1. Start by Listening......Page 170
2. Be Personable......Page 171
3. Be Open......Page 174
4. Be Confident......Page 175
Conclusion......Page 176
How to Create the Perfect Client Questionnaire......Page 177
Why You Need a Questionnaire......Page 178
Background and General Questions......Page 179
Function-Focused Questions......Page 180
Design-Focused Questions......Page 181
What Not to Ask......Page 182
Planning for the Future......Page 183
Tips to Refine Your Questionnaire......Page 184
Marketing – Convincing Strategies For Freelancers......Page 186
Getting Clients: Approaching the Company......Page 187
Step One: Be Focused......Page 188
Step Two: Be Insightful......Page 189
Step Three: Be Personal......Page 190
Step Four: Be Prepared......Page 192
Step Five: Be Unique......Page 193
Step Six: Be Professional......Page 194
Step Eight: Be Resourceful......Page 195
Step Nine: Be Committed......Page 196
Conclusion......Page 197
Pitching Potential Clients......Page 198
2. Communicate Professionally......Page 199
3. Schedule and Prepare Thoroughly......Page 200
5. Follow Up in Writing......Page 201
6. Ask for Feedback......Page 202
8. Try a New Format......Page 203
9. Communicate Confidently......Page 204

10. Prepare an Elevator Speech......Page 205
12. Write Well......Page 206
Your Turn to Weigh In......Page 207
Marketing Rules and Principles for Freelancers......Page 208
Marketing is a brand game......Page 209
Let’s take it from the top......Page 210
It pays to have a plan......Page 211
Every person you know is your audience......Page 212
Buy local, Be local......Page 213
Expanding your reach......Page 215
Cast a wide net......Page 216
Let the love grow......Page 217
Charge More......Page 219
How Many Ideas Do You Show Your Clients?......Page 220
Scenario 1......Page 221
Scenario 2......Page 222
Be Aware......Page 223
Cover Your Back: A Solid Brief......Page 224
Communication......Page 225
To Conclude......Page 226
Contracts & Pricing......Page 228
Freelance Contracts: Do’s And Don’t's......Page 229
Do’s and Don’t's......Page 231
Do’s and Don’t's......Page 232
Do’s and Don’t's......Page 233
Revisions And Alterations......Page 234
The Fine Print And Bottom Line......Page 235
What’s In A Price: Guidelines For Pricing Web Designs......Page 236
The Basics of Pricing......Page 237
1. Deciding Between Per Project and Per Hour......Page 238
Should I Charge Per Hour?......Page 239
Should I Charge Per Project?......Page 240

Price Per Project And Per Hour......Page 241
How Low Should I Go?......Page 242
Charging For All The Time You Spend......Page 243
Explaining Your Prices......Page 244
Timing A Price Increase......Page 246
Prices in the Wild......Page 248
Quality-Price-Ratio in Web Design......Page 250
Good design has no correlation with price......Page 251
Good design is about attitude......Page 252
Pricing Strategies......Page 253
Don’t charge per hour......Page 255
The creativity coefficient......Page 256
The Take-away......Page 258
Luke Reimer......Page 259
Graham Smith......Page 260
Rob Smith......Page 261
Alyssa Gregory......Page 262
Thursday Bram......Page 263