The freelance web developer
To be a successful freelancer you need to be highly motivated, aware of deadlines and of course good at what you do. Generally freelance web developers work from home or have a small office somewhere and do not fit into the 9 – 5 framework of working.
Working outside a “clocking on” environment gives more flexibility to a freelancer and allows a good balance of work life & home life, why try to be creative because it’s 9:30 am if you just are not feeling it at that moment, a more creative period might flourish later or earlier in the day?
Why use a freelancer?
Cost
This has to be the main motivating factor. Freelancers on the whole generally charge less for the completed work than their agency counter parts. This is due to lower overheads, the speed of which the work is done & less complicated working structure.
Communication
When I am working on a project I become the main point of contact for the client, whether that be a business, individual or a design agency, when the client calls it is I who answers the phone. This has the effect of removing any communication delays that the client may have faced using a large company. Also the filtering down of information is removed, when my clients want to tell something to the developer, they just call and don’t have to deal with a middle manager who then passes his/her take on the information to the developer.
Connections
Freelancers are often well connected, for instance I offer basic SEO with all my full web design & builds. But if my client wishes to rank page one on Google globally, this is going to be outside my skill set. I have worked with many freelance Marketeers, Designers and SEO professionals & nine times out of ten I can get my clients a better deal by using my professional network, than they could possibly attain for themselves.