If you dream of setting your own schedule and choosing the types of development projects you work on, a career as a freelance web developer could make your dream a reality. As an independent professional, you have more flexibility and greater control over your career. Choose whether you want to do front, back, or full-stack web development and the types of projects you want to specialize in. Instead of working full-time for one employer, you can work directly with individual clients and enjoy the perks of being self-employed.

Freelance web development can be incredibly rewarding, but before diving in, make sure you're up for the challenge. In exchange for more freedom, you also have more responsibility.

You're the one to make sure there's coffee every morning—thankfully, always your favorite blend—but also the person responsible for work being turned in on time, even if you're sick.

If you're curious about becoming a freelance web developer and if it's the right path for you, this is the perfect place to start. In this guide, you'll find:

• 8 steps for creating your freelance web development business‍

• 6 core benefits of being a freelance web developer‍

• Characteristics of a good web developer‍

• Education and skills needed‍

• Choosing a type of web development‍

• Charging clients as a freelancer‍

• Tips and tricks for getting started and finding that first client

First, we'll break down how to become a freelance web developer and then explore why so many people are choosing to work as independent professionals.

How to become a freelance web developer?

If you want to find work as a freelance web developer, you have to build your business. You'll need to pitch your developer services directly to clients or join a freelancer platform like Upwork, create a profile that markets your services, and start submitting proposals to the right jobs.

A freelance web developer has the same skill set and performs the same services as a developer working for a company. The core difference is that you work for yourself, providing these services to your clients–you're the entire shop.

Your day as a freelancer looks a little different because when you're not working with your clients or on a project, you'll need to set aside time to find leads, create proposals, and manage the business side of operations. That includes everything from invoicing to handling client feedback and edit requests.

1. Define your skills

The best place to start is a skills audit. Write down a list of all the skills you currently have and the ones you'd like to develop later on. Define what you know, what you don't know, and what you're best at (and enjoy) doing. Think about your career goals and what your dream workweek looks like.

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you choose projects that will strengthen your portfolio and reputation. A successful freelance web development career is built on positioning yourself as a skilled professional and backing it up with positive client reviews and work samples. This helps to establish trust with new clients.

You can ask yourself these questions to help evaluate your skills and decide if freelancing as a web developer is the right career path for you:

• What programming languages do you prefer working in?

• What type of projects do you have experience working in?

• What aspects of web development do you struggle with the most?

• Do you want to work in an office?

• Could you see yourself in a client-facing role?

• Do you like working independently?

• Do you mind doing administrative tasks like invoicing?

• Would you be comfortable pitching your services to clients?

2. Fill your skills gaps

After evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, you may notice gaps where you can improve to be more marketable to clients. Web development is a skills-based career path, and while you could have a degree in computer science, you don't necessarily need one if you have the right toolbox of skills and experience under your belt.

You might notice an opportunity or tool to help your freelance web development business during your skills audit and research. For example, many websites use WordPress, which can be a good foundational tool. The growth in e-commerce may make Shopify a valuable system to understand.

Make sure you have the basics down and then look at more complex areas of specialization, such as Node.js or Ruby on Rails.‍

Keeping up with trends like advances in AI for web development could provide an opportunity for you to leverage new tools, find areas to specialize in, and be an early adopter. Clients may be interested in integrating AI-powered chatbots into their programs, or you could experiment with AI coding assistants like ChatGPT to help with efficiency.

3. Find helpful tools

Think about what tools you need to be successful as a freelancer. If you work directly with your clients rather than on a platform like Upwork, you can avoid paying service fees (Upwork is a flat 10%), but you'll need to handle many business tasks. You may need to create templates for proposals and invoicing and search for online tools that will make the processes easier.

If you work on a platform like Upwork, you should be able to easily manage business and administrative tasks with automation and integrated tools. You could help streamline productivity with additional project management, organization, and time-tracking tools.

Examples of tools you could incorporate into your freelance business

Project Management:

• Trello

• Hive

• ClickUp

• Asana

Time Tracking:

• Harvest

• Wrike

• Everhour

• Toggl

Mockups:

• Canva

• Notism

• Adobe Portfolio

• Figma

AI:

• ChatGPT

• Tabnine

• Midjourney

• GitHub Copilot

• Uizard

The exact tools you need may change over time and depend on the customers and projects you take on throughout your career.

4. Create your business plan

Being a freelancer is owning your own business, so you get to choose which projects you say yes to and what hours you work. You're self-employed and responsible for everything from finding clients to paying taxes. Creating your business plan is integral to becoming a freelance web developer.

Your business plan helps you outline what services you’ll offer as a developer and how you plan to find your clients. Consider your top skills and the types of projects you want to take on. Many freelancers find success by choosing a niche and working hard to become experts in that space.

If you decide to offer your freelance services on Upwork, you can submit proposals to projects on Talent MarketplaceTM, list your fixed-price web development projects on Project CatalogTM, or offer consults to potential clients once you've earned at least a Rising Talent badge. On Upwork, you can message clients, submit your work, and feel secure with payment protection, all within the platform.

5. Build your portfolio

Once you have a solid business plan, it's time to build your portfolio. This living collection highlights your projects and past work to show customers what you can do. Portfolios are essential for any freelance business, especially web development, and help prospects know that you can do the work they need. By reviewing past projects, clients can quickly get a feel for your work quality and style.

You can create an entire website dedicated to your work if you're freelancing off-platform or have many different types of examples, or add your best work to your Upwork portfolio. Think of the portfolio as your store where people can browse and choose options. This means showcasing a diverse selection of work to attract more customers.

These web samples don't have to be from actual paying clients. If you're just starting out as a web developer, you can create mock samples for your dream or simulated clients. Clients want to see what you can do, so having work samples is more important than having actual clients in the beginning.

Ideas of mock samples to have in your portfolio:

• Landing page

• API-connected website

• Cloned website

• Single page layout

• Website with a perfect score (ex. SEO, performance, accessibility)

Portfolios are highly visual because not all customers speak the design language. Someone might not know they need HTML or a "responsive" design, but they can tell you that they want something that works on most PCs and phones. Highlight a variety of work so clients can tell you what they want.

Your Upwork portfolio lives on your profile, with your overview, reviews, experience, testimonials, and other important information that clients want to see before making a decision. If you plan on finding clients through Upwork, having an impressive portfolio can help you win proposals and projects. Check out these web developer portfolios for inspiration.

6. Conduct market research

Dive deep into the web development and design world to see what's trending and learn about any industry changes. You can quickly get information on salaries, hourly rates, and in-demand skills.

Try browsing job boards—you don't necessarily need to create profiles on all of them—to see what people want. Joining groups on LinkedIn and Facebook can help you understand what's in demand locally, too. Online communities like Reddit can also be valuable resources for input and problem-solving.

Network with other developers for advice and guidance. Many experienced professionals are willing to share tips on how they got started and their initial rates. Gather as much information as you can on potential customers and competition. Knowing what you're up against and what people need can help you figure out your angle and competitive edge to win more proposals.

7. Apply to jobs

After you know a little more about the market and what you want to work on, it's time to start applying for work. The initial milestone is scoring your first couple of clients. If you don't have a lot of experience in web development, you may need to lower your rates and take on smaller projects to build your portfolio and reputation.

You can use a variety of job boards to find your first project. Don't forget to let your personal network know you're looking for clients because connections, friends, teachers, and classmates may know someone who needs help. People with whom you have an existing relationship may be more willing to take a chance on your work or make personal recommendations that can go a long way.

Upwork is a great platform for building your freelance career. Web development is one of the top in-demand skills for clients on Upwork. On Upwork, you can browse the Talent Marketplace and filter jobs based on your skill set and criteria like hourly rate, hours per week, experience level, and more. If you know exactly what you want to offer clients, you can add your pre-scoped and fixed-priced services to Project Catalog.

When you find a project that you like and want to apply to, make sure to read the entire post. Many companies and clients have specific requirements and needs for their jobs. The best proposals address these specific items. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding. Take your time creating each proposal and remember to proofread your submission.

8. Create your marketing strategy

Once you're ready to start accepting clients, you need to figure out how you’ll market yourself. As a freelancer, you're a small business owner, so marketing your services and other admin tasks are important facets of the job.

If you want to use a platform like Upwork to market your services, you can

• Optimize your profile

• Work on earning a Top Rated badge

• Create great proposals

• Add a project to Project Catalog

• Offer Consultations

Many freelancers create a website for their web development services and drive traffic to it. If you have a marketing budget, you could run pay-per-click (PPC) or social media ads. Marketing can also be organic (unpaid) by being active on social media like LinkedIn and creating search-engine-optimized (SEO) content on your website. You can brainstorm ideas and develop a strategy as you write your marketing plan.

A good strategy early on is to help clients and put in a bit of extra effort. You don't want to give away a lot of work or details, but you can offer suggestions for problem-solving to get them started. Something as simple as recommending a better plug-in or host can turn someone looking for advice into a customer. They might also recommend you to their colleagues.

Read Transcript

‍

What are the benefits of being a freelance web developer?

Many developers transition to a freelance career because of the flexibility and freedom they can have as independent professionals. As a freelancer, you have more control over your career and can create a schedule that fits your lifestyle as long as you meet your client's demands and expectations.

Here are some of the main benefits of being a freelance web developer that you might enjoy most:

1. Diverse clients

When working as an independent professional, you have the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients. Instead of just one employer, you have clients who may be very different from one another. Looking for customers in places like Upwork allows you to sample industries, project types, and opportunities. You have access to a more diverse range of clients and can build relationships with people all over the world (you may even become friends and meet up one day).Numerous opportunities

If you want to build a creative art portfolio site this week but focus on community sites the next, you have that flexibility and generally the availability of clients. You get to switch up what you do and have more variability in your workweek.

2. Numerous opportunities

Nearly every business needs a website, which drives demand for web developers. The rise in e-commerce and online services creates ongoing demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected growth rate in web development and digital design is 23%, which is much higher than the average (around 7.7%). As freelancing becomes more mainstream, more companies than ever before are turning to independent professionals to fill their team's skills gaps.

3. Control over projects

One nice thing about being your own boss is that you can choose the projects you bid on and say yes to. You get to do exactly what you want. If you prefer a type of development, you can focus on that and work on becoming an expert. While you may need to accept jobs sometimes to pay the bills, as you grow your reputation and the demand for your services rises, you can start saying yes and no.

4. Work from wherever

All you need as a web developer is your computer and a strong internet connection. This gives you the freedom to work from almost anywhere you want, whether that's from home or a local coffee shop, or even a vacation spot. Some freelancers find short-term rentals where they can have a workcation–working remotely and exploring during their downtime.

5. Set your own hours

Most of us have times we prefer to work. Some people feel more productive first thing in the morning, while others prefer working more nontraditional hours. As a freelance web developer, you can typically create a schedule that works for your lifestyle—though you'll likely need to meet clients during set times during a project for meetings. Night owls and early risers can adapt hours to meet their needs as long as you make time for meetings and client calls.

6. Grow your career on your own terms

Want to learn something new? Take an online course and then look for small projects in that area. Gain immediate experience as a freelancer that may take longer if you were an in-house developer. You can also specialize in industries or client types to develop your niche. Growing your reputation as an expert in a specialty can help increase the demand for your services so you can raise your rates. People tend to be faster and better at the work they enjoy doing, which is an added incentive.

Characteristics of a good freelance web developer

Successful freelance web developers know the importance of complementing their technical expertise with relevant soft skills. Clients want web developers who make the overall experience simple and stress-free.

Even if you're incredibly talented at the technical work you do, having valuable people skills like communication and reliability are essential for positive feedback, referrals, and repeat clients.

These are some of the non-technical skills and traits of a good freelance web developer that clients look for:

Communication

Clients look for freelancers with strong communication skills, which helps establish trust and avoid any mix-ups due to misunderstandings. As a freelancer, before starting a project, you should meet with the client so you know exactly what they're looking for and their deadlines. Practice active listening to understand expectations and confirm agreements. Another aspect of good communication is giving updates along the way and asking questions as they arise.

When working remotely, learning how to master online communication is key. You may need to manage both asynchronous and synchronous communication, combining Zoom calls with messages and emails to balance time zones and busy schedules. Using collaboration tools can also help you improve client communications.

Reliability

Freelancers need to be reliable—delivering the correct and complete work, at the promised quality, by the time they agreed to. A client's worst fear is that after paying for a project, it's incorrect or doesn't meet their quality standards. Having a reputation for reliability through client feedback and referrals helps establish trust quickly and ease that concern.

The main way to be reliable is to do what you'll say you do every time.

Always give clients your best work and make sure you're on the same page when it comes to deliverables, updates, and deadlines. Every client deserves the same level of attention, care, and quality, whether it's a small project or a repeat client you've established a relationship with.

Accountability

Another aspect of trust is accountability. Clients want to know you're self-motivated and accountable, staying on top of your tasks, managing the project, and adhering to deadlines. Most clients don't want to have to micromanage their freelance web developers. They want to feel confident that once they tell you what they want, you'll make it happen with minimal oversight.

When you're accountable, you take responsibility. You're your own project manager–making sure you have what you need if other stakeholders are involved. If something comes up or goes wrong, you'll let the client know as soon as possible and apply good problem-solving to get the project back on track.

Always willing to help or start new projects

Being eager and helpful can help turn one-off clients into repeat ones. Clients want to feel like you're interested and want to take on more projects. Clients prefer to work with talented freelancers they trust and already know. Going out of your way to help a client (without crossing the line with unpaid work) can help create a meaningful relationship.

If you enjoy working with a client and want to continue to work with them, at the end of a job, ask if they have any other projects that fit your skill set, reminding them of all your skills, including ones that may not have been applied to this project. This lets them know you're available for more work. The answer will not always be yes, but that's to be expected. Depending on the client, web development may be a one-off project, but if you're helpful and great to work with, they may refer you to someone else.

Do the work you love, your way

Sign Up

‍

Education and skills needed to become a freelance web developer

Web development is a career that relies heavily on skills. You can choose to have a formal education or work on learning to code and program independently through online classes. As a freelance web developer, you'll need to know specific programs, coding languages, and tools, depending on the type of web development services you want to offer clients.

Education

While you don't need a formal degree to become a freelance web developer, a background in computer science can be useful. Associate's degree programs are just two years long, concentrating on web development or design. You can also study the broader field of computer science and get a bachelor's or even a master's degree. If you don't want to go to a university, online e-learning platforms offer great alternatives.

You can take courses online and earn certificates in specific languages or other elements of web development through online e-learning platforms like:

Coursera

Udemy

EdX

Codeacademy

Skills

A significant part of web development is knowing how to code and program. The languages you learn depend on the type of web development you want to focus on: front-end, back-end, or both (full-stack). If you don’t have a formal degree, earning certificates in these skills can help demonstrate your talents and strengths to potential clients.

Popular front-end development languages include:

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

React

Swift

Popular back-end development languages include:

PHP

SQL

Python

Java

Ruby

C#

Beyond knowing those languages, these are other skills that successful web developers learn and keep updated:

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Testing and debugging

Responsive web design–making websites work across devices

UX and UI–creating a user-friendly experience and interface

Web hosting

Cybersecurity

API–being able to integrate client software and programs

Database management

Content management systems (CMS)

Focusing on the type of freelancer web developer you want to be

Most freelancers focus on a specific niche and then work hard to demonstrate their talent and position themselves as experts at what they do. Web development has two sides–the front end and the back end. As a web developer, you can specialize in one end or do both, called full stack. Having a niche, even if it's full stack, helps you to focus on building your reputation, which increases the demand for your skills so you can raise your rates and have more clients coming to you.

Front-end

Front-end developers enjoy the design aspect of development. They focus on the part that the user interacts with–the UI. Front-end developers think heavily about the user experience and how to make the website easy to use, accessible, and overall aesthetically pleasing. This type of web development can focus on the layout, graphics, navigation, how to display content, and even go into typography and color schemes.

If you enjoy visuals and have an eye for design and creativity, you may enjoy front-end development best. As a front-end developer, you still apply technical skills, using programming languages, but the focus is on the visual aspect of the website.

You may work with the client to create mockups and wireframes, determining what elements the website needs at a technical level. The client will often take this to a back-end developer, who builds the website's foundation and then hands it back to you so you can continue work on the front end.

Back-end

Back-end web developers work behind the scenes, writing the code to build the website's framework. As a back-end developer, you're responsible for the coding stored on web servers. You create the code that makes the website run. Back-end web developers think about databases, APIs, cybersecurity, and website performance.

If you're interested in programming but want to concentrate on performance rather than visuals, back-end development may be what you like best. While you still have to consider design and UX, you’ll focus more on building the structure and then hand it over to the front-end developer.

As a back-end developer, you'll have to work with your client to figure out what they want before you can start building. The client may have a project manager, UX designer, front-end developer, or another team member you'll need to collaborate with. Often your clients don't know what it takes behind the scenes to create certain features or integrations, so you have to understand what they want the website to look like first, so you can make it possible on your end.

Full-stack

If you want to do a website's back and front ends, this is full-stack web development. As a full-stack web developer, you can offer entire packages to your clients. Instead of hiring two different web developers, they can work with just you. You'll need to know the programming languages for both sides, but you have greater control over the code and the build.

Full-stack developers work with their clients in the early stages, figuring out what they want down to the finest detail and then creating mockups for them to sign off on. Once you know what the client wants, you can start building the back end. After the back end, you'll work on the front end, collaborating with other stakeholders if needed to work on the layouts and visual display.

Full-stack web development was popular in the earlier stages of the Internet when websites had fewer integrations, technologies, and features. Today's full-stack web developers typically work on simpler websites or shipping minimal viable products (MVPs) for clients that then can be added to. They can shift from back-end to front-end, but complicated websites often require separate developers.

How much do web developers make?

What you can charge as a web developer depends on your experience and the complexity of the website. On average, web developers on Upwork make between $15 to $30 per hour.

When you're starting out, you may want to charge low rates and take on smaller projects you know you can complete successfully to build your reputation and gain positive client feedback. As the demand for your services rises and your schedule becomes fuller, you can start charging more, as much as $150 per hour, for large projects requiring coding from the ground up

You can develop a niche within the type of development you choose. You might be able to charge even more if you focus on a highly specialized area, such as making HIPAA-compliant websites and portals for doctors and patients.

One of the best ways to determine how much you should charge is to look at other freelance web developers' profiles and see their rates. Platforms like Upwork let you look at other designers and projects where you can see the range of bids and related costs. This helps you know if your pricing is on target for your experience and potential customers.

Charging your clients as a freelance web developer

Part of being an independent professional is setting your freelance rate. Your rate may go up or down depending on the project and its complexity, but you should have a general idea of how much you want to make per hour. You can charge your clients hourly or by project as a freelance web developer. If you're working on Upwork, both options have payment protection.

Hourly

If you agree to an hourly contract on Upwork, you can track your time using the app. Hourly contracts make sure that you’re paid for every hour that you work. If you're working on the project, you're on the clock. Hourly contracts pay out to freelancers weekly, which can give you steadier pay compared to fixed-priced projects.

Working hourly as a freelancer is different than as a full-time employee. You don't get to charge your clients for the time spent looking for work or doing administrative tasks like marketing or invoicing. This is one of the reasons freelancers typically charge more per hour than employees do, to make up for that time.

Fixed-price

An alternative to hourly work is billing clients by project. In your proposal, you can give a fixed price for the finished website or milestones, estimating how much time it will take you. When you work by project on Upwork, you wait until payment is in escrow for a milestone before starting work. Then after the client approves the completion of the milestone (or 14 days have passed without action), the funds are released to you.

Fixed-price projects can be more lucrative if you work faster compared to an hourly project. The project can also end up taking longer than expected, decreasing your hourly rate. Your ultimate earnings depend on how accurately you estimate the time a project needs. You can work whenever you want as long as you meet your deadlines and don't have to worry about logging hours. The downside of working by project is you don't have as clear an idea of how much you'll earn hourly, and payouts can take longer.

How to get your first client and grow your customer base

When you're just starting out as a freelance web developer, gaining your first couple of clients can be challenging as you work to build your reputation and portfolio. Winning projects and clients will rely heavily on writing great proposals and having good interview skills. You'll need to confidently express your skills and demonstrate that you'll deliver great work and make the experience easy.

When you’re just starting out, you typically won't have much of a portfolio of paid work to share, and you'll need someone to take a chance on your freelance web development. Pay attention to what they ask, answer their questions carefully, and personalize each proposal showing you took the time to understand and respond. Provide your best work and advice. Demonstrate that you're excited to work with the client and can accomplish their job quickly and effectively.

Launch your career today

Today can be day one of your new career. If you're not quite ready to take on clients, you can work on filling your skills gaps and learning the web development skills that clients are looking for. Every step you take gets you closer to your goal. Once you're ready for your first client, you can sign up for Upwork and work on creating your profile. Upwork can be your home for freelancing, where you meet clients that inspire you and find work that excites you. It all happens right here.

‍Disclosure: Upwork is an OpenAI partner, giving OpenAI customers and other businesses direct access to trusted expert independent professionals experienced in working with OpenAI technologies.

Upwork does not control, operate, or sponsor the other tools or services discussed in this article, which are only provided as potential options. Each reader and company should take the time to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.