Many people wonder how they can earn money while sitting at home. With technology becoming more and more advanced, the availability of freelancing platforms has also increased. You can just sit at home and make money.
WordPress freelancing is a way to earn money by providing WordPress web development services to clients. You are self-employed and offer your skills to those who need them anywhere in the world.
WordPress is a huge platform that powers more than 40% of websites on the internet. There are two groups of people that keep this platform running. The first one is the users, and the second one is the developers.
Developers help the users build their website and look after the technical side of it. They have the knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, which is necessary to keep the site working.
Most medium or large businesses like to hire a web developer to custom build a WordPress site for them.
How to Become a WordPress Freelancer?
Currently, there are a lot of WordPress developers in the freelance market, so to stand out, you need to be exceptional at it.
If you already know WordPress web development, start by polishing your skills. Help the people out in your network before you start bidding to large businesses.
If you are new, check online websites that offer WordPress web development courses such as Udemy, TutsPlus, Lynda, or Launch party. Youtube also has plenty of tutorials on becoming a web developer; you can go through those too.
The learning should never stop. Keep practicing and stay updated with what’s going on in the freelance world.
How to Find Clients?
When you decide to start a career as a freelancer, the first question that comes to mind is how will I find clients?
There are several ways to find clients.
Personal Networks
Start with your own network. Ask your friends or family if they need help in setting up their WordPress website. Offer them lower rates and request them to spread the word.
In-Person Networking
Talk to people—person to person. Introduce yourself to the expert circle. Go to local meet-ups. Tell people about your skills and abilities and how you can help them. Face-to-face communication is always more effective.
Use Freelancing Platforms
There are many third-party freelancing websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, freelancer.com, etc., that you can use. Create an account on them and apply for jobs that are relevant to your skills. People are earning millions through these platforms.
Social Media
There’s no denying that social media has a lot of power. Stay active on all platforms, especially Facebook and Twitter. You’ll find a lot of people asking for help on social media. Connect with such people and offer your services.
Word of Mouth
If you manage to satisfy your clients and people in your network, the word about the new incredible WordPress developer will spread like fire. So focus on improving your services. Hard work is the key!
What Will I Need to Become a WordPress Freelancer?
The biggest advantage of becoming a WordPress freelancer is that it is a remote job. You can be sitting anywhere in the world and still be able to do your job.
Apart from needing exceptional web development skills, you will also require some items to start your freelancing career.
Laptop
Firstly, you will need a good laptop that can help you perform your job. Preferably it should have the latest windows installed and should support all kinds of browsers.
Phone
A functioning phone is needed to stay in touch with the clients. No matter what model or make you have, it’s fine as long as it does the job.
Headphones
You should have a good set of headphones that can cancel noise and also allow you to communicate with clients.
A Good Internet Connection
Living in the 21st century, there is hardly anyone who doesn’t have an internet connection. But there is a difference between an internet connection and a good internet connection. Being a web developer, most of your work will be online, so it is important to have high-speed internet that allows you to work smoothly.
How Long Will It Take to Learn WordPress?
Learning WordPress depends on a few factors which differ from person to person; therefore, the duration is not easy to determine. It can take you anywhere between 3 to 6 months to properly learn and execute it.
However, if you are not learning from scratch and have a basic understanding of computers and the internet, you can master the essentials of WordPress in under a month.
If you are taking classes from some professional, you may learn it quickly, perhaps within a month.
If you are figuring it all out on your own through online sources, it may take you about 5 to 6 months.
It also depends on how quick a learner you are. Though the above-mentioned factors may vary, one thing is certain; the more you practice, the faster you learn.
What Are Some Other Ways to Earn Money Through WordPress?
WordPress freelancing is one way to earn money, but if web development is not your thing, you can make money through other skills as well.
SEO Expert
Nowadays, businesses seek to get their website on top of google search. That is where an SEO expert comes in. Their job is to optimize the content on the website for search engines so the site can generate more and more traffic.
SEO experts are in demand, and learning SEO skills does not consume alot of time. There are plenty of resources available online that you can use to master this skill.
Web and Graphic Designer
A graphic designer is someone who makes the WordPress site look attractive with their own designed posts or with the help of themes and plugins.
When businesses are spending so much money getting their site custom built by a web developer and getting it SEO optimized, they also want it to look good so that more and more people visit it.
If you know the basics of editing and WordPress, you can easily offer this service to clients and earn decent pay.
Digital Marketing
WordPress website owners want to generate as much traffic as they can. For this purpose, they usually seek the help of digital marketers.
Digital markers help them through social media marketing or content marketing. If you are active on social media and know the tips and tricks to promote content, you can easily make some money while sitting at home.
Copywriter
A web developer sets up a website, but a copywriter writes the content that goes on the website. The content needs to be relevant and optimized for search engines for it to generate traffic. That is why copywriters play a very important role.
They should know the art of writing valuable content as well as SEO skills. If you have good English writing skills and know the basics of SEO, you can also explore this field.
How Much Does a WordPress Freelancer Get Paid?
How much you earn through WordPress freelancing depends on your skill level, whether you are a professional or a beginner. It also depends on the rate the clients offer.
Because there are developers and freelancers all across the world, geography plays a significant role in the averages, particularly when it comes to freelancing rates. Different clients from different countries offer different rates depending upon their currency and the services they require.
Whether you take WordPress as a full-time job or your side gig also plays a role in determining how much you earn through it.
WordPress freelancing is done online so let’s look at how much money a WordPress developer generally makes through freelancing platforms.
According to an Upwork article, web developers usually charge between $20 to $100 for a project, while the average hourly rate is $15 to $28.
Whereas the average hourly rate of web developers on Fiverr is usually $40 or less as per an article from Fiverr.
Some professional developers charge as much as $100/year to $600/year.
Conclusion
WordPress is a massive market with a lot of potential for remote web developers. It is an easier and efficient way of making a lot of money. There have been a lot of successful freelancers in this field.
Learning web development is not that difficult, and the duration entirely depends on whether you are new at it or already know the basics. Practice is also the key!
In the end, it all boils down to finding good clients. There are various ways to build your clientele, among which using freelancing platforms is the most common one.
These freelancing platforms connect you to potential clients and allow you to bid on a rate of your choice. As a beginner, you need to set reasonable rates to attract clients. Once you have made your place, you can increase your price.
Your income through WordPress freelancing depends on various factors such as your skill level, your geographic region, and how frequently you get clients.