Making my life easier as a web designer

[fuzzy_corleone]

Hello,

I'm a web designer and I'm sorta new to the whole freelancing thing but I have a question. Are there online agencies or services that help freelance web designers find clients for web work?

The following is what I'd like to call my projected workflow.

- Marketing & Advertising
-- Spread my portfolio around in an effort to seek clients.
-- Preliminary communication with client to ascertain scope of project and provide a quote.

- Web Design
-- Make preliminary design in photoshop (acquire client's approval before proceeding to next step).

- Web Development
-- Convert PSD design to XHTML/CSS/JQUERY
-- Convert HTML document to some CMS (i.e.: wordpress, joomla, etc.)

- Post-Development
-- Make necessary tweaks to design and/or functionality.
-- Profit.

I'd rather not have to deal with the 'Marketing & Advertising' portion and rather concentrate more on actually making the website. I'm looking for an agency or a person that has the connections to supply me with a constant stream of projects based on my skillset. Naturally this person or agency would receive a cut from each project (I guess a 'finder's fee' or something of that sort).

 

[englandrm]

I'm not sure if people just pass out web design jobs. Maybe contact a web design agency as a freelancer.

I'd suggest hopping on the freelance sites though. People post jobs all the time, you just need to convince them you are the right person for them. Most sites take a cut as well. Google "freelance sites" , or just head to Elance, Odesk, or Freelancer.com.

Hope that helps.

 

[fuzzy_corleone]

I'm not sure if people just pass out web design jobs. Maybe contact a web design agency as a freelancer.

I'd suggest hopping on the freelance sites though. People post jobs all the time, you just need to convince them you are the right person for them. Most sites take a cut as well. Google "freelance sites" , or just head to Elance, Odesk, or Freelancer.com.

Hope that helps.

Someone suggested those sites to me. Quite frankly I think bidding sites are the worst place to find a job. A good deal of the clients that post jobs over there just want to save money. So a site that should cost $700+ to make ends up being a $20 payment to someone in India.

 

[gorang]

peopleperhour.com is one place you might not have heard of.

 

[Topher]

Obviously you can signup for an account at elance, odesk etc. and bid on projects.

I think you will find most of your success creating strategic partnerships with local companies that can offer your service as an added benefit. SEO Marketing, Printing, Advertising etc. If you do mostly design contact all the web application development companies and offer your services.

GL

 

[stoichen]

As above, I've found some success hooking up with printing/traditional design companies and helping them get their web operations off the ground. Google local business sites and check whether they are well optimised or not, get in touch and tell them how you can improve things for them.

 

[fuzzy_corleone]

As above, I've found some success hooking up with printing/traditional design companies and helping them get their web operations off the ground. Google local business sites and check whether they are well optimised or not, get in touch and tell them how you can improve things for them.

I'd rather work from home. I have a medical condition so I don't go outside very much.

I've asked this same question on other forums and apparently what I'm looking for is called a 'Sales/Marketing Manager'. Their fees are in the range of 20-60%.

 

[FairyRevenue]

yea just outsource your work it will save you lots of time.

 

[fuzzy_corleone]

yea just outsource your work it will save you lots of time.

Uhhh? Seems like you're just increasing your post count. Not sure how that would be helpful.

 

[stereoscience]

I would love to help you out. I can do all the work to find clients for you and promote your work so that some clients actually end up finding you. If you are interested please pm me with contact details.

 

[roamer]

Either pay people per referral or sign a deal with a design studio or adv. agency so they outsource parts of their projects to you. If you're good and have people skills you'll do great.

 

[jaray]

Or, if all else fails you can use a crowdsourcing site; often these are incredibly frustrating though as contest holders often pick awful designs over well crafted ones and it can be very demoralising and demeaning to your work if you spend hours on a design only for a rubbish one to be picked!

 

[stoichen]

I'd rather work from home. I have a medical condition so I don't go outside very much.

I mainly work from home doing this kind of stuff, if you can show someone that you're good then they should be happy for you to do it from home.

I've found the freelancing sites good, not for the one-off jobs, but for the opportunity to establish working relationships and attract repeat business. Most people would rather work with someone they have built some trust with. You might have to devalue yourself a little and slog it out for some low paid jobs but it can pay off for you.

Best of luck

 

[fuzzy_corleone]

I mainly work from home doing this kind of stuff, if you can show someone that you're good then they should be happy for you to do it from home.

I've found the freelancing sites good, not for the one-off jobs, but for the opportunity to establish working relationships and attract repeat business. Most people would rather work with someone they have built some trust with. You might have to devalue yourself a little and slog it out for some low paid jobs but it can pay off for you.

Best of luck

Thanks for the advice.

 

[fuzzy_corleone]

Well it appears that I've already scared off two people via PM (they're online but not responding [and one guy promptly blocked me on skype).

So I'm already off to a bad start.

 

[lambe]

Fuzzy pm me with contact details i need a website.