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