If you are an aspiring freelance artist or designer, I will help you gain success in the online world. If you are already working freelance, this is the place to learn how to add to your income.
Making a living by working on the web can be a wonderful experience, so many artists and designers are trying to run online businesses that it might look impossible to even get your foot in the door. It may appear that way, but remember there are infinitely more clients out there looking for qualified creatives than there are people to meet the need.
Here are some insights on how to give yourself the best chance to succeed:
SET GOALS AND KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO.
Before you jump out of the frying pan and into the proverbial fire, you need to have a clear vision of the services you want to provide and be sure that you can provide them. We could call this your business plan. Figure out what you are good at, be it logos, layout, web design, illustration, or whatever. Then, focus on building your business around those skills. Too many freelancers oversell their abilities and end up looking less than legitimate in their clients' eyes. On the web, legitimacy is the key. Clients will be counting on you to provide a service, so make sure you can do exactly what you promise or you won't keep your clients very long.
The most important thing to remember about using the Internet to facilitate your business is that you will use the web to find clients, but not to keep them. Your skill and professionalism will do that.
BUILD A GOOD PORTFOLIO AND REMEMBER THAT PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING IN THIS BUSINESS.
Your portfolio is your calling card. It is the first and probably the only thing clients will look at before deciding whether or not to call on you. If you plan to have an online portfolio, make sure that it is organized, clear, and professional. Include work that is of the sort you would like to do. If you hate designing business cards, then don't show any examples! Prospective clients will look at your work and envision how you might help them out. My clients often site examples from my online portfolio: "Oh, we loved the typography on the birdplay logo. Will something similar work for us?"
Make sure the thumbnail links work and lead to larger examples that are easy to see. Write descriptive text for each example that addresses a possible client's needs. Make sure that your site is a good representation of your skills. If you are a web designer then design a darn good site. If you are not a web designer, then still design a darn good site. Make sure your site is easy to navigate and loads quickly. You don't have much time to win a possible client over; so make sure everything functions!
Try to keep in mind what I always say to my design students: Good presentation will make bad work look better, but bad presentation will make great work look bad!
BUILD GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.
One of my problems with working online is that I don't often get the chance to meet with clients face-to-face; the best we can usually manage is a phone relationship. Therefore, you need to work very hard at keeping clients happy and meeting their needs. I try to always be available for a phone call and always am on top of my e-mails. I want my clients to know that I care about their project and that I am out there working hard for them. When a client is happy you will not only get future work, but you'll get the best gift of all: positive word of mouth. My home business has expanded five-fold because clients that I met on-line have recommended me to friends and associates who also have a need for my design services. When you get a network of clients out there spreading the word about you to others, your chance at moving to the head of the class is fantastic. All of these great things are a result of building solid, professional working relationships with your clients. Furthermore, as much as a good experience can help, a bad one can do damage. Lots of freelancers think the internet is an anonymous entity, but believe me, if you are not handling your business correctly people will know.
EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS.
You are an expert in your field. You have skills and knowledge that is valuable to your clients. If businesses could manage without your help, they would. Clients want your help not only in the rendering of their graphic needs, but in the problem solving process as well. They want you to inform them about what has been done before by their competitors and why they should or shouldn't move in a given direction. One of the keys to gaining the respect of a client and keeping your relationship strong is education.
Often bad clients think that you are there to render their design exactly as they describe. I don't think that way. When a client hires me, they are hiring someone who, in my case, has a lot of experience creating corporate identity. If they have a vision that I think is incorrect for their company, I make a point of saying so. I have dealt with issues of branding and developing a "look" for a company many more times than they have. I want my clients to understand that I am there to help them in more ways than just the creation of their logo. I can offer much more and so can you. Do not fall into the trap of being that artist who just does what he or she is directed to do, even if it is probably wrong for the client. It can be difficult to speak up in situations such as this. If handled properly though, the end product will be much better, and your clients will be much more comfortable with you.
GET WORK BY PROMOTING YOURSELF.
This is the tricky part! How does one actually make contacts online that lead to business relationships? There are many options, more actually than I can mention. Here are a few:
- Sign up with an on-line marketplace like Bullhorn, Guru, and especially eLance. These are sites that match up freelancers with clients. They are great as well because they allow you to create a portfolio for display on their site. eLance, for example, allows you to go online and bid against other freelancers for jobs that have been posted by people in need.
- Build your own website. Nothing is as cool as having your own site and for freelancers like us it is an easy, yet affordable thing to do. I have implemented all of these strategies for companies that have hired me as a consultant, and they really work! So much so that my own site is in the works. As mentioned in the portfolio section, make sure the site is a positive reflection of you and a real showcase. Don't be afraid to include enough text to adequately describe the services you offer. Make it easy to contact you via the site. How do you get people to hit your .com? Try e-mailing companies you are interested in working for with your URL. They will check out your site! In the past, freelancers had to try to get an in-person portfolio review and that sort of meeting is tough to arrange. Now it is so easy for a prospective client to visit your site on his or her own time. Put in the time and work needed to discover the companies and contacts that you want. My best friend Jon recently did an e-mail campaign that resulted in six new clients for his design office!
- Create a self-promotion piece. Design something printed that can be mailed to prospective clients. Make it cute and catchy. Sell yourself! Make something that will seem precious to the person who receives it in the mail, not something that they will quickly pitch out. Provide all of your contact information: Phone, E-Mail, and URL. Give some incentive for visiting your URL. For example, you can pose a mysterious question in the printed piece that is answered in the URL. Anything to get them on your site. Address their needs.
- Network. Post your resume on the job sites like FlipDog, JobsOnline, and Hotjobs. You may not be looking for a full time position, but there are numerous leads on those sites. Put your URL in your on-line resume. Clients will look at it. We've all heard of the great successes those sites have enjoyed. Get in on it.
ALWAYS REMEMBER: THIS IS A BUSINESS.
Keep regular business hours. When you take on a new project, get a contract signed and get half of your fee up front. At the end of the project, invoice your clients for the remainder of the bill. There are some great publications like The Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook that provide standard contracts and invoices. This is a common business practice for creative professionals. If you have a client that is not willing to pay you some up front, then you should beware of that client. It is very easy to work online and not get paid. there are people out there who will happily take advantage of you, so you need to protect yourself. Remember this as well: Any work that you create belongs legal ly to you until you hand it over to your client. You must write into your contract who will own the copyright to any created work. And last but not least...get a fax machine!
Source: http://www.eworkingwomen.com/experts/artist.html
Found this browsing around the Internet looking for a few graphic jobs. Thought it would help everyone out.
. Thanks for finding the article
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