Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
How to Make More Money as a Web Developer
Moneymagpie Team
19th May 2024
Everyone is looking for a way to make more money as the cost of living and inflation remain a challenge for many. Web developers either rely on full-time employment or providing freelance services to different clients to make money. If you are stuck as a developer and do not know how to make more money, this guide is for you. Let’s look at a few ways you can do so.
- Market Yourself
- Save Time and Money with Managed Services
- Negotiate with Current Clients or Find New Ones
- Expand Your Network
- Consider Contract Work
Market Yourself
Many developers do not like marketing themselves, instead relying on the quality of their work to do the talking for them. However, this is not always a great approach because it limits your ability to reach and attract new clients. A better approach is marketing yourself.
At a basic level, you should have a portfolio of your projects you can show potential clients and website visitors so they can see your skills and what you are capable of. You can also use your websites as a starting point for inbound marketing, providing lead generation, subscription, and contact options so interested parties can reach you.
Developers should also not shy away from using social media to their advantage. While it is true that most web developers do not have a lot of time to spend on social media, you can spare five minutes to post something on one of the many platforms where clients can find you.
You can post something about a project you are working on, a problem you faced and the creative way you solved it, a solution to a common development challenge, or a witty post that humanizes you. There is no right or wrong way to market yourself, you just need to know where your audience is and what type of content resonates with it so the right people can reach out to you.
Save Time and Money with Managed Services
Web developers use numerous services when building, testing, and hosting the websites and applications they create for their clients. Configuring these services can take a lot of time, and that is time developers could use to work on different projects, negotiate with clients, or market themselves and their services.
Using managed services eliminates the burden of configuring and maintaining these services and instead places it on a business that provides them. Services like managed Kubernetes mean web developers do not have to configure containers and application hosting options, but instead rely on other professionals to do it for them.
The best thing about this is that developers can hand over these managed services to their clients when they are done with the development stage. While they pass on the convenience they provide, they do not pass on the burden of managing them.
Developers can then use the time they save to make more money or find additional ways to do so, whether it is taking on additional projects or negotiating higher rates with their clients.
Negotiate with Current Clients or Find New Ones
It is common for many developers to accept the provided rate and keep charging it for present and future projects. This is the wrong approach because things change. Developers improve their skills, become more efficient, and provide better services over time. This means their rates should change alongside these factors and the developer’s growth.
While it is a good idea to negotiate with current clients, it is even better to do so from a knowledgeable place. Before doing this, research the average salary and project rates for web developers with similar skills and experience in your region or target regions. Doing this will help you pick a much better salary or project rate.
The other crucial thing to do is to understand and be able to highlight your value. You should be able to confidentiality demonstrate the value they provide their clients. Create a list of your accomplishments, expertise, and the positive impact you have had on the projects you have worked on or have something to show during negotiations.
If the negotiations break down with current clients, you can use all the data and information you have gathered to find clients who will pay you your desired rate. You already know what you bring to the table and have everything ready to go. All that remains is finding the right clients and convincing them you are the best option and why they should pay you what you are asking for.
Expand Your Network
As mentioned, web developers are often very busy people, especially when they are handling multiple projects. This is one of the reasons networking is often not on top of the list of things to do for many developers. However, it could be the key to making more money.
Developers should aim to attend at least a few industry events, conferences, and meetups annually. This way, they can connect with other developers who can tell them about potential jobs and the state of the market. These events also provide opportunities for meeting potential clients and can open the door to new opportunities.
Another great way to network is through maintaining an active online presence on professional websites like LinkedIn. You can use this strategy separately or alongside your other marketing endeavors. Sharing knowledge, engaging with others on these platforms, and showing your expertise can help you establish yourself as a thought leader and could lead to more people noticing you.
Consider Contract Work
Contract work arrangements have become popular with developers because they often have a higher hourly rate. However, they come with less stability, so this is something you need to think carefully about if you decide to opt for this option to make more money.
Also, remember that you will need to renew your contracts or find new clients often when your contracts expire, which is something you might not want to do. Consider if this extra obligation would work for you beforehand.
Web developer is one of the most lucrative career options, but that does not mean developers cannot make more money. There are many ways to do this, and you can pick one or several strategies that are a great fit for you to see what works best in your specific circumstances. Remember, you can always switch strategies if one does not work.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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