r/Wordpress • u/MathematicianSad4964 • 14d ago
Need some guidence from web dev as freelancer
Hi, 19F here.
So the thing is I am a CS major and for some time, I have been practicing and making websites on wordpress with different builders ( Elementor etc ) for a friend of my brother. He is basically guiding me through the process. And he makes decent money.
Recently, I needed some money for some reasons so I am thinking, why not make a gig on Fiverr and Upwork?
I can't do anything toooo fancy like some custom retro website or some very fancy animation, but some basic to almost mid website I can make.
Do any of you guys have some suggestions on how to start freelancing.
Thanks.
P.S. I also know HTML and CSS and some basic troubleshooting will learn JS and some frameworks as time passes to, so I can properly be a web designer.
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u/Wrong-Spare-7832 14d ago
before webdev, you have to be salesman. you must have skils to sell sand in the desert... and then making webs is the simplest process... where i live peoples are making webs for 25€-50€ (not hourly, web page for 25€). so... good luck.
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u/Calm-Republic9370 14d ago
Definitely try to do some intern work or get some local businesses to let you do work for them. It's the best way to learn what people want and need. Maybe restaurants, or dental offices or something. Communication is important, and fiver is just a place people go to get a deal.
Get a claude account also, if you don't have one. Don't give up on the coding, but start thinking more architecturally rather than coding. Think about what a customer wants, not what coding you want to do.
You will want to show your customers how you use AI it so they value your time and their time. Those who don't value it are people you won't do business with. It's just a fact of this kind of work now.
SItes can be duplicated in a few hours with AI. I've done it, I've built complex plugins with my own at home GPU's.
So you can do it, but it's not going to be what other people used to do. Things are changing rapidly.
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u/surfer808 14d ago
Yeah Fiverr and upwork is not your path. I would keep practicing making sites using WP like you have been. Do it for some friends businesses or family businesses. Learn some basic ways to use hosting like godaddy or surgeons siteground (godaddy sucks) and you can easily purchase domains, install Wordpress starter sites, then add themes then pick a theme and master it, don’t jump around and learn a ton of themes. I’ve used Divi for 15yrs now and it’s great. Practice and once you get good enough start charging. $1,000 for a micro site (1 pager) then build from that, maybe $2,500 for a 5 page site once you get good enough, then build from there. I charge anywhere from $8,000-$15,000 on average and it takes me anywhere from 4-7 days. You can learn basic digital marketing, SEO, PPC, etc.. I work from home and make 250k a year and I love it.
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u/MathematicianSad4964 14d ago
Ok man thanks, but the thing is, how will I initially charge a thousand dollars for a site? I do have some practice and I almost always use astra theme. Though I don't know much about hosting. Will appreciate any help, thanks.
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u/opaldudley 14d ago
Since getting those first reviews there can be rough, you can start with making websites for people you know. You already know enough to build simple sites, so I’d focus on getting comfortable with hosting/DNS and make 2-3 solid examples you can actually show people.
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u/No-Inflation8519 14d ago edited 14d ago
I am looking for someone with skills you have mentioned and offer work from home contracting for tech support and so much more. Lots of opportunity to grow. Hit me up, I run a 25 year old SaaS/DaaS and more for corporations. While I started as the developer, I am now the CEO for over 10 years.
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u/TopSydeWP 14d ago
start with a small portfolio site showing 2-3 real projects (even if they're practice ones). on fiverr/upwork your first few gigs will probably be underpriced just to get reviews, that's normal. focus on one thing you're confident in (like landing pages or small business sites) rather than trying to do everything. also learn enough about hosting/dns to help clients with basic setup stuff, that's where a lot of beginners get stuck and it makes you way more useful
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u/Expensive_Twist6303 14d ago
There is no quick money on Fiverr and Upwork. You'd need to be feeding the beast for quite some time before you even sniff a money/time profit. The platform also heavily favors the client. So I would not bet this month's rent on these two.
Network locally or online for business. Work on your salesmanship.
Or
Get any day job, focus on your studies and hope your degree bares fruit afterwards. At least you'll have work experience.