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Calling all new website designers. Top tips to help you succeed


breals

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Hi all

I have been part of this forum for close to 3 weeks, and I have met some amazing freelancers in that time. Some of you have a dedication to help others and develop your area of expertise that makes me very jealous . However, during my apprenticeship here I have become really disgruntled and frustrated by my own niche which appears to be lacking in consistency and basic morality. I am utterly shocked how some freelancers find it acceptable to use other peoples designs and cast it off as their own. I'm sure this is the minority. But, if you ask for help and advise, be prepared to take the criticism as well as the praise. 

So, I thought I would put up some top tips that I have accumulated over my time, from newbie to top rated seller along with some observations over the last few weeks to point you in the right direction.  It's up to you if you want to listen, but I would like to think that my comments are worthy of a read. especially as some of them may cost you your profile. 

1.  Have the courage to showcase your own work.  Do not screenshot sites that aren't yours and do not use templates.  This is an easy way out and will ultimately get you banned.  This includes your gig images and your portfolio.  If your portfolio isn't good enough, then question your ability to be a web designer and look at another niche that befits your skills. If you mislead your customers into thinking you're better than you are,  you WILL get caught out, it WILL lead to poor feedback an you WILL slip down the rankings

2.  Spellcheck your gigs, and check they make sense.  If you're claiming to be fluent in the English language then your profile and your gig should reflect that.  There is nothing worse than reading a gig that is in broken English,  It's off-putting and unprofessional.  In some cases, it's better to write nothing at all than trying to muddle through. 

3.  Keep it simple and humanise your gig.  Time and time again I read gigs for website designers that would confuse the most techy of buyers.  they're full of Jargon and waffle, and in my opinion, buyers don't want to see it.  We work in a nerdy niche, Humanise what you do and try to make web design sexy and cool. People want to be able to see your offering in a clear and transparent manner, and at the same time warm to your services. 

4. Unlimited revisions? There is a time and a place for unlimited revisions for your web design gigs, and it isn't for new sellers.  I only started offering this when I was pretty sure that I would get a customers website 90%-95% there at the first attempt. This would mean that the unlimited revisions were in fact 3 or 4. If you're not comfortable doing this then don't offer it.  It'll only mean that you're offering your services for free. 

5.  Be honest in your skills.   If you've designed 200 websites in your career then you shouldn't really be selling your web design gig for $5. It gives the impression that you're not being truthful.  Be honest, and be prepared to justify your claims if asked by a customer. Be upfront and put your portfolio on your page. 

6.  Think about your Profile image.   This is one of the first things the customer sees when they land on your gig.  If your own photo looks shabby and old then be inventive and use something else. 

7.  Using templates isn't a unique website.   If you plan to use templates to create a website that's fine, but don't call it unique because it's not.  You're letting your customers down, and they will one day find out and report you.  Be honest state it in your gig, inform your customers that there will be in some cases 1000s of other websites exactly the same as the one you're going to use. 

8.  Don't be lazy. Read the forum.   The amount of times I have seen the same question appear time and time again from web designers asking for help with their gigs drives me crazy.  Your questions have been asked over and over again, and the reason that you don't get many 'quality' replies is the experienced posters are probably fed up \of repeating themselves like a parrot.  Do us all a favour and do your research, apply that research to your gig and wait for the changes to happen.  Believe it or not, your gig will NOT go to page one overnight.  It takes patience and constant tweaking.   

9. Don't copy someone else's gig wording. What's the point?  You will be failing at the first hurdle and it damages your credibility beyond measure, especially if your not fluent in English and are replacing incorrect words.  If you can't put your own talents into a web design gig and sell your services. Don't be a web designer. on Fiverr.     

So there you have it.  8 tips from an old and grumpy website designer in the UK that would love to see a step change in our gigs.  There are tens of thousands of webs designers on Fiverr.  How are you going to be the next top rated seller?

 

Breals 

 

 

Edited by breals
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Cool tips, I would also add that it's good idea to niche further. I mean just doing web design is not niche enough and with this oversaturated market making a gig "I will make you a website" will bear no fruits at all, you will get only few views a day and nobody will buy your service. This could work few years earlier. A lot of top sellers who are web designers are specializing for example in making websites for certain kind of businesses or using only one CMS. This not only makes you appear earlier in search but also boosts your conversion rate.

Edited by michal247
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7 hours ago, pakistannews882 said:

my website is news website at all over the world a [link]

Why do you feel the need to put your own link on this thread?  It's against the Fiverr terms and conditions, and if I'm honest, no one will click a link of a contributor who's first post is 'Look at me, you don't know me but...... here's my website link' 

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