What types of work can you do while freelancing online?
This post is a quick follow-up to my previous post. I have received a number of queries about what you can do while freelancing online.
Note: What’s classified as freelancing online is work that’s done purely online! This means all communications, work and delivery is done remotely (via email, instant messenger, video conference, web downloads, sometimes telephone, etc). You never get to see your client face-to-face.
So, here’s what’s currently popular as freelancing works:
1. Design
Not inclusive of programming – usually you just provide psd files.
- Website design (static, cms based, flash, html5)
- Mini website design (one-page promo website, pop-up, sales webpage, etc)
- Newsletter design
- UI/UX design (for applications)
- Graphic design (business card, brochures, corporate stationaries, posters, etc) – always a bonus if you know print and prepress process if you work on this space.
2. Programming
In the online freelance space, the most common applications are:
- PSD to HTML/CSS/JS
- PSD to CMS templates
- PSD to WordPress (HOT! HOT! HOT!) or Joomla or drupal template
- WordPress, Joomla, Drupal template customisation or new plugins (in PHP)
- Other web applications (in PHP & mySQL – e.g. contact forms, customer registration, invoicing systems, eNewsletter, etc.)
- Twitter applications
- eCommerce websites
- iPhone applications (objective C or web based) (HOT! HOT! HOT!)
- Facebook applications (HOT! HOT! HOT!)
- Interaction design (JQuery and Flash applications (AS3 or AS2))
Other application programming can be done remotely as well (i.e. using JAVA, C, C++, .NET, etc) but not as popular as what’s mentioned above. I think because we’re working on webspace, web-based applications is so much more on demand.
I have also seen an increasing number of mobile applications and social media integration projects. So, this is where you should update your skill.
Note:
I notice that you tend to get more work if you can do BOTH design and programming (e.g. design and develop the website or design and develop the wordpress template).What people don’t realise is, it’s hard to find a good designer who is an equally good developer.
So, consider collaborating with other freelancer if either one of these skills is not your forte.
3. Writing
- Blogging (HOT! HOT! HOT!)
- Copywriting (writing marketing copy for websites, brochure, etc)
- Content writing (provide ghost writing services for ebooks, news site, eZines, content specific websites, or any websites really)
- Offline Ghostwriting (writing for books, newspaper articles, etc)
- Editing and Proofreading (mainly online material)
- Translation services (English to any languages and vice versa).
4. Webmastering
- Optimise websites (Search Engine Optimisation/increase ranking on search engine results, increase google page rank, increase traffic, etc)
- Managing and updating websites
- Ghost-blogging (Running blogs that are not yours)
- End-to-end services (design, develop, write, optimise, manage).
6. Illustration and Digital editing
IMO, on the web, unless you’re a good digital artist.. (people commission for your artwork because they admire you) the hot skills right now is VECTOR. Be it vector icon, vector background, vector illustration, etc.
- Vector Illustration (Adobe illustrator, Flash objects, etc)
- Image Editing/Manipulation
- Icon development
- Game illustration
- any other digital artwork (anime style, fantasy illustration, concept art, etc) to be put on merchandise (e.g. postcard, greeting card, eCard, cups, t-shirts, etc)
(HOT! HOT! HOT!) means… Skills on demand, popularity increasing rapidly, jobs available everywhere – if you’re good.. you can easily make money out of these trends.
How to find work?
I’ll cover that in later time. But at the moment, you can google any of the above job types with the word freelance and jobs in it (e.g. Freelance psd to wordpress job, freelance web design work australia, etc). You can research more from then on.