If you have been a freelance web developer for a while or run your own profitable web development company, you could be starting to consider the next step. You solve complicated problems to your customers by creating sites and handling other electronic solutions. Why not reframe what you do and eventually become an independent web consultant?
Forming a web-based consulting mindset — and controlling the correspondingly high prices from customers — is much more than simply changing up the name on your business cards. It involves altering your strategy from “practitioner” into “business partner and adviser.”
Internet consulting builds on your current web development company using the abilities you currently have. But instead of just executing a job for a client, you are also going to be advising them about the best IT solutions for their business requirements.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES A FREELANCE WEB CONSULTANT DO, ANYWAY?
The term website consultant encompasses many different possible services, from site design to SEO and advertising strategy. An internet adviser might be earned for one job or be stored on retainer to function as an adviser until the customer’s business develops.
The Main Distinction Is That:
- An internet developer is hired to construct a finished site to a customer’s specification.
- An internet consultant is hired to help attain a vision about a customer’s web presence.
Many times, the adviser can also be a programmer, although the principal value of the services are targeted at helping customers find the ideal solution — even if this solution does not incorporate the adviser being the one to write the code.
As a provider of independent IT consulting services, you will want to go beyond web development skills and have knowledge in all significant areas of sites such as design, development, advertising, analytics, and research. You will also have to be a fantastic project manager, which means that you may either deal with these components yourself or handle builders.
By way of instance, imagine a customer is tired of the outdated site. As a web programmer, you may simply rework the present content into a contemporary responsive web design. As an internet consultant, you may quiz the customer on their goals to your redesign, make ideas to assist them to fulfill those goals, and then take care of the internet development yourself while contracting out of the brand new logo design, copywriting, SEO study and PR.
Making the jump from an independent web developer to an internet consultant warrants a change in any way you end up. You are no longer promoting your skill set, you are promoting your experience. You are not only a coder, but you are also a teacher and strategist. You are not only a service provider, but you also become a business associate.
This change in mindset will change the way you estimate your services, the best way to speak about your job and the way you develop your system.
REFRAMING YOUR PRICING
As an independent web developer, you likely established your pricing arrangement on industry standard amounts like hourly prices and establish job fees. However, as an internet consultant, your prices should depend on the worth that you supply to your customer.
That is an entirely different method of thinking for plenty of freelancers. Rather than charging an hourly fee or estimating how much time it will take and charging a set fee based on that amount, you contemplate what the new site’s return on investment is going to be to your customer.
If, by way of instance, you think your design and web development ideas might help them reach that a 10% increase in their business during the next year, try to find some strong numbers from the customer. What exactly does this 10% increase translate into in dollar worth? Subsequently, pitch your customer an internet consulting fee which equals a portion of the expansion and point out that the undertaking will almost pay for itself.
REFRAMING YOUR PAST WORK
How can you demonstrate your expertise to prospective customers? Begin by placing your internet adviser hat and having a look at your portfolio. Consider the way it is possible to reframe the job you have done to showcase not just the skills you employed, but also the way you helped previous customers float or gain a greater return on investment for their endeavors.
1 method is to clarify pieces on your portfolio as miniature case studies. As opposed to simply embracing a customer website and saying that it, tell a brief story about the customer’s business problem and the way your development work supplied them with an option. Emphasize any plan you helped with or suggestions you’ve made.
Bonus points if you reach from the customer to acquire a testimonial or fast interview on the way the job was successful. (Plus, this gives you a golden opportunity to describe what you are transitioning your organization into a fully fledged web agency and request referrals from satisfied customers.)
REFRAMING YOUR TEAM
You might have been getting along fine for a solo programmer for the majority of your career, but as an independent web consultant, your system gets crucial. You are going to require a group of experienced men and women who can fill in the gaps in your skills, or to whom it is possible to outsource certain tasks you might no longer have time. We all know that it takes a long time to craft websites and you will need another programmer to do that while you are out and about giving consultations to people.
This does not mean that you need to begin an agency and employ workers, however. This implies building a community of professionals which you may either associate with or employ on a contract basis.
Do not just consider your team concerning the folks who may do the job for you. As you develop your internet consulting company, you might also need to locate a mastermind group to function as a sounding board for thoughts. This type of trusted advisors can be a potent tool in assisting you completely change to a consultant mindset.
