It’s not uncommon for freelancers to experience a bit of an identity crisis as it pertains to their outward-facing persona. On countless occasions, I’ve found myself referring to my one-man show as “we” when communicating with clients. It got me wondering; why am I so compelled to do that? To find the answer, let’s first start with clearly defining the difference between a freelancer and an agency…

What is a Freelancer?

Side hustlers, independent contractors, gig workers, solopreneurs, moonlighters, and makers—no matter how you identify, you’re probably a freelancer. You might snap back, “but I registered an LLC!” Sure, but ask yourself this: are you PART of a company or are YOU the company? You are self employed (either part-time or full-time), work from home, are the sole decision maker, and captain of your destiny. You, my dear reader, are a freelancer and should be proud!

What is an Agency?

There is a lot of debate over the evolutionary threshold between freelancer and agency. This might be an unpopular opinion but allow me to draw the line in the sand for you. If you are an incorporated individual with a handful of regular outsourced (overseas) people on your team, or someone who frequently hires on Upwork and Fiverr to keep up with client demand, you are still a freelancer. Again, NO shame in that! Did I mention I am a freelancer? I believe a web design agency must have:

• A physical headquarters
• More than 3 full-time employees
• An expansive body of work with Fortune 5000 companies
• Agile systems in place to field any project big or small
• Awards, notoriety or industry recognition

There is one significant difference that separates these two corporate structures; nature of service. A freelancer is called upon to execute specific creative tasks by the client. An agency, however, is more often in a position of “big picture” collaboration and thought leadership. A client will turn to an agency to help solve problems—not just deliver files.

It’s All About Image

Knowing which of these categories you fall into isn’t always what you put out there for the world to see. Now, I’m not talking about being dishonest for false advertising in any way. Some clients simply need to hear “we” because the visual of a dozen elves obsessing over a single logo design or landing page wireframe gives them peace. In that same breath, many clients have an adverse reaction to working with large faceless companies. They’ve been burned in the past by impersonal communications, constant turnover, and disconnect between departments. For these prospects, we must embrace our smallness and use it to our advantage.

Am I an agency or a freelancer? I’m not even sure I have the answer. I still go back and forth with my own marketing and website language. My best advice is to be transparent yet intune with what each particular client needs in a web design partner. If your goal is to someday evolve into more, it begins with proving yourself in the freelance arena.

As web designers, the tools we use are just as important as the sites we deliver. Your software arsenal plays a huge role in the efficiency of your business and quality of your work. This is such an amazing time to be a freelancer. There are new SaaS platforms and services popping up every day—all engineered to help you do what you do, better. It’s so easy to get set in our ways, hunkered down in our comfort zone, using the same tools we always have. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but we should all make an effort to stay on top of what’s out there for us to potentially add to our web design stack.

Why Share My Web Design Stack?

Success of sites like StackShare have confirmed we all like peeking at other people’s papers. Of course curiosity plays into it, but I personally just love discovering cool new apps. Today, I’m sharing MY web design stack in hopes that it might be helpful to your own freelance workflow.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Visual Design Apps
I would venture to say that Photoshop pulls at least half the weight of my website design process. I use it for all my mockups, graphics, photo edits, and visual experiments. At the end of the day, building a site is really just compiling elements made with Photoshop into a template. Also worth noting; I may brand myself as a web designer but am often asked to perform various tasks in that loose proximity—such as brochures, posters, magazine ads, logos, etc. Adobe InDesign and Illustrator make vector/print work a breeze. I’m not afraid to admit, I LOVE Dreamweaver too. There, I said it. On the rare occasion I have to create a static HTML page, I always crack open Dw. You absolutely cannot run a creative freelance business without the suite. Adobe Creative Cloud is a worthy, non-negotiable investment for your business.

Google Meet

Video Communication Service
My allegiance to Google Meet really irritates people. In 2020, when the entire world jumped on the Zoom bandwagon, I stayed true to old faithful. I just love how seamlessly it integrates with my email and calendar. It has all the same functionality as Zoom and never makes me feel like I’m missing out on “premium” features for being a tightwad. I use video conferencing quite often for client meetings and project walk-throughs, so it’s important to be happy with the service you utilize.

Google Chrome

Web Browser
I’ve used Google Chrome for years and can certainly appreciate why so many believe it to be the best browser out there. I did, however, have a brief flirtation with Firefox recently. Needless to say, I’m back in the warm embrace of Chrome now. As web designers, the browser is actually a critical part of our stack. The one you use day-to-day needs to be fast, reliable, and a source of truth for what you ship to clients. Of course, you need to have other popular browsers on hand for testing as well.

Shutterstock

Stock Media Marketplace
I really wish stock photos were more affordable. I use them sparingly—only when I know it will drastically enhance a given project. There are a handful of libraries out there but I think Shutterstock has the best selection and their “Signature” images can’t be found elsewhere. They also have a wide array of quality vector assets like icons, logos templates, videos, etc. I get by with the Standard License (10 downloads per month) plan but sometimes come dangerous close to my quota.

Creative Market

Stock Media Marketplace
Shopping on Creative Market is like a warm hug. I love their organic / borderline feminine vibe. Unpretentious, friendly, and welcoming. It’s a really awesome curated library of digital assets. They have fonts, themes, templates, graphics, and more. Best of all, prices are reasonable!

Vecteezy

Stock Media Marketplace
I save a ton of time by using icons and vector graphics from Vecteezy. I usually open them in Illustrator to edit the colors and line weight to suit my project. Admittedly, I’ve always had luck finding free assets to fit my needs and never taken the bait on their Pro license (although it’s only $9/mo).

Yellow Images

Mockup Marketplace
Yellow Images sells super high-quality, photorealistic mockups of pretty much anything you can think of—from coffee cups to varsity jackets. This is a surefire way to WOW clients if you happen to be designing a product label or doing a branding exercise. Also, an impressive custom touch for client websites and presentations.

Colour Lovers

Color Palette Search
There are a handful of sites that allow you to enter a hex color and they spit out a few complimentary colors. I, however, don’t trust machines to tell me which colors to use. Colour Lovers is great because you can search by keyword like “modern” or “calming” or “beachy” and it will show you palettes that other people have put together as well as praise from the CL community. The social element is a big plus for me because I don’t trust my own color instincts either.

Cloudflare

Security & Performance
I grew tired of chasing clients down for their GoDaddy or Network Solutions login so I could make DNS changes when needed. They never know the current password. Then you have to wait for them to forward you the two-step verification code. It’s always a mess—and it always turns a 3-minute task into an all day affair. By setting my client sites up on Cloudflare, I can make DNS changes in seconds. There are also some impressive security and SSL tools included in the free tier. I only use about 5% of Cloudflare’s features but I’m really glad to have them in my web design stack.

Imageoptim

Image Compressor
An old colleague of mine turned me onto this app. It promises near lossless image compression, which is huge for web designers like us. If you’ve ever had a client discover the Google Page Speed tool and not be happy with the results, you can stay one step ahead of it with Imageoptim. I just leave it in my Mac dock and drag images to it before uploading to any site I’m working on. The file saves instantly in place of the bloated version. So quick and efficient (and somehow free). A welcome addition to my web design stack this year.

Gloomaps

Sitemap Tool
I start almost every website project with a sitemap exercise. A sitemap helps the client work out the structure in their mind and see it in a somewhat visual manner. Sometimes, I get lazy and use Google Docs or even the body of an email—but my preferred tools is Gloomaps because it’s super simple, collaborative, and totally free.

Fiverr Workspace

Invoicing Software
Formerly known as AND.CO, this platform is the hub of my business, literally. Since 2019, every penny I’ve earned or spent has funneled through Fiverr Workspace. It has pretty stellar proposal, contract, time-tracking, and bookkeeping features in addition to its core invoicing functionality.

Google Fonts

Web Font Library
If you can’t find a web typeface to use on Google Fonts, you need to lower your standards. They have a massive library, all free to use and ready to embed with ease on any website. Most of the fonts have varying weights and styles to pick and choose from as well.

Fontawesome

Web Font Library
Using images for basic website icons is so 2008. Nearly all the client projects I launch include some form of iconography. Oftentimes, Fontawesome’s free library has everything you need to get the job done. Best part is, they are technically a font family—so you can change size, weight, and color using CSS. Their premium icons look really sweet but too rich for my blood.

WordPress

Content Management System
This shouldn’t be news to you. WordPress powers over 40% of the entire internet—and for good reason. You can make virtually any client’s design dream come true with this CMS while giving them complete control over their own updates after launch. The developer community behind WP is second to none. If WordPress isn’t already in your web design stack, get with it!

DreamHost

Website Host
I host almost all of my client websites. It’s a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly. Although I’ve dipped a toe in a couple other hosting ponds over the years, all roads lead back to DreamHost. Their pricing, interface, uptime, speed, and support never seize to amaze me.

NameCheap

Domain Registrar
You may or may not know I dabble in domain investing and website flipping. As someone who holds hundreds of domain names at any given time, I needed a long-term registrar with fair pricing and no added nonsense. I moved my whole portfolio to NameCheap a couple years ago and haven’t looked back. These guys also include WHOIS privacy, which is normally an up-sell for others.

SendGrid

Email Delivery Service
About 95% of the sites I build are on WordPress and I’d say 95% of those include a contact, newsletter, reservation, or some other type of interactive form. By default, form submissions are sent using a PHP script, which is too shaky for me to rely on. My nightmare is for a client to tell me they haven’t been getting their leads or inquiries. For this reason, I pay a few bucks a month to employ SendGrid as my SMTP delivery host for all online forms. It’s worth the peace of mind and adds a touch of professionalism to my client sites.

UpWork

Freelance Talent Marketplace
Truth be told, I have yet to experience an “amazing” transaction in hiring talent on UpWork. It’s been hit or miss (and the hits aren’t that great). However, I don’t have a better alternative so I continue to utilize this freelance marketplace for complex projects or tasks outside my wheelhouse.

MailChimp

Email Marketing Service
I use MailChimp for my own email marketing and I encourage all of my clients to do the same. By the way, email marketing is a natural upsell or down-the-road project to offer existing web design clients. MailChimp makes it easy and affordable for all involved.

Google Analytics

Web Traffic Reporting
I’m not sure there is a viable alternative to Google Analytics—which is unfortunate because their new UI is totally bonkers to me. Regardless, I always install GA on my client sites before launching. You never wanna get the “have you been tracking my website traffic?” email two years later and have the answer be no.

Basecamp

Project Management Platform
I just love email. I cannot get on board with Slack or Jira or Asana or any of those other services. Makes me feel old. However, for the rare occasion a larger project warrants a more organized management hub, I always go with Basecamp. It’s an intuitive and elegant way to organize tasks and conversations into threads without things getting too messy.

I hope this was enlightening for you and perhaps you even found a new tool you’d like to add to your own web design stack. Don’t forget, I keep a list of my absolute favorite resources up to date—so check back often. Thanks for reading!

No matter how you pronounce it, the riches really are in the niches. If you’re the web designer for everybody, you’re a web designer for nobody. One of the best ways to fast-track your freelance trajectory is to carve out a vertical for yourself. You’ll need some niche ideas—but first, what does that mean exactly?

What is a Niche?

I’ll resist the temptation to Google the dictionary definition of “niche” and just spitball on what it means in the context of freelance web design. A niche is a segment of potential clients who all share a common thread (usually industry). The best niches are hyper-focused. For example; instead of targeting home builders, you would be the go-to guy for log cabin builders. Keep going. How about the web designer for veteran-owned tiny house log cabin builders? If you’re not scared, you didn’t niche down enough. In the words of John Lee Dumas, “niche down ‘til it HURTS!”

Your niche doesn’t always have to be industry-based.
You could instead cater to a particular CMS like Wix or Shopify or Magento.

Why Commit to a Niche?

By specializing in one specific business type, you are at a tremendous advantage compared to jacks of all trades. If you were opening a children’s dental office and needed a new website, you would likely be thrilled to find a freelancer with extensive experience in your industry. Working with a designer who speaks the language and isn’t starting from zero is a huge perk for any business. Does pledging allegiance to one sector mean you won’t get any clients in other circles? No, but if you select your niche wisely, that shouldn’t concern you anyway.

It is SO much easier to gain a reputation in a smaller silo of the universe. Once you get those first few launches under your belt, projects will sell themselves. Even as a freelancer, you’ve already caught their attention and earned their trust because you are part of their world. Their peers have vetted you—saving them a whole lotta shopping around. From a marketing and advertising perspective, niching down gives you focus and precision in your efforts too.

Choosing a Niche

When searching for niche ideas, it’s ideal to find one that is currently under-served in what you offer. Sure, there may be a few other web designers targeting that vertical—but a little friendly competition is a good sign.

This next piece of advice is REALLY important because it’s one of my most painful lessons-learned, personally. Consider the persona of your niche client. It’s safe to make some generalizations and lean into stereotypes here because this is very much a gut decision. Are they friendly? Passionate about their venture? Willing to spend for results? Progressive about technology? Financially stable?

About five years ago, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to form an “agency” called DashCrowd; specializing exclusively in bar and restaurant websites. Fun fact: bars and restaurants have NO money! The few who are lucky to claim some profit aren’t exactly quick to part with it to invest in their digital presence. Probably the worst trait I wish I had known before diving in… they don’t put anything on credit cards! My restaurant clients refused to ever place a card on file for recurring payments. I was always the last vendor in line to get paid too. My average restaurant client was about 3 months behind on billing at any given time. The reality is, these proprietors are mostly scraping by in one of the most stressful, unpredictable fields on earth. It’s not an environment I had any business inserting myself into and I’m still paying the price to this day. Do your homework and choose a niche wisely!

One more piece of advice here: factor in the likelihood of a given niche hiring freelancers. Think about a pharmaceutical company or auto maker, for example. They aren’t paying Timmy Smith in his mom’s basement to build their websites (sorry Timmy). No, they contract established global agencies. However, plumbers and roofers and real estate agents would absolutely gravitate to independent contractors for their marketing needs.

Niche Ideas for Your Consideration

Instead of rattling off every industry under the sun, I’ve highlighted just a handful of the ones that intrigue me this year. The possibilities for you are endless. Take some inspiration from this guy who makes websites for farms or these folks who literally productized the funeral home industry. WHAT!? Hopefully, this will give you a mindset framework as you start to research your own niche ideas and the potential of each!

Dentist Offices

The public demand for dentists is not going anywhere. It’s a dependable niche that tends not to fluctuate. However, one characteristic that makes this vertical so appealing is the community behind it. Dental professionals who operate their own offices have a very exclusive club. They share ideas, experiences, and tips with their fellow comrades online. I experienced this first-hand when a dental client of mine told his peer Facebook group about me. The leads flooded in (and still are)!

Home Builders

Real estate is booming and builders are finding creative ways to make the most of every square inch of land on this planet. These companies need a fairly specific type of website which highlights their available floor plans, sub-divisions they build in, and demonstrates their quality of work. It’s easy to see why they would want a freelance web designer with experience in this specific industry.

Women Owned Business

I know I can’t really say this but I’m actually jealous of the sisterhood and comradery I see among women in the startup world. If you happen to be a female web designer, embrace that natural connection and shared aesthetic to help fellow lady bosses bring their dreams to life online!

Churches

From small-town places of worship to big-city megachurches, religious institutions rely on their digital presence to grow their patronage and serve existing members. You might be surprised how much activity there is on a church website—from the busy event calendar to online donations. Get yourself in with a small parish and work your way up through reputation. I hope it goes without saying this applies to synagogues, mosques, temples, and everything in between as well.

Software

With the growing popularity of no-code and low-code platforms, brilliant software solutions are being launched at an incredible rate. The developers of which are exhausted from creating their app—and eager to have someone else handle the landing pages. Communities like IndieHackers make it easy for you to build some notoriety for yourself amongst these newly-minted makers.

Hair & Beauty Salons

At the time of writing this article, our country has been cooped up inside for almost a year and we are looking a mess! People cannot wait to get back to the salon for some well-deserved pampering. Established shops are gonna want to refresh their online presence and a whole bunch of new salons will surely start to pop up. You can be the person who understands their unique needs and offerings and can launch a website as beautiful as their blowouts!

Short-Term Rental Properties

Tourism is about to come back in a major way. Competition among vacation properties will be fierce. This is good news for someone who specializes in short-term rental marketing and design! Hosts took a big hit in 2020 and are not crazy about giving a piece of their business to sites like AirBnb and VRBO. You can help them take back their online booking process with a beautiful, full-featured website!

Course Creators

Online learning was on track to hit $1 billion per day by 2025. That trajectory was significantly expedited during the pandemic. People are taking education into their own hands and experts are pumping out courses as fast as humanly possible. They may have the content and curriculum in their head, but don’t know how to build out an online course or website to market it. That’s where you come in!

Home Bakers

People are discovering their passion for baking. From specialty breads to creative cookies, home bakers have been able to quickly create a loyal following on social media. It’s only natural they start to sell their tasty goods online!

Wellness Experts

I doubt I’m the only one who ate my way through lockdown. As we begin to open our doors and step out into the world once again, the sun will shine brightly on what’s become of our personal health and wellness this past year. This lends plenty of opportunity to individuals qualified to get us all back into shape! Nutritionists, trainers, and coaches not only need help establishing their online brands, but building hybrid digital solutions for their client programs as well.