Web development remains one of the most popular industries for most job seekers. After software engineering and software architecture, it’s the third most popular job worldwide. As more industries move to the digital space, it is becoming a fast-growing industry, and the need for web developers continues to increase. People are moving to this field because for its flexibility, opportunities, and accessibility.
Many people choose to work as a developer, especially a freelance one, because of how independent it makes them feel. And a typical yearly salary of $61,000 for a skilled developer can be very exciting. Entry-level developers also earn an average of $40,000 annually. However, not all web developers are so lucky. Many web developers struggle to leave their mark on this highly competitive industry, and sometimes don’t get the compensation that their work deserves.
Is Web Development a Good Career?
Developers need to consider many factors when choosing their career. You need to do proper research about what suits your interests and can fit your financial needs. It’s up to you to decide if web development would be the right choice for you.
With regards to income, web development is always a strong candidate. The bureau of labor statistic confirms that the annual salary for web developers in 2020 was $77,000. They also predict that at the start of 2030 web developers will increase by an upwards of 13 percent, more than the average rate of occupation. This is because of the many benefits you gain from working in web development. Plus the salary is particularly attractive.
If you are thinking in terms of accessibility and mobility, then this job is the one for you. You can choose to either freelance or work for an official company with a monthly paycheck. They will both be immensely profitable, and creative. With freelancing you canwork from home, a café, or from any public space that has WIFI. If you are looking to work from a more established company, then this job is sure to pay well on that front as well.
Many of the web developers mistake this job to be tedious and dull, and afterward they admit how wrong they were. They have statements that say how it’s fast-paced, creative, and unpredictable in the most exciting way. Web development requires tremendous amount of creativity and quick thinking; if you don’t like constructing of optimizing multiple web pages then this job isn’t recommended for you.
However, it’s the perfect career choice for those who love experimenting and like getting artistic with their work, this career allows you to have free reign over designing (only keeping specific requests and reservations from clients in mind).
As briefly discussed, web development is a very lucrative field. However, you should be clever about navigating your way through this lucrative field, seeing how many people are trying it out making this a competitive field.
Let’s discuss different ways to make money as a web developer that don’t involve getting a full time job.
Suitable Ways to Make Money as a Web Developer
If you know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then you are fairly close to becoming a skilled web developer.However, recognizing your work’s worth is essential to ensure you are receiving what you’re due. Since more people are transitioning to working on the internet, and web developers are possibly the most popular ones.
When you’re new to this field and you lack the ability to negotiate, some companies will not pay you as well. They point out how you lack of experience and have a smaller portfolio. However, you need to stand your ground about your payment. Also, if you have the right ways to present yourself and have the proper exposure, then companies are less likely to pay you less.
Here are some recommended ways that you can earn money in web development and gain exposure needed to become a pro web developer.
- Blogs
Blogging has become a popular way to earn money and a name for yourself. It’s a great way for web designers, developers, and content writers to create a personalized brand.
Blogs offer passive income by just writing posts. You don’t have to be a professional content writer to be able to write your blog posts.You just need to better articulate your thoughts and share them with other developers.
You can earn money through advertisements, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or selling your own products.However, attracting people to your blogs is a feat, so in the meantime, you can start with the process of creating and selling your own products.
- Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you collaborate with another business or person, similar to a web developer. You promote their products through your creations, and when you generate a sale, you receive a cut of that cash.The marketing effort of affiliate marketing can offer you a monthly commission.
Affiliate marketing is a great option for people who are just getting into web development, but they should have a basic experience with HTML before they start. This digital marketing strategy can be more of a long-termway of getting foot in the door as a developer.
- Freelance
The best part about being a web developer is that you can take on freelance work. Freelancing used to be a controversial field, since many thought that it undermined the dedication of people in the field. However, after a few years and broader scope of freelance work, most people have warmed up to the idea of freelance work.
Freelance is perfect for people who like working from home,as they can earn a steady income by working with clients worldwide. You get freelance opportunities with popular websites such as Fiverr and Upwork, and get to work for various companies.
If you’re looking for independent work, then you need to improve your networking skills. There are plenty of chances for you to make a name for yourself in the freelance market. You can either directly contact clients or approach them via social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
- Network and Marketing
Networking and marketing have also become an essential part of web development. Web development hinges on fast opportunities, the number of people viewing your profile, and how many clients you can attract.
Some networking tips can include keeping yourself prepared, dressing well, listening closely, utilize your online importance, and always know your client. You shouldn’t go to a meeting blind. The last but most vital step of networking would be to stay in touch. You can get that spark;you shouldn’t let the connection go.
Without marketing, you won’t bring in enough people needed to earn money. Your blogs, freelancing, product sale, andYouTube channel all need you to have a proper marketing team. Aside from taxes, marketing is one of the few expenses that comes with the job.
- Build Websites
Suppose you have relatives, friends, neighbors, or any random business that you think could use a website or need to update theirs. You can approach them with a few tips on how a website would improve their business or suggest tweaks that they can update in their existing website.
Creating websites for others will earn you either a hefty income or a mediocre payment, depending on your skill level. Or you can simply ask for free advertisement, this way you can get free promotion and improve with experience.
- Create and Sell Digital Products
You can create products, in this case websites, and then sell it to the highest bidder. You won’t need to spendanything other than taxes and marketing.So anything you earn will be completely yours, unless you work with a marketplace to help sell the website.
Make sure you design products that suit your preference, and are something that you show an interest in. It doesn’t matter what you like, there is a market for it online.And after creating suitable digital products, you can sell them on Shopify or Stripe.
Examples of products you can sell online include automation tools, website themes, plug-ins, etc.
- Teach Online Courses
Online courses are a blessing for students who love studying at their pace. And if you have years worth of experience in the field, you could create a course to help students get into web development.After getting used to the online method, people prefer learning from the comfort of their home, so it has increased in popularity.
If you have a passion for explaining and talking about web development at length, then this could be a great alternative way to earn money as a web developer.
- Make Tutorials on YouTube
YouTube is an excellent platform to earn money as a web developer. You can make money by making tutorials on different programming languages or fundamentals of web design. You can also create websites and show how you made it. As you bring in more viewers, you can make money through ad revenue.
For the duration of your video, you can add in a couple of ads, collaborate with other brands looking to promote their goods, or get sponsorshipsas your channel grows.
- Try Out SaaS
SaaS is a software that acts like a service, a site, or an app that reaches to different people and allows them to sign up and pay for your services.
Being a web developer means you need to keep up with the trends of the industry. Before creating a product, you should make sure it’s in demand and if people like it. Creating a product that is guaranteed to sell can earn you a lot in profit.
You can look at your competitors to see how they are rebuilding them and how they’re marketing them. Researching on google would be best to check and confirm the latest trends and how to best market your products; you need a good pitch as much as you need a good product.
At first, focus on the demand and building quality products. Many of the sites well help you get initial customers, such as SaasMantra, Appsumo, Pitchground, etc.
- Start up Your Own Store
Preceding with the earlier point about making and selling your own products, you can even add them to a store and sell them. Preferably, you should sell them at your store. Now you get to keep all the profit that you make without paying anyone any additional fees. As a web developer you can set up your store without needing any outside resources, like vendors, developers, creators, etc. You can rely on yourself and not another vendor, which will save you from having to split any money you make.
If you know HTML, CSS, and JS, then creating your store isn’t challenging. In fact, most people with enough time on their hands will create a website just for practice or for fun.
As for payment, you have options like Stripe that is easy and simple to operate. You won’t need to get stuck with complex payment methods.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is imperative for internet businesses. If you’re looking to become a full-time freelance web developer, then knowing your way around SEO is a vital skill.
Search engine optimization essentially means improving the ranking system of search engines like Yahoo and Google. Companies and employers alike are willing to pay a lot to those who increase their ranking on these search engines.
To really integrate SEO practices into websites, you should remember to incorporate as many keywords as you can, analyze website trends, read through competitors’ analysis, and incorporate all this in the project. After considering all of these factors, you can have a website that can top Google and Yahoo.
- Contribute To Society
This doesn’t particularly make you money as a web developer. However, it makes you more popular in the community and cements your goodwill among other web developers. When you’re a web developer, you have the chance to contribute to web development’s open-source community.
You can introduce new features, fix bugs, or make nifty improvements. Not only do these improve your skills but also give you experience with different programming languages. Look for projects and websites that spark your interest and suit your skillset. This is a great way to get involved with the community and make connections.
- Get a job
And of course as we mention earlier in the the article if stability and security is what you’re looking for you can always take a full time position working a 9 to 5 as a web developer.
To Conclude
Web development is a fast-growing industry, with new developers entering the field at an unprecedented rate. People divert to this line of work because of the world’s ever-increasing use of mobile and digital equipment. In the future, the world is bound to become more internet focused ultimately making web development even more essential.
Because of the competition, people also have trouble understanding the payment methods of web developers. People often struggle to understand how to make money as web developer. But it isn’t as difficult as people think. Following these tips and ways to earn money would be highly profitable for your career.