Freelancing: How To Make Serious Money Online
By Careers Desk
Sunday, May 13, 2018.
Unlike get-rich-quick scams, freelancing is a legitimate way to make serious money online. Maybe you have a certain set of skills that can be monetized, or maybe you have knowledge of certain products and services that people want in certain markets. Whatever the case, you should be using your talents to make money online. Anybody can become a freelancer. Whatever you’ve been doing in the working world, you can do online. The world of eCommerce is booming because more consumers than ever are using the internet to buy the goods and services they want. Let’s talk about some of the ways you could make serious money online as a freelancer.
Work out your business model.
As discussed in the introduction, anybody can become a freelancer. However, you need to figure out your talent. What is it that you’re going to sell? If you’ve had jobs in specific industries in the past then you could consider simply doing the same work but selling your services directly to clients. It’s much smarter to take the self-employed route; you get to keep all the profit and you have far more freedom in terms of your business and personal life. But you could develop a business out of any passion or skill you may have. If you’re a good writer then you could write marketing copy for clients. If you’re an artistic individual then you could design logos or websites for businesses and individuals.
The point is that you need to figure out your business model. You also need to do some research regarding how to sell online. Being a talented graphic designer or marketing guru is one thing, but making money from that talent online is quite another. You need to figure out which platforms to use and how to use them. There are eCommerce sites such as Fiverr that are great tools for freelancers looking to build a client base, but you might not want to split the commission with a big brand. You might want to create your own eCommerce website and find clients on your own. Of course, you need to learn a little something about marketing to do that…
Get to grips with the complexities of online marketing.
If you’re going to make serious money online then you’re going to need to get to grips with the complexities of online marketing. Paying money for online adverts on a few websites probably won’t get you the results you’re looking for. People tend to ignore pop-up ads or adverts listed on the side of websites. Consumers like to browse for goods their own way, so you need to target the platforms they use. Optimizing your content for search engines is a good start. If your eCommerce website shows up first on search result pages then you’ll capture people’s attention without seeming as if you’re forcing an advert in their faces. Yet, in a way, SEO is a free way to advertise yourself online. When it comes to online marketing, you just need to understand each advertising platform.
Keep your clients happy.
As with any type of business, the key to being a profitable freelancer is to keep your clients happy. You’re an underdog in this competitive business world because you’re operating solo, so you need to really impress your early clients to ensure that they give you good reviews and spread the word about your services. You could offer discounts to first-time customers and extra deals to long-term clients. Maybe you could even start a loyalty scheme; customers could get 50% off every 10th order they make, for example. Additionally, you need to keep clients happy by making your service as professional and efficient as possible. You should have options on social networks to pay for services directly through your social media pages; Twitter and Facebook have tools such as this for businesses.
