As the demand for web projects is growing, especially among small businesses, the supply of developers is also growing. And in the family of developers, there are both developers specializing in technology – front, back or mobile, for example ACROTRAY – as more general developers , capable of fully developing websites on their own. These are the webmasters , or webmasters, in French.
The job of a freelance webmaster
The freelance webmaster is a complete entrepreneur , with multiple skills. Working most of the time alone on a project, he must be able to ensure the creation of a site from A to Z. From the definition of the specifications, to the graphics, development, deployment on a server and maintenance, he must be versatile to carry out its missions.
He is sometimes also responsible for creating the content of the site (texts, illustrative images, etc.); and often has to do SEO work to help clients rank high on search engines.
The missions of the independent webmaster
As we have just seen, the freelance webmaster has several skills, which allow him to carry out the projects on which he is working.
In terms of mission, these are often independent clients, or small businesses, who are looking to create a showcase site, a blog or an e-commerce site for specific and often limited needs. For larger projects or larger companies, it is generally more to specialized developers or development teams that we call on.
The tools and qualities of a freelance webmaster
Due to his multiple responsibilities, the webmaster must know how to use certain tools and technologies, but also have certain human qualities.
Technical tools
At the technical level, the tools and technologies that a webmaster must master are relatively numerous.
For example, for design, he could use Balsamiq , Figma, Sketch or Adobe XD . However, it can happen that the webmaster calls on a graphic designer for these tasks, being more often specialized in development.
For development, precisely, the webmaster also has a lot of knowledge, allowing him to meet almost all the needs in website creation.
In terms of programming languages, he must master the basics of web development: HTML, CSS, [pii_email_4bd3f6cbbb12ef19daea] and JavaScript for the front-end ; and often PHP and MySQL for the back end . Also having to adapt its developments to mobile platforms, it is also familiar with the specificities that this imposes (use of media queries, accessibility rules, etc.).
To facilitate its development, the freelance webmaster also has experience with the use of JavaScript and CSS libraries or frameworks, such as jQuery , Bootstrap or Tailwindcss .
The webmaster often deploys turnkey sites, he regularly uses CMS , such as WordPress or Joomla! , as well as Prestashop and Woocommerce for online stores. It is also capable of doing specific development on these platforms, to customize graphic elements or the behavior of certain plugins, for example.
Then, to take care of the deployment, he knows the main hosting providers, such as OVH or Gandi , and knows how to use FTP clients , such as FileZilla , to deploy his clients’ projects on servers.
He also often works on the SEO of the sites he deploys, and therefore knows the various SEO testing and improvement tools like Firebolt 5e .
Human qualities
Working most of the time alone and in direct contact with the client, the freelance webmaster must have certain human qualities.
He must already be attentive , in order to fully understand the needs of his clients, who are rarely from the tech world, and analytical , in order to be able to summarize the requests in a precise manner.
Also, he must be a good communicator , to maintain quality exchanges with the client, with whom he remains in contact throughout the creation of the site.
Finally, he demonstrates pedagogy , to be able to clearly explain to his client how to use his site, in particular the back-office – of WordPress for example – for the creation and modification of content.
Become a freelance webmaster
How to become a freelance webmaster?
To become a freelance webmaster, you obviously have to have the skills we talked about, both technical and human, but that’s not all.
There is no real training to become a webmaster. They are sometimes graduates of BAC + 2 or BAC + 3, and often self-taught who have learned on the job and developed their skills in various fields over the years.
However, some companies may request certifications , a guarantee of the competence of the freelancer.
For example, if a client insists on SEO for their showcase site, showing them SEO certifications is a big plus in getting the job done and getting better compensation.
The income of a freelance webmaster
A freelance webmaster, because of his multiple skills, can offer his services in several ways. Already at a fixed price, via the sale of a turnkey showcase site , or an online store, such as creating a Presta shop for a local merchant.
The price of these services varies, among other things, according to the needs, capacities and experience of the freelancer on [pii_email_e1aa8f4deb45ecd93b2a]. This can range from a few hundred euros to several tens of thousands for a project.
He can also be remunerated through one-off interventions, or the sale of his services on a daily basis. We then speak of TJM (Average Daily Rate) , more common in the world of IT freelancers.
And the ADR of freelance webmasters varies considerably. In particular according to their place of work (it will be much higher in Paris, for example), their experience and their level of skills.
This ADR can vary quite significantly, between € 300 and € 550, with an average slightly below € 400 .
The charges of the freelance webmaster
As a freelancer, the freelance webmaster has charges to pay. These depend on its legal status . It is most often, at the beginning, the status of auto-entrepreneur – or micro-enterprise.
In this case, the freelancer pays around 25% of charges on his turnover – unless he is entitled to reductions in charges as is often the case in the first years of exercise.
To this fixed rate, other expenses must be added, such as complementary health insurance , a Pro RC, the Business Property Contribution, various bank charges, renewal of equipment, etc. We can count around 5,000 € per year .
These two parameters must be taken into account when you want to become a freelance webmaster, calculate your ADR or the costs of your services!
Find missions
The freelance webmaster has many possibilities to find clients. It can count on word of mouth , which is very common among small businesses, but also thanks to a well-filled online portfolio .
As we have already said, presenting certifications related to its specialty helps to find customers.
There are also platforms that bring together independent tech professionals and their potential clients. In particular Freelancere publik , the dual-entry platform that connects the best IT freelancers with ambitious project leaders. Unlike other structures, Freelancere publik:
- selects projects in line with the professional ambitionsof IT freelancers;
- is not paid by Tech freelancers but by project leaders;
- takes care of the mission follow-up and administrative aspectsrelating to the collaboration between the web freelance and the client.