When building a portfolio,It is understandable for freelance web developers to work with the first client that comes their way. However, as you progress, it's advisable to pick a niche to specialise in and provide great value to your clients.
What is a niche?
A niche is a specialised segment of the market for a particular kind of product-Oxford dictionary.
It can be a category of businesses/industry you choose work with.These can include a type of business e.g
bakeries
construction companies
flower shops
or a platform like Content management systems like Wordpress or E-commerce websites. Below I tell you why ;
1. Recognition as an expert
Picking a niche and specialising offers great potential of one being recognised as an expert in that field. Spending time working on a particular niche will have you gain the needed experience and expertise to create applications that benefit your clients.
Example: Bright Startups Company in Kenya that specialises in E-commerce sites.
2. Specific target market
A target market enables you to speak in a language that customers can relate to. This ensures you target this market with services and adverts that cater to their needs.
For example if your target market is bakeries ,you can use google my business to locate bakeries in a particular area. Then you can analyse their websites and Income and then strategies how to assist improve their businesses before you approach them.
3. Client referrals
The best clients are referrals from satisfied customers.These clients have either seen or heard about your work, so they are confident in your abilities.
This means you will spend less time looking for clients and earn more money working on projects.
4. Charge more for services
In every field, experts are paid more than the average professional. Rich with experience and a good reputation in the industry , you can set your own terms.
This will not only get you reputable clients but also earn you more money with less effort. You will be better off than a general web developer with thousands of clients paying average prices.
5. Increase collaboration avenues
When you are recognised as an expert in a particular field, more partners will want to collaborate with you in projects. Many open source and closed projects bring in experts to collaborate on projects.
A good example is freecodecamp that brings together developers all over the world towards a common goal of creating free programming resources for developers