I’ve spent a lot of time recently looking at websites of freelancers…not just freelance designers and copywriters, but freelancers of all types.
Over time, I’ll share various thoughts, but I’ll just focus on one area today. This one is kind of specific to designers and copywriters. It may be a bit controversial, but just take it as one person’s opinion. (I guess it’s only controversial if you disagree with me.)
It’s not uncommon for a freelancer to list clients he or she has worked for. I don’t, for no reason in particular. But I have nothing against other people listing their clients on their website.
But that’s where we run into potential problems. How do you define a client? You’d think that would be easy enough, but not quite.
I’ve seen some beginners list companies they’ve done spec assignments for as clients. This is a gray area, but I don’t believe that just because you did a spec assignment for someone, that qualifies them as a client.
If that were the case, and I wanted to create an impressive list of “clients”, I could do a bunch of unsolicited spec assignments for Microsoft, Boeing, Ford and any other well-known name you could think of. I could even send my work off to those companies. Whether or not I got a job from them, or even a response, wouldn’t matter much because my main goal would be to list them as “clients.”
Does it make a difference if the company was actively soliciting for spec assignments? In my mind, it doesn’t.
Here’s how I define a client for my business: An individual or company that uses a design or layout I have created.
Notice there’s nothing in there about being paid. Although all my jobs are paid, my only criteria for being considered a client is if they used something I created based on their request for my services.
So what’s the big deal of listing spec work as “client” work? To me, it’s an issue of trust. As I’ve said before, the difference between you getting a job and not getting a job is often due to very minor, subtle things. And part of your job is to eliminate as many “red flag” items as possible.
I think, and this is just my opinion, that most potential clients interpret client lists as people you’ve done actual work for and that the work has been used.
If they ask you to provide details about your relationship with the clients on your list or about the projects you worked on for them (perhaps the potential client knows some of the people you’ve listed), you might find yourself in an uncomfortable position having to explain the true nature of your relationship with the names on your client list.
That could be enough to send the potential client to someone else. Never underestimate the importance of clients feeling they can trust what you say and do. Those initial feelings they get about you often seal the deal, for better or worse.
You might be asking, “So how do I catch someone’s eye if I’m not using recognizable names?” Simple…stick with samples that show the quality of your work. Highlight the fact that you know how to use your design tools by showing samples that make it clear. Focus your attention on a compelling message on your homepage that helps convince people to at least contact you for more information or to look at your samples.
While I’m against listing spec jobs as “clients”, I think it’s fine to show on your website the work you did on spec or the work you’ve made up. (As long as your samples page doesn’t say “This is work I’ve done for clients.”) That’s because you used your tools and skills to create it, whether anyone used it or not. And that’s the main thing clients want to know…whether you have the skills to do the job.
If you get asked about whether your samples are made-up or spec, or if they were for jobs in which you got paid, be honest and tell them. That helps you build trust.
I think the bottom line to all this is that you seriously consider the impression you’re giving people when they visit your website. You need to question how you phrase everything you say on your site and whether what you’ve included on your site is helping or hurting you.
You want to be completely confident that your site is the truest representation of you, your skills, and the way you do business.
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Forgot to mention that the first issue of the new Adobe Magazine is out. (It’s a free digital magazine.) Boy, was I disappointed! I was hoping that the magazine would be full of great tips on how to use Adobe software like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. After all, who better than Adobe would know how to squeeze the most out of their software?
No such luck. There are some tips, but it feels more like a bunch of stories about companies and people who use Adobe software…almost like case studies. The magazine is free, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain, but I was so disappointed. For tips about getting the most out of Adobe software, stick with Layers Magazine or some publication that is specific to the Adobe software you use.