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The WP Minute brings you news about WordPress in under 5 minutes -- every week! Follow The WP Minute for the WordPress headlines before you get lost in the headlines. Hosted by Matt Medeiros, host of The Matt Report podcast.
Eric Karkovack: Hello everyone and
welcome to the WP Minute podcast.
I'm your host, Eric Karkovack.
So today's episode is a bit of
a mental reset for freelancers.
Why do we need one?
Well take a look around.
The world is full of uncertainty
and that extends to WordPress.
We've seen the software scale back to one
major release per year, not to mention
the continuing legal drama, and that's
only part of the challenges we face.
It's enough to make your head spin.
So I want to take a few minutes to
provide some reassurance and reflection.
So sit back, relax, and clear your head.
It's time to take a fresh look
at freelancing with WordPress,
understanding your value as a
WordPress freelancer, it's a tough
time to be a WordPress freelancer.
The entire ecosystem seems to be
shifting beneath us as we've witnessed
legal battles and community drama.
Not to mention a newfangled
technology, artificial intelligence,
taking over the planet.
None of this is good for
stability or our confidence.
It's natural to wonder what it all
means for the future of freelancing.
Are we doomed or just
in a time of transition?
I know my business has
changed in the past year.
Leads for new site builds have
morphed into requests for maintenance.
It feels like we'll never get
back to the way things were.
Perhaps that's true.
It doesn't mean the future isn't bright,
though there's still value in what we do.
Recognizing it is the first step
to finding success in a new era.
So let's consider this a pep talk
for you, my fellow freelancer.
Let's have a collective mental reset
to help us focus on what's next.
Relationships are at
the core of what we do.
Modern tools make it possible
for non-designers to build
a functional website.
But what happens when a user needs help?
What if they need a feature
that isn't readily available?
Sure.
A SaaS provider can employ an
AI bot to handle certain tasks.
It might answer simple questions.
However, that doesn't establish
a relationship with a client.
There's no human connection.
As freelancers, we exist
to help clients go farther.
We guide them through every step of
building and maintaining their website,
and are there when they have questions.
We can give them more
than generic answers.
The relationships we form
with clients are meaningful.
They can come to us
for support and advice.
It builds trust and loyalty, and people
are more likely to stick around when
there is an established relationship.
The land of site builders and AI
assistance can't match these values.
Clients will hop from one provider
to another without a second thought.
That's not necessarily the case
when working with a freelancer.
Perhaps these tools will make us look
too expensive in the short term, however,
it's not hard to imagine frustrated
users eventually realizing that
knowledgeable humans are worth the cost.
That's why there will always be
a place for us in the market.
Experience and expertise still matter.
Websites are more
complicated than they appear.
That's a lesson.
Freelancers learn the hard way.
We try, we fail and we improve.
Those experiences with all their ups
and downs help us learn what works.
We gain expertise that serves
us and our clients well.
It's something we can lean
on as we face new challenges.
It shows in knowing which plugins to
use and how to keep our website secure.
Experience allows us to
troubleshoot a buggy feature
or diagnose a slow page load.
We've learned about
accessibility's importance and
how to implement best practices.
These skills are vital
to a website success.
Clients need an expert to help them
avoid pitfalls and make sound decisions.
They need someone who does more than point
them to sales, pitches and documentation.
Having a one-on-one conversation about
website strategy is a prime example.
It allows clients to weigh their options
and determine the best path forward.
We're a resource for client growth.
Our experience and
expertise make it possible.
A changing landscape brings
opportunity as a creature of habit.
I can't blame anyone for lamenting change.
Once we think we have this industry
figured out, it reinvents itself.
The tools and people we rely on
are suddenly different or gone.
WordPress has stuck around even
through recent tumult, but how we
use it and build for it has changed.
Coding with PHP isn't the surefire
path to profitability anymore.
Blocks powered by React have left
many of us scrambling to keep up.
The market surrounding WordPress is
also undergoing a reckoning of sorts.
For instance, products from
independent developers continue to
be acquired by big conglomerates.
These transactions tend to result in price
increases further squeezing tight budgets.
Some clients are asking
us to do more with less.
Those are the challenges.
However, these shifts also
bring new opportunities.
AI tools may be part of the answer.
We can use them to increase our
efficiency and capabilities.
They might also become a
springboard to more revenue.
There's also a chance to shift our focus.
The organization's flocking to use
site builders aren't a good fit
for freelancers, at least not now.
They're after the lowest price
rather than the best product.
Thus, it's a good time to
identify a more profitable niche.
It's also a moment to reinvest in
ourselves by learning a new skill
or strengthening existing ones.
Start by identifying areas that interest
you and can enhance your business.
There is no shortage of courses or
tutorials to help get you started.
Change is both difficult and inevitable,
but we don't have to sit idly by.
While it happens, a proactive freelancer
can find opportunities amidst the chaos.
You belong in this new era of freelancing.
Things look a lot different than
they did five or 10 years ago,
but that's not a new phenomenon.
For perspective, my web design
journey started in 1995.
My workflow consisted of hand coated
HTML and graphics from Microsoft Paint.
I couldn't have imagined a tool
like WordPress back in those days.
Somehow I managed to keep up
with the times for 30 plus years.
Long time freelancers repeat
this cycle again and again.
Maybe this new era seems scary
compared to others even so, I
still believe freelancing is
a viable way to make a living.
It's all about adapting to market
needs and what you do best With that in
mind, take a deep breath, look at your
business and determine where you stand.
Then draw a path to where you want to go.
You got this.
All right.
That's our episode for today.
There's no doubt we live in tumultuous
times, but freelancers still have
an opportunity to adapt and thrive.
I'd love to hear your
thoughts on this subject.
So hit me up on Blue sky@kas.com.
That's KAR ks.com.
And be sure to visit the
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See you next time on the WP Minute.