Web developers are cut from a different cloth. We’re introverts. We thrive in isolation. As an introvert, you can get lost in code. Immersed in the bits and bytes that move across your screen. We don’t just build applications. We create programmatic symphonies. Beautiful ballads and waltzes. But we’re also problem-solvers. We find innovative ways to solve complex tasks that fuse together functions and objects at our will.
We thrive in that environment. But not all web developers are good at making money. Not all web developers understand the intricacies of taking their skill and turning it into a money-making machine. Some can. Some web developers understand ways to make money that others don’t. They don’t just get lost in code. They discover ways they can turn their skills into digital products that generate passive income.
Most think that every web developer has it made. If you’re a web developer, you can make lots of money no matter what. Right? But that’s not the truth. Today, web developers are a dime a dozen. And some live in various parts of the world that are inaccessible to companies that pay top dollar for their skills. But if you’re a web developer you must understand this. There are so many ways that you can turn your skills into multiple streams of income.
How to Make Money as a Web Developer
If you want to make money as a web developer, here’s the scoop. There are many ways to do this. So many different approaches you can take. Some of them are obvious. Others are not. Some require a deeper understanding of marketing. But that’s nothing for a web developer to figure out. After all, you’re used to solving those complex coding problems, right?
Once you understand the mechanics of how this works, all you need to do is implement. It’s not just about exchanging your time for money. Yes, of course you can do that. Obviously, you can exchange your time for money. But how far will that get you? It’s likely something you’re already doing today. But every night when you lay in bed you look for an escape. A way out. You plan and you tinker.
Then, when it comes down to it, nothing happens. You do nothing. You take no action. After all, you’re afraid. What if you can’t make it? What if you fail? Maybe you’ll try to make money and it won’t work out. People will laugh at you. They’ll ridicule you for trying to escape this so-called Matrix. But then what? You’re back at the proverbial drawing board.
No. It’s not just about exchanging time for money. You must move beyond that. How? There are many ways. But most of them still involve exchanging your time for no money at first. It means putting in the time now to create things that will make you money later. To make money in your sleep, from your phone, or while you travel. Imagine it. Can you picture that?
1. Freelancing
The most obvious way to make money as a web developer is to do freelancing. Many freelancing sites exist today. You have your pick of the litter. You can do small bite-sized projects by creating gigs on Fiverr. You can also opt for chasing larger projects on Freelancer or Upwork. But there are so many freelancing sites. And so many ways you can use freelancing to make money in web development.
However, you have to bear something in mind. You must know that every freelancing site relies heavily on positive reviews. If you have no reviews, you’ll find it hard to get work. Why? Because very few people want to work with newcomers to a platform. The best way around this? Bring your regular clients onto the freelancing platforms to get reviews. This will jumpstart your profile.
2. Customize Sales Funnels
Building a sales funnel does not take any technical experience. You don’t need to be a coder or a web developer to create a sales funnel. Nope. You can do that using premade templates and a drag-and-drop editor. But as a web developer, you can customize sales funnels in ways that others cannot. You can make them do things they normally wouldn’t do. And you can get paid to do that.
Here’s how it works. You can put together custom code that achieves desirable objectives that marketers want. And you can package that up and sell your sales funnels through the funnel marketplace. You can also become a certified sales funnel builder and get hired through a network of hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs looking to build and customize funnels.
3. WordPress Plugins
You can make money by creating WordPress plugins. WordPress is used by countless millions of sites on the internet. And plugins are useful bits of code that can achieve different results. Some of the most popular WordPress plugins help to optimize the code, help create caching, protect the site, integrate different applications, and so on.
If you’re familiar with the WordPress architecture and know how to build plugins, this is something you should pursue. You can sell your plugins on various platforms. Plugins need to gain reviews for real traction so make sure that you solicit authentic reviews from each customer that purchases one of your plugins.
4. Online Courses
Many people want to learn web development. And the field has so many different languages that can be taught. And while there are plenty of free tutorials online, people will gladly pay for online courses teaching them how to become a web developer. That’s what makes this a great way to make money as a web developer because you can easily sell that course to so many people.
Plus, you can still make free online tutorials that promote your course. That’s a great way to get people willing to pay you to become your student. Creating free online tutorials and posting them to YouTube also creates authority for you as a web developer. You can create your courses on ClickFunnels, Udemy, and Teachable.
5. Tutoring
As a web developer, you can also directly tutor others to help them learn the ins and outs of your trade. You can tutor people on Tutor.com, Varsity Tutors, and many other online tutoring platforms. This allows you to make money when you really need it. This isn’t passive income. But it is supplemental income when you need it.
Online tutoring isn’t scalable because you’re using your time to make money. This is similar to freelancing. But you’ll make more money freelancing than you will tutoring. When you’re a tutor, you also have to focus on the experience of the student. Give them a great experience to gather solid reviews and feedback about your teaching skills.
6. Digital Products
One of the best ways to make money is to sell digital products. What types of digital products can you sell as a web developer? There are many. All you need to do is choose just one of them and stick to it. Selling digital products is not a walk in the park. But if you create a digital product to help someone solve a problem, you’ll do far better.
Digital products can take on many forms. They can be eBooks, PDF guides, video series, email courses, and so on. You can approach this in many ways. All you need to do is find the person you want to help, think about their problem, and then build a solution for that problem. If you’re an app developer, come up with a unique app. Apps make great digital products. Especially if you can build them yourself.
7. Membership Sites
You can build a membership site that delivers some form of value. For example, you could build a membership site where people pay you a monthly fee for access to web development services. It could also be a fee that provides helpful tools or valuable insights for other web developers. There are many ways you can approach this.
Membership sites can be built with ease. Even as a web developer, you likely can build the entire membership site yourself. But that’s not worth the time it will take. Instead, build your membership site with our software and focus more on the marketing and the content. After all, that’s really what matters in business.
8. Books
People love to consume books. All day every day. And even if you’re not a great writer, you can create a technical book about web development that could help many others. This is more so about the efficiency of information and how well you can organize it. Books will also help create authority around what you do and can be used as a lead-generation tool to help you sell more of other things like online courses, coaching, consulting, and more.
It does take time to create a book. Instead of writing a generalized book, write a book around a specific problem that people are facing. Your book should solve that problem and do it in a way that delivers a ton of value. You’ll also need to focus on the book launch. An effective book launch usually happens to an engaged list. If you don’t have an engaged list, create a free lead magnet and start promoting that to build up your list before you publish your book.
9. Consulting
As a web developer, you can also make money consulting for other companies. Many companies don’t have their web architecture tightened up or optimized. They have large security holes and software that requires patches. Other companies need to scale their architecture and add features to their systems. You can assist with all of those tasks as a skilled web developer.
To set up a consulting business you should build an application funnel. An application funnel helps qualify the individual to work with you. This flips the script and puts you in control. They should prove why they are worthy of working with you. You should also build a lead magnet that illuminates the problem most companies face. And use that in a lead generation funnel.
10. Bug Bounties
Some developers make a lot of money by chasing bug bounties. A bug bounty is simply an amount of money a company places on the discovery of security holes or other vulnerabilities in their hardware and software platforms. If you discover a bug and can exploit it, then present your findings to the company, the amount of money you can make might be substantial. Especially for zero-day exploits.
You can find bug bounty programs on Hacker One. You’ll discover a list of opportunities and even see a leaderboard. However, many other sites provide bug bounties. You can even go directly to the source and contact the companies directly. This is especially useful when you discover an exploit that you know a company needs to patch.
11. Blogging
You can make money as a web developer by blogging about web development. Find all the problems that web developers face and build content around those problems. Create detailed posts about how to solve those problems. Use lists and walkthroughs. And ensure that you actually deliver real value that helps people out. That’s the key here.
To make money with your blog you can take several approaches. You can build up traffic and eventually run Google Adsense ads on your blog. That takes time to do. You can also use your blog to sell digital products or link to affiliate offers. And you can use it to generate leads for consulting, coaching, and any other number of high-ticket applications.
12. YouTube Videos
YouTube is a powerful source of traffic when done the right way. It can generate a lot of highly qualified leads in a short period. While it takes time to build an audience, you can speed that up by ensuring your videos have great hooks, they’re engaging, and are fast-paced. Don’t bore people to death. Otherwise your videos won’t get many views.
To succeed, you’ll need to stick to a schedule and upload often. It’ll take time so don’t expect it to happen quickly. But you can also use your videos as free tutorials to sell online courses and other digital products. You can even use your videos to link to affiliate offers and make money that way. There are many ways to approach it.
13. Niche Websites
Niche websites in the web development space can be created, bought, and sold to make money. Many existing sites that have revenue and are dedicated to web development can be found for sale on Flippa and Empire Flippers. These platforms are devoted to buying and selling online businesses of every single type.
If you can build niche websites, load them up with PLR products that you buy the rights to, and create traffic and sales, you can turn around and sell those sites. Think of it almost like a construction site. Except, instead of developing real estate and building a building, you’re creating virtual real estate and building sales.
14. Long-Term Work
Long-term work in the web development space is in high demand. Companies are always looking for great web developers. If you don’t live in a country where the pay is high, you can always opt for remote work if you can get it. Use websites like Indeed to source long-term work in web development. You can also go directly to recruiters and headhunters to find jobs.
You’ll need to set yourself apart in some way from the crowd. That’s because the field is highly competitive. Take the time to research the company and their software, and figure out their needs. See if you can add some value even before you get the job. Don’t just look at this as a direct exchange of labor for income. Find ways you can help even beforehand. That will make you stand out.
15. Social Media
Social media is a powerful driver of our economy. If you understand social media and use it the right way, you can make a lot of money in any field. As a web developer, you can make money in social media by building content around solving web development problems. You can use stories to share your experiences to create rapport.
However, always remember to place a link to a hero funnel in your social media profile. A hero funnel is simply a sales funnel that generates leads. This way, you can bring people into your world and get them on your email list. Once they’re on your email list, they’re no longer obscure people out there on social media. They’re actually people you can sell things to.