Freelance web developer what skills/knowledge other than coding do I need

Hi everyone,

About one year ago i made the decision to become self employed and have promised myself that I would never allow myself to be employed in a traditional job with a ‘boss’ every again, I have had too many very bad experiences, and love the feel of being my own boss and the self-employed lifestyle.
Looking into the future, my goal is to become a freelance web developer, a more sustainable option rather than window cleaning (No Rain or freezing my fingers off in winter!!). I am fully aware that this will take a lot of time and effort to get myself up to the standard where I can sell my services, I know this is not a quick thing- I’m looking at 2-3 years of learning until I fully make the switch.
But one question that’s running through my mind as I make my learning plan, is apart from the obvious coding and business sense, what other skills and knowledge do I need to become a successful web developer?
Thanks in advance!!

Besides the technical skills, you’ll also need marketing skills. To “make it” as a freelancer, you will probably have to work hard at promoting yourself. You’ll want to have a well designed online presence, know how to make the most out of freelance service websites, and be able to cold-call business to solicit customers.

Hi there! I am also pursuing a career in freelance web development for similar reasons! For what it’s worth, I think that being a self-directed learner is critical to being successful not only in freelancing or web development but in life itself.

Thank you for your reply!
I was thinking more along the lines of technical skills that I would need to be able to be a competent developer. Like revolving around hosting, or operating system knowledge (dont really know what I’m talking about here!!).
But yes I didn’t think about the marketing skills I need to brush up on! So thank you for that!