Creating a good online presence:

 

Are you looking to create a good online presence? This blog article will explain what a good online presence should look like and what you should do to promote it. The goal is to help yourself gain clients, gain employment, and, most importantly, stand out from the crowd.  Take a look at these web developer portfolios for example. Click here

So what exactly is an online presence? That’s a good question. The definition is “the collective existence of a business or an individual that is found online via searches” To put it simply, it's how a prospective client or employer sees you and how you fit into their future projects and/or company. It's your digital CV

How to establish an online presence.

As a web developer having an online presence is key.  There are several ways that you can achieve this.

Create your website

Your portfolio website should be at the center of your online presence, it is where you can showcase your best work and allow clients and employers to get in touch with you.

I recommend as a web developer creating your portfolio from scratch, allowing you to tailor it to your own needs. There are plenty of alternatives due to the rise in website builders. You could create your site using WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace which streamline the process and allow the use of templates (free or purchased) as well as countless plugins that can add all sorts of functionality to your site.

Social media

Did you know that Facebook has over 3 billion active monthly users. That just goes to show the power of utilizing social media.

Using social media is a critical aspect of a developers online presence. Having a LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram page allows you to connect with followers and similar creatives sharing your best work and advice with them anytime for free, building up a network of like-minded people.

GitHub is also an essential part of a web developer's online presence as it allows you to share your code with other users, potential clients as well as potential employers. You can check out my own personal Github here.

Promoting your work

Promoting your work online as a web developer is another essential aspect of your online presence as it allows you to promote your brand and stay relevant in an ever-evolving technology.

You should have a modern, fully responsive portfolio website to showcase your work online. You should also employ great SEO (Search engine optimization) to allow your website to be ranked as high as possible by search engines, here is a tutorial.

If I said you could potentially make money from promoting yourself online would you be interested? Great! That’s exactly what YouTube offers if you can find the time to create programming tutorials and web development tips and tricks, all the time promoting yourself to an even larger audience and showing off your skills.

Contributing to open-source projects via sites such as Github.com can also contribute to your now ever-growing online presence and again allows you to show off your skills and knowledge.

Another interesting and engaging way to promote your work is to take part in online developer forums, such as stackoverflow.com and Reddits own r/webdev and r/learnprogramming channels. Not only can you show off your work but you might even pick up some useful hints and tips.

What is a good way to get noticed by potential employers?

The best way to get noticed by potential employers is by having a fully fleshed-out Linkedin profile complete with a professional photo, a catchy headline, and a summary that highlights your skills. Including a link to your custom-made portfolio website wouldn’t hurt either.

You should also try and connect with as many companies and hiring managers within the web development sphere as you possibly can. You can do this through LinkedIn as this will allow you to show off your work directly.

What sets you apart from the competition?

To set yourself apart you have to be constantly learning and keeping up with the trends in web development.

Keeping a close eye on these trends allows you to be at the forefront of any new or popular technologies as soon as they become available expanding your own tool set and making yourself more attractive to clients and employers.

What work should you include and what should you exclude?

It is essential to only include your best work. That tutorial that you followed online thats been followed by thousands of others? Nah discard that, but that app you created that allows you to track web development trends around the world at the click of a button? Highlight it! Show just how proud of it you are. If it solves a real-world problem, even better!

How often should you update and promote your work?

Every major product you work on, be it a personal project, open-source, or for a client/employer should be added to your CV, Portfolio, and LinkedIn profile as soon as it's finished showcasing, any new skills you have learned and the challenges you faced.

You should also have a blog and be updating it as you go along with any new tips and projects you are involved in and share your blog on your social media.

My Advice.

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice before starting on the web development path, it would be to get out of tutorial hell and start building actual projects. I waited far too long to create my portfolio and to promote my work, so I missed out on a number of opportunities.

What advice does your industry area provide?

The web development industry advice to any up-and-coming developers is to make sure you master the fundamentals. Having a strong understanding of the core technologies – HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is essential as these are the basic foundations of any framework and library you may come across.

What advice can you provide to others studying your area?

If you plan to or are currently studying web development, then my advice to you would be to make sure the learning doesn’t stop when you have finished a module or project in class. If you had to learn to use, say, ReactJs for a class project then don’t let that be the end of it. Keep improving that project and making it your own.