With a whole lot of complete jobs accomplished and a 100% job success price, Zac McDonald is likely one of the top-rated WordPress builders on Upwork, the main job board for freelancers.
He started engaged on ardour initiatives and easy jobs with a fast turnaround. However in the present day, he’s a extremely expert skilled in WordPress safety, upkeep, and improvement.
Zac McDonald strives arduous to determine an amazing Upwork portfolio and now lives the digital nomad life by providing WordPress companies as a freelancer.
On this interview, Zac McDonald tells us about his WordPress journey. He additionally shares invaluable recommendation for aspiring WordPress builders and freelancers who need to set up an authoritative portfolio on Upwork.
Communication and honesty along with your shoppers is simply the primary factor. If you know the way to resolve their downside… and you then clear up it, that’s all anyone desires.
Zac McDonald – Freelance WordPress Devloper
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Video Interview with Zac McDonald
Should you’d like to take a look at the whole video interview with Zac McDonald, then you possibly can watch it under:
Or click on on the fast hyperlinks under to see what we cowl within the interview:
Meet Zac McDonald, Prime-Rated WordPress Freelancer on Upwork
Zac McDonald has been working with WordPress for almost 19 years, which is fairly near the start of the platform’s history. So, he is aware of a factor or two about evolving with software program.
He’s an skilled WordPress developer specializing in Elementor Professional, LearnDash, and extra.
Along with building WordPress websites from scratch, Zac gives safety, upkeep, and troubleshooting companies. He even has common shoppers on retainer.
He’s additionally one of the vital profitable and top-rated WordPress freelancers on Upwork. Actually, he has a 100% job success price and has accomplished over 150 jobs.
However chances are you’ll be questioning – how did he get to the place he’s in the present day? That’s why James Agar from the WPBeginner staff reached out to him to be taught extra about his WordPress journey, and he was type sufficient to inform us about it.
A WordPress Journey: From Unpaid Ardour Tasks to Incomes $150 Per Hour
Like many curious and self-taught WordPress fanatics, Zac began utilizing the WordPress CMS whereas experimenting with new instruments and initiatives.
After creating a couple of of his personal WordPress web sites for enjoyable, he discovered one other alternative near residence. His spouse labored at a salon with a horrible web site, so he supplied to redo it. He constructed a one-page web site with Elementor, and so they cherished it.
“I didn’t even ask for cash. I simply did it for enjoyable to construct the web site and to see if I might do it and if individuals would really like what I constructed,” he mentioned.
Zac then used these unpaid initiatives to show his expertise as knowledgeable WordPress developer.
I springboarded that to have a portfolio, to start out approaching different shoppers and saying, ‘I can do that for you at this worth degree.’ And it went from there.
As we talked about, Zac primarily finds initiatives on Upwork, which is undoubtedly one of the vital in style job boards for WordPress developers.
He bought his begin by taking small jobs that he might full rapidly and successfully. That manner, he was in a position to get extra shopper critiques quick, additional constructing his credibility and fame.
This labored effectively for Zac since he actually enjoys problem-solving all kinds of points.
“I like working by way of issues, so I type of get pleasure from when any person brings me an issue, and I’ve to be taught one thing and work out why they’ve the difficulty they’ve,” he mentioned.
Zac additionally began off charging little or no so as to get his foot within the door.
“I feel my first job I took for $15 an hour. And one job, I constructed this man an actual fast 4-page full web site for like digital enterprise that he had for like $50, $100. Tremendous low cost, however I bought it completed in lower than a day, and I bought my evaluate. He cherished what he bought.”
Zac repeated this course of, slowly elevating his costs as he gained extra expertise and bought extra constructive shopper critiques.
Right this moment, he fees $150 per hour for brand new shoppers. Which means his earnings have elevated by 10x since he accomplished his first job! That is fairly spectacular, in our opinion. Plus, it’s a testomony to the effectiveness of the “sluggish and regular” method.
Recommendation for Aspiring Freelance Builders: Zac on Transparency, Communication, and Studying New Expertise
Should you’ve ever used Upwork, you most likely know that getting jobs could be fairly aggressive. So, we additionally requested Zac what recommendation he would give to any aspiring freelance WordPress developers who need to stand out.
He emphasised the significance of transparency, communication, and studying new expertise. However he additionally talked about how necessary it’s to complete a couple of stable initiatives to construct your fame.
Should you’re beginning out, it’s all about getting simply these first few initiatives, the place you’ve got a portfolio, and you’ll show: ‘I’ve completed this and been profitable at it,’ after which transfer on from there.
In line with Zac, transparency means by no means telling a shopper which you can ship on one thing in case you’re unsure you possibly can. Try to be comfy letting shoppers know your present expertise and while you’re open to studying one thing new.
“Anyone may say, ‘Hey, Zac, I would like this widget on my website.’ And I’ll say, ‘I’ve by no means labored with a recipe widget earlier than. Let me get again to you tomorrow.’”
We predict this philosophy of honesty and openness to studying new expertise has been key to Zac’s success. He additionally identified that taking this method pushes him to broaden his skillset, giving him a aggressive edge sooner or later.
“The following time any person comes at me with a recipe widget, I do know precisely what to do, whether or not or not I took on that unique job.”
As well as, Zac talked extensively concerning the significance of communication and delivering projects in a well timed method. He really useful offering shoppers with conservative turnaround occasions.
For instance, in case you assume the mission will take you 2 weeks, then it’s finest to inform the shopper that it’ll take you a month. That manner, it offers you a buffer in case you run into any roadblocks. Plus, the shopper will probably be thrilled in case you flip the mission in early.
Moreover, Zac touched on the significance of holding on to good shoppers and inspiring shopper loyalty by sustaining his costs. “I usually don’t increase charges on ongoing shoppers,” he mentioned.
Lastly, Zac talked about how studying new expertise and expertise is important for succeeding as a WordPress developer. We’ll dive extra into his technical suggestions within the subsequent part.
Technical Ideas for WordPress Builders: All the time Hold Studying
If you wish to succeed as a contract WordPress developer on a platform like Upwork, you’ll want all of the comfortable expertise Zac mentioned within the earlier part. However what do you want by way of technical experience?
Zac had some helpful recommendation on this division as effectively. He mentioned, “Clearly, the extra coding languages you recognize, the higher.”
Nonetheless, he made it clear that being a whiz at each single WordPress programming language isn’t essentially a should.
“I’m actually not a grasp coder or something like that. I do know a bit of little bit of Java, a bit of little bit of PHP. I’m fairly good with CSS, HTML, after all.”
“Ultimately, there’s any person that’s smarter than you that wrote a plugin that does precisely what you need to do already, 9 occasions out of 10. And perhaps you must pay $10 or $20 or $50, but it surely’s virtually all the time well worth the change for time.”
That mentioned, Zac cited CSS as a very powerful language to be taught.
“I discover CSS is actually the primary factor I’m utilizing with WordPress… as a result of numerous issues are type of in a inflexible, predetermined theme or web page builder the place there’s solely so many choices. And you may just about change something on the entrance finish of a website utilizing CSS.”
Should you’re simply getting began, chances are you’ll need to take a look at our free WordPress video courses or the next newbie’s guides:
Zac has even referenced WPBeginner himself, saying, “I’ve undoubtedly used it as a useful resource.”
“I like how while you discover a web page on there, it often offers you methodology 1, methodology 2, methodology 3. So if I don’t need to use a plugin, it’d give me some code to punch in there to perform my process,” he mentioned.
Aside from the extra conventional coding expertise, Zac additionally talked loads concerning the significance of constant to develop your complementary expertise and data.
Along with CSS, he talked concerning the significance of AI and the way utilizing it to supply unique photographs and textual content also can assist.
A lot of shoppers need builders to supply an all-in-one service, so with the ability to give them web site copy and pictures will help you stand out as a freelancer.
In fact, in case you select to do that, Zac recommends letting shoppers know beforehand that you simply depend on AI to create this bonus content material.
Lastly, he means that understanding the best way to use a photo-editing tool also can make you extra interesting to potential shoppers.
Now, let’s hear some closing ideas from Zac.
Remaining Ideas & The place to Discover Zac’s Work
Initially of our dialog, after we requested Zac why he selected to work with WordPress, he mentioned, “I actually get pleasure from it. I simply benefit from the technical problem-solving that I get to do coping with WordPress.”
Nearer to the tip of our chat, he reiterated this similar thought, together with the significance of a wholesome curiosity and an urge for food for studying.
That’s the primary factor… be taught, and be taught by doing, and be taught by doing one thing you get pleasure from.
Once we talked to Zac, it turned clear that he genuinely loves his job, which might be nice information in case you’re an aspiring WordPress developer!
Throughout our discuss, he additionally highlighted the skilled freedom he enjoys as a freelancer.
“I used to be by no means actual nice at a boss and a nine-to-five job. The place freelancing is nice. I’m in my sweatpants in my basement, and I’m at work.”
As a completely distant staff, we get pleasure from a few of these advantages, too. So, we wholeheartedly agree with Zac on this level.
Should you’re curious about collaborating with Zac, otherwise you simply need to see what a profitable WordPress portfolio appears to be like like, you will discover his work and speak to data on his professional website or his Upwork profile.
Bonus: Skilled Guides for Aspiring WordPress Builders
Wish to grow to be a profitable, well-paid freelance WordPress developer like Zac? Listed below are some extra sources that will help you get began:
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