Responsibilities

As a freelance web consultant, I met with clients to discuss their needs and develop solutions that worked for their specific situations. During this phase, I did a lot of investigation of clients' current setups. This involved analyzing source code and the effectiveness of existing web tools. I developed designs and worked closely with clients to ensure that they were satisfied with the work. After approval, I handled domain and server management and set up websites for proper search engine visibility. Here is an example of a website that I designed for a UCONN study abroad program. 

I also did a lot of work in maintaining and updating existing websites. This involved implementing content management systems and using FTP to keep documents up to date. One website that I maintain contains over three hundred pages that are vital to this client's daily operations. It is interesting to not that half of the time consulting I am not performing technical tasks. A lot of my time is spent writing emails, making phone calls, and performing problem analysis. Some clients also required unique marketing; I used tools like Constant Contact, MailChimp, Optit, and Patronflex to set up email and text messaging campaigns that allowed my clients to advertise and inform their customers. I also used social media tools like Foursquare, Facebook, and Twitter to help increase personal interaction with customers and develop more intimate relationships. In one case, we went from no Facebook presence to a business page that racked up hundreds of likes and tens of thousands of views each month. This resulted in a more effective method of communicating information in a way that seems less intrusive. You can click here to see this page.

I also had the opportunity to perform tasks that I had not anticipated. I have designed restaurant menus, newspaper print advertisements, and implemented a custom touchscreen kiosk system that tracks customer visits and rewards them with coupons and discounts. These challenges kept me very interested and engaged. It also gave me the opportunity to improve my interpersonal skills and gain vital technical knowledge.