Software engineering is a lucrative venture that you can profit significantly from, as many experts consider it to be one of the most widely sought-after skills globally. According to Evans Data Corporation’s research in 2019, the US has a vibrant software industry, with about 4.2 million software developers. There are many ways to make more income as a software engineer or developer. So if you are interested in how to increase your income from software development, take a look at these points below.
- Focus on marketing
Marketing grows any business, software development inclusive. Developers can easily merge their product creation talent with practical marketing skills to achieve significant rewards. Many experts agree that successful software development businesses depend more on marketing skills to increase value than merely developing software. Competitors with products that are half your quality can beat you to clients due to their marketing strategies. Therefore, apart from developing quality products to convince potential customers of your worth, you should focus on SaaS marketing strategies to ensure that you put your product out there, increase its profitability, and reap continued rewards.
- Create a programming blog
Blogs are a great source of additional income for many people, and you can also exploit their profitability to create a programming blog that makes you money. Try using hosted solutions like WordPress, but these sites are typically limited in the extent to which you can personalize. Although you will likely have no following when you begin, many successful programming bloggers say consistent, informative writing caused many people to discover them online. Focus on writing quality content to teach others about programming and boost your reputation within your field. You can subsequently monetize your blog through sponsorship and advertising with platforms like Google AdSense to earn some good residual income.
- Freelancing
Due to the high demand for your skills, you should always consider freelancing as a way of making extra income outside your primary job. Many experts advise that self-regulation is vital to any freelancer’s success, so it would be best to assess yourself to determine if you have the discipline to work without much order and structure. Popular platforms available to freelancers are Fiverr and Upwork, and you can rely on them as a starting point for launching a freelancing career. You can also do your research and take up deals that match remote workers with companies, as well as people seeking the services of freelance software developers.
- Create a YouTube channel
In 2019, YouTube generated a reported 15.1 billion profits, meaning it is a potential money source that anybody can use for great benefits with the right strategy. As a developer, starting a YouTube Channel is another excellent way to diversify your income and market yourself. You can try YouTube ads, sponsorship, promoting your products, and affiliate marketing to make your channel a money-making platform. Experts recommend that you pick a niche topic you are good at, enjoy teaching others on, and record short videos of yourself addressing this area’s problems, trends, etc. By focusing on engaging your audience with information, you can easily leverage YouTube as a lead and audience generator that can help you earn steady residual income.
- Develop an app for sale
Research shows that mobile app revenue globally was around $88.5 billion in 2016. This proves that app development is a profitable way to make money as a developer. Although app development is typically tedious, focus on making your relevant software that programmers and computer scientists need or solves peoples’ problems for sale to earn income. It would be best to develop apps that are suitable for web, mobile, and desktop so you can have a broad reach. You should then monetize your app by integrating in-app purchases, which Forbes identifies as the leading income generator for app developers. Subscription-based apps, paid ads in your application, collecting and selling data, and referral marketing, are other creative ways to consider profiting from your apps.
- Competitions
Although not a guaranteed way of making money, you can potentially earn some cash from this endeavor. There are many dedicated platforms for coding contests like TopCoder, HackerRank, and Coderbyte with many members and more than enough competitions to try your hands on. Many programmers say competitive programming for income is not a sustainable means of making money due to inconsistency. Nevertheless, it provides a way of exploring your creativity and can network you with like-minded individuals, opening many doors to potential money-making opportunities. Therefore, it will help if you participate in as many coding contests as possible to earn money, market yourself, and gain experience.
