How Zac McDonald Grew Into the Top-Rated WordPress Freelancer on Upwork

With hundreds of total jobs completed and a 100% job success rate, Zac McDonald is one of the top-rated WordPress developers on Upwork, the leading job board for freelancers.

He began working on passion projects and simple jobs with a quick turnaround. But today, he is a highly skilled expert in WordPress security, maintenance, and development.

Zac McDonald strives hard to establish a great Upwork portfolio and now lives the digital nomad life by offering WordPress services as a freelancer.

In this interview, Zac McDonald tells us about his WordPress journey. He also shares valuable advice for aspiring WordPress developers and freelancers who want to establish an authoritative portfolio on Upwork.

Communication and honesty with your clients is just the number one thing. If you know how to solve their problem… and then you solve it, that’s all anybody wants.

Zac McDonald – Freelance WordPress Devloper

Keep reading to get expert tips and recommendations from one of the most successful freelance WordPress developers in the business!

Video Interview with Zac McDonald

If you’d like to check out the complete video interview with Zac McDonald, then you can watch it below:

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Meet Zac McDonald, Top-Rated WordPress Freelancer on Upwork

Zac McDonald has been working with WordPress for nearly 19 years, which is pretty close to the beginning of the platform’s history. So, he knows a thing or two about evolving with software.

He is an expert WordPress developer specializing in Elementor Pro, LearnDash, and more.

In addition to building WordPress websites from scratch, Zac provides security, maintenance, and troubleshooting services. He even has regular clients on retainer.

He’s also one of the most successful and top-rated WordPress freelancers on Upwork. In fact, he has a 100% job success rate and has completed over 150 jobs.

But you may be wondering – how did he get to where he is today? That’s why James Agar from the WPBeginner team reached out to him to learn more about his WordPress journey, and he was kind enough to tell us about it.

A WordPress Journey: From Unpaid Passion Projects to Earning $150 Per Hour

Like many curious and self-taught WordPress enthusiasts, Zac started using the WordPress CMS while experimenting with new tools and projects.

After creating a few of his own WordPress websites for fun, he found another opportunity close to home. His wife worked at a salon with a terrible website, so he offered to redo it. He built a one-page website with Elementor, and they loved it.

“I didn’t even ask for money. I just did it for fun to build the website and to see if I could do it and if people would like what I built,” he said.

Zac then used these unpaid projects to prove his experience as a professional WordPress developer.

I springboarded that to have a portfolio, to start approaching other clients and saying, ‘I can do this for you at this price level.’ And it went from there.

Zac McDonald

As we mentioned, Zac mainly finds projects on Upwork, which is undoubtedly one of the most popular job boards for WordPress developers.

He got his start by taking small jobs that he could complete quickly and effectively. That way, he was able to get more client reviews fast, further building his credibility and reputation.

This worked well for Zac since he really enjoys problem-solving a wide variety of issues.

“I like working through problems, so I kind of enjoy when somebody brings me a problem, and I have to learn something and figure out why they have the issue they have,” he said.

Zac also started off charging very little in order to get his foot in the door.

“I think my first job I took for $15 an hour. And one job, I built this guy a real quick 4-page full website for like electronic business that he had for like $50, $100. Super cheap, but I got it done in less than a day, and I got my review. He loved what he got.”

Zac repeated this process, slowly raising his prices as he gained more experience and got more positive client reviews.

Today, he charges $150 per hour for new clients. That means his earnings have increased by 10x since he completed his first job! This is pretty impressive, in our opinion. Plus, it’s a testament to the effectiveness of the “slow and steady” approach.

Advice for Aspiring Freelance Developers: Zac on Transparency, Communication, and Learning New Skills

If you’ve ever used Upwork, you probably know that getting jobs can be pretty competitive. So, we also asked Zac what advice he would give to any aspiring freelance WordPress developers who are looking to stand out.

He emphasized the importance of transparency, communication, and learning new skills. But he also talked about how important it is to finish a few solid projects to build your reputation.

If you’re starting out, it’s all about getting just those first few projects, where you have a portfolio, and you can prove: ‘I’ve done this and been successful at it,’ and then move on from there.

Zac McDonald

According to Zac, transparency means never telling a client that you can deliver on something if you’re not sure you can. You should be comfortable letting clients know your current skills and when you’re open to learning something new.

“Somebody might say, ‘Hey, Zac, I want this widget on my site.’ And I’ll say, ‘I’ve never worked with a recipe widget before. Let me get back to you tomorrow.'”

We think this philosophy of honesty and openness to learning new skills has been key to Zac’s success. He also pointed out that taking this approach pushes him to expand his skillset, giving him a competitive edge in the future.

“The next time somebody comes at me with a recipe widget, I know exactly what to do, whether or not I took on that original job.”

In addition, Zac talked extensively about the importance of communication and delivering projects in a timely manner. He recommended providing clients with conservative turnaround times.

For example, if you think the project will take you 2 weeks, then it’s best to tell the client that it will take you a month. That way, it gives you a buffer in case you run into any roadblocks. Plus, the client will be thrilled if you turn the project in early.

Additionally, Zac touched on the importance of holding on to good clients and encouraging client loyalty by maintaining his prices. “I generally don’t raise rates on ongoing clients,” he said.

Lastly, Zac talked about how learning new skills and technology is essential for succeeding as a WordPress developer. We’ll dive more into his technical recommendations in the next section.

Technical Tips for WordPress Developers: Always Keep Learning

If you want to succeed as a freelance WordPress developer on a platform like Upwork, you’ll need all the soft skills Zac discussed in the previous section. But what do you need in terms of technical expertise?

Zac had some useful advice in this department as well. He said, “Obviously, the more coding languages you know, the better.”

However, he made it clear that being a whiz at every single WordPress programming language isn’t necessarily a must.

“I’m really not a master coder or anything like that. I know a little bit of Java, a little bit of PHP. I’m pretty good with CSS, HTML, of course.”

“In the end, there’s somebody that’s smarter than you that wrote a plugin that does exactly what you want to do already, 9 times out of 10. And maybe you have to pay $10 or $20 or $50, but it’s almost always worth the exchange for time.”

Zac McDonald

That said, Zac cited CSS as the most important language to learn.

“I find CSS is really the number one thing I’m using with WordPress… because a lot of things are kind of in a rigid, predetermined theme or page builder where there’s only so many options. And you can pretty much change anything on the front end of a site using CSS.”

If you’re just getting started, you may want to check out our free WordPress video courses or the following beginner’s guides:

• How to Learn WordPress Basics for Free (Step by Step)
• Best Free WordPress Tutorials
• What is CSS?
• What is PHP?
• What is JavaScript?

Zac has even referenced WPBeginner himself, saying, “I’ve definitely used it as a resource.”

“I like how when you find a page on there, it usually gives you method 1, method 2, method 3. So if I don’t want to use a plugin, it might give me some code to punch in there to accomplish my task,” he said.

Apart from the more traditional coding skills, Zac also talked a lot about the importance of continuing to grow your complementary skills and knowledge.

In addition to CSS, he talked about the importance of AI and how using it to offer original images and text can also help.

Lots of clients want developers to provide an all-in-one service, so being able to give them website copy and photos can help you stand out as a freelancer.

Of course, if you choose to do this, Zac recommends letting clients know beforehand that you rely on AI to create this bonus content.

Lastly, he suggests that knowing how to use a photo-editing tool can also make you more appealing to potential clients.

Now, let’s hear some final thoughts from Zac.

Final Thoughts & Where to Find Zac’s Work

At the start of our conversation, when we asked Zac why he chose to work with WordPress, he said, “I really enjoy it. I just enjoy the technical problem-solving that I get to do dealing with WordPress.”

Closer to the end of our chat, he reiterated this same idea, along with the importance of a healthy curiosity and an appetite for learning.

That’s the main thing… learn, and learn by doing, and learn by doing something you enjoy.

Zac McDonald

When we talked to Zac, it became clear that he genuinely loves his job, which is probably great news if you’re an aspiring WordPress developer!

During our talk, he also highlighted the professional freedom he enjoys as a freelancer.

“I was never real great at a boss and a nine-to-five job. Where freelancing is great. I’m in my sweatpants in my basement, and I’m at work.”

As a fully remote team, we enjoy some of these benefits, too. So, we wholeheartedly agree with Zac on this point.

If you’re interested in collaborating with Zac, or you just want to see what a successful WordPress portfolio looks like, you can find his work and contact information on his professional website or his Upwork profile.

Bonus: Expert Guides for Aspiring WordPress Developers

Want to become a successful, well-paid freelance WordPress developer like Zac? Here are some additional resources to help you get started:

• Best WordPress Starter Themes for Developers
• Top Tools for WordPress Freelancers, Designers, and Developers
• Best WordPress Development Tools (Free + Paid)
• Best WordPress Developer Jobs Sites (+ Example Job Template)
• Best Freelance Websites to Find Work (Top Picks)
• How to Manage Multiple WordPress Sites From One Dashboard
• How to Create Invoices for Clients Using WordPress
• Will WordPress Replace Web Developers? (Expert Insights)
• The Future of WordPress: What to Expect (Our Predictions)
• WordPress Career Options – How to Make a Living With WordPress

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