Our clients are changing the world, making inspiring projects and, of course, websites on Tilda. Here is the story of a freelance designer Simon Wijers who creates websites for clients and travels the world.

TILDA SUCCESS STORIES

Simon Wijers
Tilda
When it was clear that the situation with the pandemic is here to stay, Dutch web designer Simon Wijers decided to travel and see the world. So he left the Netherlands and landed in sunny Mexico. For more than 7 months now, Simon has been traveling around Mexico and creating websites for his Dutch and international clients on Tilda.
Web Design
Industry
Mexico
Current Location
— Hey Simon, can you briefly introduce yourself?
— Sure, my name is Simon and I'm a freelance web designer. I've been designing for 13 years now. I make websites and also do branding, social media templates, and SEO optimization. Next to design, I like photography and videos.

I come from the Netherlands but my girlfriend and I are now in Mexico—we decided to go travel and to see the world. We're seven months on the road now. Here in Mexico, I enjoy my hobbies and work for my clients— and that it's perfect for me.
— Your job is to create websites for clients. How did you choose the platform for website building?
— Before discovering Tilda, I used another website builder but I got stuck with how much I could do with it. There were limitations and boundaries, for instance, you can't add animations unless you go into the code yourself. Also, there were limited design options.

So I was looking at all the other website builders, I've tried several but didn't like any of them. And just when I was about to give up and go back to the previous platform, I watched a video on YouTube and in the comment section there was one person that said: "You should use Tilda!"
So I tried it immediately. And in two hours I was sold. Tilda was so much easier than other website builders. And you can do pretty much anything with Zero Block, I really love it. I can add to Tilda anything I want including SVG files (vectors) which is pretty cool. Also, animation and responsiveness are impressive! And now with the new features for creating gradients and blurry backgrounds, it's made so much easier, you never have to go into the code. And that's what I really love!
— How do you organize work with your clients? Can you describe the process from receiving the assignment to completing the project?
— I usually start with creating a Tilda account for a client. For the client projects, I usually make 80% Zero Blocks and 20% non‑Zero Blocks because Zero Block gives you so many possibilities. When I use Zero Block, I can make websites stand out and do more things with design animations. That's what I like. I really want to go the extra mile for the wow effects, if you know what I mean. And this 20% with basic blocks is crucial for the clients because if they have to change text or images, they can do it easily themselves.

So we go back and forth with the pages until the client approves the designs. When we finished the whole design, I go to the responsive states. So I check how should this design look on a tablet or an iPad, or a phone.
You can do pretty much anything with Tilda's Zero Block
When the website is finished, clients can log in themselves because they have their own accounts. I usually plan a video meeting with the client to go through Tilda: I show them how it works, it’s basically like a one-hour walk-through.

My package comes with the basic SEO automatization, but if the client wants to do the extra mile, I can go further with it.

Most of the time clients want to change texts and sometimes images themselves. And it's always worked out perfectly.
Made
on Tilda
— What about your personal website? Did you make it on Tilda as well?
— Right, my own website is also built on Tilda. And it's a really big one, I believe it has about 30 pages.

I think my website is a pretty fun one to scroll through. It's not like a standard business formal portfolio. I think in 2022, websites should be a bit more fun, especially if we are talking about personal websites. So wanted to integrate some fun stuff. For example, when you click on my face on the homepage, an animation goes by with sunglasses coming up on my face. It's a nice little detail I wanted to add.

When you go to the Contact page, the header is like a big animation. It's a way to impress the client, make them interested in working with me, it's one step closer to convincing potential customers. When a client sees this cool animation, they often say, "Wow, this is cool!"
With Tilda, I make websites faster which means I can have more clients at the same time and make more profit. Also, clients really love the designs, and it makes me happy!
— What is your mission as a web designer?
— I think nowadays there are a lot of websites that are okay, but not really well thought of. They are basic or standard. So my goal is to go the extra mile, I want to deliver not just a good website, but a nicely structured product with wow effects. It doesn't have to be a website full of motion, subtle animations are often enough to create a strong positive impression and improve the efficiency of the site.

So in a way, I’m helping customers to present themselves online the best possible way!
Get to know Simon's designs on his personal website and check out his YouTube channel with fascinating travel videos.
More Stories:
Why to teach your clients how to make and edit websites
Story of a startup that helps women grow their inner entrepreneurs
Why the founder of the Velveteen Type Foundry likes Tilda's typography tools
How creating websites on Tilda allows Simon travel around the world
Free coursebook on how to design, set up, and run
high-conversion landing pages

Free practical guide to web animation with examples, techniques,

and tips on how to use them