How to Select the Right Freelancer Platform for Your Skill Set

Finding the right freelance platform online can be tough for everybody, particularly for beginners. Luckily, you have choices and most freelance platforms are easy to find and use.

But, how do you select the right freelance platform? Shortlist many suitable platforms and register for their free trial. I recommend you verify the leading freelance sites. To start check out: DesignContest, Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, and Peopleperhour. These sites have received high rankings in freelance platforms reviews. I Personally use Upwork.

Freelance platforms are a boon for both individuals and businesses. In today’s internet age, you’ll be able to work from anyplace, anytime for any company around the world. Freelance platforms facilitate this by providing an area for world businesses to connect with temporary employees.

On these sites, freelance professionals create profiles, share their work portfolio, and connect with potential employers. Organizations can search a database of candidates based on criteria like skills, expertise and job titles. Businesses offer temporary contracts to freelancers like writers, editors, translators, designers, and others. Businesses save money by hiring for results rather than hiring a full-time employee. Freelancers are assured of warranted payment on freelance sites that provide written agreements. But you need to know how to make use of freelance websites to the fullest.

Understand However Freelance Websites Work

Basically, freelance websites are job search platforms, which assist you to find project opportunities. Several freelance websites offer you the chance of uploading a portfolio and acts as a mediator between you and prospective clients. Prospective employers will post assignments that you can apply for. When applying for an assignment, I recommend you read the job posting thoroughly, research the hiring company and then write an original response.

As someone that hires freelancers, I always insert a keyword into my job posting that I want applicants to include in the application message. It’s easy to tell the difference between canned and original responses. I generally don’t hire anyone that doesn’t include the keyword I requested be included or provide a canned response. If someone isn’t prepared to read a job positing fully and take five minutes to write a response, will they take the time, care and attention to provide a service to me?

Gеt tо knоw each Platform wіth thе Frее Plаn

Freelance platform providers supply both paid as well as free plans. The paid plans supply a lot of benefits and advantages. Shortlist many suitable platforms and register for their free plan or trial. Evaluate the pros and cons of each and decide which is the best freelance platform for your skillset and capabilities. I recommend you verify the subsequent leading freelance sites to start out with: DesignContest, Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, Fiver, and Peopleperhour. These sites have received high rankings in freelance platforms reviews that you just will examine to induce information on the features and tools they provide.

Why Businesses use Freelance Platforms

Entrepreneurs use these sites to hire freelancers for specific assignments and can often lead to repeat business.
Small businesses with restricted budgets can save time and money by outsourcing a number of their tasks to freelancers.
Enterprise organizations that require specific skillsets for their projects can hire qualified freelancers to complete specific tasks

Key Features of Freelance Platforms

Project Submission
Freelancer Profile
Project Bidding
Monetization Plan
Payment Gateways
Fully Responsive

1. Project Submission

Businesses submit projects and include the name, category, budget, project description and any additional information they want the freelancer to know. The hiring party wants to be sure the right freelancer is applying so they will likely provide very specific information. For example, if trying to find writers, they may include information about the topic and publication.

2. Freelancer Profile

Freelancers create a profile with their name, skills, position, self-description, qualifications, work experience, and other relevant data which will facilitate them land suitable jobs.

3. Project Bidding

Freelancers apply for projects and businesses will invite elect freelancers to bid for them too. Employers will then consider factors like skills, experience, portfolio, and price to select the most effective candidates for the work. It is usual for a hiring manager to request sample work or request the freelance watch/read instructions before making an offer.

4. Monetization Plan

Freelance platforms make cash by charging for the services rendered. Some sites take a cut from each employer and freelancers. therefore, freelancers ought to guarantee they consider the commission rate whereas bidding for projects.

5. Payment Gateways

Freelance platforms use payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and 2Checkout to confirm freelancers get paid. They conjointly embrace native payment ways to assist businesses paying freelancers who reside in local areas.

6. Fully Responsive

Smartphones are present and therefore the best platforms are mobile responsive sanctioning you to access the positioning and work on it from any mobile device.

Choosing the right Freelance Websites

Freelance platform tools provide a convenient place wherever global companies will hire talent from anyplace within the world. Businesses will reduce prices whereas freelancers will earn dollar payments from anyplace. Luckily, there are tons of websites out there that provides freelancing jobs. a way to pick the simplest one? Let’s have at what you should be trying once deciding which website to use.

Terms and Conditions
Customer Support
Low Commission Fees
Choose Small Networks
Prefer Direct Contact with Clients

1. Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions are nothing however the contract you agree upon victimization their services. You must be terribly careful whereas singing in any contracts because once you jump in; there’s no choice to turning back.

2. Customer Support

You can’t merely consider the freelance website and begin acting on a project. You must scrutinize forums and other online resources for feedback given by other freelancers. The platform should have customer support to answer all queries and alleviate your issues.

3. Low Commission Fees

This is one amongst the key side that you should compare across numerous platforms because they directly take your profit. It’s higher to avoid sites that need a share fee. You must not conform to embassy fees.

4. Choose Small Networks

You can select choose a smaller network rather than choosing an enormous network as they’re much common among freelancers. This suggests the competitions are going to be terribly high and therefore the commission rate would even be high comparatively.

5. Prefer Direct Contact with Clients

It is perpetually higher to ascertain direct contact with clients. It not solely nurtures a long term business relationship but also saves your time and money. Direct contact facilitates work method and makes your work flow smoothly.

Project Yourself the Proper Way

Presenting yourself the correct means is extremely necessary for any skilled to taste the success. However, the subsequent are many tricks that work well for freelancing websites:

Apply to Projects that Match your Skillset

Focus on jobs that you just are enthusiastic about and matches your skillset. Always, you must be trying to expand your skillset and information in your interested domain. You must undertake projects that you can confidently complete with a good quality.

Be Proactive

Don’t wait until others reach out; look for projects and better you reach them. You must apprehend your skills higher than anyone else. Whether it’s companies or freelancers, you must show them you’re the correct quite person.

Don’t Undersell Yourself

Do not agree to the most affordable rates attainable. Set a minimum acceptable rate (MAR) and don’t ever go below it.

7 Benefits of Freelancer Platforms

There are lots of benefits for freelancers on these platforms. They embrace the following:

You саn post уоur qualifications and ѕkіllѕ оnlіnе and attract glоbаl еmрlоуеrѕ.
If you’re starting your career as a freelancer, these sites will assist you to build a client base and create long-term skilled relationships.
You can work on short, one-time tasks to induce positive reviews and gain experience.
If you have got free time, you’ll be able to gain extra financial gain by acting on straightforward tasks such as making basic logos, translating emails, etc.
Unlike regular full-time jobs, you’ll be able to work anytime you would like to make cash.
Payment is secured as a result of most sites use the escrow facility. The leader funds the escrow account before you begin your work and releases the payment when they’re glad with the work you’ve submitted.
You can find out details regarding clients like project history and the total amount of payment made so that you’ll be able to remove the spurious ones.

Last but not the least, you’ll be able to work for reputed global employers and earn dollar payments from anyplace in the world.

How to Stand Out on Freelancer Platforms?

Freelancing is all regarding freedom, you’re your own boss, unlimited earning potential, life becomes much easier, work from anyplace, select your own operating hours, will go for long vacation etc.…, Now, I’d prefer to share you my personal expertise that how to stand out on freelancer marketplace.

When I started hiring freelancers it took me a little time to identify the key attributes in the very best freelancers. I currently have over 50 freelancers working with me across 5 projects. Below are the attributes I look for when hiring the right freelancer for me:

Responds following the instructions provided in the job posting
Writes an original message to me that enables me to see it is original. Maybe references my name, the topic or function being hired to do. Also references the agreed rates are suitable and informs me about their availability. (It sends a great message when you only have a small window of availability).
Is prepared to follow instructions and provide a sample at no cost.
Demonstrates that they have developed skills and demonstrate their worth by doing something a little extra over and above what was asked.
Be easy to work with
Over-communicate
Be respectful
Understand the hiring manager is doing a thousand other things after you have submitted your work and are requesting payment

When you have won an assignment, don’t mess it up by asking for a pay rise after a week or two. Trust me, when you provide a great service, in time you will get an increase. As a freelancer, you have the ability to request an increase after 6 months.