This is the seventh lesson of the freelancing guide, in which we will talk about freelancing platforms comprehensively. We will talk about what freelance platforms are, how they work, and their own important points, and we will discuss a list of the best.
If you did not see the previous freelance guide lessons, you can access them through the following links:
What is freelance (everything you need to know in detail and simplified)
Top Freelance fields (and Resources to Learn Each)
How to start freelancing (practical steps with detailed explanation)
Essential Skills Every Freelancer Needs (Very Essential to Your Success)
The most important and best freelance tools for every successful freelancer
What is a Portfolio and How to Have a Professional Portfolio
The idea of freelance on the Internet is that there is someone we can call an “entrepreneur” or “entrepreneur”. This entrepreneur has a project or a task, and wants to hire a skilled freelancer on a temporary basis in order to implement the project or task he needs in the manner and at the appropriate time for him.
On the other hand, there are Freelancers or freelancers who have certain skills, and they want to employ these skills to get work and thus financial profit.
From here, many specialized freelance platforms have arisen, which work to bring together freelancers and entrepreneurs with each other in exchange for a percentage that these platforms take when completing any project successfully.
What are freelancing platforms?
Freelance platforms are websites specialized in freelancing. These platforms act as intermediaries between service providers and those who need these services.
You can register on these platforms and obtain an account with them, and then you can set up your account and introduce the services they provide. On the other hand, business owners also create accounts on these platforms to request tasks and services.
Freelance platforms provide a professional Dashboard for both service providers and their requesters, and they have a specific system and have conditions and laws for the workflow and the regulation of dealings between contracting parties, in order to preserve the rights of both parties and ensure the proper progress of work for all.
Freelance platforms in the first place provide a work environment and a system for communication and this workflow, and they provide a support service in the event of a dispute between the client and the freelancer, and in return they get a commission for every successful sale through them.
How do freelancing platforms work?
There are two methods that are the most famous in the world of freelancing, and most freelance platforms follow one or both of them together, and here is an explanation for you one of them:
The first way to make freelance platforms
The business owner goes to the department he wants a service with (translation, for example), and begins browsing freelance translators to and from the language he needs, or he can use the search feature to directly reach the freelancers suitable for what he wants.
Determines the appropriate independent business owner and starts requesting the service, and pays for the service (the platform receives the money and holds it until the service is implemented in a mutually satisfactory manner).
A channel is opened for communication between the freelancer and the service applicant, and the service is completed by the freelancer according to the time frame specified in the service details.
The service applicant receives the service and confirms its receipt and evaluates it, and then the money is added to the freelancer’s account, but of course after deducting the freelance platform’s commission.
The second way to create freelance platforms
The Client places a brochure for the project or task that he would like to accomplish, and in this publication he puts all the details of the project he wants to accomplish.
According to the field to which the project belongs, the freelancers in this field submit requests to implement this project, which contains the details of the project's implementation, clarification of the independent's ability to implement it, and also offering a price for the implementation of the project, and a time frame for implementing the project.
The project owner chooses one of the freelancers, pays the amount of the proposed project and begins work. Of course like the first method; A channel is opened for communication between the client and the freelancer, and the money is kept with the platform until the project is implemented.
Of course, there are other details related to creating the account on each platform and resolving disputes, or the procedures followed in the event that the customer is not satisfied with the service, and there are other details that also change according to each platform such as commissions deducted and the nature of the services that are provided.
Note: We strongly advise when registering on a freelance platform to check the platform’s website, read the terms and method of work, and understand it well, in order to make sure that the platform’s method and payment system suits you.
Now that you know what freelancing platforms are and how they work; So let's go over a list of the most important and best global freelance platforms, and some information about each of these platforms.
Note: Do not forget to read the last part of the article, in which we will put a set of important points and tips for freelance platforms and how to deal with them.
Read also: How to Write an Article for a Website (A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners)
Best freelancing platforms
Fiverr platform for freelance work
The Fiverr platform is the first, most important and most popular freelance platform in the world of the Internet, and it is a platform that specializes mainly in small services whose price starts from 5 dollars, but recently this platform includes all kinds of services that may cost up to 10 thousand dollars.
Upwork platform for freelance work
It is one of the oldest freelance platforms on the Internet, They are commonly used, and are very popular in the freelance world. The commission is 10% on each service along with a dollar and a half that is deducted upon withdrawal.
Upwork connects clients with freelancers in three different ways:
Talent Marketplace: where the employer makes a publication containing the details of the project he would like to complete, and this publication appears in front of the appropriate freelancers, who apply to implement the project, and the employer here chooses whom he deems appropriate according to the price and skills.
Project Catalog: This method is the way Fiverr works… where the client searches for the service he wants to implement to reach one of the freelancers who provides this service, he requests it, and the implementation begins.
Talent Scout: In this method, the service requester communicates with a recruiter to deliver the right freelancer to the right client… The required is displayed and the support provider presents a list of the best freelancers who can implement the service.
Enterprise Suite: This is the type for large businesses that want to rely on site freelancers to complete large, long-term tasks.
Freelancer platform for freelancing
It is one of the largest global sites for freelancers, and the situation within it differs somewhat in terms of membership, as there is a free membership and a paid membership, and in the free you are only available 8 projects per month, besides there is no immediate withdrawal of profits, and the site takes 10% in addition to 30 cents for any service and when Withdrawals deduct 2.3% of the profits as a commission.
Freelancer has been famous as one of the most important and largest freelance platforms specialized in mega projects, where you will find professionals in all fields, and therefore many entrepreneurs and project owners depend and trust it.
The Freelancer platform works through the project owner publishing his project and putting all the details of the project, so the freelancers who specialize in this type of projects make a request to implement the project, and then the project owner chooses one of these freelancers.
Read also: Sweatcoin Pays You To Get Fit
People Per Hour platform for freelance
It is one of the oldest platforms that has a big name in the world of freelancing. Here are some statistics that the platform shares on its official page, which shows how large it is and the profitability of freelancers on it:
There are 3 million freelancers working on this platform, covering more than 8,000 skills that are in demand in the job market.
There are a lot of freelancers on the platform who earn more than $7,000 per month.
Over $150 million in revenue has been generated by freelancers on this platform.
The way this platform works is like the Freelancer platform… where the business owner sets the project details, the freelancers submit and the project owner chooses the most appropriate Freelancer for him.
Contently Freelance Platform
This freelance platform is different from the previous ones. This platform is a platform specialized in writing content, so if you want to work as a freelance writer, this platform is your first choice.
The Contently platform is one of the most important and famous freelance platforms specialized in the field of content writing, and it deals with many sites and large companies that request a book, and therefore it represents an excellent opportunity for you if you choose the field of writing.
You can create an account on it and put some of your business models, and if your skills are suitable, you will be accepted on the platform, and you will start working through it.
Important points about freelancing platforms
1. Freelance platforms vary according to the specialization, size, or countries they are famous for, but most of them work with the same mechanism… they provide a reliable platform service for the meeting between the seller and the buyer.
And the It provides a control panel for both parties and guarantees the rights of both parties, and in return you keep a commission for every successful sale.
2. There are freelance platforms that rely on the idea of a fixed price for services, and they are mostly specialized in small services.
There are other platforms that rely on the idea of an auction to determine the price, where the business owner submits the project and the freelancers submit their prices, and in the end the business owner chooses one of the freelancers to complete the project.
3. Freelancer will not get your profits from each client separately, but you will get your profits collected together from the same freelance platform.
4. Freelance platforms have specific ways to send money to freelancers, and before registering on one of the platforms, you must familiarize yourself with the payment methods they offer and make sure that they suit you, and among the most important and most popular payment methods offered by freelance platforms are PayPal, Payoneer, bank transfers.
5. Freelance platforms have fixed laws and conditions to regulate the workflow between the parties, and whoever violates these laws may expose his account to ban, so you should familiarize yourself with the terms and laws of the freelance platform before starting to work through it.
6. Freelance platforms provide the advantage of communication through messages between task providers and applicants. This is a great feature to better understand the project from its applicant, and to ensure its idea and expectation about implementation, before starting the implementation in a way that may be wrong, or different from what the client wants.
7. Freelance platforms have an evaluation system. After each successful contracting process, the service applicant will evaluate you as a FreeLancer, and he can also write a comment that will be available to everyone later. These reviews contribute substantially to your success on the freelancing platform.
So you should do your best to get positive reviews every time.
Read also: 19 of the best ways to make money online ( make a fortune in 2022 )
How to choose the right freelancing platforms for you
There are a lot of freelance platforms and choosing the best one to work with depends on you, as you have to determine several things such as the nature of the projects you want to receive, are they long projects that take up most of your time and at the same time make good money from them? Or do you prefer to get small projects in varying numbers but at lower prices?
Certainly the choice will be made according to the nature of your time, work and services, and whether these projects are your main source of income or not?
If you work in any organization outside the home, it is better to register on the microservice platforms, which will allow you additional funds to help you besides your main business.
But if you are only working as a freelancer, it is best to register on freelance platforms such as a freelance platform, and freelancers can work on both types of platforms simultaneously.
Read also: 8 ways to make money from social media followers you should use
Important tips about your success on freelancing platforms
1. Register only for the freelancing platforms that are most suitable for you. An account in one platform has a good reputation and reputation, better than 5 accounts in 5 platforms, which are weak and unreliable accounts.
Of course, this does not mean that you can have 5 successful accounts on five different platforms, this would be a great thing and open the door for you to build a team and expand your business, thus achieving a much better return.
2. Register your real data and put your personal photo in which you appear professionally, and complete all the required data in your account accurately.
The more details you put in about yourself, the more professional your account will appear. Also, it is important that you update your account from time to time, include new skills and experiences that you have acquired, and update your business models with the best of what you have recently accomplished.
3. Write a professional profile about yourself that shows you as a professional, and try to use correct, formal language. The bio that appears in the front of your account is very important and you should pay special attention to it.
Of course, you can always learn from colleagues, but avoid copying a colleague's profile and putting it in your account... This is a huge mistake and you should not fall into it.
4. Put good works of your work into business fairs and put together your own portfolio link. Here it is not necessary that they be real projects, but you can implement them for this step, but of course it is necessary that your actions be you.
5. Browse the famous accounts in your field, and try to understand their strengths and take advantage of that. Freelancing platforms are communities of many, many professionals in your field, and this is an excellent opportunity to learn.
6. Only implement projects that you can really do well and professionally. Do not choose something difficult at the beginning if your capabilities are limited.
Always remember that rejecting projects is a much better scenario than accepting them and not getting them done. Also, completing projects unsatisfactory for the client will make him make a negative evaluation of you, and this is something you never want at the beginning of your journey.
Read also: How to create a site to evaluate products and how to make money from it
7. You should know that attracting the first customer will not be easy, so you must make some concessions such as offering a lower price than others and a faster time for delivery, but avoid exaggerating it.
8. When you present your offer to a client, explain the way you work and the programs you use, and try to show the advantages that distinguish you from any other freelancer… This will make him feel confident in your work.
9. After you get your first customer, and after you finish the job, you must ask the customer to evaluate you, because this will contribute to attracting customers in the coming times.
Always remember positive reviews are a very important criterion for you to get more purchase orders.
10. Freelance platforms are the most prominent entrances to freelancing. You may need some patience at the beginning, but after you finish your first tasks, you can easily earn dozens of projects... Just stick to your appointments, deal in a good manner with clients, and respect the platform's rules and laws.
Here are the links to all the freelance guide tutorials:
The most important fields of freelancer
How to start your way to freelancing
Basic skills every FreeLancer needs
The most important and best freelance tools
What is a Portfolio and How to Prepare a Professional Portfolio
The most common problems in freelancer
Tips for every beginner Freelancer
