Ten Most Important tips for Elance freelancers

Here is a quick list of the top ten tips for Elance that would guarantee you a good start in the world of freelancing:

1-Don’t use a customary made message to apply to jobs

This is the most important tip you will ever hear. I really fell in this trap when I first started applying for jobs on Elance, I would do a “perfect” application and then copy/paste it to every single job I could find. Let’s be serious, no client would award the job to someone who is not even bothered to read the requirements of the job. So if you really want to get a job online, you should really address the client with relevant material.


I really experienced that from a client’s perspective, once I posted a job to SEO a certain website. I got many applications for that job, but there was a certain application that just made me laugh. An applicant was talking about data entry and really elaborating on that issue!!

You can’t just copy/paste any application and expect the client to give you the job.

2- Make sure the clients fund escrow

You better check that the client did fund escrow with money rather than do all the work and then get a scammer that would steal all your work for free. I really had a couple of experiences with scammers, but I never fell in their traps. Some Scammers expect you to work without awarding you the job (never do that!). Never work for free, always do the necessary steps to guarantee that you would get paid after you have done your work.

3- Build a good Profile on Elance

Take your time building a good profile on Elance. If the client liked your job application, the next thing he will look onto is your profile. So make it attractive so you would give a good impression to the client. Take some time and do some tests, this would really verify your skills (Elance tests are free!! So why not use them). Provide a detailed description to your services. Add keywords so clients would find you in their searches.

4- Upload a good portfolio

A good portfolio really matters in most jobs especially if you are a: designer, writer and programmer. A client will certainly look at your profile if you are providing any of these services. Make sure you show the best samples you have. You can always refer to your portfolio in your job applications this would help the client show your awesome skills!!

5- Never use “Submit Amount later”

Let’s face it. All “Submit Amount later” applications will be definitely ignored. I know it is not that easy determining the amount of money you want to charge when you first start your career as a freelancer, but a client wouldn't bother ask for the amount you would like to charge. Most clients are in a rush to choose a contractor and wouldn't like to waste their time on contractors that don’t know what to charge.

6- Upload a professional photo

You may be thinking that this tip is just lame… But wait, really a good photo really matters, adding a photo really adds credibility to your profile; don’t forget that clients are afraid of scammers just like you and they don’t want their project to end up in the wrong hands. So adding your photo and providing your Skype name would really help you get good jobs.

7- Be willing to Spend a little more time to impress the customer

If you do a little extra the customer would really be impressed and would certainly give you a better rating. When I used to do research jobs online I would then format the document before sending it to the client. Formatting the document didn't take more than 5 min, but customers always complimented me for this. So if you just provide a little extra thing this would help you with the rating and would motivate the client to award you more jobs in the future.

8- Send regular status reports

When I first started working on Elance I really thought these were useless and merely a big waste of time and effort. However, with experience I really knew that this really affects your Elance “level” which really matters where you appear on contractors search.  So spend some time sending status reports and don’t ignore them even if the client does not really care, they have a real impact on your level.

9- Respond to Invitations Right away

Leaving your invitations pile up without answering them would have a negative effect on your level. Even if you don’t want to apply for the job you have been invited for, then just decline this job. Don’t Forget that if you are unavailable for a certain period then just set your “Availability settings” to unavailable.

10- Ask in a friendly way for a feedback

Feedback is one of the most important factors for getting jobs; someone with a low rating won’t get a single job. When you are done with the job, ask the client if he/she is satisfied with the work and if they want to modify anything. After they are fully satisfied, ask them in a pleasant way to leave you a good rating.

                                 

I hope these tips will help you have a better understanding for how to become a very successful freelancing.

 Check my next Blog about my Freelancing experience with different platforms.