You may have a short-term assignment requiring extra hands, or perhaps a project that requires an expertise you don’t have. You can now find a freelancer with the necessary expertise to suit your needs on the online freelancing marketplace, which is growing increasingly more competitive.
However, if you are new to the whole outsource-to-freelancer business, here are a few things to take note of.
1. Geographical location
While not applicable to everyone, some clients prefer to be able to meet in person with the freelancers. This can be due to ease of discussing the details of the project, or simply because they need to work on-site. So if you need to meet the freelancers you are hiring, take note of their base of operation.
2. The potential of poor quality work or fraud
Everyone wants the best quality of product for what they pay for. But the lazy, irresponsible and wrong way to get your bang for the buck is to start with the cheapest freelancer.
Well, you might be lucky and strike gold, maybe landing yourself with a starting freelancer who is looking to build his brand and hence price his services at a lower rate. Or you might end up with someone who’s just going to give you a product that may not be up to your expectations.
Before making the deal, check out the freelancer’s portfolio, their past clients, and the reviews and testimonials they received.
On that note, keep in mind that it is also possible for scammers to steal identities of freelancers with good reputation, and the rating system can be gamed. A good rule of thumb is: if the pricing looks too good to be true, then it probably is.
3. Listings are not informative
If you have been hunting around, you have probably met some unhelpful listings while scouring through the freelancing marketplace.
Often, websites provide little space for introducing a freelancer properly, and clients will have to go “off-site” to get more information (e.g. through the freelancer’s own website or the social media profile).
With the lack of information, a client may go into a deal in a state of uncertainty and lingering doubt.
The gig marketplace currently lacks a comprehensive solution, a singular ecosystem of freelance marketplace that allows clients to browse, review, compare and evaluate credible providers, coupled with a platform that lets them visually connect in real-time, elevating the element of trust and comfort.
The good news is, a solution may just be around the corner. To find out more, check out Instoken at https://www.instoken.io
