What is are Freelance Websites?
Freelance websites, as the name suggests are online platforms where freelancers can find clients. On these sites, you can earn money for yourself by doing freelance or remote work.
These sites enable freelance workers to search for a wide range of jobs and find their own clients. These sites are great for beginners who are just starting to grow their client base.
Additionally, these platforms are easy to browse and find work that matches your skills.
What is Freelance Work?
But let's first dive into what freelance work is.
More and more people have shifted to working remotely and doing freelance jobs as they have seen the value and flexibility it offers. So, freelancing is no longer a fad. It's now the new normal.
The reason why freelancing keeps getting more popular each year is because of its numerous advantages as compared to working a traditional 9-to-5 job. Most freelancers even prefer their set-up as compared to being employed.
Some of the advantages of working freelance are:
- Having control of your own time.
- The feeling of not having a boss telling you what to do.
- Choosing your own rest days or days off.
- The freedom of choosing who you work with.
- Being able to work from anywhere, anytime.
If you want to be your own boss, then freelancing is the way to go.
But finding clients and jobs as a freelancer takes time and effort. Keep reading to find out our recommended freelance websites that you can check out.
Why Do You Need to Find Good Freelance Websites?
Where can you get the ideal work or client? If you want to find clients for your new freelance business, finding the right freelance websites is essential.
Unlike a regular 9-to-5 job, the pressure of finding new clients is not ALL on you. However, as a freelancer who is just starting out, this is quite the opposite. Searching for customers is one of the disadvantages of being your own boss. You need to do the work to get these clients.
Luckily, with the internet and advanced technology, finding clients is easier than ever. This is where freelance websites come in.
There are so many options available in the market when choosing freelance websites. But because of the vast options, there are good ones and not-so-good ones. If you're not careful, you could end up wasting your time, energy, and effort. What's worse is, you could end up being scammed.
Here's where we can help. We've listed down our top recommended freelance websites for beginners and professionals. While this list is not exhausted, these are the top picks that are sure to get you better results.
Best Freelance Websites for Beginners
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is an online freelance website that connects businesses straight to freelancers. What's good about Fiverr is that there are clients in a range of fields, like marketing, designing, copywriting, and so many more.
According to research, as of 2021, they have 3.42 million active clients. The more active clients mean there are more available opportunities for freelancers, whether they are beginners or veterans in their field.
Like most freelancer platforms, Fiverr takes a percentage of your earnings. But one thing to note is that Fiverr takes a fee that's higher than most. The platform takes 20% due to its numerous opportunities.
The payout timeframe for Fiverr ranges from 7 to 14 days. This depends on your level on the site.
Although it seems like a disadvantage for beginners to use Fiverr due to the number of competitions, once you get the ball rolling, you'll be able to find a lot of great opportunities. Additionally, when you earn good reviews on your profile, the platform boosts your profile to help you get more clients.
2. Flexjobs
Another great online platform for freelancers is Flexjobs. At Flexjobs, you'll be able to easily find part-time jobs with more than 50 categories available on the platform.
You can also turn on notifications of specific types of jobs to alert you when similar jobs are available.
One downside would be that Flexjobs has a paid subscription. But don't worry. There are some discounts on Flexjobs. Make sure to use them by checking out their discounts offer page.
- $2.50 for weekly AND $5.00 for a month — up to 67% off!
- $15.00 for 3 months — 50% off!
- $25.00 for a year — 50% off!
Upwork
Upwork is one of the more popular freelance websites. The platform has over 1.5 million clients, giving freelancers for available opportunities to find work.
The platform also offers a range of jobs. These range from hourly to fixed projects, short-term or long-long projects, and even entry-level to expert-level tasks.
You'll first need to create a strong Upwork profile in order to be accepted on the platform. but for beginners, you don't need to worry. Just create a profile that showcases your strengths and what you can offer.
Just like the other platforms, Upwork also charges a certain percentage. It charges 20% per gig. Our tip is to charge a bit higher in order to compensate for the percentage cut.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is another one of the best freelancing websites for beginners.
Although the name of the site is a bit misleading as some might think that the platform only charges on a per-hour basis. The platform actually has options for both fixed prices and hourly jobs. You can choose whether to apply to jobs paying for a fixed rate or for hourly rates.
This site is great for beginners as there are new jobs being posted consistently.
Freelancer.com
Last but definitely not least, we have Freelancer.com. This freelancer website was built to link buyers and sellers in a single platform. This makes it easier and more convenient for both parties.
The platform has a bidding process wherein you place a bid for each project posted. There is a range of job types on the platform which include data entry, software development, content writing, accounting, even engineering.
There's definitely a job for you on Freelancer.com.
How to Be Successful When Searching on Freelance Websites
Here are our top tips in order to have the best experience when searching for jobs on freelancer sites.
- Remember that you aren’t an employee. Get rid of the employee/boss mindset. As a freelancer, you are your own boss who is not working FOR clients but who is collaborating with another business owner to help them achieve success.
- Watch out for red flags. Sometimes, even on vetted online platforms, there are clients or jobs that seem too good to be true. If you come across one of these jobs, make sure to do your due diligence before diving right in.
- Don't low ball your work. It's easy to lowball our rates especially when we are just starting out. But charging lower than your worth will only give you headaches, waste your time, and energy.
- Show your personality. Be professional but don't be afraid to show your personality. This will attract the right clients to you.
We hope these tips were helpful for you wherever you are on your freelancing journey.