With some of excellent online marketplace like elance, odesk, and recently launched LimeExchange, there are actually a lot to bring home from freelance marketplace. I have often heard people saying “I have registered with so many freelancing sites but actually not getting results”. “I have not earned even a single penny even when I have registered with these sites long back”.
Hey the problem is not with the marketplace but with you. No, I am not doubting your skills but definitely your effort to bag projects. 3 years back, when I registered with an online marketplace, I thought things are now very easy for me. I will bid low and the buyer will hire me. I will put forward my best portfolio and buyer will hire me. Perhaps, I was too narrow in my approach. And for obvious reasons, I could not have my luck for another 7-8 months, despite bidding on 4-5 projects every month.
Incidentally at that time, I got a project offline and due to limited resources thought of outsourcing it and the idea of getting my project done through an online marketplace striked me. Hence, from a service provider, I turned into a buyer. I posted the project and my search for the best provider began. I found one and also get my project done. But in the whole process what I learnt helped me to get insight on How to bag projects from an online marketplace? or what a buyer look in a service provider?
As a buyer I looked for:
Hey is he the paid member or a free member? (free members did not impressed me as I thought they may or may not be serious)
Hey what is in his covering letter? (note that comes along with the bid)
Bidding Matters?? Well it should be in my budget, I am little flexible but then I cannot compromise on quality at the cost of price. (Bidding low will not alone let you win projects)
Is his profile complete? (one who could not complete his profile, is he really serious..)
Any past experience and is it validated with his portfolio?
Has he got any certification ? (WOW! appeared for online test and qualified…..shows quality, if not then huh!)
Any feedback by previous buyer if already has some project under his sleeves (Double WOW! I think I have found my provider let me shortlist him)
Let me see how he responds to my concerns and queries using PMBs and IMs (Oh he responds well in time and to the point….seems good, communication and understanding is important)
I will ask for a sample project (seems ok to him and ready to work but sets his conditions too….that shows he is a true professional. I have found my provider)
Some days later when I put back my service provider shoes and logged into my account…I completed my profile, I got certification on the platform , updated my portfolio, start adding good covering note with my bid…believe me I not only started getting projects but often receive invitation from buyers to bid on their project.
Try this approach and I can assure you will never fall short of projects.
