How To Win Jobs On Freelance Job Bidding Sites
Skimming through the comments on the recent FSW poll about freelance job bidding sites, there’s not a lot of love out there for the freelance bidding sites like Elance, Get-A-Freelancer, Guru, Rent-A-Coder and the like – and it’s no wonder when you see projects offering to pay you $1 per custom designed t-shirt image!
The general consensus seems to be that in the following circumstances they can be of some value…
- If you’re a student looking to get some extra cash and experience
- If you’re a freelancer living somewhere with a lower cost of living that allows you to take advantage of being paid lower rates for jobs
- If you’re just getting started and your main focus is on building up your portfolio
- If you want to hone your skills in a new area
- If you’re looking for quick turn-around jobs
This year my husband, Jonathan, decided to transition from being a graphic designer to a professional illustrator and turned to Elance and Guru to help him build up his portfolio. We tested out 2 very different strategies: the first was to get our Virtual Assistant (VA) to bid on any relevant projects with a certain criteria (quantity) and the second was to personally bid on specific projects that he was attracted to (quality).
The results?
As the saying goes… It is quality rather than quantity that matters. Jonathan won 5 major illustration projects which, although not the highest paying gigs you could imagine, are helping him build up his portfolio with the kind of work he wants and paying some of the bills at the same time.
Tactics
Here are 8 of the key tactics that he used to win bids successfully:
- Choose your projects wisely.
Bid specifically for projects which you know you can deliver on, that play to your strengths and that interest you. Avoid personal projects like the plague – these are often the lowest paying jobs and the project owner is less likely to take the project timelines and budget as seriously as somebody who is doing it for commercial purposes. - Use a personal touch.
Don’t use a template reply for every single project you bid on; tailor your response to the actual project spec and address the project owner by name if it’s on the bid. You should also ensure that your bid response addresses all the questions that are specifically asked. - Don’t bid the lowest bid for the sake of winning the project.
Not only is this selling yourself and everyone else short as well as de-valuing the skills in your industry, but if you win you’ll end up having to do the job for that price. And what’s worst is you’ll usually end up resenting it. Set a price for the project that you are happy with and stick to it – no compromises. - Have relevant pieces in your portfolio.
It’s important that if a project requires a certain style or specific skills for the job, that your portfolio or the pieces you bid with reflect this. If you plan to use the job bidding site a lot, then it is definitely worth taking the time to upload your best work to the internal portfolio within the site as well as having a good portfolio website that showcases your skills to send interested project owners to. - Be prepared to demonstrate your suitability and expertise.
Whilst I’m not advocating doing work on-spec or for free (see next point), there are times when you might want to consider doing some brief sketches or provide a tailored pitch, to demonstrate that you can provide the specific skills the project calls for. If you have any suspicions at all about the integrity of the request however, politely decline and move on! - Don’t do on-spec work
Don’t apply for projects which ask you to submit your actual designs or ideas so that they can then select the best one to win – this not only devalues the industry you work in, it encourages more people to use this tactic on the site. A useful resource for more info on this and one which you might like to refer people who use this tactic in their project spec to, is No-Spec. - Show professionalism at all stages in the process.
As some FreelanceSwitch commenters noted, jobs you find through these sites can sometimes turn into long term clients. Always demonstrate that you are a professional in your industry. Treat any project you win, as you would a typical job and show no less professionalism than you usually would. - Above all, be honest, realistic and authentic.
Don’t over-commit to deliver a job with a deadline you know you can’t make; don’t promise things you can’t deliver and don’t bid for jobs for which your skills aren’t suitable. Always show honesty, integrity and authenticity in your interactions on these sites – whether you win a job or not, the site is still a shop window that displays what you do…behave well, even if you think no-one’s looking!
Leave a Comment
Very interesting article…Thanks Lea for sharing this article I’ve learn a lot of stuffs here…It gives me an idea on how to be a good bidder and a good freelancer too..
Keep up the good work Lea!
wow thanks for this information, In fact I dont use bidding sites I just go there to read informations, read for a project, etc. but this information really helps I guess I have to try bidding in bidding sites… and should follow this criteria, hehehe. what I like most is the number 8 step. Honesty makes client happy, in fact they like honest people whom they can trust.. This is nice though good job. Lea
I also agreed on number 8 step, is the most important of all aspects of being a good freelancer, perhaps most of the clients rely on the quality of the work made by the freelancer and most of all the honesty of the freelancer. Honesty is the best policy… – by Mark Twain
Nice article though!
Hey Lea,
Great post. Very informative. I have a few more points to add
1) Choose an efficient market place which is loaded with robust collaboration tools and domain specific templates for writing proposals, negotiating terms and executing projects.
2) Ensure that the cost of effort spent on reviewing leads,writing proposals and pitching to win projects is low.
There is a new online marketplace that i know of which is really great ie. http://www.ninemotion.com
If you think Lea’s first article is good, wait till you see her second! Hooray for FSw
It depends on the kind of work you want to get done. Especially with designers, sometimes you just want quick and dirty. Not great, not designed, just quick and dirty.
[There is a difference between being an artist and somebody who is for hire ... ]
As for other services, like say for example submission: This is tool based. Yes, I can pay a person to do it by hand, but if you use a good enough tool, it does not take you hours but mere minutes. If I want an article written on something, I might not want a good writer but just any writer will do.
The key is to identify what you need exactly as a buyer, be clear about what you will get (in quality and quantity) and then work with it. And in cases it is really more important to you, you will spend more money – because it will be cheaper in the end.
Great topic, I’ve been pretty picky about what projects I’ll bid on. You can typically see that client that is going to be trouble because they want something very elaborate for their neighbors-kid-down-the-street-prices. That and bidding really low only makes the creative industry that more saturated with everyone making less money.
How funny, I just got a project through Guru. I tell people up front that my work is about quality and not price but if that’s what they are looking for I can help them out. A vast majority blow me off, but I have gotten some good (and decent paying) projects that way.
One thing I like about some of these sites is their Escrow system that lets clients upload money before the project begins and release it at predetermined times. A lot of time when I work with people they gag on my 50% deposit up front on a project, they seem to be more comfortable with the escrow system that protects them a little more and lets me get paid quickly at project milestones. I let the client know upfront that I charge 11% more to use these sites to cover the huge chuck they take out of your pay.
I think it’s important to keep your expectations in check on these sites, you’ll see hundreds of projects you can bid on but a majority of them are just looking for price. It’s easy to become a bitter freelancer reading about what people expect for a very low price.
True…
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I am a freelace web designer too and I have to admit that this article is so true that I am going to be more carefull from now on.
I personaly made some mistakes in chosing my projects and my clients and because of this my resume had to “suffer”.
Thank you very much for this great article.
Constantin
This is a useful article that should be a big help to me. I must say, though, I’d like to hear more about Jonathan’s effort to go pro as an illustrator. I’ve tried to work as a freelance B2B writer for a while, with less success than I’d like. Over the last few months, I’ve realized that my heart isn’t really in it. What I really want to do is direct.
Wait, no. What I really want to do is illustrate. That is, ditch my recent career where I find some success because I’m reasonably good at it for a career that I will really enjoy. (It’s not writing that I grew up loving and dreaming about.)
I’ve been put off by horror stories about how hard it is to make a go as an illustrator these days, what with online stock agencies and the like driving down fees by offering good-enough-for-the-price work and such.
Anyway, in my completely and unashamedly biased opinion, an article about striking out as an illustrator would be a great topic.
Thanks everyone for the welcoming comments to my first post! Glad it’s been useful to some of you.
Matt T – I’ll put that in my notebook as something to write about in the future. Jonathan’s not “made it” yet in the sense that he’s carved out a really well-paying career doing regular illustrations for covers/big editorials etc. (which is his aim) but he’s doing pretty well so far and it’s all a great learning experience.
I’m helping him “manage” his career and progress by applying some of the business/marketing experience which is sometimes lacking in the “arty types”
so will definitely see if I can write about it in a useful way for others at some point.
I hate most of these site for the sheer reason that most people come to them for cheap work. And many of the designers on these sites fall victim to this and offer retarded low prices for work. If I do use these sites I stick to my guns with my pricing. If I get the job cool, if not, at least I wont have to put up with a crappy client
I have had some rather negative experiences with these bidding sites and creating roughs in order to win a job. I have had my rough ideas “borrowed” and given to some else to do.. I am guessing given to someone else to do for pennies….cause I am not so bad a person to work with
and I take showers daily.
I have also had experiences where the “client” turns out to be fishing for how much it will cost them. They are not sure about what it takes and have no materials ready for publication. They might just be fishing but all of us had to pay for these leads. A few more times the “client” had already accepted the bid of another bidder yet I was allowed to pay to place my bid. However, a few bids I won and a couple of them turned out to be long term clients.
All and all I find the 3 bid sites I used to be a serious negative experience. I think my money and time could have been better utilized elsewhere.
The inherent problem with all job bidding sites is that you are BIDDING on the job! People who post jobs there are often concerned more about price than quality. Anyone who’s got a decent level of skill in their field cannot and should not be competing just on price. I person should want to hire you because they are impressed with your work and your professionalism. I find these sites a total waste of time, but if you do use them, the trick to it (as mentioned in the article and comments) is that you have to make your unique qualities shine through in your proposal, so you’ll be hired for your skill and not your price. And stick to your price! Don’t low-ball to get a job!
Amazing. I wrote article on the similar theme in russian two weeks ago. So – who knows russian can read my solution “How to make a bid on freelance sites” here – http://malkin.com.ua/2007/11/24/kak-pravilno-delat-stavki-na-birzhah-freelanca/
Mine recommendations were mostly the same as they are in this article.
Thanks for your article.
Well, I did some of this earlier today and ended up getting the job–very exciting! I tried my best to focus on the pitch and ended up connecting really well with the client. Plus, she’s in a similar field (just needs editing because you really can’t edit your own work) and thought my rates were the most reasonable, because they’re similar to hers.
I tried doing some of that cheap work and it just wasn’t worth the effort, even when I framed it as trying to make a little extra cash.
So true that you never know who will wind up being a long-term client. Someone via a freelance job site hired me to do a few blog entries for a very fair price…and emailed the other day with a huge content opportunity for a very large client of his. All because he was so happy with my writing and professionalism.
You just never know. There are diamonds in the rough on there. Bid what you feel is fair, and the ones worth your time will be happy to pay it.
Lea,
This is really good stuff and invaluable information to keep in mind when bidding for jobs on these types of freelance sites.
It’s always a great honour to learn from your insight!!!
I look forward for more.
Gisele
I started on one of those sites… I remember my first project was a site template for $50 if I did it now I wont take less than $300
It was my gate… My portfolio now contain more than 150 website in less than 2 years
I am one of the top providers on that site and I dont have to bid low now…
I totally agree with you Lea… One of the most important things is that personal touch… lots of people state in their bids a lot of unnecessary details “We have expert in Oracl, SQL , Javascripts, ASP.net , PHP ….” and alot like that while the project is only to fix a bug in the css of a websites! Those kind of bidders never win anything. I always started my bid with a greeting “including the provider’s name” then answering his question specifically and end it with “PM me if interested”!!! one of my clients told me later he choosed me for that last words
Bidding sites don’t differ a bit from “real” tenders (well, except that you use internet and blah, blah, blah). In my “corporate” times in Argentina, I have to prepare bids for several government tenders. I also wrote a couple of tenders. Both types of biddings are very similar:
- some buyers look for the lowest price, others for quality, some a mix of both.
- some buyers already have bias. They might prefer a particular technology or provider.
- many tenders are just to drive traffic to the company site!!! In the real world it happens too: some companies promote their activities in this way or have to fulfill some legality issue. Then the tender is just to tick a box in their internal procedures.
- the proposal has to be adequate to the type of project. A very complex project will require writing a very detailed proposal.
- to avoid IP problems, both parties should sign a Non Disclosure Agreement or similar documents. However it might have no effect in some countries. Besides, it is very hard to sue somebody who lives in the other side of the world. So, my recommendation to this is to avoid technical details, sketches, prototypes, etc., in your proposals.
I could write forever about this topic… Mmm…. I think I could write an article about it.
I’ve looked through a few of those websites. I was mainly filled with disgust. I was especially leery when I read from some of the clients, that they don’t consider bids, unless accompanied with a rough draft. My first reaction that they are probably phishing for conceptual ideas. The experience from Solida confirms my assumption at least in one case.
My advice would be to have them agree to a Nondisclosure Agreement, stating that any roughs are confidential and may not be used for any other purpose. If they won’t agree to it, then they obviously have poor intentions for your work.
I got the idea when I was flipping through my Graphic Artist Guild Pricing and Ethical Guidlines Handbook. I think a lot of people selling their work on those websites would benefit from taking their heads out their arses and reading that book.
wow this really helps, In fact I made a hard copy of this one, for me to read this even Im away of my computer this is very very helpful wow, tHnks- FWs you did a great job for this one. I love coming back in this site. so informative and etc. Nice one
I think even to spend money in these sites or loose 15% like in RAC is better
to try sites like this…
Your Freelance is a marketplace where Business Companies post their projects
and find hundreds of Freelancers. It’s very easy to use and the most important thing: It’s free!
have a look:
http://www.yourfreelance.co.uk
Lea, thank you for your detailed review of how to bid on such sites as Guru, Sologig, etc. I have tried and tried to do the quality vs. quantity thing because preparation of proposals is very time consuming but necessary. The end result is that the guy wins the web design job with a bid of $250.
I finally wanted to find out how a designer can actually create a 10-page web site or storefront for $250 by writing one of the winners. The gentleman was really nice and told me a very upsetting but interesting thing: outsourcing is the secret. The low ball bidders are sometimes coming from countries where five guys can support themselves on $50 and use a front person in the US who gets a small percentage of the bid. There is no way my $1500 bid was going to win. I also didn’t like the idea of the commodification of web design.
The site with the most use of outsourcing is Joomlancers, which is disappointing because a great Joomla!-based site is difficult to create without much testing and time-consuming coding.
So, I decided that word-of-mouth is the best way to get work. But thank you for the article and congratulations to all the folks who actually could win on bidding sites.
I agree with D. Outlaw all the way , freelancing is really the only way to go if your out of a job and need pocket money but there really are NO alternatives out there other than the big sites like Gaf , guru etc etc. You have to pay to bid for a job ? Like are you f^kin kidding me ? You want people to actually spend money to bid and hope you get the freelancing job. Thats like buying lottery tickets and hoping you get all cherries. Bunch of greedy bastards if you ask me.
But what pisses me off is when you go to freelancing websites, you have to bid n’ fight with extremely high competition over a job that you will end up cutting yourself short. To top it off a job that really goes for 400-500 will be done for 50 dollars by some annoying asian/indian. (I’m allowed to say that cuz i’m an indian too! lol)
hello , thank you for this interesting article , it helped a lot
Though I am a good writer, I don’t know how to bid for a project and how to attach a pm to a bid. Could you kindly help me. Also I am a writer in economics,so can you let me know good and reliable blogs for me.
This is really good for the new bidder on the freelancing sites…..thanks
Thanks allot for nice and good suggestions.
I’ve had pretty much no luck with these sites. I’ve gotten a pretty decent amount of work through Craigslist, and word of mouth, but none through any freelance bidding sites so far. I was wondering what other people think about these sites, and what I’m seeing here seems mostly negative. Still they aren’t without potential, but how cheaply people expect a product that can take A LOT of work to go for really bothers me.
I have the same sentiment towards bids that require a rough draft that some of the other people here have: it’s just not right to expect someone to do work for you without even giving them any assurance that they will be paid for their work, or even worse yet, that you won’t just take their work and run.
Yap. you just said things to the point, same as I do believe ! Good article !!!
Great article and really gives me value as I work through these freelance sites. Thanks.
Informative article, thank you. I am curious, if a site offers $1 per thousand impressions but has a bidding range of, say, $250- $750 does that mean that you will earn your bid (as a flat rate) plus the $1 cpi?
Hi All,
Excellent insight into the bidding world
There are many market place website out there, you need to understand which is more suitable for you.
For example:
Freelancer.com is having many project but the average budget is very less.
Elance the number of projects are less but the budget and quality of project is good.
I personally prefer elance. But its not easy out there to get good projects with good budget. There are approx 10 people/companies bidding on each project.
So the question is who to get projects?
The answer to this you already know, hard work. you have to spend time in creating good proposals, and have to create many such proposals.
One most important think i have always realized and learn.
That is be positive and never get disappointed. Keep giving your 100%
All the best to all
Regards
Amit Patekar
amitpatekar.com
Thanks! This was quite helpful to me. I use Freelancer.com, and I’m just getting started to improve my portfolio and make a some money doing it. I will consider these tips as I do.
A note from a client:
Interesting article and comments. I am a client who regularly hires freelancers from the sites. Never had any problems with any of the work; all very professional and reasonably priced, but not cheap by any means. I don’t pick the lowest prices; I consider portfolios and most important, how they responded to the ad I placed.
The most difficult part these days is wading through the spam sent by tons of freelancers who just reply to every job listing without having read the project and have no idea what they are bidding on. Really frustrating as a client, but I guess it does help identify the best freelancers since they actually read the ad and make an offer based on that.
Awesome article. Really a great help for any freelancer looking to win big projects.
You mean you idiots mean to tell me you actually PAY for a JOB? I think you have it all backwards, my friends.
You wouldn’t believe that how much easy it can be, But patience is the key!
The importance of a freelancer’s portfolio is high. From my experience creating and compiling a portfolio that represents you and your work is the key to landing more freelance jobs.
Good article. I also prefer to work as a Freelancer due to few reasons. Can spend more time with my family, can work for my own schedule, less stress and high pay.
I found a new freelance website and hope it will become a good one soon (freelancinghome com)
But there is a risk as well. Freelancing jobs are not stable.
Extremelly useful tips, indeed. What I can suggest here is the opportunity of working as a freelance writer. It’s neve overwhelming, you control the work flow by yourself and income is substantial, as well. Working for Essaywriters for quite a long period of time, I’ve really increased my money backing. So, the the work of freelancer is rather benefitial one.
How to get freelance illustration work, please get me some message.
Thanks dude this article really help us and i have learnt lot of things from it. Keep it up buddy.