Elance for Freelance Writers
This is one of those posts where I am going to ask you guys and gals for help. In the past, I have used freelance writing bidding sites such as GetAFreelancer. My main reason for choosing GetAFreelancer is that it is free to sign up. While I am aware that Elance is the leader in this industry, my question is quite simple: is it worth the money?
I have been contemplating giving Elance a try for several months. While I really don’t need to use it to find more work, I have heard conflicting opinions on what it has to offer. Some have told me that Elance brings them a few thousand bucks per month and others say that it is just like GetAFreelancer and you must bid low in order to find clients who are willing to do business.
So what is it? With all of the great comments that I have received on past posts, I figured that my audience is the best people to ask for advice on this topic. If you guys and gals think that Elance is worth the time and money, I may give it a try. And if I do, I will definitely keep everybody up to date on how much work it is bringing me.
Should I sign up for Elance, or will I be wasting my hard earned cash?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
As a Elance buyer, it depends. Mind you, I haven’t used Elance in several months, so my advice may be out of date.
As a buyer, one problem I frequently have is finding quality writers at a reasonable price. As a provider, you will have to compete with low ball bidders from around the world. And there are a lot of buyers that go strictly by price. I think that Elance charges you $x a month which allows you x number of bids, then you pay for each bid over that limit. Something like that, and that may have changed. So, before bidding, you’ll want to check the buyer out to see what kind of projects they’ve done in the past and what kind of bids they’ve gotten. You won’t find much out if they used sealed bids, but otherwise you should be able to get the general idea. Then, just bid on projects by buyers that have accepted (and paid for) work in your price range. No sense wasting your bids on buyers that just go for the lowest price every time.
Make sure to have samples available too, so that buyers can peruse your past work. Before I choose a provider, I like to see something they’ve done before (preferably multiple things) just so that I can get an idea of the kind of work they will provide.
Make sure you carefully read bids too. Too many providers bid on anything and it’s usually apparent they haven’t read the project description at all. Or sometimes they just skim it and you can tell.
I think there is definitely opportunity on Elance. How hard it will be to get new clients, I don’t know.
One thing that I do notice is that there tends to be a revolving door at Elance. There are some established providers that you see year after year, but there is also a lot of turnaround. It seems to me that the better providers end up leaving Elance and going it on their own anyway.
A couple freelancers I use fairly regularly I initially found on Elance. Both have subsequently left Elance. I’m not sure how many clients they picked up besides me, but they spent a few months (I think) on Elance and then dropped it. I still get similar pricing (though both have increased over time), but they do better because Elance isn’t getting a cut.
It may be that Elance is good for picking up some new clients, but may not be a good long-term venue if you’re not among the low-ballers.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
My opinion? GAF is a much more difficult marketplace than Elance. On GAF, I constantly compete with those who lowball projects and find the quality to be less than desirable.
Elance, to me, seems more professional. I haven’t had as large a problem with competing with low bids, as clients tend to pick the most reasonable and not necessarily the lowest. I have been pleasantly surprised with my experiences on that site.
I recommend giving it a try. It’s a month to month membership, so you really have nothing to lose.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
DCR - Thanks so much for the extensive comment; lots of great info!
Deborah - That is interesting that you find Elance better than GAF. I really appreciate the feedback.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Of the sites I’ve seen, none has better buyers than Guru.com. It has a lot less of a “lowest price” feeling, although there’s always some requests that are beyond anything I can do.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Hey Chris,
I’m having a hard time understanding why, if you don’t need to find more work, would you PAY for and BID on work?
February 8th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Silicon - I have heard good things about Guru.com. Plus, I believe they are stationed in my home town. Im going to check them out too.
Amanda - I guess it all depends on your definition of the word “need.” I can stay busy with the work I have now, but bidding on new projects may allow me to find clients that offer high pay for minimal work.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Bidding sites offer high pay for minimal work?
February 8th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Chris, it really depends what you’re looking for. I’ve found it hit and miss on Elance. Sometimes I’ll hit a hot streak and win a few projects - other times I’ll go cold because I’m asking for too much $$$.
It’s a balancing act and the system, like the others, favors the buyer - since Elance is typically “blind bidding” (not knowing the price other providers are offering).
However - I’ve found it’s worth my while even with the new bidding system.
I’ve appreciated Elance not for the single projects I win here and there - but rather for the clients that I manage to hold on to. Once you prove yourself and they like your work, then you can establish a better working relationship and eventually get paid more for you work.
You can see my post for my thoughts and see the my linkouts for more about the new bidding system - http://profreelancing.com/finding-work/the-1-reason-ill-never-stop-using-elance.html
February 8th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Amanda - They sure do! I have picked up two of my biggest clients from GAF. They have been with me for two years.
Chad - Awesome link! Everybody should check out his post…
February 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
To be brief, it’s a total waste of your money nowadays. If you want the exposure, sign up for a FREE account and take advantage of the 3 bids that come with that. For further details, click through to my blog and search for “Elance.” Of late, I’ve done plenty of ranting about my displeasure with the restructure.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Amanda - don’t focus too much on the bidding aspect. Yes these sites allow buyers to compare you with other professionals. But if you’re good at what you do and you can prove it you can end up looking very good. Who knows - the number of “bidders” who can’t even spell might make the buyer like you even more.
I like the fact that I can get access to a never-ending stream of people who want my time. I wouldn’t be providing much of a service if it couldn’t stand up to comparison with a few other people.