You can market yourself directly on these outsourcing sites just one gig at a time if you want.
However, you can also set up your own company website to accomplish the following:
• Provide prospective bidders with a portfolio of your work
• Streamline your communications
• Attract new customers from additional channels outside of the outsourcing websites
In other words, you can market yourself strictly through places like Rent a Coder or you can recruit additional clients by driving targeted traffic to your site via things like forums, classifieds Adverts, Adwords, etc.
If you want, you can even set up a direct marketing style site for your services, if appropriate.
Let me give you an example..
Let's say that you have one very specialized skill you want to roll out into a niche market.
One classic example of this is the graphic designer who specializes strictly in the creation of sales page graphics and e-book covers.
Take a look at Mini Site Graphics( http://www.minisitegraphics.com ) run by Sean Lowery.
Sean is one of the best graphic designers in terms of both skills and customer service and
someone I outsource my projects to all the time.
You can see the way he has things set up at his site.
It’s almost identical to the type of sales page you'd use for something like an ebook.
His site includes testimonials, recent samples and his extended portfolio. Customers are able to order their graphics directly through the site.
They pay in advance, just as they would to purchase a traditional product, and then send him their project's specs.
What if you set up a site like this for your services?
You could charge for writing ebooks, creating graphics, creating computer programs or even doing consulting work.
The benefit to this type of site (over an outsourcing site) is that you get paid up front before starting on the project.
You also have the ability to do some traditional marketing tactics when you recruit clients to your opt-in list.
Any time you need to drum up extra business, you can run discounts or special offers on your services.
It’s also a good platform for expanding your reach if and when you add some new skills to your offering.
Just a quick email to your list announcing your latest offerings, and your off and running.
Some Tips for Freelancing/Outsourcing:
While freelancing can be very lucrative, it is also by far the most time intensive method.
This is due to a variety of factors, including volume of work and any deadlines you might be one.
So, before you start, it’s a good idea to take a look at both your pricing and your availability.
If you search through the history of closed bids at some of the freelancing sites, you can get an idea of what your type of gig usually pays.
Sometimes people will go with the lowest bidder when they don't have much of a budget available.
What you want to find are the bids where the solicitor chose based both on price and on the presumed qualifications of the bidder.
If possible, check the portfolio or any backing information the bidder provided to help him seal the deal.
Once you have an idea of what you can charge, measure this against your estimate of the time it would take you to complete such a project.
Could you do it in a couple hours? In a day? In a week?
Divide this out by the project price to determine your average hourly wage.
You need to verify that your making enough profit per hour to justify the project (s) you take on.
Also, you'll want to do your own vetting of potential clients. Check their reputation.
Get their contact information. It’s better if you have a phone number to call in addition to an email address.
Lastly, if available, consider using an escrow service. An escrow service is an intermediary to the financial transaction.
They'll take the money from the buyer and hold it until you've completed the project.
This offers some protection against individuals/companies that might try to withhold payment from you.
Have a Great Day.
However, you can also set up your own company website to accomplish the following:
• Provide prospective bidders with a portfolio of your work
• Streamline your communications
• Attract new customers from additional channels outside of the outsourcing websites
In other words, you can market yourself strictly through places like Rent a Coder or you can recruit additional clients by driving targeted traffic to your site via things like forums, classifieds Adverts, Adwords, etc.
If you want, you can even set up a direct marketing style site for your services, if appropriate.
Let me give you an example..
Let's say that you have one very specialized skill you want to roll out into a niche market.
One classic example of this is the graphic designer who specializes strictly in the creation of sales page graphics and e-book covers.
Take a look at Mini Site Graphics( http://www.minisitegraphics.com ) run by Sean Lowery.
Sean is one of the best graphic designers in terms of both skills and customer service and
someone I outsource my projects to all the time.
You can see the way he has things set up at his site.
It’s almost identical to the type of sales page you'd use for something like an ebook.
His site includes testimonials, recent samples and his extended portfolio. Customers are able to order their graphics directly through the site.
They pay in advance, just as they would to purchase a traditional product, and then send him their project's specs.
What if you set up a site like this for your services?
You could charge for writing ebooks, creating graphics, creating computer programs or even doing consulting work.
The benefit to this type of site (over an outsourcing site) is that you get paid up front before starting on the project.
You also have the ability to do some traditional marketing tactics when you recruit clients to your opt-in list.
Any time you need to drum up extra business, you can run discounts or special offers on your services.
It’s also a good platform for expanding your reach if and when you add some new skills to your offering.
Just a quick email to your list announcing your latest offerings, and your off and running.
Some Tips for Freelancing/Outsourcing:
While freelancing can be very lucrative, it is also by far the most time intensive method.
This is due to a variety of factors, including volume of work and any deadlines you might be one.
So, before you start, it’s a good idea to take a look at both your pricing and your availability.
If you search through the history of closed bids at some of the freelancing sites, you can get an idea of what your type of gig usually pays.
Sometimes people will go with the lowest bidder when they don't have much of a budget available.
What you want to find are the bids where the solicitor chose based both on price and on the presumed qualifications of the bidder.
If possible, check the portfolio or any backing information the bidder provided to help him seal the deal.
Once you have an idea of what you can charge, measure this against your estimate of the time it would take you to complete such a project.
Could you do it in a couple hours? In a day? In a week?
Divide this out by the project price to determine your average hourly wage.
You need to verify that your making enough profit per hour to justify the project (s) you take on.
Also, you'll want to do your own vetting of potential clients. Check their reputation.
Get their contact information. It’s better if you have a phone number to call in addition to an email address.
Lastly, if available, consider using an escrow service. An escrow service is an intermediary to the financial transaction.
They'll take the money from the buyer and hold it until you've completed the project.
This offers some protection against individuals/companies that might try to withhold payment from you.
Have a Great Day.