freelancing sitesAnyone would be hard pressed to argue against how freelancing websites are one of the things that was generated with the advent of the Internet that is most beneficial to men and women seeking to make a living online and at their convenience. Indeed, certain quarters say freelancing—to which prevalence of the increasing number of freelance websites greatly contributed—has become one of the ‘preferred ways’ to make a living.

Posted on freelancing websites daily are a variety of freelance jobs. Any freelancer, or self-employed man or woman with a computer and a willingness to produce quality work, may undertake one, or several, and complete it anytime and anywhere they can and would like to do so, like from their own home or a coffee shop providing free Wi-Fi. Freelancers may also create accounts on majority of current freelancing websites on which they may post and showcase their talents, skills, professional experience, expertise, and samples of their body of work in order to make prospective employers interested in hiring them.

Freelancers are not the only ones benefiting from freelancing websites. Many employers now, especially owners of start-ups and small-scale companies, are hiring freelancers through freelance websites in order to avoid the costs of hiring full-time employees.

Given all this, it comes as no surprise that there are more freelancing websites now than there was just a few years ago—and their numbers continue to increase. Unfortunately, according to certain quarters, there are those that are useless; worse, some are scams. If you’re a freelance writer, graphic artist, or programmer seeking some freelance work and would like to avoid the fraudulent freelancing websites, here are the three most-popular ones which you ought to check out.

1. oDesk

Odesk is one of the largest freelancing websites. Certain quarters say that it is the best freelance website for newcomers. Employers, or clients, from all around the world post various jobs, or projects, here daily for professionals and beginners.

How oDesk Works:

Sign up for an account to be able to browse through the thousands of the jobs posted daily on this freelancing website. You will be able to search for a job by category based on your skills and then fill out applications for any one you would like to undertake. If you get interviewed or hired, you can track your hours, or ‘project status’, and then get paid directly through the website.

oDesk has a user-friendly system. It offers a wide range of hourly and fixed-rate job categories. Hourly jobs are tracked by the oDesk team’s software, from the logged in time till completion. There are usually a lot of low-paying jobs posted on the website, but you will be able to find employers who pay freelancers well. The website doesn’t charge membership fees, but it collects 10% of what the freelancers earn from completing jobs.

2. Elance

Apart from also being one of the largest freelancing websites, Elance is considered as one of the best. To be precise, certain quarters say the website is the best website through which experienced freelancers can find jobs. Over 500,000 employers actively post projects on it. To date, they have paid over $600 million to freelancers.

How Elance Works:

Create an account and complete your profile on this freelancing website. Afterwards, you will be able to browse through the 2000 jobs posted on average here each month. For a chance to undertake one, bid how much money for which you could complete it in a reasonable amount of time. Beat the other applicants, either in skills or in pricing, to make the employer choose to work with you. Payment and job completion are all done through the website.

Elance offers both free and paid membership plans. This freelancing website charges freelancers to get listed on it.

3. Freelancer

Another one of the largest freelancing websites, Freelancer is considered as one of the most reliable among them. It is also the oldest. 2,772,202 freelancers are registered to the website. According to certain quarters, freelancers who are serious about their careers should make good use of it.

How Freelancer Works:

Sign up and complete your profile on this freelancing website to be able to browse and bid on one, or several, of the various jobs usually available through it that match your skills or expertise. Freelancers will also be able to earn money by way of the website’s referral program.

Elance charges a commission of $5, or 10% of winning bids. It also charges its ‘gold members’ 3% of their earnings.

It should come as no surprise that more and more self-employed men and women are getting into freelancing, what with the many benefits they will enjoy in doing so as opposed to being employed full-time. For instance, they can take on as many jobs as they would like and complete them at their convenience. This wouldn’t possible if it wasn’t for the prevalence of freelancing websites. Hence, the best way for a newcomer to get his foot in the proverbial door is by seeking work through the reputable freelancing websites.

Submitted by: Ceasar Ira J. Zagala