Once you begin your search for freelancers for your upcoming project, you are bound to come across Upwork.
Upwork was formed when Odesk and Elance decided to join forces in 2015. This means the outsourcing platform has effectively been around for over 15 years. And what started out as a basic freelancing platform is now one of the most developed freelancer marketplaces around today.
Is Upwork right for your business and projects though?
Here is everything you need to know.
What is Upwork?
Upwork is a freelance marketplace that is home to millions of freelancers who specialise in over 8,000 skills and niches. Some of the top categories include web design, copywriting, strategy, customer support, and development.
Upwork has fast become one of the most preferred talent marketplaces across the globe, with clients and freelancers stemming from a wide selection of countries. It is also used by top organisations, including Microsoft and Airbnb.
The platform caters to businesses and budgets of every size, so you are sure to find the right professionals for your projects.
How Upwork Stands Out
- Filtering. One area where Upwork really stands out is in how specific you can be about the types of freelancers you are searching for. From minimum revenue earned to skills and experience, you can get as specific as you want to when creating a job posting.
- Freelancer Screening. Upwork takes its screening process very seriously and requires freelancers to pay to apply for jobs. This drastically reduces the number of spam responses businesses receive.
- Freelancer Ratings. Then there’s the freelancer rating process. Upwork has made sure that freelancers need to build up a collection of good reviews and revenue levels to receive a better Job Success Score or Top Rated status. And since freelancers want to make their profiles more attractive, they generally go the extra mile to help their customers.
- Ease of Use. As a business searching for freelancers, you will find Upwork to be one of the easiest platforms to use. From setting up your job postings to adding payment details, Upwork is known for its simple, step-by-step processes.
- Detailed Freelancer Profiles. For business owners who prefer to do their due diligence, there are detailed freelancer profiles. Along with reading through each freelancer’s skills and experience, you can also read through reviews and feedback from past clients. What’s more, you will have the chance to discuss your project with a freelancer and get to know them before you go ahead with the hire.
- Project Protection. Upwork is also known for how it protects both businesses and freelancers. Both parties can easily raise disputes with the customer service department. And if you run into any issues while using the platform, the customer service team is quick to respond.
Upwork Fees
When you create a basic account on Upwork, there is no cost. However, you will only be able to send three invitations. If you want to access any of the advanced features, you need to upgrade to a Plus, Business, or Enterprise account.
A Plus membership costs $49.99 per month and gives you access to Upwork Talent Specialists – you can also send up to 30 invitations per month and take advantage of their 24/7 support. The Plus membership is generally enough for small to medium-sized businesses.
You should also be aware of the 3% processing fee, which is charged with every payment. If you have an Enterprise membership though, expect to pay a 10% processing fee.
The Bottom Line
There are a number of impressive freelance marketplaces to choose from, but Upwork certainly makes it into the top three for me. I would recommend considering Upwork regardless of the size of your business or budget.
