Tips for Using Project Bidding Sites for Web Designers

Posted by: Toan Nguyen Minh on February 7 in Design



If you are a freelance web designer chances are you have heard of project bidding sites like elance and getacoder. Before you use these sites you need to make sure you understand a few things otherwise you will get ripped off and left in the dark. There are no better ways to learn than actually dive in and try the sites yourself to get the experiences. The following tips will hopefully be useful to you as a london web designer who just started using these type of sites to find work.

Only do projects you know for sure you can do. Let’s say you bid on a project to develop an e-commerce website but have no experience setting up shopping carts or interfacing to credit card merchant services. While every other aspect of the project may go smoothly, you are bound to hit a roadblock when it comes time to implement the shopping cart. Since you are web developer, you know how to research and figure the problem out but all this takes time and the result can be a canceled project, no payment, and a poor review for all other buyers to see.

Be aware of the bidding site fees. Most of these sites take a fee from you when the buyer awards you the bid (even before you get paid for the project). A few only take the fee when you get paid. But the bottom line is that the fee should be calculated into your bid.

Don’t be a consistently low bidder. You’ll quickly get work but you will also become overwhelmed in the same manner. Although, with the number of other bidders you will be competing with, sometimes a low bid is what it takes to get awarded a job—especially if you are new on the site. This is also called penetration pricing and eventually you’ll have to start bidding at a fair price in order to be profitable.

Use freelance bidding sites to get you started. But have a plan to gradually move away from them and start dealing face-to-face with clients directly. It’s easier to build trust and strong customer relations when you can see the person you are dealing with. Communication is far easier in this way too. Not to mention that you will not have to compete with people who are offering web design services for peanuts.

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  • I agree, don't undercut people and go as the lowest bidder. You're only doing the same amount of work for a lower price. You worked hard to learn your skills, you should be paid accordingly.
  • Ya you are right mark your bid on that project whichever u can handle very well & you are confident about it.Thankss
  • Wow, I can't believe there's bots posting here now. :(

    Till then,

    Jean
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  • it is for web designer only but, good information :) thanks for information
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  • Green web hosting is not just the latest fashion trend. Green web hosting is part of the global movement towards a more responsible and ecologically friendly way to live and to do business. “Going green” can mean a lot of things and this is why it is.
  • These days the web is carrying more multi media, and an understanding of digital audio, video and various kinds of animation is necessary for the well rounded designer.
  • Currently however there are many code editors that simplify the process of design, and the best of these would be Dreamweaver... and an understanding of Flash and Photoshop, even Illustrator will be useful to the designerin the management of web graphics.
  • it is for web designer only but, very useful information .
    thanks (:
  • The point is that these people have a specialty, but they also continue their education to learn a little bit about everything. Employers love hiring these folks because it saves them money. If you hire a graphic designer that also knows web design or illustration, then you don't have to hire out for someone else to do those things.
  • The point is that these people have a specialty, but they also continue their education to learn a little bit about everything. Employers love hiring these folks because it saves them money.
  • Ya you are right mark your bid on that project whichever u can handle very well & you are confident about it.
    Thanks, good luck
    Sözlük
  • A lot of people find it hard to take it to the next step where you move away from low bids and bidding sites - including me. High-paying clients are hard to find.

    Thanks
    Emre
  • Sites like these are great for web designers to build up a portfolio. As mentioned, it may be tough to sustain a steady income on such sites long term. You will always be competing against someone who is bidding lower, as well as someone who is a better designer. The trick is to offer the right level of quality for a reasonable price. If you feel you should be paid higher than what most other people are bidding, these freelancer sites may not be the best option for you.
  • Nice article. As a designer these are the things I try to show a perspective client so they feel comfortable working with me. Thanks for the read.
  • It is hilarious how they want a designer to design their website, and say thing like, I want a simple site, you know with the usual pages. With very little direction, until they see the first round of comps where now they have all the feedback and direction you would have loved to have before you spent 16 hours coming up with the first round design.
  • Remember, a designer who knows his job will know that the best site is not always the flashiest or the most beautiful one; rather, it’s the one that completely meets all your needs and finds its way to the top of the search engine ranks.
  • Ya you are right mark your bid on that project whichever u can handle very well & you are confident about it.
  • SEO
    I used a site once where you log in and provide the specs for your project. Web developers/designers would then bid on your project -- most of them seemed to be off shore.
  • If you already a freelancer finished some projects on your own you can demand the company to give you a high salary.
  • A lot of people find it hard to take it to the next step where you move away from low bids and bidding sites - including me. High-paying clients are hard to find. I'm only hoping that someone will refer me to one before I lose hope with competing with all the low bidders.
  • Thanks for great post, but it is for web designer only
  • Being versatile is a huge step in becoming more desirable to employers. A lot of people go to school and find a niche. That is to say, they become a graphic designer, or a web designer.
  • thanks
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