Latest Freelance Website Trends For 2023

Freelance websites have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing a platform for freelancers to showcase their skills and connect with clients worldwide. With the rise of remote work, it's no surprise that the freelance industry is booming, and staying at the peak of the latest trends is essential for success. One website builder that has been making waves in the industry is Strikingly, offering an easy and affordable way to create a freelance website. In this article, we'll explore some of the latest trends in freelance websites and how Strikingly can help you stay ahead.

Importance Of Freelance Sites

Freelance websites are essential tools for both freelancers and clients alike. They provide a centralized platform where:

• Clients can easily find and hire talented professionals for their projects
• Freelancers can showcase their skills, build portfolios, and land the best freelance jobs.

With the increasing demand for remote work, a robust online presence is more essential than ever.

Strikingly is a website builder that provides an intuitive platform for creating professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge required. Their clean, stylish, and mobile-responsive templates, designed for any industry, are optimized for modern browsing. Strikingly makes it easy to create a stunning online presence for freelancers & clients in minutes.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

1. Increased Focus On User Experience

In freelance websites, user experience has become a top priority. Freelancers and clients demand a seamless, intuitive experience when browsing and interacting with these platforms. Here's a list of the latest trends in user experience for freelance sites.

Mobile-Responsive Website Design

With several people accessing the internet via mobile devices, freelance websites must have mobile-responsive designs. These designs ensure the website looks and functions well on any screen size, from smartphones to tablets to desktops.

Customized User Interfaces

Customization is key to user interfaces on freelance websites. Freelancers want to be able to tailor their profiles and job listings to showcase their unique skills and experiences, while clients want to find freelancers who meet their specific needs easily.

Interactive Website Elements

Interactive elements like chatbots, quizzes, and surveys can help engage users on freelance websites. These elements help freelancers showcase their skills enjoyably and interactively while providing valuable information for clients looking for the right freelancer for their projects.

Limiting the Use Of Pop-Ups And Banner Ads

While ads can be an important source of revenue for freelance websites, they can also detract from the user experience if they're too intrusive or distracting. Many platforms now limit pop-ups and banner ads to create a more streamlined browsing experience.

Create An Engaging Freelance Website Experience With Strikingly

Strikingly is an excellent platform for creating freelance sites focusing on user experience. Here are some ways it can help:

1. Mobile-friendly responsive design

Strikingly provides responsive templates that automatically adapt to any screen size. This ensures your freelance website provides a great viewing experience on mobile devices and desktops. This is important as many potential clients will visit from their phones.

2. Easy to navigate

Strikingly makes it easy to create clean and intuitive website navigation. You can have clear menu items, minimal distractions, and make it easy for visitors to find what they need. This helps convey a professional image and leaves a good impression on visitors.

3. Engaging homepage

Your homepage is the first thing visitors see. Strikingly allows you to create an attractive hero section with an image, headline, text, and call-to-action button. This helps capture attention and highlight your services right away. You can also feature your latest projects, testimonials, and critical information on the homepage.

4. Highlight your services

Use Strikingly to create dedicated pages for your different service offerings. Include details like packages, pricing, project examples, client testimonials, and call-to-action buttons so visitors can quickly contact you for any service they want.

5. Blog integration

Strikingly allows you to integrate a blog into your website. Having an active blog helps establish you as an authority in your industry. It lets you share valuable tips, insights, and news with your audience. And the blog content gets indexed by Google, which helps with SEO and ranking in search results.

6. Lead capture

Use Strikingly's form builder to create contact, email signup, and lead capture forms on your website. This allows visitors to get in touch with you or subscribe to your mailing list so you can continue to engage them.

Strikingly, an intuitive website builder provides all the tools you need to create a professional, user-friendly freelance website that helps you stand out and win more clients.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

2. Enhanced Security Features

In today's digital age, security is a top priority for freelance websites. With increasing cyber threats, it's important to have enhanced security features to protect users' sensitive information. Here are some of the top security features that the best freelance websites are implementing:

Advanced Encryption Technologies

It protects users' data from hackers and cybercriminals. Freelance sites use advanced encryption methods like AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to encrypt data in transit also at rest.

Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication is another layer of security that wants users to provide two forms of identification before accessing their accounts. Two-factor authentification helps prevent unauthorized access and protects against phishing attacks.

SSL Certification

SSL certification is a must-have for any freelance website that deals with sensitive information like payment details or personal information. Ensuring secure communication between the website and its users by encrypting data in transit.

Regular Backups And Updates

Regular backups and updates are essential for maintaining the integrity of a freelance website's data and ensuring that it can be restored in case of a breach or data loss. Frequent software updates also help keep the site secure by patching vulnerabilities.

Build A Secure Freelance Website With Strikingly

Strikingly provides several security features for freelance sites:

1. SSL certification. Strikingly uses SSL encryption for all freelance sites. All data transmitted between your site and the visitor's browser is encrypted and secure. Your website will also display "https" in the URL bar to indicate the SSL certificate. This is important for exchanging any sensitive information with clients, like contact forms.

2. Two-factor authentication. Strikingly allows you to enable two-factor authentication for your website login. This provides an extra layer of security so that logging into your Strikingly account requires both your password and a security code sent to your mobile device. It prevents unauthorized access to your account.

3. Form spam protection. The forms on your Strikingly website have built-in spam protection and captcha to prevent spam submissions and bot attacks. It ensures any form submissions you receive are from real people.

4. Code injection prevention. Strikingly sanitizes all website code to prevent any malicious Javascript or HTML from being executed. It makes it difficult for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and inject harmful code into your website.

5. Dedicated firewalls. Strikingly employs dedicated firewalls and DDoS mitigation systems to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and websites. It protects against various cyber attacks that could compromise your website's security.

6. Automatic backups. Strikingly creates automatic backups of all website files, assets, and databases. In the unlikely event of data loss due to an attack or system issue, Strikingly can restore your website to its last known backup with minimal disruption.

7. Constant security monitoring. Strikingly has a dedicated security team that constantly monitors website security and works to identify and patch any vulnerabilities. Regular software and infrastructure updates ensure your freelance website remains secure and up-to-date.

You can rest assured that Strikingly meets high standards for security and privacy for your freelance website. But you should also follow best practices like using a strong, unique password, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping your website software up-to-date, etc.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

3. Greater Emphasis On Niche Marketplaces

The rise of freelance websites has led to increased technological platforms catering to specific industries or skills. These niche markets provide a more targeted approach for freelancers and clients, making finding the best match for their needs easier.

Specific Industry Or Skill-Based Platforms

Freelance sites focusing on specific industries or skill sets are gaining popularity. For example, platforms are solely dedicated to graphic designers, writers, and developers. They allow clients to find freelancers who specialize in their field and have the necessary expertise.

Enhanced Search And Filtering Options

Many freelance websites are improving their search and filtering options to make it easier for clients to find the right freelancer. Clients can filter by location, experience level, hourly rate, and other criteria to narrow their search results.

Improved Communication Channels

Effective communication is essential in any freelance job, which is why many niche marketplaces are improving their communication channels. Real-time chat and video conferencing tools make it easier for freelancers and clients to collaborate on projects.

User Reviews And Ratings

User reviews, and ratings are crucial in building trust between freelancers and clients on these niche marketplaces. Clients can read reviews from other users who have worked with a particular freelancer before deciding whether to hire them.

Target Your Niche Audience With A Strikingly Freelance Website

Here are some tips for creating a freelance website focused on a niche market with Strikingly:

1. Choose a niche industry and services

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Select a specialized industry like tech freelancing, writing, marketing, business consulting, etc., and the specific services you offer within that niche, like app development, copywriting, inbound marketing, strategic planning, etc. This will allow you to target your website content and marketing toward the right audience.

2. Share your expertise

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Create detailed pages highlighting your experience, skills, credentials, and expertise within that industry niche. Include case studies of work you've done for other clients. This helps establish you as a credible expert in your field.

3. Blog about your niche

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Start a blog on your Strikingly website focused on topics relevant to your industry and target clients. Share tips, insights, news, and advice. This positions you as a valuable resource and builds credibility and authority in the niche.

4. Optimize for search

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Use relevant keywords, page titles, headers, and metadata throughout your Strikingly site to help rank higher in search results for your niche terms. This will increase your visibility to potential clients searching online for expertise in your field.

5. Showcase and link to projects

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Create portfolio pages to showcase the specific types of projects you've done for other clients in your industry niche. Link to any published work or live client websites you've delivered. This demonstrates your relevant experience.

6. Advertise in niche channels

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Promote your freelance services in places your target niche clients frequent, like specialized websites, blogs, podcasts, email newsletters, online forums and communities, virtual summits, etc. Focus your advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate partnerships on niche industry channels.

7. Build relationships

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Network with others in your industry niche, like potential clients, influencers, journalists, bloggers, and website publishers. Provide value by sharing your expertise and seeking collaboration opportunities or exchange services. Strong relationships will lead to new clients and opportunities over the long run.

Following these tips will help you create freelance sites finely tuned to a niche market with an audience of potential clients interested in your specialized skills and services.

Image taken from a Strikingly user's website

4. Increased Collaboration Tools

Collaboration is integral to any successful freelance project, and the latest trends in freelance websites reflect this. Freelance sites now offer increased collaboration tools to help freelancers and clients work together more effectively.

File Sharing And Version Control

One of freelancers' most crucial collaboration tools is file sharing and version control. Freelance websites now offer secure file-sharing options allowing freelancers to share their work with clients safely and efficiently.

With version control, freelancers can keep track of changes made to their work, ensuring they always have access to the most up-to-date version and making it easier for both parties to collaborate on projects without worrying about losing important information.

Project Management And Task Tracking

Project management and task-tracking tools are becoming increasingly popular on freelance websites. These tools help freelancers stay organized by allowing them to create tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.

Clients can also benefit from these tools by seeing exactly what tasks are being worked on and how much progress has been made, which ensures that projects stay on track and are completed on time.

Real-Time Chat And Video Conferencing

Real-time chat and video conferencing tools are another important collaboration tool for freelancers. These tools allow freelancers to communicate with clients in real-time, making it easier to discuss project details or ask questions.

Video conferencing is useful for discussing complex projects or presenting work to clients. It allows both parties to see each other's facial expressions and body language, making communication more effective.

Collaboration-Friendly Pricing Models

Collaboration-friendly pricing models are also becoming more common on freelance websites. These models offer discounts or incentives for clients who hire multiple freelancers or collaborate with their freelancers on multiple projects.

They encourage clients to work closely with their freelancers, leading to better collaboration and more successful projects.

Bye-Bye To Email Overload: Centralized Team Communication

Finally, freelance sites now offer centralized team communication tools that eliminate the need for endless email chains. These tools allow all project team members to communicate in one central location, making it easier to keep track of conversations and collaborate more effectively.

Build A Collaborative Freelance Website With Strikingly

Here are some ways to integrate collaboration tools into a Strikingly freelance website:

1. Add a chat feature. Use a service like Strikingly’s live chat feature. This allows visitors to quickly get in touch with questions and for you to provide instant assistance. Chat is also helpful for collaborating with clients on projects.

2. Embed project management software. Include widgets or an iframe on your site to embed project collaboration tools like Asana, Trello, or Basecamp. It allows you and clients to work together within the platforms you're already using to manage workloads, share files, leave comments, and check on project progress.

3. Share documents via Google Drive. Add the Google Drive app to your Strikingly site. This lets you display documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and files from your Google Drive account. Clients can view resources for their projects in one place on your website and leave comments or suggest edits, enabling real-time document collaboration.

4. Add video conferencing. Embed apps on your site like Google Meet, Zoom or Microsoft Teams to enable video calls, online meetings, and screen sharing. This makes it easy to meet with clients face to face online to discuss projects, share your screen, get on the same page and ensure collaboration happens efficiently regardless of location.

5. Share via Dropbox. The Dropbox app allows you to share folders and files from your Dropbox account right on your Strikingly site. Clients can access resources for their projects, leave comments or upload additional files, enabling seamless file sharing and cloud storage-based collaboration.

6. Add shared calendars. Use the Calendly or Google Calendar app to let clients view your availability and schedule time to meet or work together. A shared calendar lets you both stay on top of deadlines, schedule calls or conferences and ensure all parties know when collaboration time is booked. This transparency and access help keep projects running smoothly.

7. Send updates via email newsletters. Share the latest updates, files, events, and deadlines regarding client projects via Strikingly’s email newsletters tool. This ensures all parties receive the same information simultaneously for optimal transparency and collaboration. Your newsletters can prompt quick questions or feedback to keep projects moving.

Using various collaboration tools will make client and project management much more streamlined and effective. A Strikingly freelance website gives you an ideal centralized place to display and integrate all these tools to facilitate better working relationships and outcomes.

Role Of Strikingly As The Ultimate Website Builder

Are you looking to create a freelance website that stands out from the competition? Look no further than Strikingly, the ultimate website builder for freelancers and entrepreneurs.

• Effortless Site Creation With Strikingly

Creating a freelance website has always been challenging. Our intuitive platform allows users to build and launch their websites in minutes without any coding or design experience required.

• Build And Launch Your Website In Minutes

Gone are the days of spending weeks or even months perfecting your website. With Strikingly's user-friendly interface, you can have your site up and running quickly, allowing you to focus on what matters - finding the best freelance jobs.

• Clean And Stylish Templates For Any Industry

Strikingly offers a wide range of clean and stylish templates perfect for any industry or niche market. Whether you're a graphic designer, writer, or web developer, our templates are designed to help you showcase your skills and stand out from the crowd.

• Mobile-Responsive Designs For Modern Browsing

In today's digital age, having a mobile-responsive website that looks great on any device is more important than ever. With Strikingly's mobile-responsive designs, you can rest assured that your freelance site will look as good on a smartphone as on a desktop computer.

• Hassle-Free Customization With Strikingly's Intuitive Editor

Want to customize your freelance site even further? No problem! With Strikingly's intuitive editor, you can easily add new pages, change colors and fonts, upload images and videos, and much more - all without any technical knowledge required.

• Seamless Integration With Your Favorite Third-Party Tools

Are you looking to integrate your freelance site with other tools like Google Analytics or Mailchimp? No problem! Strikingly offers seamless integration with a wide range of third-party tools, making connecting your website with the tools you already use easy.

• Free SSL Certificate For Secure Online Transactions

At Strikingly, we take security seriously. That's why we offer a free SSL certificate with all our websites, ensuring your freelance site is always secure and protected.

• Reliable And Affordable Web Hosting Services

Are you worried about the cost of hosting your freelance site? With Strikingly, you don't have to be. Our reliable and affordable web hosting services ensure your site stays up and running 24/7 without breaking the bank.

Conclusion

The freelance industry constantly evolves, and keeping up with the latest trends is important to stay competitive. With the right tools, such as Strikingly; freelancers can have the upper hand on the latest advancements and create stunning freelance sites that stand out from the crowd.

Staying up-to-date with the trends is crucial for any freelancer or client who wants to stay ahead of the competition. Being aware of the latest trends in technology and design ensures that your website is always fresh and relevant.

If you're a freelancer or client looking to create the perfect website that stands apart in the crowd, it's time to try Strikingly today. With its powerful features and intuitive design, you can quickly and easily create a website that showcases your skills and expertise.

What are you waiting for, then? Sign up for Strikingly today and take your freelance career to the next level!