The prevailing price hike in 2022 has made everyone think of new ways of earning. If you are also at sixes and blues about increasing your monthly income so that you can end up nicely, take a chance at freelancing. Freelancing has become the need of the hour after the pandemic outbreak. Businesses are rushing towards an online medium for hiring professionals and getting their work done because it allows them to manage things from the comforts of home and in an economical way. Similarly, professionals prefer freelancing over 9-5 jobs because they get enough time to look after their physical startups in this way.
If you are also one who wants to generate a boatload of revenue from a side business, freelancing is the best go-to option. Multiple online platforms are available where you can sell your services and make a handsome amount of money. Now, the question arises, how to get started as a freelancer? Here we have a complete breakdown of freelance websites and how to take a fresh start as a freelancer.
What are freelance websites?
Freelance sites are the platforms that enable professionals to sell their services to multiple clients and make handsome earnings for themselves. Retrospectively, you open an outlet on an already available freelancing platform, deal with buyers, offer your services, and get paid. It means you are not an employee of any organization and are responsible for the profit and loss statement. This way, you can get in touch with thousands of clients and set your rates without being dictated by anyone. These are the plus points of freelancing, urging people to skip office jobs and get into this field.
How to get started as a freelancer?
Have you made up your mind to be a freelancer but are clueless about how to get work? There are genuinely two ways of starting a freelance career. Some freelancers create their online portfolio or go on significant freelance marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork to sell their services. But mostly, professionals prefer both methods to increase their chances of earning online because a portfolio on your freelance website and bidding on significant freelance marketplaces will be a bonus for your career. Here are the methods which most freelancers take:
1. Creating your freelance website
2. Bidding on already available freelance websites
Here, we will provide you the blueprints of both methods to get started as a freelancer. But before this, you must make a list of things you need to start as a freelancer. First of all, you need to have a smartphone or computer. If you are reading this article, it means you have the resources.
Remember that, Doing freelancing is not a hard nut to crack. However, it is also not a shortcut to getting rich. Innovative work and consistency are the keys to flourishing in this field. It would be best if you had some strategic planning to make a good start. Here are some essential factors to consider before starting freelancing. These factors will help you to master the tips and tricks of freelancing:
1. Identify your skills
Before going to any freelancing platform or creating your website, you need to know your specialty. Identify what services you are good at. It will be the service you will sell to others. You must also know the level of your expertise. Are you a beginner or an expert? However, it would be best to sell those services according to your aptitude.
2. Identify your target audience
It would help if you did deep research to determine whether your skill is in demand. What types of businesses could be potential customers of your services? You can research freelance websites to know which type of services people want.
3. Decide your rates
If you want to work on freelancing websites like Fiverr or Upwork or want to build your freelance website, you must know what you would be charging for your services. Set a standard rate and look at the market trends before deciding.
4. Create a portfolio
A portfolio of your services is a must-have to sell via freelancing. You need to showcase your services better to hook clients. Creating a portfolio website significantly helps because it will give you an online identity in the freelance market. You don't need to worry about how to code for website development because creating freelance websites is effortless with Strikingly. It enables you to design a legit website with just drag-and-drop options. You don't need to be a tech to create a website because you can get help from Strikingly representatives via live chat.
Various elegant templates are available to make your website appealing. After selecting a template matching your services, go to "add a section" and click on "create a portfolio." This feature of Strikingly enables you to present your freelance services better. You can add your services in multiple sections to hook several clients. If you have any merchandise, you can also add your products more organized manner.
Creating a portfolio with Strikingly also helps you get subscriptions from your customers. You can create a section for customers where they will provide their emails to subscribe to your website. This way, you keep your buyers up-to-date about your website and freelance services. The whole experience will be unrivaled and let you create an appealing portfolio without a sweat.
Images taken from Strikingly
5. Do marketing for your services
Start commercializing your services using email marketing and other social media platforms to outreach a maximum number of clients. You can also take the help of information guides related to marketing strategies to promote your website.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Freelance Website
A freelance website will help you attractively promote your work. People have beautiful skills but don't know how to display them publicly.
If you want to pursue your career in freelancing and turn it into a money-spinning profession, you must consider building freelance websites. Strikingly is one of the most renowned free website builders, which helps you design a mesmerizing website in a couple of minutes.
Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a freelance website with Strikingly.
1. Create a free account on Strikingly
You can create an account on Strikingly by entering a valid email address and creating a password. Once you sign up, you can hover over the dashboard and choose a decent template for your website. Multiple categories of templates are available with different designs. Add your preferences and select anyone compatible with your freelance services and portfolio. If you don't find any template suitable, you can customize them with the user-friendly editor. Drag and drop the widgets to customize your template quickly.
Strikingly also offers some blank templates to start from scratch. The best thing is that you can switch between these templates anytime. Moreover, all templates offer forms, blogs, online stores, and live chats. Choose any template and start editing with the super-friendly editor of Strikingly. If you feel any difficulty, the happiness officer of Strikingly is available 24/7 to guide you.
2. Change background colors and images
Strikingly allow you to add color or image to your website's background to make it more appealing. Choose any color from the color picker if you want your website to be solid. If you don't like any color from the selector, you can also choose any custom color. In short, Strikingly does not demand hard-core coding for changing website backgrounds.
You can add an image in the background from your computer by simply dragging and dropping or browsing your PC. The Striking image library also contains more than three million images. You can search for any image in the library by entering your preferences or looking in the relevant section.
Images taken from Strikingly
Last but not least, adding videos in the background to your website is also available. You can select a video from the Strikingly library or embed a video directly from YouTube. However, keep in mind that videos will not play on the mobile view; instead, a thumbnail will appear for the video.
3. Classify your products or services in different sections
Adding different sections to your website will ease customers. It will make your website more organized and appreciative. Strikingly enables you to add additional sections or elements to their websites according to their content. Suppose you can work as a graphic designer and content writer. In that case, you can add a gallery section to showcase your graphics samples and another blog post section to add links to your published articles or other written content. This way, your clients will get a more defined path to look at what they need, increasing your chances of getting hired.
Images taken from Strikingly
4. Add contact forms to your website
Adding a contact form to your website help your clients and buyers approach you. Strikingly provides you with different customizable contact forms like contact us forms, sign-up forms, and custom forms where you can add relevant information. Go to the "Add a new section" button and choose a contact form that fits your needs.
You can enter information like your contact number, email account, or any other contact source like LinkedIn. There is also an option for adding maps and locations to your business. Interestingly, the contact forms available on Strikingly are also customizable. You can add a color, image, or video to the contact forms' backgrounds to make them appealing to your customers.
5. Integrate your social media platforms
You must link your other social media platforms with your freelance websites on Strikingly. This step will bring traffic to your website and make your services visible to a vast audience. You can embed Facebook and Instagram feeds on your website. This way, your followers will stay in touch with you without leaving your website. It will not only increase your website's traffic but also add to your website's browsing time.
For this, go to the option of "Add new link" under the section "external links." enter the link to your social media account in the bar. A box will indicate "open in new tab"; you can check it according to your needs. Strikingly enables you to integrate your website into as many social media accounts as you want. Provide the links to your online accounts and direct your followers to any platform wherever you want.
6. Create a blog and add an eCommerce store
Create a blog and also add an e-commerce store on your website. You can post blog updates about your rates and discounts to get more clients and generate revenue. Adding a blog section to your website will help you stay in touch with your clients. To monetize your website, add a simple store and sell different products. The store will let you drop ship other products or create merchandise, so you can generate revenue from both your eCommerce store and also by providing your services.
7 Get.a custom domain for your website
Buying a custom domain can make your freelance websites more personalized. PaidStrikingly plans enable you to get a custom domain. Your SEO will also improve by adding a custom domain because your followers can reach you more easily. Upgrade your account to a premium plan and enjoy the benefits of a custom field. Last but not least, you can also transfer an already-owned domain to your Strikingly website with the premium plans.
Images taken from Strikingly
It is all that you need to create your freelance websites without hopping on the other freelance platforms. Strikingly has added ease to the process by providing a drag-and-drop and user-friendly interface.
The best thing is that the features required to create a legit website are all usable in the free plan. You don't need to enter payment information to sign up with Strikingly. However, if you want to change or update your website over time, you can switch to any other plan anytime.
Best Freelance Websites for bidding
Creating your freelance website is undoubtedly the best option, but you can also look for a job from available freelance platforms. However, choosing one platform for work from plenty of freelancing sites is perplexing. We have enlisted the best freelance websites for beginners like you to get started. You can work as a content writer, graphic designer, freelance website designer, social media manager, or SEO expert on any of these freelance websites.
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the best freelance websites to start your career as a beginner. It is a gold mine of opportunities for the newbies. If you are new to freelancing, you can take free courses on Fiverr to polish your skills.
2. Upwork
Upwork is another good platform to start as a freelancer. The plus point of this freelance website is that you get a chance to work with big companies like Dropbox, Microsoft, and so on.
3. People per Hour
It is also one of the best freelancing sites, with a global community of 1.5 million freelancers. Working on people per hour is free of cost, but you need to be very skillful to get hired here.
There is a quick breakdown of some best freelance websites for beginners. No one can guarantee a flood of clients; it depends on how much time and energy you invest in your work.
The Bottom Line
Working as a freelancer is becoming a new norm. The ease of working from home being your boss has added more value to the profession. However, the best thing to start your freelancing career is to make your online identity. You considered several factors in going for the already available freelancing platforms above.
As a beginner, you must check whether your freelance platform has opportunities related to your services. Don't forget to check the payment protection and service fee etc. Customer support, user interface, and ease of use are also some factors that are not negotiable.
After analyzing the factors mentioned earlier, you only need to create an online account on freelance websites. Different freelance websites have other methods for account creation and verification. Make your profile highly engaging for your clients by adding relevant information. Showcase your services on your profile and start bidding for different projects.
However, some clients could want you to work outside the freelancing platforms. It would be best to have an online portfolio of your services for such clients. Strikingly has made it easy with free-of-cost website building. You can create a legit website in a few minutes and use it to generate revenue. Having your website is a package with a bonus because you can use it as your portfolio to sell your services directly to your client.
