are a few things we’ve learned over the years that will help you have the best freelance experience possible.
1. Make sure they speak English fluently. We tend to hire more people from countries where English is their primary language, even if we have to pay more. There just seems to be a huge disconnect otherwise and it can take a lot longer to get things done.
2. Make sure they agree to unlimited revisions. You want to make sure that they will keep making changes to their work until you are completely satisfied.
3. Don’t pay them all of the money upfront. Hold at least half of it until the job is done and you are satisfied with the results.
4. Don’t choose the cheapest bid for your job unless their resume, portfolio and English are amazing. Often times, these people are freelancers who got bad ratings from a previous job and so they created a new profile. There are obviously exceptions, so just make sure you do your homework.
5. Give them as much direction as you can in your job post. We often refer to specific websites that we like and tell them to “make me a menu like this style,” or “create two columns like this website.” Basically, the more information you can give them upfront, the smoother the project will go.
One final word of advice. While it’s tempting to try and do everything yourself - especially when you’re starting out, one of the best things you can do is to let other people that are experts in their fields do the things that they do best.
Don’t try to learn php.
Don’t try to learn html.
Don’t try to learn graphic design.
Don’t try to learn professional photography.
All of these things can be outsourced online by freelance experts for very reasonable prices. However, the one thing I advise you is
DO become experienced at hiring and managing freelancers.
If you can successfully hire and manage freelancers, then you can do anything you could ever dream of online. Once you know how to effectively leverage online freelancers, you can say to your friends “I’ve got people for that” and actually mean it.
Some of our favorite freelance sites are Elance.com, Scriptlance.com and Guru.com.
You don’t have to use a freelancer for everything. If you are ready to hire part-time or full-time employees then you can leverage their time and expertise to help you instead of or in addition to freelancers.
For example, we currently have two graphic designers, two programmers and two customer service representatives that all work directly in our office. Although we still use freelancers on a regular basis, this core group of staff gives us certain freedoms and flexibilities that we currently need in our business.
If you're just starting out, it's a good idea to rely more heavily on freelancing. Then, once you're established and growing, odds are that you'll find a mix between freelancing and in-house staff that work well for you.
In closing, we hope you always remember that perception is reality. The way your website looks will make or break your business online. There are literally billions of web pages out there on the World Wide Web. Your content and your design must stand out above the rest for you to become the authority and the “Go To” place for consumers in your market.
Also keep in mind that change is a good thing. We are constantly updating and improving our websites - sometimes on a monthly basis. This doesn’t mean that you have to change this often. But it does mean that you need to constantly be looking for ways to improve the perception you are portraying.
On that note, may your ice cream be delicious and unique, and may your ice cream truck always look like a million bucks!
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