Almost any type of freelance work is filled with its ups and downs. At times, you might find quite lucrative jobs that pay well for your efforts, while other work might have you burning the midnight oil for just a few bucks. That’s the downside of freelancing, as well as what creates the excitement of the work. Even with lower paying jobs, you never know what they might lead to down the road. Your hard work and effort might not seem like it’s paying off, but through dedication to your craft and word of mouth, you might be building future employment for yourself without even knowing it.
That being said, there is are a variety of differences among freelance design websites, and you don’t want to be wasting away your hours on work for a site that won’t provide returns on your time commitment. Here are a few sites you might want to check out, but, just as with any freelance work, it is important to practice due diligence and read plenty of unbiased user reviews before jumping into work with an unfamiliar employer.
Elance – This job board has a massive variety of jobs available from around the globe. Your biggest problem with this site might be sorting through the immense number of projects and picking the ones that will fit and pay you best. Their feedback, ratings, and summaries can serve as your guide in decision-making regarding the jobs on which to bid.
Freelance Switch – While not offering the variety and huge selection of Elance or some of the others on this list, sometimes that can make life easier. When I last checked the site, there were thirty job postings, ranging from freelance writing to logo and website design. At the time of this writing, a subscription to the site is $7 a month.
Freelancer – The web address for this site is still getafreelancer.com, but the site itself is now billed as freelancer.com. There is plenty of work here, but be aware, while membership is free, according to the site: “Freelancers pay 10% or $5 (whichever is greater) of the total bid/funds received.”
iFreelance – Depending on the level of membership you decide upon, monthly fees for this site can range from $4.69 (basic membership) to $9 (gold membership). However, according to the site, you pay no commission, and you receive unlimited leads on available projects. Consult their Member Benefits and Pricing page for further and current information.
Fresh Web Jobs – Offering full time and freelance work, Fresh Web Jobs might not have the huge selection of some other sites, however; the majority of the job openings have full descriptions and requirements. It appears that employers pay to post their job openings here, leaving users fee free.
Web Designer Wall – Focused purely on web design, Web Designer Wall is a smaller listing site. Similar to freshwebjobs.com though, the website seems to push its operating costs off onto the job posters rather than charging freelancers a commission, membership or subscription fee to apply for work.
Krop – This is a focused site for matching serious talent with real projects. This site is for professionals who have a well-established background in the industry. If you’re just breaking into freelance web design, this might not be the best place to start your search for work.
37signals – Check out 37signal’s Tech/Design Job Board to see what’s happening on the web design job front. While there are fewer available positions as compared to some other freelance sites, their postings appear to be with quite reputable (and often well-known) employers.
Guru – At Guru’s freelancer page, you can selection from a variety of technology-based positions. A quick scan of their easy to search database of available positions will give you a good feel for the type of projects out there as well as the compensation being offered for the work.
Craigslist – Of course I couldn’t leave this one off the list. Craigslist can be a great place to find just about anything – including freelance web design gigs.
Sitepoint – The Marketplace at SitePoint is a tad reminiscent of Craigslist. The site’s no-frills style classified listings are pretty straightforward and there’s a constant supply of new job offers coming through.
Authentic Jobs – Similar to Krop and 37signals, Authentic Jobs is geared specifically toward web professionals. Their site can be sorted by full-time, freelance or all available positions, the majority of which look for definite background qualifications and experience.
Odesk – There is much more than just freelance web design work offered at Odesk. Last time I checked, out of the more than 10,000 listings, more than 4,000 of them were related to web development.
About the Author
Kris is a freelance writer working for an Australian website that offers an easy comparison of credit cards with a large choice of cards featuring 0% interest on balance transfers and more. To read more of his writing about personal finance and money management hacks, check out their blog, The Credit Letter.
Author: Jeremy Vohwinkle
My name is Jeremy Vohwinkle, and I’ve spent a number of years working in the finance industry providing financial advice to regular investors and those participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
