I'll soon be looking for a web designer to relaunch my website. I'm hoping to find someone who can not only handle the design, but the actual implementation.
Eventually, I'd like this site to be able to support eLearning, online paid-for content.
I've used Freelancer, Crowdspring, DesignCrowd for small design projects with varying levels of success. Any platforms you would recommend to track down high quality freelance web developers?
Depending on what you need, you'll probably want to look at actual agencies. A single freelancer is unlikely to have the complete spectrum of skills you'll need, and unless you're looking to hire someone full-time, you'll probably have trouble retaining a single freelancer for a long period of time without conflicts.
A mid-sized agency like the one I started (and later sold) specializes in designing and building sites. Their specialty is marketing and client acquisition, so they wouldn't be much help for the custom stuff later down the road — but that may not be an issue now.
Another option may be to use a high-end development talent agency like http://www.10xmanagement.com/ — this company hires out very good developers, but you'll pay a premium.
Like anything, you'll get what you pay for. Sometimes you'll get lucky on Elance, but you take on a lot of risk for the lower price.
A mid-range agency has lower risk, but may lack full-stack capabilities.
A high-range agency can solve all your problems, but you'll pay top dollar for it.
I have a lot of experience screening and recruiting talent for projects in the mid-to-high range, so if you'd like to discuss strategies, let me know.
Good luck!
My friend George once told me this old saw he learned from his dad, who was in the printing business: "You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. You can have it good. Pick two."
If you're wanting high-quality web design and development, then you must be prepared to spend a while searching for cheap talent. Or if you do feel a sense of urgency, then you need to forget about trying to save money on the front-end, and focus on what your delays are costing you in terms of lost business. I've run a creative services shop for seven years, and have worked with dozens of freelancers. I've found that every penny I try to save I usually end up "spending" in the form of frustration with the freelancer's professionalism, turnaround times, and communication.
Even if he produces good design, would I have chosen him if I had known he'd drag his feet for two months?
High-quality design and development are an investment. Invest in the best you can possibly afford.
And keep in mind that you may actually need to hire two different people. Not all designers code, and not all coders design.
I've had a lot of success on Upwork, but as often I start on Dribbble and Behance.
If you can, spend top dollar on design and dev because you typically get what you pay for. And find other ways to save money, or even better, increase revenues.
Let's put together a more specific plan for you. I love this stuff!
Cheers,
Austin
We have been discussing those problems at WordCamps for a few years now since the web design/development market has been oversaturated in terms of numbers, but quality is fairly hard to find.
If you are a technical person, you can look for people with active GitHub presence and review some code yourself. Otherwise, find some reputable community people.
With WordPress powering close to 25% of the Internet right now, that's probably a platform that you may look into. That said, see if there is a local meetup or a WordCamp happening in your area and ping some of the speakers, or search some of the WordPress development agencies and browse their showcases.
Most good engineers and designers are community involved since this is the best way to always stay up to date and improve your skills through collaboration.
Happy to discuss more over a call if you need additional guidance or technical help.
I do not support or encourage the use of crowd-sourcing services. They do not provide the best outcome for you (the clieet) as it pertains to focusing on your individual needs, building relationships and most importantly: bringing you (the client) closer to a truly professional and skilled designer. Crowd-sourcing often (if not always) pays many of the candidates $0. This is Spec Work which I 100% do not support.
Alternatively, you can look for and work with an experienced and reputable designer who is familiar with graphic and website design, user experience, user interface design and has a portfolio you like and jives with what you need.
You can look on places like Behance, Coroflot, or Creative Hotlist and search for folks you like. These are known creative portals that will help you narrow down your search to creative professionals that know what they are doing.
If you are looking for a quality end product that will grow with your business, then it's worth it to pay a little more now to make sure it gets done right.
Crowdsourcing platforms are mixed experience. Sometimes you'll get someone really great, other times you will hit rock bottom.
The key would be to find an individual or an agency that has both the experience and a name. We live in a service and relationship based economy, so aim for an individual or a company with a reputation to keep. They will likely go the extra mile.
Crowdfunding is a popular form of fundraising, and it has been used for a variety of reasons as varied as social justice causes, funding new businesses, helping with medical needs, or funding real estate projects. Basically, crowdfunding is just raising money online from multiple people to fund something. Businesses and individuals participate in crowdfunding to raise money. Crowdfunding works by having multiple people individually contribute a small amount to a project, a new business, or a cause. Usually, the pool of people is large and they may not know each other, which is where the “crowd” in crowdfunding comes from. Instead of having just a few investors fund the venture, crowdfunding allows a lot more people to give a little bit of money.
There are three types of crowdfunding:
I. Reward crowdfunding: You reward contributors with a product sample or a gift if they give a certain amount
II. Debt crowdfunding: Instead of getting a bank loan, you get a loan from crowdfunding and then repay it
III. Equity crowdfunding: You give your contributors equity in the company in exchange for cash
Best Outsourcing platforms in the world that would help you are as follows:
1. Kickstarter: Kickstarter is one of the biggest names when it comes to crowdfunding, known for helping tech and creative entrepreneurs fund their projects before getting a loan or raising money for venture capital. The company has raised over $5 billion with more than 189,000 (as per October 2020) projects funded since its inception in 2009. Potential funders can browse several verticals from arts and film to publishing. It is also easy to use on the fundraising side—begin by setting your goal and then a time period to complete it. FYI: before your campaign can launch, you will have to be approved by Kickstarter. For each level of money raised per individual, you set a small gift or personal experience for your donor. Kickstarter is an all or nothing platform, which means that you do not get your funds unless you complete your campaign. It also means that the funder’s credit card will not be charged unless you meet your campaign goal. The fee is 5% on top of processing payment charges (3- to 5-%) per transaction. If you raise enough money, there is a 14-day waiting period for funds.
2. Indiegogo: Indiegogo users are usually creating campaigns for tech innovations, creative works, and community projects. The crowdfunding platform works similarly to Kickstarter, except it doesn’t have an exclusively all or nothing fundraising model. Users choose between two options: fixed and flexible funding. Fixed is best for fundraisers where your project needs a certain amount of money while flexible is good for campaigns where you will benefit from any funding. With flexible funding, you will get your funds whether you meet your goal; with fixed funding, all funds are returned to your donors if you do not meet the campaign goal. However, there are no fixed funding fees for campaigners who do not meet their goal as opposed to 5% for flexible funds and fixed funds that do meet their goals. There is also a processing fee of 3% and 30 cents per transaction. The minimum goal for either type of fundraiser is $500.
3. Causes: Causes is the world’s largest online campaigning platform focused on social, political, and cultural issues. It brands itself as a social network for people who want to make a difference faster and more effectively. It boasts over 186 million users in 156 different countries. The site is great for non-profits that want to build a donor community without spending too much money and resources on networking. As it runs ads, Causes is free of charge for users. On your crowdfunding page, you can collect donations and pledges, raise awareness, and share relevant media to potential donors. In addition to fundraising, Causes is a social networking platform that allows you to find people with common interests as you look through categories such as animals, human rights, and the environment. It also provides a platform for creating petitions for advocacy. It is not exclusive to registered non-profits—individuals can also access and raise money on the platform for programs and ideas that they care about.
4. Patreon: Patreon is popular among digital creatives, such as YouTubers, podcasters, and bloggers. As opposed to you collecting one-off campaign donations, you have a subscription model where patrons regularly contribute a set amount of money every month or per creation. The site allows artists to form relationships with their fans, and creators can even deliver exclusive content to their Patreon subscribers as an incentive to continue funding them. Suffice to say, this service works best if you regularly share work on your personal platform. Otherwise, pledgers do have the option of canceling their subscription if creators don’t produce content.
5. Patreon collects a 2.9% fee and 35 cents from each pledge. The site boasts two million active patrons and over 100,000 active creators. One drawback with Patreon is that it does not market creators as much as sites such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter, which have entire verticals and pages on their projects for potential donors to browse.
6. GoFundMe: You have probably seen a handful of GoFundMe fundraisers on social media at one point or another for emergencies and charitable causes, but businesses can use it as well. The crowdfunding site collects a 2.9% processing fee and 30 cents for every donation. As it’s not an all or nothing fundraising site, you keep everything that you raise. Plus, there are zero personal campaign funding fees for those based in the United States. GoFundMe has had many successful campaigns, including the Las Vegas Victims Fund ( $11.8 million) and the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund ($24.2 million). This site is a good option if your fundraiser goes towards a service-based cause, such as medical needs or emergency relief. There are a few caveats, however: Conventional start-ups may not raise as much capital on GoFundMe, and it is important to be mindful that only one in ten campaigns ever get fully funded on the site.
7. Circle Up: If you are building a consumer brand, it’s worth looking into Circle Up, which has helped raise $260 million dollars for 196 start-ups. It offers both equity capital and credit financing. It provides a platform to network with experts, retailers, and entrepreneurs. You can also connect with accredited investors, who have a net worth of at least $1 million and an annual income of at least $200,000. Other perks include access to special lines of credit and market insights using Helio, Circle Up’s proprietary machine-based learning technology for making company strategies. The company is best for entrepreneurs who are looking to scale as opposed to develop their ideas. The selection process is competitive, and typically you also need to have a revenue of at least $1 million to be listed on their site.
8. LendingClub: Lending Club is a crowdfunding site that provides up to $40,000 for personal loans and up to 5300,000 for business loans. It’s a form of debt crowdfunding that’s usually easy to qualify for and is often faster than going through a regular bank. As opposed to most equity crowdfunding, it will not require things such as business visits or plans and projects. With Lending Club, you get your loan with a 3-year or 5-year term, according to its website. Interest rates can be high depending on your credit score—the total annualized interest typically ranges between 10.68 and 35.89%. LendingClub requires at least one year in business, $50,000 in annual sales, no recent bankruptcies or tax liens, and ownership of at least 20% of the business. In other words, you should be in good financial health.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
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