If you are a freelance professional, then Elance is one of the online resources that you may use to find, bid on, and complete jobs. When you join Elance with a free or paid membership, you set up a contractor profile that explains who you are and what you do. As you complete work through the site, your clients submit feedback and ratings for you and that gets added to your profile too. Your contractor profile is very important and can affect how successful you are on the site.
Potential clients browse through contractor profiles all the time, looking for the right people to invite to bid on jobs that they need completed. Also, every time you bid on a job the client whose job you bid on will see your profile. How can you make sure that your profile knocks that potential client’s socks off just as much as the amazing proposal that you just sent their way? I have collected a few tips to help you make the most of your Elance profile.
One simple tip is to make sure that your profile contains a picture of you. I’m not particularly photogenic but I did break out the camera and with a little patience, I was able to come up with a decent head shot. There is no need to spend money to get a great photo, find a patient friend or family member and a digital camera. Have them take a whole bunch of pictures and then sort through them until you find one you like. When potential clients see your face it builds a human connection, which is essential because your only communication with them is likely to be through email. A human connection builds potential clients’ confidence in you and helps them to feel more at ease about entering into a business relationship with you.
Another great way to attract clients with your profile is to create an online portfolio of your work. Whether you are a writer, web designer, graphic artist, or other type of professional, potential clients like to see examples of work that you have already done for others. Chances are that if you are especially proud of something that you have done and you received compliments on it from the buyer, others would recognize it as great work too. You can also use your portfolio to showcase your range of skills, especially if you provide a variety of services.
When you are updating your profile, be sure to add a list of key words that describe your services. There is a special area for key words, and making sure that you have a good list of accurate ones will help potential clients that have the kinds of jobs that you want find you. These are just a few of the ways that you can make sure that your Elance profile is up to snuff. There are even more suggestions in the knowledge base on Elance. After learning about all of the things that a person can do to make their Elance profile more effective at getting prime jobs, it seems like it is time for me to schedule some time to tune up my own profile.