While it would be nice to have a team of web developers in your office available for all of your needs, the reality is that it would be very expensive and it’s not something that is cost-effective for many small businesses. As technology becomes more in-demand, so do the costs.
An experienced developer can cost you well over six-figures in salary alone, and then when you add up the other costs, like health care and other benefits, it becomes out of touch. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t have access to top quality developers when you are in need.
There are a lot of talent available on freelance marketplaces, giving you the ability to hire talent from all over the world and only pay for what you need done. Many developers like to work under this model because it allows them to pick and choose their projects and work when they want, giving them the ability to take time off when they please. Here are the best places to hire a web developer online.
UpWork.com
This is a great option for developers as well as any other freelancer available. You can also search by location if you are looking for talent close to you.
“UpWork is great because there is a lot of great talent with different rates available,” says Hill Web Marketing’s Jeannie Hill, an expert at understanding a searcher’s intent. “I suggest taking the time to not only look over experience and portfolios, but also spend the time to dig through the reviews.” You can often save yourself a lot of time and potential issues by looking for freelancers with solid feedback.
You are also protected by UpWorks payment system, which gives you control over the amount and frequency you can be charged.
Freelancer.com
One of the original and most popular options, this has probably the largest pool of talent to pick from. There is a lot of entry level, so you have to be prepared to spend time interviewing before you hire.
“You can usually find the lowest rates here, but make sure
you see previous work history,” offers Darryl Howard of Blogger Tips. “This can also be easily
faked, so put a potential hire through the test first, and be sure to test his
or her knowledge with some questions to help you feel confident. The good thing
is Freelancer acts as an escrow service, and you pay only when satisfied.”
HireGeeks.com
While a lot of freelancer marketplaces offer a lot of different services, from developers to graphic designers and content writers, HireGeeks is geared towards more technical jobs, like development and coding.
“There are a lot of solid technical experts that can be found here, and this is a good resource for those odd one-off jobs, like having a custom plugin coded or a new application developed to handle pulling API data,” says Irene McConnell of Arielle Executive. “No matter how technical the task, you can usually find someone here capable of getting it done.”
Toptal.com
Looking for the best possible freelance talent when it comes to development projects? Look no further, as this is where many of the largest companies in the world come when they want the best.
“The name says it all, as it’s short for ‘Top Talent’ and they claim to have the top 3% of talent when it comes to developers,” says Oliver James of Perth Web Design. “Along with top talent comes top prices, so be prepared to spend more than you would on some of the other platforms that doesn’t have a barrier of entry.” If someone is on Toptal, then they are highly regarded when it comes to programming and development.
While there is no need to hire from here when it comes to simple jobs, this is a great resource if you are a Fortune 500 company with deep pockets and you demand the very best in everything.
Fiverr.com
When you need a quick simple job done, this is a good option. You won’t find the top talent here, but you will find capable people for simple tasks.
“There are often times you need something done that may seem complex to you, but some someone with basic computer skills it can be done in a matter of minutes,” explains Pedro Del Nero of Vaporizer Vendor. “Something as simple as placing tracking pixel code in a website header might give a business owner anxiety but a freelancer can do it in 2 minutes.”
In a simple situation like this, it’s work paying someone $5 or $10 and not having to deal with it. They make a quick dollar and you get the task done correctly.
Guru.com
This is another marketplace with a lot of developers actively looking for new projects. On here, you have access to more than 3 million experts. But, be careful because anyone can claim they are an expert.
“Guru is a great user friendly marketplace to find help, but just be aware that it’s such a large database and there are no prequalification or testing done before someone can offer his or her help. The due diligence falls entirely on you,” suggests April Gillmore, CEO of ClickFirst Marketing. “I would suggest using this for very basic projects to start.”
The good thing with these type of marketplaces is that they are great at finding talent and using small tests to see how capable and reliable they are. Over time you can assign more difficult and complex tasks to those that have proven themselves.
PeoplePerHour.com
This option has grown in popularity, and it’s similar to UpWork in the sense that you can find almost anything here, from logo designers to blog writers for a health and fitness blog.
“You will want to really test potential hires before offering any complex development work,” says Tad Thomas of Thomas Law Offices. “You can literally hire by the hour, so the initial capital requirement to test options is low. For a new business or a SMB with limited resources, this is a great affordable option.”
You are also protected by their payment gate, which only releases the funds to the freelancer when the customer is satisfied and signs off on the completed job.