More and more companies are using freelance platforms such as BeFreelancr, Upwork, and Fiverr to find digital professionals. And it makes perfect sense, since these platforms offer many advantages for businesses and recruiters. Whether you need to hire a developer, a graphic designer, a web copywriter, or a marketing specialist, here is why you should use freelance platforms.

What is a freelance platform?

I sometimes hear people say that LinkedIn is a freelance platform.

Well… no! LinkedIn is a professional social network that can indeed help you find talent. But it is not a freelance marketplace.

A freelance platform is a website where:

  • Freelancers showcase their profile and/or services
  • Prices are clear before placing an order
  • The client pays directly through the platform using secure payment
  • The money is held during the order process, providing protection for both parties
  • Communication takes place directly on the platform
  • The freelancer receives their payment once the order is completed

Why do companies like freelance platforms?

Although some companies still work directly with freelancers, for example through LinkedIn, this is becoming increasingly rare. Professional freelancers are usually active on platforms that protect them. So, to find skilled talent, companies turn to freelance websites, as we will see below.

Companies also prefer using platforms such as BeFreelancr, Upwork, or Malt for security reasons.

Find high-quality freelancers

On freelance platforms, you can access hundreds or even thousands of skilled professionals in every service category, including development, design, copywriting, translation, and more. In addition, freelancers create their own services, so as a client, you know they specialize in a specific type of work. For example, a developer offering a bug-fixing service for the WordPress Divi Builder plugin is very likely to have strong expertise with that plugin.

There is another way to assess the quality of these freelancers: client reviews. On LinkedIn, there are recommendations, but they are often exchanged between colleagues or friends. On freelance platforms, however, these are customer reviews: ratings and messages left by clients after an order. They are real reviews from real clients.

Compare prices

When people talk about comparing prices, they often think about avoiding rates that are too high. And it is true that, for the same service, some agencies will charge 10 or 20 times more because they have to pay for the office foosball table and after-work events. Meanwhile, many freelancers deliver excellent work at a fair price for the client. This kind of price gap is less common on freelance platforms. Of course, senior freelancers will charge higher rates. But agencies that are sometimes close to being a rip-off generally avoid being listed on platforms.

And when I talk about price comparison, I actually think more about suspiciously low prices. You know, that logo design for €10? Or that WordPress showcase website for €100? Prices that are far too low. Even though some “microservice” or “gig” platforms specialize in cheap services, on platforms like BeFreelancr, you will quickly spot beginners offering prices that are too low and professionals offering rates that are in line with the market.

If a price is unusually low or unusually high, there is often a problem.

Hire a freelancer for a one-off project

Do you really need to recruit someone just to create your showcase website? Some companies do exactly that: they hire a full-time developer even though they only need a one-off service, such as website creation. Or they need maintenance that will only take a few hours per month. Working with a freelancer is much more flexible. Whether you need help for a one-off project, a seasonal requirement, or just a few hours from time to time, a freelance platform will help you find the right talent.

Use a trusted third party

If you browse Facebook groups or forums for business owners, you will see how many entrepreneurs have paid a freelancer or an agency and then never heard from the service provider again. The company lost its money and never received the service. And on the freelancer’s side, things are not much better. Many companies hire freelancers and never pay them.

A freelance platform acts as an intermediary, a trusted third party that helps protect both the client and the service provider. First, payment is secure. Then, the money is held until the project is completed. This means the client knows the provider will not disappear with the money without doing the work. And the freelancer knows they will be paid at the end of the project once the work is completed.

Have one central workspace to communicate with freelancers

Most of our clients place regular orders on BeFreelancr. And when we talk to them, they explain that having talent search and communication with freelancers and agencies centralized in one place is extremely convenient. This helps them avoid using 10 different platforms to communicate, including LinkedIn, Slack, emails, agency messaging systems, and so on.

On BeFreelancr, you have everything in one place:

  • Your talent searches
  • Your invoices
  • And your messages

Over time, we will also add organization tools to help you manage your day-to-day work more efficiently.