5 Reasons Why Upwork is the Best Freelancing Website

If you are looking to build a successful and lucrative freelancing career, using a freelancing platform is a great way to get started. Capable of hosting your work profile and connecting you with clients, freelancing websites are a great way to turn your side hustle into a successful full-time gig.

With multiple different freelancing platforms on the market today, knowing which sites are worth using can be difficult to figure out. Speaking from personal experience, I would highly recommend that any freelancer looking to find stable and consistent work should use Upwork as their primary freelancing platform. 

What is Upwork?

Founded in 2015, Upwork is an American freelancing website that is used by freelancers around the globe. Upwork is used by many large businesses such as Microsoft, General Electric, and AirBnB to hire high-quality freelancers for contract jobs.

Creating a fair and safe environment for both clients and freelancers, Upwork acts as the middle-man in all projects on the website. In its simplest form, Upwork acts as a portal for clients to post jobs they want to have completed by talented contractors. Once posted, freelancers offering their services in a specific niche are able to bid and interview for the opportunity to work for the client. If successful, they are offered the job and will be paid the agreed amount once it has been completed.

So how is Upwork better than other competitor freelancing websites? As an Upwork freelancer myself, here are my top 5 reasons why I choose to use Upwork to run my freelancing business: 

5 Reasons Why Upwork is the Best Freelancing Site

#1 — Upwork profiles are designed to display your top talents

As a freelancer, having a way to show off your work title, portfolio of work, and past client testimonials is one of the best ways to brand yourself. While many freelancers have their own website (myself included), having a work portfolio on a trusted website like Upwork is a great way for clients to search for your qualifications quickly before inviting you to a job.

When you build your Upwork profile after getting onto the site, you will be guided through the steps to showing off your best assets. From an introductory cover letter to a comprehensive skill tagging system that matches you to clients looking for contractors in your area of work, a well-curated Upwork profile can single-handedly help you land high-paying jobs. Additional sections of the Upwork profile include education, job success rate, client testimonials, certifications, employment history, and Upwork’s talent badges for top performers.

#2 — Upwork connects you to quality clients

As a freelancer, finding quality clients is always a top priority. A single long-term client can result in thousands of dollars in earnings, which is one of the best ways to turn your side hustle into a lucrative and successful career.

Because Upwork is trusted and used by some of the top companies in the world, getting connected with clients who value your time and expertise is easier on this platform than on any other freelancing site. As you apply and land jobs on the website, you will quickly notice that over time, you will be invited to jobs by clients specifically seeking out our experience. When I first started out, I was applying to an average of 3-5 jobs a day, landing smaller projects with new clients on the site. Within less than a year I now get invited to a minimum of 5 jobs a week, some of which are invite-only and not available for other freelancers to pursue. If you are looking for long-term work with quality clients, this is the platform for you.

#3 — Payments are handled through the website

When it comes to organizing your finances, freelancers can often struggle to ensure that they are correctly billing and keeping track of their earnings. On Upwork, all of the money earned from the projects is paid and released through the website, which I find very practical and easy to use. In this way, I am actually working with Upwork for all projects, which also makes tax season much easier to manage. 

Upwork, like any other freelancing website, does take a percentage of your earnings as a service fee. Starting at 20%, the fees decrease down to 5% as you earn more money with one individual client. I have found that these rates are similar to other invoice sending services like Paypal, making the fees worth it in my case for the additional benefits of better managing my annual income.

#4 — Upwork profiles can be viewed by hundreds of clients a week

Because Upwork is incredibly popular, your profile can catch a surprising amount of traffic without you having to do a single thing. In the helpful stats section of the website, I can track how many weekly views my profile is getting. Ranging from 50 to well over 250 a week, having a high number of potential views on your profile is the best way to get direct-invite jobs for your work.

#5 — There are many long-term work opportunities available

As a well-trusted freelancing platform, many companies and clients turn to Upwork to hire contractors to build a long-term working relationship with. With many part-time and full-time job positions available, working as an Upwork freelancer can very quickly turn into a fruitful and successful career. With plenty of opportunities to build meaningful working relationships with your clients through Upwork’s messenger system, having sustainable freelance work is made significantly easier by using the Upwork platform. 

My Upwork Story

When I first made my Upwork profile in 2020, I had no idea that I would be using the site as my primary source of income in less than a year. Since I started freelancing in early 2021, I have almost exclusively used Upwork to meet, work with, and get paid by my clients.

Want to learn more about Upwork or have any questions for me about the platform? Feel free to reach out - I would be happy to chat with you about it!

Until next time,