Selling and hiring online services

Many people are beginning to get into online business both small and large scale. It's not uncommon to find people of 13 years and in some cases even younger selling their web design or programming services online. With so many people all with very different ideas about web design, as well as those that are out to cheat others out of money, you need to be careful who you choose. I hope this guide will help you make the right choice!

I have organized the guide into specific parts of the selling and hiring process rather than making two separate lists. In many cases, similar rules apply to the buyer as well as the seller. I have also categorized the process as “buying” and “selling” services for ease of typing.

This was written to apply to the design/programming market but may apply to others too.


Skill Level
(Also see: Portfolio below)

For the Seller this means...
You must know your skills and more importantly, know your limits... That big client may seem like a great opportunity but if you can't do the work then your reputation is only going to be harmed when they realize that. If you don't have the skills, learn before selling your services!

For the Buyer this means...
Inquire about a sellers previous work in the same field, try and get references, possibly a CV if you wish. Where possible ask well-formed intelligent questions about your specific project. If you are hiring from a forum you may want to check their past posts but you shouldn't rely on this as a selection method.


Cost

For the Seller this means...
Know what your skills are worth and if possible don't accept less than you deserve. The internet is full to the brim of people offering $50 for 200 hours work, but thankfully a lot of people will pay the right price to have a job done well. Most importantly though, is don't sell your service for less than you think is acceptable, regardless of what others tell you your service is worth. At the end of the day, its your time!

For the Buyer this means...
Do your best to pick someone who is well priced. High end companies may be out of your price range, and often very low quotes will often turn out too good to be true. Remember, you are hiring a web professional and if you want a professional job done, be willing to pay good money. It will be worth it in the long run.


Communication

For the Seller this means...
Talking in formal/semi-formal speech and judging a clients reaction are skills that you need to have. Its not difficult, just don't go in with your “lol”s and “r0x0rz”s blazing, it doesn't do anything for your business image. If your buyer speaks like this then you can maybe loosen up, but either way, theres no harm in keeping up formal language when talking to buyers.

For the Buyer this means...
Do your best to communicate your ideas and goals clearly to the seller. An experienced web professional will probably have a good idea of what you want right away, but being clear is very important and can save arguments later on. Be prepared to write a “brief” for your seller.


Portfolio

For the Seller this means...
A portfolio is essential! Whether its a nicely designed “portfolio website”, a CV with some previous work links or simply links/images placed onto a white page, its essential you have a portfolio online. Personally (and I'm not the only one), I would never hire anyone who didn't have an online portfolio in some form. Its easy to do and can easily be set up for $2 a month and less.

For the Buyer this means...
Use the portfolio as a skill meter. Providing the information is accurate you can get a great window into someones skill based on their portfolio. Take a look at the individual sites that have been produced and possibly even e-mail the web masters for a reference. It is your right as a buyer to inquire!


Ok, so I could have gone into contracts, payment options and alot of other things but I think this enough. I hope this can help you start selling your services or make the right choice when buying a service!