Designers are considered the most sought-after specialists on freelance exchanges, and this is not surprising, given the fact that new companies appear every day that need to develop their own logo, web resource, corporate identity, and so on. In addition, the work of a designer is paid quite highly, and there are enough directions to choose a specialization for a beginner to decide what he wants to do. The freelancer’s only problem is where to go and what exchanges he should pay attention to in order to be able to earn money.

We decided to analyze the most popular exchanges for freelancers on the RuNet: find out where and how many projects are published per day, how much customers are willing to pay for the work done, as well as how many competitors you have to bypass in order to get a project on order.

So, let's start with, perhaps, one of the most popular exchanges, which has begun to actively develop in the last couple of years and has firmly taken a leading position in the freelance market.

It is worth immediately noting that the advantage of the site is convenient and easy navigation for searching for projects. In the “Web Design” section you will find only what relates to this area - website design, layout, turnkey development, banners, etc. And in printing we only design brochures, labels and nothing else.

But let's look in more detail at each section:

Web design

The order is published here per day 60-65 projects , of which 50-60% belongs to the category of turnkey website creation, design development from scratch, landing page design. About 10-12 customers are looking for specialists for website layout and about the same amount for other types of work: creating a module, restoring the site, re-designing the page, making some changes. The least number of projects related to the development of banners are published - there are only 3-4 orders per day.

Access to projects is clearly divided 50x50, half of the projects are available to all users, but only freelancers with a paid “Business account” (which is not that expensive - author’s note) can leave a response to other projects. As for the customers themselves, about a third of the projects were published by customers with zero accounts, and about 30 customers out of 65 have profiles with reviews.

Prices are as varied as the orders themselves: starting from 500 rubles for creating a banner and ending with 50,000 for developing an online store . On average, customers are willing to pay 12-15 thousand rubles for website design.

For a simple project “for 2-3 hours” with a small budget, 15-20 freelancers are ready to take on, but on average 25-40 people are willing to do website design or layout costing 5,000 and more. Sometimes, if the budget is substantial, the number of responses reaches 60.

Graphic design

In this category, 13-15 projects are published per day, most of which are for creating a logo. Prices start at 500 rubles for a simple flyer design and end at 3-4 thousand rubles for logo development . Sometimes you can find orders costing 10-12 thousand for a complex design.

Almost all orders are available only for Business accounts. The average number of responses varies between 10-40 if it is a simple order with a small budget. But if this is a complex order or logo development for 4,000 rubles , then the number of responses reaches 80-70.

Print design

6-8 orders per day, with a budget from 500 to 3,000 rubles. 3-4 orders, both for paid accounts and for all users. For that to design a brochure or labels are ready to take on an average of 30-50 freelancers, depending on the payment.

Form style

Better known as “Identity,” this category is the smallest in terms of projects. Here you will find a maximum of 2-3 projects per day, although sometimes there are 5. For developing a corporate identity you can get from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles , though you will have to compete with at least 50 other designers.

To summarize, a wide-profile designer has plenty to choose from on Freelance.ru. Approximately 100 new projects daily , many of which are on a good budget. All that remains is to prove to the customer that you are the one who should receive this order.

Unlike the previous exchange, the order filter here is much more complex and confusing. That's it orders are divided into projects and vacancies , and in these two sections you select the category you need. There is no single “web design” category where a freelancer can easily find all the available projects in his area of ​​expertise. For example, turnkey website development and layout are in the “Web programming/Sites” category, and simply website design and banners are in “Design (Web/IT)”.

Web design

For web designers, an average of 30-35 projects a day are published here, and these are mainly design and layout. The lowest price for creating a banner is $10, but for website design or turnkey creation you can earn from $100 to $600. True, as for high prices, these are usually zero accounts. So average price for website design 100 $-200 $ .

Graphic design

For developers of logos and everything related to graphics, there is not much work here. 2-3 projects are published per day. In principle, there are few responses to them: very rarely the number reaches 20 people. For finalizing the logo you can get $10, and for creating it from scratch within $50. The development of outdoor advertising costs a little more - customers agree to pay up to $100 for such work.

Print design

Like the previous category, there are few orders here. They pay $10 for a small flyer design. You can get a little more for a brochure or label - $50. Most prices in projects are not indicated , because the customer prefers to leave this to the discretion of freelancers. So here, most likely, the one who offers the most acceptable cost for the work will receive the order.

Form style

Well, here are the projects “like a cat crying.” At most 1-2 projects a day, or even every other day. For a “minimal and simple corporate identity package,” the client will fork out $10. The maximum you can squeeze out is 50-60 dollars.


As you can see from the analytical data on this site, “you can’t cook porridge.” However, many freelancers have had the chance to find good and regular clients on Weblancer.

Another giant of Russian freelancing is FL.ru. Of course, a huge number of projects are published here. However, a significant part of them are nothing more than fraud or reprints of previously published projects. However, the number of orders is impressive.

Web design

On average, about 90 projects are published on the site per day for designers involved in the development of website design itself, as well as for layout designers.

For creating a website you can receive an amount from 10,000 to 15,000 rubles. And 30-40 thousand rubles for creating an online store. Prices for layout vary between 2,000 - 5,000 rubles for a medium-complex website, but for creating 2-3 banners the customer will pay you 1,000 -1,500 rubles. Although there are also proposals for 300 rubles for quick design . The prices are, of course, not bad, but the competition is high. The number of responses sometimes exceeds a hundred.

Graphic design

From graphics, most orders for creating a logo cost from 500 rubles to 5,000. Although generally the average price for creating a logo is one or two thousand rubles . It all depends on what level the customer’s company is and how complex the design is needed by the customer. By the way, there are many times more people willing to receive such orders than for web design.

Print design

As on the other two exchanges, there are significantly fewer projects in the printing section than in all the others. They pay 500 rubles for the design of a small booklet, but for the development of labels for an entire series of dairy products you can get 15,000 rubles . By the way, there are much fewer competitors here. Approximately 20-40 people per project.

Form style

We can say that this section is one of the highest paid. Despite only 3-4 projects published per day, a designer can receive an order to develop a corporate identity for 10-12 thousand rubles or “chop off” project with a budget of 80,000 rubles . Here the responses are divided somehow strangely. About 90-100 people can apply for fairly simple projects, but only 30-40 freelancers want to take on an expensive order.

Now, dear designers, all you have to do is make your own choice about where it will be best for you to work.

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Remote work exchanges (general)

Leaders in popularity:

Remote work exchanges for copywriters

Here are the main exchanges for copywriters, allowing you to sell or buy articles and texts for websites.

• Etxt.ru is a popular exchange for copywriters and translators. There is a lot of work on copywriting and rewriting; you can sell finished articles. Good technical support.
• Text.ru is an exchange for copywriters and rewriters. There are expensive orders with high tariffs, as well as with a negotiated price.
• Copylancer.ru is a content exchange with average prices from 25 to 100 rubles. for 1000 characters of text.
• The Glavred Exchange is a service of Maxim Ilyakhov, where you can find a professional copywriter, editor, proofreader, and editor-in-chief. There are no projects on the exchange, only portfolios of specialists!
• Miratext.ru is an exchange for copywriters with a high payment for exchanges up to 150 rubles. for 1000 characters. To work on this exchange, you must pass a test to confirm your qualifications.
• Qcomment.ru - the exchange offers to make money by writing comments, reviews, and filling forums.
• Turbotext.ru is a new exchange of texts and articles. On the site you can find orders for texts for websites, as well as sell ready-made articles.
• Textovik.su is a new exchange for copywriters. There is a store for selling finished articles.
• Advego.ru is one of the most popular exchanges for copywriters, text authors, and posters. You can buy or sell articles on the site, but competition among performers is high.
• Textsale.ru is one of the most popular copywriting exchanges. On the site you can sell texts and articles at competitive prices. The exchange has a rating of popular articles - look at it and write articles on popular topics, this will increase the chances of quickly selling texts!
• Contentmonster.ru is a new exchange for copywriters. Lots of tasks. To get started, you need to pass a Russian language test.
• Txt.ru is an exchange for experienced copywriters. They pay 35 rubles. for 1000 characters. There are quite a lot of tasks. Disadvantages for beginners: high quality requirements, payments not every day.
• Neotext.ru is a content exchange; there are usually many orders for texts for websites.
• TextBroker.ru is a popular exchange for copywriters that allows you to sell texts for 2-6 dollars per 1000 characters.
• My-publication.ru is a professional community of copywriters, remote work. Vacancies, projects, portfolios, blogs.
• Smart-copywriting.com is an exchange for copywriters, an interesting project.
• Votimenno.ru is an exchange for namers. Since 2008 he has been working in Russia. The essence of the work is to come up with names for companies, domain names, slogans. Project budgets are usually 500-2000 rubles.
• Krasnoslov.ru is a young text exchange. Beginners can try their hand at it.

Exchanges for programmers

Exchanges for programmers in the web development, startups and 1C segments.

Exchanges for lawyers, accountants and HR

• Pravoved.ru is an exchange for lawyers and advocates. Clients ask questions - lawyers get paid for answers. To get started, simply register in the service.
• 9111.ru - the service allows lawyers to earn money. You can also take advantage of free legal advice on the website.
• HRtime.ru is a remote work exchange for specialists in the field of HR, recruitment, personnel.
• HRSpace.hh.ru is a service of the famous company HeadHunter. Created for freelance recruiters. Applications for personnel selection are published on the service. If you fill a vacancy, you receive a reward.
• JungleJobs.ru - a service that allows recruiters to earn money by recruiting personnel. If you select a suitable candidate, you receive a reward.

Exchanges for designers, illustrators

Exchanges for actors, models, photographers

• Wedlife.ru is a directory of wedding photographers and videographers. Performers rating.
• Weddywood.ru is a directory of wedding photographers, videographers, florists, presenters and other specialists in the field of organizing and conducting weddings.
• Fotoimena.com is an exchange for photographers and videographers.
• Exchange for actors and models - information about castings for films, TV series, filming.
• Fotovideozayavka.rf - exchange for photographers.
• Photo store on Etxt.ru - the site has a store where you can sell or buy photographs. The cost of the photo is set by the author.

Exchanges for builders, engineers, architects

• Profi.ru is a directory of private specialists, uniting more than 200 thousand professionals and 500 types of services, including construction and repair. Registration is free for clients and freelancers.
• Jobs for interior designers - one-time and ongoing jobs for interior designers and decorators. New projects every day.
• Remontnik.ru - orders for construction and repairs are published on the exchange.
• Forumhouse.ru exchange is a construction exchange. Many projects from small to large.
• MyHome.ru is a directory of specialists in design, architecture, construction, renovation and decoration.
• Houzz.ru is a directory of experts in interior design, construction and architecture, and home improvement.
• We are at home - remote work for architects, designers, constructors, technicians, engineering systems specialists, 3D visualizers. Tenders for design work
• Projectants.ru is a remote work service for engineers.
• Apartment Krasivo is an exchange for builders, searching for orders for renovation of apartments and offices. The exchange charges commissions for its services.
• The City of Craftsmen is a forum where they are looking for builders, teams, and private craftsmen.

Exchanges for students

• Vsesdal.com - help students complete work and get paid for it. Many projects, user-friendly interface.
• Author24.ru is an online exchange for authors and customers of coursework, tests, and abstracts. Large service with a large list of services.
• Help-s.ru - help solve problems, write essays and make money from it!
• Studlance.ru - complete student assignments and earn money. Also on the service you can order student work from coursework, essays, reports and tests to more complex assignments.
• Reshaem.net - on the site you can order solutions to problems in various subjects. To make money by solving problems, you need to write to the service administration.
• Peshkariki.ru - the exchange allows you to earn extra money as a courier. The website publishes orders for the delivery of goods, by completing which you can earn money. For one delivery they pay 150-300 rubles, there are orders that are more expensive. Works in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
• Pomogatel.ru - on the site you can find part-time work as a nanny, nurse, or tutor.
• IQ2U – Website for teachers, lecturers and educators. Schoolchildren, applicants and students will find a lot of useful materials on IQ2U.

Exchanges for webmasters and bloggers

Popular exchanges for webmasters that allow you to make money on your own website.

• Blogun is a marketplace for bloggers. Through the exchange you can sell posting and advertising publications on your blog or website.
• Sape.ru - on the exchange you can sell links from your website for rent and receive a stable monthly income.
• Telderi.ru - on the exchange you can buy or sell a website, including one that generates income. The cost of websites ranges from several hundred to more than a million rubles.
• GoGetLinks.net is an exchange for buying/selling eternal links. Webmasters can make money by placing links in news and articles on their website.

Other exchanges for freelancers, new projects

• Selfboss.ru is the optimal exchange for beginners. Free registration on the exchange. There are vacancies and a freelance services store.
• 5bucks.ru is a new microservice exchange with a fixed cost of $5 or 300 rubles. (at the current rate).
• Moguza.ru - on the service, freelancers post offers on what they can do and for how much (for example, I’ll make a website for 1000 rubles). You can find a performer on a small budget.
• Kwork.ru - the service allows you to sell and buy various services at a fixed price of 500 rubles. This solves the problem of dumping.
• FreelanceJob.ru is positioned as an exchange for professional freelancers with a good portfolio.
• Profiteka.ru - directory of specialists. You can register on the site and add your portfolio.
• Vakvak.ru - vacancies for translators. In the free version, you can view vacancies published 12 hours ago or later. A paid subscription is required to receive the latest vacancies.
• Wowworks.ru - on the service you can take orders for small services in the field of IT, courier services, household repairs, etc.
• Free-lancers.net is a young but promising telework exchange for freelancers of almost any profession. Great opportunities for creating a portfolio. Freelancer rating.
• Golance.ru is an exchange for teamwork. Has built-in tools for project management.
• Web-lance.net is a new remote work exchange. Gain popularity.
• Revolance.ru is a small but convenient and friendly freelance exchange.
• Allfreelancers.su is a remote work exchange for freelancers of all professions.
• Freelancerbay.com is a promising service for freelancers, great opportunities for setting up an account and portfolio, low prices for paid accounts. There are enough orders in different areas - copywriting, translations, design, programming, website promotion.
• Free-lance.su is an increasingly popular exchange, new projects appear daily. Among the advantages of the service, one can note the presence of direct contacts of employers in the project (mail, ICQ, telephone).

Use the YouDo service if you need a proven freelance designer. There are professional web artists registered on the Yudu website who are ready to develop any design project in the shortest possible time. The performers have the necessary work experience and professional skills. Professionals provide their services at affordable prices.

What is included in the services

To successfully promote your business on the Internet, you need to pay special attention to the company's concept and design. The visual part can attract new customers and make the brand memorable and recognizable. The development of high-quality unique design should be entrusted to a professional.

A freelance designer provides the following services inexpensively:

• development of a unique website design
• creating a corporate style for the company
• brand logo development
• illustrating
• development of various banners

To draw a high-quality website design, a specialist will take into account your wishes, the company’s field of activity, as well as HTML resolution. This is necessary so that your site loads quickly and does not freeze, despite the graphic content.

Freelance involves a performer working from home, so a professional works at any time of the day, and the cost of his services is lower than when ordering from large companies (since the freelancer has no extra costs).

The work of a design specialist takes place in several stages:

• defining project goals and objectives
• discussion of project details
• choice of design colors
• creation of layouts
• edits according to client's requirements

The wizard will strictly follow your instructions and also suggest the best solutions for your design. Payment for the work occurs only after you have checked and accepted it.

The price for web designer services depends on such points as:

• project complexity
• urgency of the order
• type of design services
• need for additional work

You can find out approximate prices on the Yudu website. The specialist will tell you the final cost of web design after discussing all the details of the project and concluding a contract. The agreement gives the parties a guarantee of safe cooperation.

Web specialists work remotely and around the clock, so you can order services from any contractor, regardless of his or your location. However, it is recommended to have face-to-face meetings with implementers to discuss and make decisions.

How to order a design

To place an order for designer services, fill out an application on the Yudu website. Indicate in it the essence of the project and your requirements for the contractor, as well as your budget for the design. Artists who are ready to inexpensively develop and create a unique design will find you.

To find out how much it costs to develop an original design, look at the profiles of the artists on the Yudu website. There you can compare their work experience and portfolio. Be sure to read customer reviews to find a trusted professional. The rating system will suggest the best professionals with low prices in your city. An experienced freelance designer registered on the Yudu website will complete the order as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Do you feel like you’re ready to quit your job, take control of your day, fight for your clients, and work only on interesting tasks? It's time to try your hand at freelancing. This is not easy at all, and more often than not it is more difficult than the office routine. In order not to be disappointed in the choice of work format, give yourself a test drive - on holidays or on weekends. We have collected sites where you will find tasks to your liking.

For those who have been in the subject for a long time // The largest and most visited

Freelance.ru- one of the largest freelance exchanges. Initially it was a forum.

FL.ru- an exchange for freelancers of various specializations. To effectively promote your services, you need to buy a PRO account.

Freelancehunt.com- labor exchange for programmers, designers, copywriters, and other specialists.

FreelanceJob.ru- is positioned as an exchange for professional freelancers with a good portfolio.

printf("hello, world"); // For developers

Devhuman.com- service for developers, startupers and IT companies. You can quickly assemble a team of any specialists to complete any IT project.

Modber.ru- another exchange for 1C developers.

Freelansim.ru- an exchange for developers with a large number of interesting tasks and projects. We are sure that Khabrovsk residents are well acquainted with it.

FreelanceWebmarket- a foreign platform for developers.

Toptal- a closed platform, to start working you need to go through a selection process consisting of four stages: checking your English level, online coding test, technical interview with screen sharing and a test project. After this, the freelancer signs a contract and becomes one of the Toptal developers, who looks for projects for him and tries to load him with work. It is the exchange, and not the client, that pays developers for work on projects.

Play with fonts // For designers and illustrators

99designs- for each order, a competition is held, where participants send their solutions to the problem (an example of a logo or a website layout). The winner is chosen by the customer. The winner receives a predetermined fee, transfers rights to the project to the client, and becomes a priority contractor for subsequent orders from that employer.

Crowd Spring– a huge platform for designers and illustrators. It works according to the service principle above.

Coroflot- here is a list of vacancies and projects for designers that you can apply for. Coroflot does not charge a commission from either party, but does not provide any guarantees.

Krop- many tasks for web designers.

DesignCrowd- freelancers offer prices to the client, after which the client selects a contractor and pays for the services. Then work on the project begins.

LogoMyWay- orders for logo creators. To receive an order, you need to win a competition.

Shutterstock.com- exchange of images, illustrations.

Istockphoto.com- exchange of images, illustrations. There are entrance exams on the photo stock site. You must provide three photographs and pass a theory test.

All sorts of miscellaneous // Platforms with different types of tasks and useful services

Workzilla- orders are very different: from video editing to creating one-page websites. The customer creates a task, the performers respond and name their terms and price, after which the customer selects the contractor.

Many designers from Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR have experienced a drop in their earnings from local jobs in recent years. This is not surprising - the economic situation leaves much to be desired, there is less money in business and the number of orders is falling.

At such a time, the logical decision for a designer, or for any other freelancer, is to enter new markets and search for customers from Europe and America. Business there is growing steadily, and with it the need for quality, besides, payment comes in dollars or euros, which, given the current exchange rate, cannot but rejoice.

Of course, specialized platforms that help specialists and employers find each other are best suited for finding customers from abroad. In addition to the well-known exchanges, covering all types of freelance work, there are a number of exchanges tailored exclusively for designers. Let's take a quick look at some of them.

99 Designs

This portal operates on a competitive basis. To receive an order, freelancers participate in competitions announced by customers.

Competitions can be very different - for the best logo, illustration, website design, application or packaging, sketch of clothing or book cover, etc.

Within seven days, the customer selects a winner, who receives a predetermined fee, transfers the rights to the project to the client, and becomes the priority contractor for new orders from this client.

DesignCrowd

This platform, extremely popular in the West, but not so well known to designers from the CIS, also works on the principle of a competition. Competitions are held in four categories: web design, graphic design, printing and corporate identity. Designers offer their work in accordance with the customer’s brief, who, after discussion and modifications, selects the winner.

Unlike other platforms, on DesignCrowd designers are compensated for entering the competition (around $20-$50) even if they don't win.

It is important to place your portfolio on the site, since sometimes customers simply choose a designer without holding a competition. The service commission is 13.3%

Fiverr

This service causes a lot of controversy in the design community. He is often accused of dumping and extremely low quality of work. This is not surprising, because one of the requirements of the service is to provide services for only $5.

Oddly enough, many offer the design of a logo, business card, banner, flyer, etc. for such a ridiculous price. However, not everyone knows that a designer working on Fiverr is required to provide only one, very minimal service for $5. At the same time, additional services can be provided at a higher rate (necessarily a multiple of five dollars).

For example, the creation of a simple logo without a deadline, provision of sources and rights can cost $5, but an urgent creation of a logo with the provision of sources and high-resolution files by a top-rated artist will cost no less than $50. Some experienced, well-rated users earn several thousand dollars a month by offering packages of services for $50-$100 each, with these services only taking 2-3 hours to complete.

Below are 10 tips that will help designers from the CIS correctly present themselves to foreign customers, learn how to receive orders and work successfully on international design exchanges.

1. Pay special attention to your profile

Just like on the Russian stock exchange, your profile is your business card. The content of the profile becomes a decisive factor influencing the success in promoting the services of a designer.

Create a compelling headline that includes your specialty, work experience, and skills; remove descriptive words from there - everything is just to the point. Describe your professional experience and qualities in an informative yet concise cover letter format. Formulate your thoughts correctly, write only to the point. Put yourself in the customer's shoes, think about what is important to him when he orders your services, and let him know that you have the right qualities. A potential customer should be convinced not only that you have already successfully completed projects similar to his, but also in general that you are adequate and professional. If you are not confident in your English, give the text to your friends for proofreading or order proofreading from an online agency. Be precise and honest - then customers will perceive you exactly the way you want.

Pay close attention to your profile photo; a moderate business style on a neutral background is preferable. A friendly smile never hurts; it will emphasize your self-confidence and win over potential customers.

Look at the profiles of other highly rated designers - think about what elements of their profile, phrases and phrases you could use in your own. Analyze which keywords are most important to customers and are most often used in the profiles of successful competitors and include them in your profile.

Include in your portfolio examples of your best, most representative work done for American or European clients. This is much more important than work, albeit of very high quality, but done for customers from the CIS. If you don’t have any work for Western clients, it makes sense to design a flyer, website page or booklet cover for a fictitious project in English.

Constantly work on your profile, improve it, add new skills (more on that below), update your portfolio.

2. Improve your English

Communication on international design exchanges is carried out mainly in English. Many designers believe that it is not necessary to know English, and that using Google Translator will be enough to get the job done. This approach has a number of disadvantages.

Firstly, without knowing the language, you will not always be able to accurately understand the task.

Secondly, you all know at what level online translators often translate. Do you want the letters and messages you send to your customer to be written in incorrect and illiterate language, and sometimes with a distorted meaning? Good written communication will help you build trust with the customer, and it will simply be more pleasant to work with you.

In addition, communication with the help of online translators takes much more time, you will feel this when it comes to correspondence on Skype, and not in exchange chats. It is worth noting that many dumping designers from Southeast Asia suffer from poor English, so competent speech is a great way to further stand out among them and make the customer want to pay more for your work.

Therefore, if your level of English is below Intermediate, it’s time to sign up for courses.

According to the experience of many designers, the easiest customers to communicate with are from European countries where English is not their native language. Typically, these clients speak at a comfortable, slow pace, their speech consists of the most familiar common words, they use few unfamiliar figures of speech and slang, and their pronunciation is fairly easy to understand.

3. Continue to develop and learn

It's no secret that in order to be a professional, you need to learn every day. Your income directly depends on the level of your professionalism, and when you enter a market with global competition, it becomes especially important to constantly improve this level. In the global market, it is much easier for a customer to find a contractor with the right set of skills and competencies.

Therefore, you must not only develop and hone your existing skills, but also constantly acquire new ones. On an international exchange, the chances of selling low-quality services are close to zero.

Therefore, constant work to improve your professional level is the key to success. Try to spend at least half an hour every day studying authoritative thematic resources, forums and communities. Explore new trends and technologies - even if you don't use them in practice, you will be aware of industry trends and will be able to present yourself favorably to the customer.

Be sure to subscribe to such popular design resources in English, such as Behance, SmahingMagazine, UXMag, How Design, Just and many others. This way, you will not only stay up to date with global trends in design and technology, but also expand your vocabulary with relevant English terminology.

4. Prepare to interact on a new level and embrace cultural differences

Western customers expect performers to take a responsible approach and be completely immersed in the project. Doing projects for several customers in parallel and delaying the deadline by a day will not work here. When entering international exchanges, it is very important to quickly earn money and maintain a high rating, so it is necessary to demonstrate to customers maximum involvement in the project and high-quality results. As with local exchanges, it is very important to develop a regular customer base; customer satisfaction must be put first. The first task from a new customer may be small and inexpensive, but if you complete it well, then there is a high probability of securing yourself a permanent job for a long time.

Pay special attention to high-quality and effective communication. A quick response to email will show your willingness to always be in touch with the client. If you want to build a long-term relationship with the customer, respond promptly and, if possible, always be in touch (of course, within reasonable limits). Send regular reports to the client to update them on the status of the project, or schedule periodic Skype calls to discuss ongoing issues.

5. Consider time differences and holidays

When working with foreign, especially American, clients, be prepared to work outside of normal working hours. Clients in other time zones will expect you to be available for at least some hours of their workday. Take this into account when planning your schedule. By the way, Europeans are very sensitive to personal time, and after 17:00 they are not ready to devote time to work issues. Therefore, if you send questions or layout edits in the evening, do not wait for an answer until the next morning.

Europe and the US don't have as many days off in early January, nor do they have May holidays, and your regular Western clients will expect you to be at least partially available during this period as their business operates as usual. In turn, remember to wish your Western clients happy holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, and try to complete all projects before their holidays begin.

6. Consider your pricing policy

Dumping on international freelance exchanges is not the best strategy; there will always be performers who will offer an even lower price. Instead, your competitive advantages should be quality, speed, professional approach and, as mentioned above, good English. Keep in mind that competition will only increase. According to Intuit, freelancers will make up 40% of the American workforce by 2020. It's estimated that half of the UK's working population will switch to freelancing within the next five years, and India already has a whopping 15 million freelancers.

At the same time, it is always useful to focus on average rates. According to , the average rate for freelancers in Russian-speaking countries is $18, worldwide - $21. Russia is at the level with the world average ($21), Belarus is second with a rate of $19, in Ukraine and Moldova they are asking slightly less than the average - $16. As for designers, the average rate for graphic, web and video designers is $19, and for illustrators - $20.

Instead of asking customers how much they are willing to pay, tell them with . It is perfectly acceptable to ask about the client's budget. Use this information to offer a range of services that suits your prices. You can also offer the client staged payment or other conditions that satisfy both parties.

7. Think ahead about how you will get paid.

Receiving payment is one of the main difficulties that CIS designers face when working on international exchanges. Many methods for withdrawing earnings offered by such exchanges are not available or are available in limited quantities in some CIS countries. Many exchanges do not transfer funds to an account in a Russian or Ukrainian bank, even if it is opened in foreign currency, and opening an account abroad involves a number of difficulties and high costs for the designer. One solution to this problem is the payment platform Payoneer, which helps freelancers get paid from European and American clients.

Many international freelance exchanges (UpWork, 99design, Fiverr and others) offer Payoneer as one of the means of receiving payment; you just need to specify your account details in the exchange settings. If the exchange does not cooperate with Payoneer directly, you can simply provide the details of a virtual American or European account to receive payment, which Payoneer provides to all its users. Regardless of which of the two methods you receive money on Payoneer, you will be able to withdraw it to your local bank account, withdraw it from an ATM, or use it to make a purchase using your Payoneer MasterCard.

Especially for readers, the Payoneer website provides a special bonus - they give $75 to their Payoneer account after registering and receiving payments in the amount of $100 or more. To receive your bonus, simply register using this link.

8. Conduct yourself correctly in case of late payment

By working on popular international freelance exchanges, you expect to quickly receive the payment you are due. It’s worth noting right away that when it comes to payment, Western customers are very obligatory and punctual. There are practically no people here who like to get a design and not pay.

Unfortunately, there will always be those who do not pay or pay with delays. Sometimes the customer does not pay simply because he is busy or does not know how to properly organize the work. Send him a friendly reminder through the online exchange. Ask if he has any questions regarding the work you have completed. Save all correspondence with the client, including through the exchange: this way you will have proof that you tried to receive payment.