How to Find a Freelance Web Developer

By 2027, freelancers are predicted to become the largest workforce in the US. Can you imagine that? Only in six years, most Americans will engage in freelance work. So even the highly skilled professionals will no longer choose to work full-time and in-house.  So without a second thought, start to hire a freelance web developer for your project or your agency. 

You will get the same quality end result only with more affordable prices and a more flexible schedule. The chances are high that you would hire the same professional for a full-time job, who would charge twice for working in-house. So why not hire him as a freelancer and save resources? 

Well, it all sounds good until you start thinking about where to find freelance developers, how to find a freelance developer, how to hire them, and…ugh: it seems a real headache. 

But no worries. That’s why we are here! We will help you to hire a freelance web developer that will match your project the best. So without further adieu, let’s jump to the most vital question: 

Where to find freelance web developers 

Now, if you are new to the gig industry, it might be hard to figure out where you find your first freelancer. So we have gathered here the most popular ways you can find freelancers for your projects. 

Freelance platforms 

One of the easiest ways to find freelancers is through freelance platforms. These are websites where you can find a large pool of freelancers to hire. They usually have some hiring process themselves to help you avoid scams. All you need is to post your project description, skim through portfolios and choose the best candidate. An advantage of these platforms is that they usually offer pretty affordable prices because of the high competition. So it is the easiest and the most convenient way to hire a freelance web developer. 

Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are among the most popular freelancing platforms out there. A worthy newcomer in the industry is ItHire. It offers all the services found on the former platforms added up with some extra features. Plus, ItHire is focused on web development only. So you will get real experts on this page. 

Personal Networking 

You can find a good freelancer through your personal networking. It is one of the most widespread ways people end up finding their freelancers. You know, you just spread the news that your company is looking for a web developer. Your friends tell their friends, and through word-of-mouth, you start receiving CVs in your inbox. 

The main disadvantage of this method is that you can only hire a few web developers like this. If you want to enlarge your agency team considerably, then this method might not work. You might not be able to find as many freelancers in your network as you wish. 

So, in the end, you will eventually go back to the freelancing platforms. However, the good part with personal networking is that you can find trustworthy professionals. It is because most of them will already have had worked for your acquaintances. And from their feedback, you will know how good they are. 

Freelancing groups 

How to find a freelance web developer? Well, search in the places they dwell. A.k.a. freelancing groups. There are many Facebook Groups where freelancers gather to find potential employees or discuss specific work-related questions. If you get into those groups, you can easily find the freelancer you need! You have to post a couple of words about your projects, and many freelancers will jump into your PMs immediately.

General tips for the hiring process 

Now we talked about the places you can hire a freelancer, but how should you choose the best one from them? Here are some general hiring tips to follow during the interview and before. 

Skim through their freelance web developer resumes

It is a no-brainer. If you want to know how good the potential freelancer is, you should look into their resume. However, many employers seem to skip this step. They look at the reviews, and if the developer has five stars on the platform, they automatically trust him. 

It is a big mistake because those reviews might be fake. Sometimes, when you actually look at the reviews, you will see that they all sound very similar. In those cases, chances are high that the freelancer has written those reviews himself. 

So to be sure whether the freelancer matches your project or not, check their resume and portfolio. Look at the places they have studied or worked, and also skim through their projects. It will give you an understanding of what that person can do. In the end, you can decide more accurately whether he matches your project or not. 

Try to work with a project manager 

If you can afford it, try to find a project manager along with your freelancer. Why? Well, many freelancers are a little unorganized. They might skip your deadlines and come up with excuses.

It is because they have too many projects to deal with, and sometimes the priority shifts. So,  to save yourself from the hassle of managing their work, you can leave that all to the project manager. 

You can find freelancers with their project manager assistants on this site. The project manager takes all the responsibility for the project on his shoulders so you can sleep in peace.  

Make your team interview the potential freelancer 

Finally, our last piece of advice is to make your team interview the developer. Your team is the one who is going to work with the person, so they should have a say in the hiring process too. If they are the ones to choose the developer, you can be sure there will be fewer arguments and misunderstandings later on. 

That is it for today. We hope you hire the best match for your project and enjoy the process!