Thinking of using a freelance web guy to help construct your website? There’s good news, geeks are for hire. Mind you, they aren’t all created equal so choose carefully.
LOCATING A GEEK.
Geeks lurk everywhere. You can find them in Google, at Chris’s Web Freelancer website (and you should head to his blog for a brilliant tips blog about Elance and using web freelancers generally).
They also have a couple of online hangouts - Elance or Rentacoder (now called VWorker).
In this post, I’m going to cover off Elance (and the same views apply to Rentacoder), although nowadays I use Chris (who is a bit too normal to be a genuine geek, but let’s get back on topic).
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
So, I’ve used these types of services, and met more than my fair share of geeks, and in my experience, here are the pros and cons that apply when you use a service like Elance.
PROS - it can cost HEAPS less to get your software coding done because its a really competitive global marketplace.
Depending on the sort of web work you want done, you’ll get bids from coders in developing economies that are extremely competitive versus the pricing in developed economies like Australia.
The fee for the successful bidder is held in escrow so both buyer and coder have some kind of protection regarding payment.
If the geek wears brown polyester trousers, it’s fine. You don’t have to walk down the street with him.
CONS - there is no ongoing relationship and the onus is on YOU to get your brief right and test the work properly before authorising final payment.
If you choose someone from a developing economy, English may not be their first language and you may find that it is difficult to properly communicate. In this instance, the total frustration factor far outweighs any benefit you derive from a cheaper price.
In my experience, using these services requires on your part a reasonable level of technical understanding to be able to communicate with your coder – or you should use someone who has this understanding to project-manage your job for you.
Hands-down, my best experience with these services has been when I’ve used a coder from a developed economy that speaks English as a first language. This very blog was built by a very nice Canadian called Mike.
THE WRAP-UP.
So that’s my two cents on Elance. If you’re looking to use Elance or a similar place, talk to Chris first. After all, while geeks are fashionable, they’re not all equal.
Chris will be able to help steer you past the dud ones and help you ensure your project has the best chance of success.
