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Outsourcing Your Web Site Development Using Freelancers

We talk often around here about making the most of your domain names.  Back in days past, we used to be able to park our domains and collect checks from the ad revenue.  While that still works for some key players, many domain names are not earning enough ad revenue to cover their renewal fees. Having a developed site, however, could be more likely to earn you money in the long run.

Not only are you providing value for your visitors by producing a site with relevant content, but you also have other options for revenue streams such as AdSense, affiliate listings, and review sites.

But what if you have hundreds of domains?

After you have read the article To Renew or Not to Renew, and have completed the evaluation of your current portfolio, your domains should be categorized into folders. Your “Development Domains” folder will contain those you’ve chosen to establish. From this folder, choose one domain name that ignites passion in you.  And don’t forget that domain brokers like Media Options can help you sell domains that you’re no longer passionate about!

Hire Someone to Do the Work

I need to discuss the domain I own!

There are many great freelance sites that offer outsourcers for site creation, whether that is from scratch, using WordPress , Joomla or other platforms.  Three great ones are Elance.com, Guru.com and oDesk.com.  All three use similar rating systems, and offer a wide variety of skilled freelancers to hire.

What to Look For in a Freelancer

Each professional will have a profile, which includes her skills, feedback and portfolio of previous work.

• Skill Tests: although there are many skill tests such as PHP programming, WordPress development and content writing offered by the sponsoring sites, beware of providers that have a large amount of top scoring test results; I found out that the answers to these tests are published online on cheater sites.
• Feedback:  feedback is a better way to find possible providers for your job.  Pay attention to the comments more than the number of stars given, for not all previous employers had realistic expectations.  If you see common threads throughout, such as “on time delivery” and “very creative,” this may be a good indicator of the work tendencies of that provider.
• Portfolio: review a provider’s portfolio to ensure that their work is up to your standards.  Skill levels vary widely, and published work is a good way to check if the navigation and layout flows properly, for example.

Consider First Timers for a Small Job

Just because a provider doesn’t have any feedback doesn’t mean he’s unworthy.  It’s common for freelancers to sign up with several different sites for extended work opportunities.  Check out his portfolio, and open up a discussion to see if you may be a good fit.  New providers are often willing to work very hard for the chance to build their portfolios, so start with a small job and go from there.

Take a Look Around

I need to buy a new domain!

Pick one of the freelancing sites, and get a feel for what’s being offered there.  Look at the portfolios of providers available for hire.  Create a free account in order to save profiles of prospects that you can invite to consider bidding on future job postings. Your time is precious.  Make it count by doing the domain-related tasks that you enjoy; when you tackle one site at a time and develop a relationship with a great freelancer, it’s easier to rinse and repeat with those domains you’d like to see making money for you.  And for those that you aren’t passionate about, send them our way so that we can help find a suitable buyer for you!