Comparing Freelance Sites: Craigslist.com, oDesk.com, Freelancer.com, and Mechanical Turk
Many companies that are just starting out on the web may not always have the budget to pay a full-time staff. This is where freelancers, independent contributors, and outsourcing come into the picture. There are thousands of job seekers who are looking for project-based work online. You can leverage on these talents by finding out where they look for work, how much they charge, and generally get a feel of the outsourcing climate today.
Craigslist – while posting job advertisement is free (except in San Francisco and other selected areas), the complete anonymity of the employer discourages some good freelancers from seeking work here. Screening candidates may also be challenging. All applications will be forwarded to the employer’s email and it is up to them to screen each candidate. Despite its drawbacks, Craigslist is a good choice if you’re looking for someone who can work onsite.
oDesk – outsourcing via the web usually uses a fixed-priced pricing model. For example, if a freelancer completes a 5-page website according to specifications, he can expect to receive the agreed-upon amount at the start. oDesk puts a twists into this model. Instead of paying by the project, you pay by the hour. The key benefit is that this encourages long-term relationships. Also, the buyer is given the chance to monitor the freelancer’s working habits through screenshots.
Mechanical Turk – if your project is mostly composed of menial tasks that can be done online, this option provides a very cheap solution. The site mostly focuses on Human Intelligence Tasks (HIT), repetitive, machine-like processes that software programs cannot adequately perform. If you monitor the tasks effectively, the output of providers from Mechanical Turk can be accurate.
Freelancer – one of the propagators of online bidding to get projects. It has since been eclipsed by sites like Rentacoder.com, eLance.com, and oDesk.com. But it remains popular to many businessmen, startups, and website owners. The process in using Freelancer.com is very simple and the transaction fees are relatively low compared to other sites.
Source - http://www.pickaweb.co.uk/blog/uk-web-hosting/comparing-freelance-sites-craigslist-com-odesk-com-freelancer-com-and-mechanical-turk/
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