by bawo
36 replies
Has someone tried Odesk for outsourcing?

Is it save?
#odesk #usibg
  • Profile picture of the author AlwaysAwa
    Same here and I do like to know how they charge you by?
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    • Profile picture of the author Maecenas23
      I am hiring freelancers via Odesk for about 2 years now. The fee is 10%. So if you have to pay the contractor 100$, it will cost you 110$.

      Many crap is around but after a while ( and after I dedicated 5h for interviews) I managed to find 2 very good webdesigners at a very decent price.

      So, it's like Fiverr when it comes to SEO. A lot of low-balls offers which can't help you but some small parts of gold very well hidden.
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  • Profile picture of the author drewfioravanti
    I have found that you get what you pay for. Read the reviews and check out their ratings.
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  • Profile picture of the author ymest
    yes, it's like everything! You have to try and test! Some are good, other are a complete waste of money, time, space, you name it! Elance seems to be a bit more reliable in my opinion!
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  • Profile picture of the author mattjay
    I only use the very highly reviewed and qualified people. But it can work with some things. I don't even touch anybody without a huge amount of positive reviews and experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author mw3xfactor
    I would say odesk or elance has good service; but like anything people are people, you don't know until you try it.
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  • Profile picture of the author BigDim
    I never tried it,but I have a few friends usiing it,I think it is safe.
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  • Profile picture of the author abbe77
    As a employer you are 100% safe if you dont pay any upfront payment. I am working there as a freelance web developer and always charge only after completion of work.

    You can check their previous projects and give only to those who already have the same type of work. Never try to pick the lowest one, you will only waste time and money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    I have only one client on Odesk and he is a big client. It has been a long time I am working for him. So, I can only tell you about the Odesk system which is great I never have any problem with their system. And support is also good.
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  • Profile picture of the author Greedy
    ODesk can be good you just have to turn 'em and burn 'em.

    If the contractor is slacking off or slow to respond get a new one.

    You can waste a lot of your time on these contracting site if you are not careful.
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  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    I've always been pretty happy with oDesk. I've read a lot of complaints but haven't experienced anything negative, personally.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    I have used ODesk with mixed results.

    Problem is that many on there are not dedicated freelancers, but only looking for extra income. Many will over state their qualifications to get work.

    On the plus side, it is affordable to use because you can hie a team of specialists ona casual basis instead of a full time VA a s many do.

    I found that having a team, I only paid for what I needed instead of paying a VA a salary then trying to find work for them to do and training them.
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  • Profile picture of the author onegoodman
    Odesk is safe, but got many lousy people so will take you while to find out good programmer or web designer, Odesk customer support response fast but terrible based on experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikeac
    I use all the desk and for the most part I have had great service. Just make sure whoever you hire has good reviews, and interview them thoroughly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jensha
    What is the usual rate you give for web designers per hour or for a fixed price assignment?

    Is $10 enough for one simple WP web design project?
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  • Profile picture of the author Outsourcingnerd
    I can only say that I have been extremely satisfied. One of the things I really love about Odesk is that you can actually see screenshots of what your staff working with.

    That is a huge advantage, and you can spot if they seem to be doing something completely wrong.

    So if you see a screen shot of a Facebook chat, job hunting or something not related to your tasks, you can avoid paying for that time.

    I have spent more than $6000 on Odesk last year, and it has been worth every penny.
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  • Profile picture of the author owenlee
    The place is full of workers...so you need to find someone that understand what you want...

    you can interview them and give them a small task to complete before hiring them
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  • Profile picture of the author sndas
    Banned
    I have tried. Always before choosing a professional take an interview.
    make them time bound. Very few are good and others are crape.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Montgomery
    Got fed up using odesk with trying to feed through all the crap to get to the good ones so dont bother these days.
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  • Profile picture of the author affilorama-portal
    If you are too busy and just want to outsource the rest of the job, Odesk is perfect. However, you have to be keen to hiring good people. I suggest you check their ratings and feedback first and if possible, ask for reference of their work.

    I find Odesk good since you can see your employee's time spent and what they have worked on with their tracker.
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  • Profile picture of the author jamesbrands
    I use odesk, and have found some great freelancers.

    If im looking for a new freelancer I won't post the job add as public anymore, instead a do a search for the top rated freelancers advertising the skill set I am looking for.

    As someone else said you generally get what you pay for, although I have found writers from Jamaica, that are brilliant and very very cheap.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tanya E
    I have used oDesk in the past. There are some good people on oDesk whom you can find by going through their ratings and past feedback.
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  • Profile picture of the author TradingExpert
    Originally Posted by bawo View Post

    Has someone tried Odesk for outsourcing?

    Is it save?
    Hey outsourcer,

    You can't go wrong with Odesk, outsource is
    cheap, fast and safe.

    You can look up for Indians...
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael71
      Yeah, you can use cheap indians or asians.

      But nearly everything they do (regarding html/css/jquery) is crap. I have seen so many of those "Portfolios" on oDesk, elance and all the other sites.

      Cheap prices = cheap code.

      A lot of those "professional webdesigners" do not even know the basics of XHTML/HTML5/CSS...

      I am a professional webdev, I know what I am talking about, I know XHTML/HTML/CSS very well.

      Just because I am not as cheap as those indians/asians does not make me a "bad guy"...

      Or do you buy an asian car when you really want a Porsche?

      Originally Posted by TradingExpert View Post

      Hey outsourcer,

      You can't go wrong with Odesk, outsource is
      cheap, fast and safe.

      You can look up for Indians...
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      ---
      Need HTML/CSS help? Skype: microcosmic - Test Your Responsive Design - InternetCookies.eu

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  • Profile picture of the author jonj31070
    ODesk is safe to use. Just make sure that you are extremely picky about who you hire to do the work. I have had some good results and some bad results.
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    People have to decide how serious they are when it comes to outsourcing. Usually the best candidates are usually double the rate or fully booked... because they are good.

    I have found over the years that in the end, hiring cheap labor can be more expensive in the long run. So if you want someone good, be prepared to pay for it - simple.

    For basic services, you can always turn to Warriors for Hire section.

    Given some of the rates charged these days, it may also pay to find some one local (student) who can do the work and is in your time zone.

    I am happy to use Filipino's because their time zone best matches mine. So I don't have to be online at crazy hours.

    Once again, the best thing about Odesk is that you can build a team on a casual basis instead of paying a flat monthly fee for a permanent / part time assistant.

    Sal
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Blades
    I've found VA's on odesk for $250/month, but you have to take your time and looks for good VA's as others have stated..
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  • Profile picture of the author sal64
    I will also add that if you do not have managements skills, then outsourcing will be difficult, regardless of where they come from.
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  • Profile picture of the author azzy420
    oDesk is good - I have used it for over a year now. But what I have noticed that "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"

    10% odesk fee - and there are a few cheap workers on there - but some good talent as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author InfiniteInc
    Originally Posted by DonnyBoy View Post

    I won't recommend oDesk at all.... They are just BS.... I would rather recommend www.elance.com ..... oDesk is just a crap... Again its my personal view..
    Couldn't agree more. I have used both in the past and it's practically like night and day.

    There are more and better paying projects available at elance for freelancers and better workers (read: not cheap) for the hirers.

    I would suggest you check out both as you never know which one you will personally like more. I know that odesk had better employee tracking features for example.
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  • Profile picture of the author faisalmaximus
    I am using Odesk both as contractor and employer. This is the best platform for freelancing. I am using Elance & Freelancer also, but Odesk is the most user friendly & safe platform. Recommended !!!
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  • Profile picture of the author blackli0n
    Odesk is the best when compared to the alternatives. I would say be picky and choose the ones with the most reviews. Working with individuals rather than companies will typically yield better results...for anything medium sized or smaller.
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  • Profile picture of the author asiriusthoth
    oDesk.com is great, if you find the right people. We did a campaign 6 months ago with 10 outsourced appointment setters and it resulted in ZERO sales after about $500. Although in the last month we hired 1 appointment setter at $120 and brought in at least 10 times that. Amazing the difference one person can make. Simple reply: It depends on the quality of the person you hire.

    We like the fact that you can monitor their activity. When they work for you (hourly) the odesk application takes snapshots of their computer every other minute.
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  • Profile picture of the author prasanth5
    oDesk is certainly one of the most popular freelancing websites on the Internet. Although I have not outsourced there I know it functions well ahead of the rest.
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