By Tamara Levit in Upwork — Oct 31, 2024

Freelancing on Upwork Isn’t for Everyone: Top 5 Disappointments

just to tell you as you are not alone

I hear you! And I hear your frustration really often. Let me tell you you are not alone!

1. Low Conversion Despite a Well-Built Profile

One of the biggest frustrations is when you’ve filled your profile, yet views and invitations remain low. Many freelancers aren’t aware that their categories may be incorrectly set or that their specialized profiles aren’t optimized. Since Upwork relies on categories and work history, profiles without a clear focus won’t appear in relevant search results.

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Tip: Take time to research categories and regularly check your profile’s alignment with your key skills. Create specialized profiles for each area you want to focus on.

2. Difficulty Getting Initial Responses

It’s demotivating when no responses come, even after sending out numerous proposals (the most often metric is 10% to reply). Freelancers often make mistakes by submitting overly general proposals or not providing specific work examples. I am talking all the time about irrelevant examples or "lazy" links to a general portfolio without context are often why clients don’t respond.

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Tip 1: Avoid generic language, focus on specific examples, and always add explanations for each project to highlight its relevance.

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Tip 2: Alternatively, build your initial reviews by bringing your own (wink) clients to the platform, helping you establish a work history and gain credibility.

3. The Challenge of Maintaining a High Job Success Score (JSS)

Upwork's JSS is crucial, but even minor misunderstandings with clients can seriously affect it. Freelancers are often disappointed to find that negative private feedback impacts JSS just as much as public feedback. This means that factors beyond what you can see can harm your score.

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Tip: Set clear acceptance criteria for the project from the start, so everyone shares the same understanding of the expected outcome. This greatly reduces the risk of receiving negative feedback.

4. Clients Disappearing After Initial Contact

Another frustration is when clients stop responding after initial contact or even after accepting a proposal. Leads need to be qualified before investing time in conversations, but for beginners, this can be difficult as they try to take on any work they can get. This inconsistency from clients leads to wasted effort and a sense of lost time.

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Tip: Response speed is crucial to keeping clients interested. Don’t forget to follow up to demonstrate your interest and reliability.

5.Low-Quality Leads and Losing Qualified Leads

Many freelancers come to the platform looking for reliable clients, but instead, encounter a large number of low-budget projects or poor-quality leads. Moreover, the lack of a clear Ideal Client Profile (ICP) leads to bidding on unsuitable projects, which undermines motivation.

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Tip 1: Clearly define your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) and focus only on jobs that align with your technical profile and budget.

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Tip 2: If you don’t yet have a clearly defined ICP, take time to establish one before seeking new clients. This will help you focus on projects that match your skills and expectations.

Hugs,

Tamara

Freelancing on Upwork Isn’t for Everyone: Top 5 Disappointments

1. Low Conversion Despite a Well-Built Profile

2. Difficulty Getting Initial Responses

3. The Challenge of Maintaining a High Job Success Score (JSS)

4. Clients Disappearing After Initial Contact

5.Low-Quality Leads and Losing Qualified Leads

Top 3 Mistakes After You Receive a Reply on Upwork (and How to Avoid Them)

Upwork Fall 2024 Updates

1. Low Conversion Despite a Well-Built Profile

2. Difficulty Getting Initial Responses

3. The Challenge of Maintaining a High Job Success Score (JSS)

4. Clients Disappearing After Initial Contact

5.Low-Quality Leads and Losing Qualified Leads

Top 3 Mistakes After You Receive a Reply on Upwork (and How to Avoid Them)

Upwork Fall 2024 Updates

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