My Upwork Wishlist: 9 Ways to Improve the Platform for Any Freelancer

Upwork is a well-known freelance marketplace in the world. Upwork is changing the lives of thousands of freelancers across the world. So, Every freelancer may have an Upwork wishlist. Upwork has many positive aspects, but there will still be areas of improvement. And the areas of improvement can be different according to every freelancer’s understanding.

So, many freelancers will want some improvement in the Upwork model. This improvement may be practically possible, and there are also chances that this improvement may not be practically possible. For Example, Upwork charges a 10% fee per order if you are a freelancer. If this fee should be 0% and if this is your wish, then it’s impossible because Upwork is also based on a Business model.

Best 9 Upwork Wishlist of Any Freelancer

As a freelancer the following points should be included in the Upwork wishlist of any freelancer.

1. Improve the Freelancer Program 

As a freelancer, I have used the freelancer program of Upwork. Upwork offers two plans. One of the plans is Basic Plan, and the other is Upwork Plus ($14.99 a month).

The following are the benefits of the Plus plan:

  • 80 Connects per month, about 15$ value
  • A profile that will never be hidden because of inactivity and remain active 
  • Confidential earnings
  • A glimpse at other competitor bids
  • A custom profile URL
  • Extended reports and functionality

As a freelancer, I only need Connects, and there is no need for the following services.

  • There is no need to show clients that you are always active.
  • A confidential earning is also an extra service.

So, I only need some services from the Freelancer program. So I can pay for some of the services. That’s why there should be fewer fees for freelancer programs.

2. Improve the Time Counting Method

As a freelancer, I only count the time for which I worked. I don’t add or remove the breaks and then add the time consumed. My time calculation method is to count only the time I worked.

For Example: If you start work at 11:30 am, after 2 hours, you stop working and do lunch. After lunch, you work again for forty-five minutes and then stop for a tea break. After tea, you again start work for 30 minutes. So. it’s become difficult to calculate the time by following all the intervals. If I talk about myself, I add all the time slots to get the exact time.

So, there should be some easiest method of time calculation. Otherwise, it would be challenging to calculate the time for each interval. 

3. Give the Ability to Freelancers to Increase their Rates

Every freelancer can lower the contract rate, and clients can increase the contract rate. To increase the rate, I have to ask my client to go through different steps and make different adjustments. Clients need to remember all the processes. So, the rates should be adjusted by freelancers. Upwork can do this with final approval from the client with the help of notification. So, Upwork should reduce the extra burden on the client, which increases the rates process should be adjusted by the client. 

4. Screening Questions should be Authentic and According to Project

On Upwork, when we apply for any job, there are always some screening questions. Freelancers have to answer these questions. But these questions could be more authentic and related to the Project. Mostly, these questions are related to surface knowledge. Following are some screening questions with answers.

  • Question 1: What part of the Project most appeals to you?
  • Question 2: Why do you think you fit this job well?

These questions could be more helpful for the Project. So, the following are some questions that should be asked as these are helpful for the Project. 

  • How long do you estimate it to complete this Project?
  • What things do you need from us to get started? 
  • What are your preferred means of communication?

5. Ditch the Talent Specialist 

I have seen the Upwork Talent Specialist as a roadblock to winning the jobs. It is challenging to win jobs through Talent Specialists. There should be direct contact between the client and the freelancer, and the client and freelancer should decide whether they can go with each other. There should be no third party between the client and the freelancer.

6. Let the Client see Time Log Notes on their Invoice

Many clients ask for this, but freelancers need help to help clients in this regard. The client only receives the invoice with the contract name and the number of working hours in his inbox. Some clients want to see one line-item Project with the contract, but for this, clients have to log in to their Upwork account and review the time log manually to see the notes from my time log. Most clients don’t want to see the number of hours you work, but they only want to see what kind or type of work you have done.

7. Improve the Upwork Messenger

Upwork Messenger can be improved with the following suggestions.

  • Increasing the file size upload limit
  • Include a “Download All” button, as you find in Slack, for multiple files sends
  • Making an “End Contract” button easily accessible on both the client’s and the freelancer’s end

The Upwork Messenger also tends to need fixing in general. I’ve been going back and forth with Upwork customer service for over a month about the broken “away message” that says it’s on but never works. I love to use Messenger and use it every day, But it sometimes doesn’t work properly, so there can be a lot of improvement.

8. Remove the Off-Site Pre-Contract Communication Ban for Expert Vetted Talent

In 2020, Upwork prohibited off-site pre-contract communications between freelancers and clients. It was an effort to cut down scams. This effort has not been effective, but it’s still a bit of a bottleneck.

The Upwork Messenger can be buggy at times. When a client repeatedly asks if they can call me instead, and I have to say no, it can be a real predicament.

Sometimes we had some frustrated clients who went to the trouble of tracking us off-site. They can even find your email and reach out on their own. So, it’s better to talk with the client and ask him not to mention the phone call in future conversations on the Upwork chat.

But my wishlist also includes Upwork’s Expert Vetted talent pool that has earned the right to be trusted with off-site communications when necessary without fearing repercussions for breaking the rules.

9. Let Expert Vetted Talent keep their 5% Commission in Perpetuity

As many of you know, Upwork used to charge a fee based on your billings. So, the old Upwork fee structure was as follows:

  • $0-$500: 20%
  • $500.01-$10,000: 10%
  • $10,000.01 or more: 5%

But here’s the Good News. In May 2023, Upwork switched to a flat 10% fee across the board. Contracts over $10,000.01 in earnings were at the old rate until January 1, 2024.

But for some Expert Vetted freelancers who are mostly working on large, long-term contracts, this means, in 2024, most of their Upwork fees will DOUBLE. The company should rethink its decision, especially for projects whose value is more than $10000.01. Currently, on more than $10,000.01 project fee is 5%, but from January 1, 2024, it will be flat at 10%, double from 5%.

But one aspect is good: from $0-$500, now you don’t need to pay a 20% fee as before, but now you need to pay a flat 10%, which is a good thing for freelancers doing smaller projects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Upwork Wishlist is an important feature that enhances the user experience on the Upwork platform. It allows freelancers and clients to save and organize projects or freelancers of interest, making it easier to track potential collaborations. Upwork Wishlist streamlines the process of finding and hiring talent or securing projects by providing a convenient and user-friendly interface for managing preferences and tracking desired projects or freelancers.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

No, as a freelancer, you’ll pay a 10% freelancer service fee on all your earnings on Upwork. This fee is charged on all your contracts with a client.

Yes, you can withdraw your available balance at any time. You can withdraw using the “Get Paid Now” option by going to the Settings” Get Paid. You should choose the Get Paid Now button. Choose the amount to withdraw.