How to setup an Upwork profile/How to earn online.

Last year, I got a chance to attend an awsome workshop during my graduation which was about how to earn online.

One of my most trusted mentor advised me that, if I wanted to make real money and have an enjoyable freelancing career, I shouldn’t waste my time on other websites.So i decided to join upwork(formerly Elance).

Today i'll tell you that how can you earn online.

You just need a PC and a good internet connection.

You can work from everywhere.You don't need to go to office for doing your work.Your place will be your office.

What is Upwork?

Upwork, formerly Elance-oDesk, is a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely.

Why is Upwork right for you?

Great work is rewarded:You’ll work with great clients and earn money. Delivering these awesome experiences will lead to even more work and more clients.

Upwork’s technology makes it easy:You can use our platform to easily get set up, find more clients, control your own work, and get paid quickly and reliably.

Payments are protected With Upwork:Payment Protection programs, you can be more confident that you’ll always be paid for work you deliver as promised.

A community focused on your success:As you win and succeed on projects, we’ll do our best to help you find more opportunities for continued growth of your business.

Join Upwork in four easy steps:

1-Signup and choose membership plan(Select free membership plan,as you are working as a freelancer)
Here is the link to signup for upwork:
https://www.upwork.com/signup/create-account/freelancer_direct

2-Create your profile(Make it 100%,before you start bidding on projects,it will help you to get the project soon)

3-Setup your payment method(I'll discuss it later)

4-Use Upwork messages

How to Build a great profile?

Successful peofiles are complete,accurate and show a compelling picture of your skills,services and accomplishments.Your profile is an opportunity to advertise your freelance business to attract clients.Here is an example on how you can make a great first impression of your Upwork's profile.

Profile will not be visible on upwork until it is completed and verified.                                                   Other profile areas:

• Professional Certifications: Add professional certifications. 
• Skills tests: Take a few tests to show potential clients that you can have the skills to do the job.
• Linking External Accounts: Link external accounts to your Upwork profile to show your online presence.

Now as your profile is 100% complete,You are ready to find projects and submitting proposals.

Find the right project:

Searching for projects (and setting up your job feed) is easy. It’s also an important part of becoming an active and engaged member of Upwork. This helps ensure that you never miss out on projects you’re a great fit for.

-Pick a skill

Enter a skill (or two) into the search bar to find projects that match your talents.

-Set filters

Use filters on the left-hand side of the Search Results Page to find a more-targeted list. 

-Add to Job Feed

After setting your search preferences, add it to your Job Feed so you can have an ongoing, updated list of new projects that match your preferences.

Fixed-price vs. hourly projects:

On Upwork there are two types of contracts.

Here’s how they compare.

Hourly

On hourly contracts you’re paid by the hour, making this a preferred option when your project requires flexibility. Examples of projects that can work well on an hourly basis include Customer Service and Technical Support.

Hourly contract payments are protected by Hourly Payment Protection. Here’s how:

1. Agree to the number of authorized hours with your client via the offer details page.

2. Install and track all your project time using the Upwork Tracker App.

3. Add descriptions and notes of your work to your time log.

4. Quickly communicate with your client, and request approval for, any changes needed to your authorized hours.

Fixed-Price

On fixed-price contracts you’re paid a fixed amount for a project deliverable, or set of deliverables. This option is ideal when the work is more clearly defined. Examples of projects well suited for fixed-price contracts include Web Design and Mobile App Development.

Fixed-price contracts are protected by Fixed-Price Payment Protection. Here’s how:

1. Agree to one or more project milestones with your client — clearly outlining what you’ll deliver,

when you’ll deliver it, and for how much.

2. Before starting any work on the project, wait until a milestone is funded and the money is held in

escrow.

3. Submit your work through the Upwork platform.
4. Make sure you’ve been paid for a milestone, and that the next one is funded, before continuing

work.

Tips for a succesful contract

Regardless of which type of contract you and your client agree to, make sure you always:

• Agree to final payment terms (hours, deliverables and costs) on the contract offers page.

• Confirm that your client has a verified payment(most important) method on file.

• Always deliver work through the Upwork platform.

• Only receive payments through your Upwork account.

Now that you’re ready to submit proposals to clients, here’s how the process works:

1. Find a project you like,open it and press the “Submit a Proposal” button.

2. Review the number of Connects required to submit a proposal, and your Connects balance.

3. Read below for tips on writing a winning Proposal.

4. Enter your offered rate, write a cover letter, add attachments (if any), and send the proposal.

5. The client will review proposals and contact freelancers for interviews.

6. The client may propose a paid “test project” to get a better idea of your skills. This is a great way to find out how well you’ll work together. Just be sure to agree upon pricing terms before you begin. There are no free test projects on Upwork. This is a violation of our policy. 

7. After everything is discussed, the client will send you an offer. Review it, accept it and start working.

Tips for writing a winning proposal:

You can make a strong first impression with your proposal. Introduce yourself, highlight your skills and experience, and tell the client why they should award you the project. It’s your opportunity to show that you understand the project and are qualified for the project.

Here are ideas to write a stellar proposal that works well with clients and leads to interviews:

• Be specific 
• Get answers up front
• Provide requested information
• Proofread, edit, and deliver

Don’t send a generic “cut and paste” proposal. It will decrease your chance of being awarded the project and can reflect poorly on your Upwork reputation. It’s okay to adapt an old cover letter, but make it relevant to the project you’re trying to win.Just remember: Work on Upwork, get paid on Upwork.

Once you’ve submitted your proposal, you may receive a notification that the client would like to set up an interview (or maybe even engage with you immediately).In some cases you may not hear anything back at all.Clients are not required to respond to all proposals,so keep your options open by also submitting proposals to other projects.

If the client requests an interview, reply quickly with your availability and find a meeting time that works for you both. This will increase your chances of winning the project. If your potential client is in a different time zone, be prepared to interview at a time that is outside the traditional 9-to-5 window.

Interviews can be text-based through Upwork Messages or Skype. So agree to a method that works best for both of you. Make sure you understand how the interview will be conducted (for example, voice vs. Upwork Messages text), so you can prepare in advance.

Starting the project with a confidence:

You control how you get the work done, and your clients will rely on your expertise to get started.

Before you start working, consider setting up a kickoff meeting or writing a message to your client. Another popular action is to establish a client communication plan that details how often you’ll report on progress. You can communicate with your client through Upwork Messages, email, or chat — but choose one method and stick with it to avoid confusion.

Completing the contract:

Your contract is complete after you’ve delivered the final product or the number of hours needed by
your client has finished. Send an email to notify your client and let them know you’re available if they have questions or concerns. If your contract remains open, your client may still be reviewing your work. But because you receive final feedback only after the job is closed, feel free to ask them to close the contract once the work is reviewed and paid for.

Managing your reputation and profile

Once you complete a contract, your client has the opportunity to rate your work from 1 to 5 stars with final feedback. They can also provide you with a private recommendation rating, and leave a note about their experience. These are optional for the client to leave, but most do as it is an important method for evaluating their experience. The most important things you can do to receive good final ratings is delivering quality work, communicating early and often with your clients, and being an overall pleasure to work with.Before you could see your feedback that your client has left for you,they will also ask you to leave rating and feedback for the client as well.Be honest about the rating.after that it will be shown on your profile like this:

Pay attention to your Job Success ScoreYour Job Success score is a comprehensive, single measure of your work and reputation on Upwork. Talented freelancers who deliver high quality work to their clients find that the Job Success score helps them promote their freelance business in the Upwork marketplace and win new clients and contracts.
Refresh your profile:

Update your portfolio once a project is done, adding an image or link to the final product, if it’s permitted by the client.
Learned something new?
Add it to your overview and skills list. And if you’ve strengthened a skill, retake the relevant test on Upwork or mention that skill more prominently.
Have a great testimonial from a client?
Perfect; add that too.

Best practices:

How you run your business is completely up to you, but here are some practices from successful freelancers which you may want to consider.
Communicate early, communicate often
Be proactive—clients usually get concerned when they don’t hear from a freelancer.
When in doubt, ask
This will help clear up confusion, save time, and keep the engagement running smoothly.
Set clear expectations
Provide honest and realistic project updates and quickly alert your client when you encounter a problem.
Respect deadlines
Deliver your work on time, every time. If you think you’ll miss a deadline, let your client know so they can plan accordingly.
Be a pleasure to work with
Listen to your client’s concerns and respond with a positive attitude. Developing a rapport can make for a great work experience for both parties.
Under-promise, over-deliver
Never promise more than you can deliver and consider giving a little extra to every project.

Happy bidding :)
If you have any question,feel free to comment below.I'll be happy to assist you.You can also contact me directly via this email: amna.syed444@gmail.com