Product photos don’t become perfect unless you edit them. They may contain unnecessary elements or other imperfections. You may need to resize the image or remove the background. The key is improving the overall image quality. However, in-house image editors are not always the best solution, especially for new ecommerce businesses. Outsourcing a freelance image editor can be effective when you follow the right approach to hiring. This article helps you choose the best freelance product image editors for ecommerce.
Why Are Freelance Editors Ideal for Ecommerce?
- Give flexibility to hire freelance editors when needed
- Cost-effective as you pay only for per project, image, or hour
- Easy to hire a specialized editor for a specific type of image editing
- Fast turnaround time, even for bulk orders
Identifying Your Specific Needs
Before hiring a freelance image editor, consider these points.
- What type of ecommerce product photos do you want to edit?
- How many ecommerce product photos do you want to edit?
- When do you need the edited ecommerce product photos? Do you have an emergency? Or is standard delivery time okay?
- How much budget did you set for the entire project or per image?
- What type of image editing services do you need?
- What are the technical specifications of your ecommerce product images?
- What file formats do you need for the edited ecommerce product photos?
Top Popular Freelance Platforms to Hire Image Editors for Ecommerce
Upwork
This platform has 18 million freelancers from over 180 countries. You can find a diverse range of image editors on this top freelancing website. Screen out interested freelancers based on their skills and experience.
Pros
- Free and easy to create account
- Hourly tracking system
- Simple navigation with dozens of features
- More favorable for clients
- Talent badges to find expert designers
- Flexible and affordable pricing
Cons
- A flat 10% service fee
- May contain fake and scam users
- Highly competitive marketplace
Best for: Complex, long-term ecommerce image editing projects
Fiverr
There are more than 4 million active buyers on Fiverr who have taken services from this website. It has over 600 service categories. You can find exceptional yet affordable freelance Photoshop designers on this freelancing site.
Pros
- A broad choice of image editors and designers
- Fast and responsive customer service
- Excellent integration with various payment systems
- Clean and easy-to-use interface
- Realistic invoicing and proposal system
- Affordable services at various price points
Cons
- Lack of vetting
- A flat 20% service fee
- No time tracking or supervision system
Best for: Quick, standardized product image editing tasks with fast turnaround times
Freelancer
Freelancer.com has over 50 million registered users. You can hire skilled photo editors to get high-quality results. It has diverse pricing options to suit your budget. You can hire them for short- or long-term projects.
Pros
- Simple filtering options to identify potential candidates
- Time tracking and non-disclosure agreement system
- Low or reasonable hourly or fixed rates
- A wide range of payment methods
- Multiple ways to evaluate candidates
- Easy to find freelancers through job ads or contests
Cons
- Slow and unhelpful support team
- Time-consuming to extract funds
- Clunky search features
Best for: Competitive bidding on medium-scale ecommerce image editing projects
99designs
This dynamic platform has over 1.4 million freelance designers. There are large pools of talented designers with various skill levels and specializations on 99designs. It has a one-on-one hiring system to hire the best image editing specialist.
Pros
- A huge designer community
- Money-back guarantee system
- Prompt and accessible customer support
- Promo codes to reduce the cost
- Easy to custom-made designs
- Clients can withdraw the contest and ask for a refund
Cons
- Some ideas stealing clients
- Expensive packages for expert designers
- Flatform and introduction fees
Best for: Creative and artistic product image editing projects
Guru
This digital freelance marketplace has around 2,00,000 designers from different fields. You can find skilled professionals across various categories.
It has a comprehensive dashboard to track and manage projects, hire/rehire freelancers, and communicate smoothly.
Pros
- Flexible payment options
- Secure payment system
- Low service fees
- Easy to communicate between clients and freelancers
- No initial cost for creating an account
- Simple to manage long-term freelance contracts
Cons
- Limited client interaction
- Fee for membership plans
- High freelancer competition
Best for: Flexible, milestone-based ecommerce image editing projects
PeoplePerHour
This freelancing site has over 3 million freelancers across 180+ countries. If you are looking for a talented pool of specialized experts, PeoplePerHour is a good choice. It has a user-friendly platform. Finding projects and making proposals are easy-going.
Pros
- Escrow-based payment security
- Hour-based or project-based tasks
- Creative and technical freelancers
- Easy and safe to share files with others
- Simple to check the history and ratings of freelancers
- Free-based job posting system
Cons
- 20% of service fees
- Ineffective Customer service
- A good number of scam accounts
Best for: Quick, affordable editing with fixed-price “hourlies”
Tips for Hiring the Best Freelance Product Image Editors for Ecommerce
Check Work Samples
Thoroughly review the previous work samples of freelancers to assess their working capabilities. Consider your ecommerce platform-specific image needs and whether they can fulfill it or not.
Test with Small Projects
Before hiring a new freelancer, test his skills and work style with a small project. It helps you avoid hiring for risky or bulk projects.
Cost VS Quality
Quality doesn’t come cheap. New freelancers may not be the best choice for sensitive projects. Experienced and top-rated out-of-house editors may have a high-charging option. However, it will ultimately benefit your e-commerce business.
Set Clear Guidelines
Set clear guidelines about the image size, background, and other retouching attributes. It helps you avoid repetitive revisions. Otherwise, this will waste your valuable time.
Deadline Fulfillment
Submitting tasks on time is highly important for ecommerce businesses. Before hiring a freelancer, consider their on-time delivery practices. Clearly mention when you need the edited images.
Revision Policies
Some freelancers may not agree with continuous requests for revisions. Let the freelancer know about revision policies. Keep your expectations and guidelines clear. It prevents unwanted misunderstandings and potential conflicts.
Communication Channels
Various communication channels are used to communicate between clients and freelancers. Instant messaging, email, and project management tools are the most widely used. But, some may prefer video conferencing and photo calls.
File-sharing Methods
The file-sharing platform must be hassle-free and secure. Google Drive and Dropbox are the most widely used options. But some may prefer Droplr, Box, and WeTransfer. Use a reliable file-sharing option that is convenient for both clients and freelancers.
Non-disclosure Agreements
As a client, your project may contain sensitive information. Create an agreement to protect your intellectual property and confidentiality.
FAQs
How to verify the quality of a freelance image editor’s work?
Check their previous works, portfolios, and clients’ reviews to get an idea about their editing quality.
Which platforms are best for finding freelance ecommerce image editors?
Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and 99designs are some of the best freelancing platforms to hire image editors.
How much do freelance product image editors usually charge?
It ranges from $5 to $100 per image, depending on the image complexity and experience level.
How long do freelance image editors take to deliver images?
It can take anywhere from 24 hours to multiple days based on image complexity and number of images.
Do freelancers offer free trials for eCommerce product photo editing?
No, they don’t provide free trials. But most offer paid trial tasks or small, initial projects to assess editors’ skill levels.
Conclusion
Freelancing platforms are more effective for ecommerce businesses to save valuable time and effort than in-house production. They can focus on their core business and boost their sales growth. However, finding the best freelance product image editors for ecommerce requires careful evaluation. It must align with your brand integrity. We have already shared top freelancing platforms to hire image editors and the right way to hire them.
