More than a decade ago, the co-founders of TopIQ they were independent internet marketers dealing with many of the frustrations that still plague freelancers today. They spent a lot of time launching, landing, and completing projects for clients in independent markets. When it came time to get paid, they spent weeks or months chasing down payments or resolving account issues and fraudulent chargebacks, only to owe a high percentage of market and financial services fees in the end.
“Traditional freelance marketplaces charge up to 20% of fees for any job,” he said. steve talbot, one of the CIOs at BH Network, the creator of TopIQs, an independent blockchain-based marketplace. “This is very challenging, especially when you are just starting out. Let’s say you make $500 with a few small projects; the market charges $100, the bank or financial app charges another $15, and so on. Pretty soon, $500 is a much smaller amount.”
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Talbot and his partners, Eddie Munteanu, Marius GrigorasY petrica butusin envisioned a better way for freelancers to find jobs at trusted companies and get paid quickly without the usual headaches. His vision became TopIQs, a decentralized freelance marketplace built on the MultiversX blockchain.
“TopIQs is a DeFi marketplace designed for global Web3 buyers and sellers,” said Munteanu. “We accept a maximum fee of 5% on crypto payments, and a permanent transparent history on the blockchain protects both buyers and sellers. Companies know they will get a job they will be happy with, and freelancers know they will be paid on time. Both parties own the smart contracts they develop. Payment is held in escrow for the duration of the project, then released to the freelancer upon completion.
The TopIQs beta version launched in December 2022 and the full product release is scheduled for Spring 2023. Here are three key lessons that the TopIQs team has identified from successfully launching a Web3 product:
1. Prioritize educating your users.
Blockchain and crypto platforms are still new to many people. If your product is aimed at Web2 users, you should offer an educational component, teaching people the basics and benefits of Web3. What are your customers’ pain points and how does your product address them? What essential information do you need about blockchain or cryptocurrency? What will they gain by adopting this new technology? Provide video tutorials, Q&A sessions, and other searchable resources.
2. Test relentlessly during the beta release.
Before going full release, budget enough time for a thorough beta testing period. During this preview release, invite users to use your product for free, and gather as much feedback from the community as possible. What elements are popular and easy to use? Which features generate the most questions or errors? Keep testing and iterating until you are sure of a full product release.
3. Provide exceptional customer service.
Nurture your user community by offering responsive and multi-faceted customer support. Sometimes users prefer to watch video tutorials or read online resources to answer their questions. Other times, they want to speak directly with a team member who can help them. Strive to offer a variety of support options, including videos, articles, knowledge bases, and chat applications.
“We want to help more people become self-employed, and we understand the barriers on a personal level because we’ve been there ourselves,” Talbot said. “TopIQs aims to educate people on how to get into freelancing Y how to get into cryptocurrency Give control back to users to create a more secure and connected way of working.”
This article was published via the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle, a vetted organization of top executives and industry experts in blockchain technology who are building the future through the power of connections, collaboration, and thought leadership. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Cointelegraph.
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