Over ten years ago, the founder of TopIQ was a freelance internet marketer who overcame many of the frustrations that still plague freelancers today. He invests significant time, landing and completing projects for clients in the freelance market. When it’s time to get paid, they spend weeks or months chasing payments or solving account problems and bogus return bills—only to pay a high percentage of market and financial service fees in the end.
“The traditional freelance market takes up to 20% of the cost of any project,” he says Steve Talbot, one of the chief information officers at BH Network, the creator of TopIQs, a blockchain-based freelance marketplace. “This is very challenging, especially when you are just starting. Say you make $500 from several small projects; the market takes $100, the bank or financial app takes another $15 and so on. Soon $500 is a smaller amount.
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Talbot and his friends, Eddie Munteanu, Marius Grigorasand Petrica Butusina imagine a better way for freelancers to find work from trusted businesses and get paid fast without the hassle. That vision turned into TopIQs, a decentralized freelancing marketplace built on the MultiversX blockchain.
“TopIQs is a DeFi marketplace designed for global Web3 buyers and sellers,” Munteanu said. “We take a maximum fee of 5% for crypto payments, and a transparent permanent history on the blockchain protects buyers and sellers. Businesses know they will get a satisfying job, and freelancers know they will be paid quickly. Both parties have a smart contract Payments are held in escrow for the duration of the project, then released to the freelancer upon completion.
The beta version of TopIQs was launched in December 2022, and the full product is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2023. Below are three important lessons that the TopIQ team has identified regarding the successful launch of Web3 products:
1. Prioritize educating users.
Blockchain and crypto platforms are still new to many people. If your product is targeting Web2 users, you must provide an educational component, teaching people the basics and benefits of Web3. What are your customer’s pain points, and how does your product address them? What important information do you need about blockchain or crypto? What will be the benefits of using this new technology? Provide video tutorials, Q&A sessions and other searchable resources.
2. Non-stop testing during beta launch.
Before doing a full launch, budget enough time for a thorough beta testing period. During this soft launch, invite users to use your product for free, and collect as much community feedback as possible. A popular and easy-to-use element? Which features generate the most questions or bugs? Keep testing and iterating until you are confident about the full product launch.
3. Provide exceptional customer support.
Nurture your user community by providing responsive and diverse customer support. Sometimes users prefer to watch video tutorials or read online resources to answer their questions. Other times, they want to speak directly to a team member who can help them. Efforts to offer a variety of support options, including videos, articles, knowledge bases and chat applications.
“We want to help more people become freelancing, and we know the obstacles on a personal level because we’ve been there,” Talbot said. “TopIQs aims to educate people on how to become a freelancer and how to get into cryptocurrency. This puts control back in the hands of the user to create a more secure and connected way to work.
This article was published through the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle, an organization of senior executives and experts in the blockchain technology industry who are building the future through the power of connection, collaboration and thought leadership. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Cointelegraph.
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