Do you consider yourself a freelancer? This could be a freelance web designer, writer, photographer, copywriter, ghostwriter or graphic designer to name but a few freelance occupations.

There are many moneymaking opportunities available without a website, but this article deals more specifically with how to use a website to add substance to your claim that you’re skills are available for hire.

If you are developing a website you don’t have to spend a lot of money to gain a comprehensive, beautiful and practical website. The use of web builder technology is an inexpensive way to develop your online presence.

Once you establish your website you need to get very targeted customers to visit. Look first to your friends, family and business acquaintances. Anyone you have had correspondence with in the past several months may be in line to receive an email from you outlining the freelance services you can provide.

Don’t be fooled. Not everyone will be interested in what you can offer, but you might suggest that if they don’t have need of your services right now they can either keep the information handy or pass the information along to another business acquaintance they feel might be able to use your skills.

The reason this is a good first step is you are reaching out to those who already know you and may have reason to believe more strongly in your capabilities and integrity.

Find a freelance forum dedicated to your specific area of expertise and gain some encouragement and insight from those who participate. Be sure to include links to your business website in your signature.

Don’t make all marketing efforts an online affair. Send print mail to individuals in your own community and region that you may have dealings with that may benefit from your services. Be willing to meet with them one on one to discuss their needs and how you can help them.

Provide samples. Sometimes this means viewing free work as a marketing investment. You might make a specified amount of free work available to a local charity and use samples of those freelancing efforts on your business website.

Develop an online or a pdf brochure that customers can review that explain benefits and services you make available.

Keep working to draw people to your website.

Often freelancers start with commission based sites. Since you receive money you may feel as if you’re doing OK in the arena of moneymaking. If you will take some of the proceeds from commission based freelance work and reinvest it in a personal website you may find yourself transitioning from working for others for less pay to working for yourself with a much greater return.

Moneymaking always starts with an investment. You’ve already invested your time in developing and fine-tuning your freelance craft. Maybe it’s time to invest in an actual online storefront that can help those with varying degrees of interest to locate your services and tap into the potential you can bring to their project. Without a storefront they may never find you.