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Poll: Does having your own website help you get work?
De persoon die dit onderwerp heeft geplaatst: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
MEDEWERKER SITE
Oct 20, 2009

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Does having your own website help you get work?".

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629


 
John Rawlins
John Rawlins  Identity Verified
Spanje
Local time: 22:25
Spaans naar Engels
+ ...
Why no web? Oct 20, 2009

Many translators do not seem to have their own website. I wonder what are the advantages of not having a web?

 
m_temmer
m_temmer  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:25
Engels naar Nederlands
+ ...
no longer have one Oct 20, 2009

John Rawlins wrote:

Many translators do not seem to have their own website. I wonder what are the advantages of not having a web?


I no longer have a website as it was completely useless. It only cost money to keep it running, so why bother? I have more work than I can handle, so marketing my services isn't one of my priorities. I can perfectly live without a website!

Michael


 
Kostas Zgafas
Kostas Zgafas
Tsjechië
Local time: 22:25
Lid
Engels naar Tsjechisch
+ ...
Not having a website seems to have a sense Oct 20, 2009


Many translators do not seem to have their own website. I wonder what are the advantages of not having a web?


I think it makes sense. Translators who do not have their own website just do not want to invest their time and money to get "some work" in the better case (see the poll). That 1% who gets "most work" from their website are not just translators, but also website marketers and promoters, I believe. A website won't bring you major work, if you just have it. You have to promote it. So instead of just have it, people seem to choose not to have it, which makes sense.

Kostas


 
Simon Hollingsworth
Simon Hollingsworth  Identity Verified
Verenigd Koninkrijk
Local time: 21:25
Lid 2005
Russisch naar Engels
Does a ProZ profile count as a website? Oct 20, 2009

If a ProZ profile counts as aone, then I can certainly say I have a website. I agree with the other entries that maintaining a 'regular' website is an unnecessary expense of time and money if the work is coming in thick and fast as it is.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italië
Local time: 22:25
Engels naar Italiaans
I have just started mine Oct 20, 2009

My website was created 2 months ago. I do not know if it helps in getting more work, I have basically started it because you can put much more info in it than in a covering letter. The CV is available and so is my portfolio, I can explain better how I work. Yes, maybe you need a bit of marketing, but the use I am doing now is: Hey this is my CV and you can get more info about me if you check at: www....

So at
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My website was created 2 months ago. I do not know if it helps in getting more work, I have basically started it because you can put much more info in it than in a covering letter. The CV is available and so is my portfolio, I can explain better how I work. Yes, maybe you need a bit of marketing, but the use I am doing now is: Hey this is my CV and you can get more info about me if you check at: www....

So at the end of the day, I do not think it is necessary, I mean companies do not type on google keywords to find freelancers, they have databases and anyway you have to contact them or they will find translators on other channels (Proz, or other websites).

Stated differently: it replaces a conventional CV with more info.
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Umang Dholabhai
Umang Dholabhai  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 01:55
Engels naar Gujarati
+ ...
Perfect sense in having none! Oct 20, 2009

I have more work than I can handle. Though I wonder if having a website could positively affect your rates. Does it really bring in more direct clients?

 
Interlangue (X)
Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 22:25
Engels naar Frans
+ ...
No Web site Oct 20, 2009

Do not see the point of advertising in any form: I have to decline work too often to spend time trying to attract people I will have to turn off anyway.

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
Verenigde Staten
Local time: 13:25
Lid 2003
Spaans naar Engels
+ ...
My website is brand new Oct 20, 2009

I doubt that any clients have had a chance to find it yet.

I haven't listed it yet on ProZ because one of the pages is still very messy.


 
Marcelo Silveyra
Marcelo Silveyra
Verenigde Staten
Local time: 13:25
Lid 2007
Duits naar Engels
+ ...
Probably not Oct 20, 2009

I haven't touched mine in almost four years and I keep getting more and more work at higher and higher rates, so I'll hazard a guess and say no.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italië
Local time: 22:25
Engels naar Italiaans
I am so happy for you guys! Oct 20, 2009

Well, I see that a lot of people get more work than they can handle and also at higher and higher rates. So, am I the only one who has highs and lows?

 
Amy Duncan (X)
Amy Duncan (X)  Identity Verified
Brazilië
Local time: 17:25
Portugees naar Engels
+ ...
I don't know Oct 20, 2009

Some time ago I made myself one of those freebie websites. It's basically my CV in two languages. I really have no idea if it's gotten me any work, but I rather doubt it. I pretty much always work for the same clients, and when a new one occasionally pops up it's either through finding my profile on ProZ or from a personal reference. But the website is handy when someone asks to see my CV...I just refer them to the site, unless they specifically ask me to send my CV via e-mail.

 
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
Verenigde Staten
Local time: 16:25
Spaans naar Engels
+ ...
Free with ProZ membership Oct 20, 2009

Michaël Temmerman wrote:

It only cost money to keep it running, so why bother? I have more work than I can handle, so marketing my services isn't one of my priorities. I can perfectly live without a website!

Michael


Did you know that a website comes free with your ProZ membership?


 
Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
Verenigde Staten
Local time: 16:25
Spaans naar Engels
+ ...
Direct local clients Oct 20, 2009

I get lots of work through my website, but mostly from direct clients who use Google to search for someone local. I also get requests for subjects and language pairs that I cannot handle. I can pass these on to agencies in exchange for a commission.

On the other hand, I have not had a CV for ten years...


 
Cristina Heraud-van Tol
Cristina Heraud-van Tol  Identity Verified
Peru
Local time: 15:25
Lid 2005
Engels naar Spaans
+ ...
Yes, some of my work comes from my website Oct 20, 2009

I have mine since 2005 (www.vantol-heraud.com), and it surely has got me customers, especially:

1. Foreigners who want to specifically find a Peruvian translator or interpreter,

2. Newcomers to Peru who want to learn Spanish or need a translation of their papers and documents,

3. Peruvian women married to Dutchmen, or men from other nationalities too, who want to migra
... See more
I have mine since 2005 (www.vantol-heraud.com), and it surely has got me customers, especially:

1. Foreigners who want to specifically find a Peruvian translator or interpreter,

2. Newcomers to Peru who want to learn Spanish or need a translation of their papers and documents,

3. Peruvian women married to Dutchmen, or men from other nationalities too, who want to migrate to the Netherlands, and

4. Peruvian web surfers who desperately need a translator and prefer to look it up on Internet rather than on the Yellow Pages (I'm not listed there).

I have met nice people through this means and we keep updating it. I think that's the trick. Whenever I send an e-mail to a customer as a reply to a message, or I am able to handle a business card, my website always appears there and I can check that people do visit it, according to traffic statistics.
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