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Poll: Do you have your own professional website?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Michael Dutton
Michael Dutton  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
Finnish to English
No website = losing business... Nov 1, 2012

...in my humble opinion Nowadays, even a simple e.g. wordpress site will do the job.

 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:08
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
The law Nov 1, 2012

inkweaver wrote:

My profile here on Proz is quite enough for me and I really don't see why I would want/need a website.
Besides, German law would require me to disclose all sorts of information like my address and telephone number and I simply don't want to make that available to any Tom, Dick or Harry out there.


I agree, inkweaver! Personal information, incl. tax ID, don't need to be disclosed to everyone who happens to come across it... and might use it for unlawful purposes.

Thus far my ProZ profile and that on the Translator Association website have served me well.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 11:08
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Ditto Nov 1, 2012

Vibeke Degn-P wrote:

Yes, of course I have a professional website for my translation business. My profile on Proz is for agencies and other translators. But most of my business comes from far outside the ranks of language professionals. I target businesses that doesn't even know Proz exist. And why on earth would I want to send a potential customer to this site - where he or she can find all my competitors, many of them willing to work for less than what I charge?
No, different sites for different audiences.

[Edited at 2012-11-01 11:38 GMT]


Couldn't say it better myself!


 
Johanne Benoit-Gallagher
Johanne Benoit-Gallagher  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 07:08
English to French
Yes, I do have my own Web site Nov 1, 2012

Vibeke Degn-P wrote:

Yes, of course I have a professional website for my translation business. My profile on Proz is for agencies and other translators. But most of my business comes from far outside the ranks of language professionals. I target businesses that doesn't even know Proz exist. And why on earth would I want to send a potential customer to this site - where he or she can find all my competitors, many of them willing to work for less than what I charge?
No, different sites for different audiences.

[Edited at 2012-11-01 11:38 GMT]


I would add that not every translator needs a Web site. If a translator is pleased with things as they are, then why go through the trouble?

On the other hand, I tend to agree that a Web site is aimed at a different audience and that is my reason for having one. Proz has served me well and has made it possible for me to work full-time in my field. The Web site is part of my ongoing marketing strategy.

In my opinion, the site helps clients to get to know me, and to decide if they want to hire me. It can also help them realize that I am not the right person for their project (and that's fine too).

Building a Web site was certainly a learning experience, and it was worth the effort.


 
Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
Hebrew to English
It's like the choice about carrying a condom..... Nov 1, 2012

It's better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.

In seriousness, I am surprised so many people seem not only apathetic towards a personal website, but positively against the idea in some cases.


 
Eileen Ferguson
Eileen Ferguson  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:08
German to English
+ ...
Yes, it makes good sense for me to Nov 1, 2012

Vibeke Degn-P wrote:

Yes, of course I have a professional website for my translation business. My profile on Proz is for agencies and other translators. But most of my business comes from far outside the ranks of language professionals. I target businesses that doesn't even know Proz exist. And why on earth would I want to send a potential customer to this site - where he or she can find all my competitors, many of them willing to work for less than what I charge?
No, different sites for different audiences.

[Edited at 2012-11-01 11:38 GMT]


Totally agree. It makes perfectly good sense for what I am doing and what I plan to achieve. I really can't imagine building and maintaining this business exclusively around Proz or any other such site.


 
inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:08
French to German
+ ...
Not apathetic Nov 1, 2012

Ty Kendall wrote:
In seriousness, I am surprised so many people seem not only apathetic towards a personal website, but positively against the idea in some cases.


Yes, I am actually positively against it. I did give it some thought, though, but came to the conclusion that I neither want nor need one, mainly because I don't want all my personal data to be available to anyone anywhere and because I frequently have to refuse job offers anyway.

There are many different ways of doing business and what may be the right solution for some may not be the right one for others.


 
Balasubramaniam L.
Balasubramaniam L.  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 16:38
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Had one once Nov 1, 2012

When I became a paying member of proz.com way back in 2006 or so, I got 100 MB of free space on their server as part of the package. When you buy something new, the normal tendency is to try to use every freebie that comes with the purchase. So I too put up a website on this free space, designing it myself on Dreamweaver. But having put it up once, I never bothered to update it. Like most of the people here, I use my proz.com profile as my website.

I don't think having a website has
... See more
When I became a paying member of proz.com way back in 2006 or so, I got 100 MB of free space on their server as part of the package. When you buy something new, the normal tendency is to try to use every freebie that comes with the purchase. So I too put up a website on this free space, designing it myself on Dreamweaver. But having put it up once, I never bothered to update it. Like most of the people here, I use my proz.com profile as my website.

I don't think having a website has got me even one job in all these years. Most of my work comes through the proz.com profile. So in my view, having a website is the least important thing for a professional translator. Also, websites take up too much of your time in keeping them up to date, which is better spent on money-generating activities like translation, and if you are not a programmer yourself, they can also burn a substantial hole in your pocket.

So either way, websites are a bad proposition.

[2012-11-01 16:43 GMT पर संपादन हुआ]
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Ty Kendall
Ty Kendall  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:08
Hebrew to English
That's rather sweeping Bala Nov 1, 2012

Balasubramaniam L. wrote:
So either way, websites are a bad proposition.

[2012-11-01 16:43 GMT पर संपादन हुआ]


I understand inkweaver's aversion (having to put far too much personal stuff online to comply with German law).

However, just because it never got you a job doesn't mean it never gets anyone a job. I'm certain I have got jobs because of mine and like others have said, it does open you up to other markets (and direct clients!).

There's also a reassurance factor, that you aren't some fly-by-night operation (even though a website really doesn't guarantee that)......Still, it's enough in some people's eyes.

I also don't think the time-consuming argument is very strong either. When you embark on this career, you have to reconcile yourself to the sad fact that you are going to have to invest time in self-marketing....and as with most things - you get out of it what you put in.

Now, a professional website won't guarantee more clients, more money, more anything etc., but it definitely doesn't hurt either and it's pretty hard to call it time "wasted" or particularly "bad" in any way.


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 12:08
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
This discussion has certainly got me thinking... Nov 1, 2012

... but don't hold your breath waiting for that website!

 
Yaotl Altan
Yaotl Altan  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 05:08
Member (2006)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes Nov 2, 2012

Yes, I have my site ( www.yam.com.mx) which is linked to my profile in Proz.

I think translators should address different ways to get potential clients, both from the professional website and a translation-oriented site like Proz. They have provided me around 35 and 65% of Internet clients, respectively.


 
Nelida Kreer
Nelida Kreer  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:08
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes, of course Nov 2, 2012

Yes, I do have a business website. I purchased it from GoDaddy, an economy version, and I built it myself entirely (using one of the available templates). I can edit it, modify, add or delete anything I want at any time with no hassle and without having to cry for help to an expert (and I am no computer geek). Took me some time to get the hang of it, but in the end, I did get it. It's not a super website, but I am a freelancer and not a company, so I don't think I need to have a super-refined pr... See more
Yes, I do have a business website. I purchased it from GoDaddy, an economy version, and I built it myself entirely (using one of the available templates). I can edit it, modify, add or delete anything I want at any time with no hassle and without having to cry for help to an expert (and I am no computer geek). Took me some time to get the hang of it, but in the end, I did get it. It's not a super website, but I am a freelancer and not a company, so I don't think I need to have a super-refined product. And have even been complimented by clients. One of them told me he just searched by "translations" (in Spanish: Traducciones - part of my business name) and the city (which is also part of my business name) and found me immediately on his smartphone.

I agree with my colleagues in this forum who have stated that there are different audiences for the ProZ profile and for your website.

To me, having a professional website is akin to being on the phone directory. The more places people can find you, the better.

Regarding privacy questions, I have not given in my website any information I don't want to disclose. There is no need for it. It's just a contact initiator, a way of saying "Hey, I am here, and this is what I do, and these are my qualifications. If you want to know more, contact me and we will take it from there."
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Marcia Gascon
Marcia Gascon  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 08:08
Member (2006)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Nov 12, 2012

I have my profile on Proz only! It is enough to me!

 
Stefano Lodola
Stefano Lodola  Identity Verified
South Korea
Local time: 20:08
Korean to Italian
+ ...
Having a website is a must Jan 28, 2014

Freelance translation is an interesting case of industry where most of clients are reached or retained online and yet freelance service providers don't invest in online presence.

One reason is lack of IT skills, especially for literary translators.
Those who lament poor results of their websites also admit that they made them by themselves using free tools. It's likely that such a website actually works against its owner.

Another reason is the lack of market orien
... See more
Freelance translation is an interesting case of industry where most of clients are reached or retained online and yet freelance service providers don't invest in online presence.

One reason is lack of IT skills, especially for literary translators.
Those who lament poor results of their websites also admit that they made them by themselves using free tools. It's likely that such a website actually works against its owner.

Another reason is the lack of market orientation typical of the small shop owner who waits for jobs to come to them.
Those in this thread who are against having a website either started their profession before the coming of the Internet or are still struggling to start. In any case they're missing clients.
One could argue that he/she's already enough jobs, but having a website would still give access to better-paid jobs.

I also get jobs through Proz. But I also want to be found by those who don't know what Proz is and to look professional and established in the eyes of visitors, including those who found me on Proz.
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Poll: Do you have your own professional website?






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