There’s this friend of mine—let’s call him Ray—who used to live and breathe on freelance marketplaces. You know the drill: refreshing the job feed, sending out proposals like lottery tickets, waiting for someone to maybe (hopefully) reply. And, man, the platform fees. Every time he finally landed a project, it felt like the marketplace took a bigger slice than he did.
One day over coffee, he told me, “I don’t think I can keep running my business inside someone else’s house.” And honestly, that line stuck with me. Because that’s exactly what freelancing on marketplaces feels like. You’re a tenant. Not the owner.
So he did something kinda bold—he built his own personal website. Nothing crazy fancy at first. Just a clean place where people could see his work, book time with him, and actually get in touch without the middleman.
And guess what? Within three months, he didn’t need the marketplaces anymore.
Why the website changed everything
Ray’s biggest win wasn’t just saving on fees (though, to be fair, that part was sweet). It was the freedom to actually own the relationship with his clients. On a marketplace, your profile is one of thousands. On your own website, you’re the star of the show.
He started writing little blog posts about his projects, sharing behind-the-scenes stuff, even putting up a simple booking form. People who found him didn’t have to scroll through a feed full of competitors—they only saw him.
And here’s the funny thing: he thought he’d lose work by leaving those platforms, but his inbox started filling up faster. Turns out clients like working directly. They like knowing they’re not paying an extra 20% to some faceless platform.
But isn’t it harder to get clients this way?
That’s what I asked him. And he laughed. He said, “Man, it’s actually easier. On the marketplace, you’re fighting for scraps. With a website, people come to you already interested.”
It’s like the difference between chasing and attracting. One feels exhausting, the other feels kinda natural.
Sure, at first, he had to share his site around—LinkedIn posts, Twitter (or X, whatever we call it now), even email. But once the site was up, it worked like a 24/7 salesperson. Someone’s browsing at 2 a.m.? They could check his portfolio, read his story, and book a call—all without him lifting a finger.
The tool that made it simple
Ray’s not a developer, so he didn’t build this thing from scratch. He used Visitfolio.com. It let him set up a personal site in minutes—portfolio, services, booking system, even a blog baked right in. No plugins nightmare. No fiddling with code. Just drag, drop, done.
That’s the part I really liked: it didn’t feel like he was running “a website.” It felt like he was running his business, finally on his own terms.
A small shift, a big difference
Today, Ray hasn’t logged into his old marketplace accounts in months. Clients come through his website, he sets his own rates (without the race-to-the-bottom pressure), and he actually gets repeat customers who trust him.
And maybe this is the real kicker: he’s happier. No more begging for gigs. No more feeling like a replaceable username in a giant feed. Just his own little corner of the internet, doing what he does best.
If you’re freelancing and feel stuck in the grind, maybe it’s time to think like Ray. A website isn’t just “nice to have” anymore—it’s the foundation. Honestly, it might be the best decision you’ll ever make for your freelance career.
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