Forum Moderators: not2easy
First, if you'd like to look for some clients, I'd like to invite you to read the Charter for the posting conventions and offer your services through the forum we've provided for our members expressly for that purpose:
WebmasterWorld Commercial Exchange [webmasterworld.com]
Second, if you're seriously motivated about pursuing a career of writing for the web, I'd suggest you familiarize yourself with the basics of search engine friendly web design and search engine optimization techniques. A good place to start would be to follow the links provided in this post:
WebmasterWorld Welcome and Guide to the Basics [webmasterworld.com]
While there may be several disciplines that are different at their roots, there's tremendous power when the three - design, copywriting and optimization - are tightly integrated as part of the creation and ongoing development of web sites.
While most people stress emphasis in one or the other of those disciplines, knowledge of the others serves as an enhancement to their skill_set. To maximize the effectiveness and marketability of your services, broadening your perspective and the scope of your knowledge can help to open doors that can develop your career with wider reach and diversity.
If your style and preference is to specialize in a certain type of product line and/or niche, you might want to research how to reach that specific sector, which is a marketing issue. And if you have a web site you might want to develop and promote the site in the direction of reaching and appealing to your chosen target market.
There's a difference between technical writing, as you've mentioned, which is prmarily informational expository writing, and writing sales-oriented copy: "Wow! Hot deals on your favorite software. Hurry, quantities are limited and special sale prices end this Saturday. Click here to order NOW!" Not everyone can or wants to do both.
There may be parts of a site that cover information - and those may need to lead to sales areas that aim to close. So conversion is a factor (a marketing issue) and proper navigation can and should be integrated into page text wherever possible (marketing and optimization issues).
If times have been fallow for a year, it's probably time to sit down and assess your inventory of skills, do some research and move forward from there.
Is this because the economy is down or have people started hiring full-time for such work?
There's more awareness of the need now than there ever has been, and consequently, a growing market, paricularly in the freelance sector. Particularly in economic down_times, there's more of a need to improve web sites toward increased conversion and profitability. Plus, in lean economic times companies traditionally cut back on hiring full time employees and have to utilize contract people more, which is cheaper for them in the long run because of not having to provide year-round salary and a benefits package. The downside is that it can be tricky to be able to reach those who have the budget available for the services they need.
What it boils down to is a question related to marketing: How can people market their web writing skills?
