





































 V38 N1 / 2023 

©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     51

Q1:  In the age of LinkedIn, how important is a website for 
a freelancer? What are the key elements that should be 
included in developing a website?

Initially, I thought my answer to this question would be 
quite brief: I don’t think websites are important for free-
lancers, since I’ve never had one yet have had a successful 
freelancing career. Upon reflection and discussing this with 
other freelancers at a local AMWA chapter event, I realize 
this answer is very specific to the type of writing I do and at 
this particular time in my career. I almost exclusively write 
educational materials for pharma/biotech sales representa-
tives and medical science liaisons, none of which ever enter 
the public domain. Although a website can include writ-
ing samples and links to published works that can be very 
helpful for many freelancers, I don’t have any samples or 
links that can be publicly shared. After 20+ years as a free-
lance medical writer, I feel like LinkedIn is currently a better 
way for me to market than a website. However, I can’t rule 
out that I missed out on great potential clients earlier in my 
career because I didn’t have a website.

 —Gail V. Flores

Although LinkedIn has become increasingly important for 
freelance medical writers and editors, you still need a web-
site too. Clients use LinkedIn to search for freelancers and 
also to check us out to decide whether to contact us. But you 
have to follow LinkedIn’s format for the content and design 
of your profile. 
 A professional, client-focused website helps you stand 
out from other freelancers and persuade clients that you’re 
the right freelancer for them. Your website highlights your 
key marketing messages in a compelling and visually engag-
ing way and shows clients that you’re running a professional 
freelance business.
 The two key elements of a freelancer’s website are (1) 
content that’s compelling, clear, and focused on client 
needs and (2) design that’s visually engaging, clear, and easy 
to navigate. In your content, quickly tell clients

• what you do (your services),

• who you do it for (your target clients), and
• how what you do benefits clients.

 If you already have a client-focused LinkedIn profile, 
then you should have much of the information you need 
for your web content. Write client-focused marketing mes-
sages and conversational, concise, and scannable content. 
Include the essential web pages for freelancers. 
 Use heads and subheads to highlight the benefits  
clients get when they work with you. Heads and subheads 
also make your content concise and scannable. Write your 
content like you’re having a conversation with a client.
 The essential web pages for a freelance website are

• Home (the most important part of your website),
• About,
• Services,
• Samples, Portfolio, or Work,
• Testimonials, Clients, or Testimonials and Clients, and
• Contact.

 You can combine and organize Services; Portfolio, 
Samples, or Work; and Testimonials, Clients, or 
Testimonials and Clients in different ways. If you’re a new 
freelancer, you can add testimonials and information about 
clients later.
 Hiring a professional designer is one of the best invest-
ments in your freelance business you can make. If your 
design isn’t visually engaging, clear, and easy to navigate, 
then clients will move on to the other freelancers on their 
list. Also, a good designer will guide you through the process 
of developing your website.

—Lori De Milto

* * *
Q2:  What are your favorite web conferencing platforms  
and why?

My favorite web conferencing platforms are GoToMeeting 
and Zoom. I like GoToMeeting because it’s extremely user-
friendly. I can easily split the window so that the meeting 

FREELANCE FOCUS

Melissa L. Bogen Gail V. FloresLori De Milto Cathryn D. Evans

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AMWAJournal.org     52Freelance Focus

slides are on one of my monitors and the meeting partic-
ipants are on a second monitor. I can also quickly use the 
camera icon to take a screenshot of the slides being pre-
sented instead of having to manually take screenshots. 
However, to my knowledge at this time, the accessibility f 
eatures for GoToMeeting are behind those for Zoom; some 
of my colleagues have informed me that many screen read-
ers are not compatible with GoToMeeting, and the closed 
captioning feature is not as robust as the one used in Zoom. 
For these reasons, I prefer Zoom.
 I’m not a fan of either Microsoft Teams or Google 
Hangouts. Although I use Microsoft and Google apps and 
platforms all day every day in my work, I find their web con-
ferencing platforms to not be as easy to use as those dis-
cussed above.

—Gail V. Flores

Other than Skype and FaceTime, the only two web con-
ferencing platforms I have used (or attempted to use) are 
Zoom and MS Teams. The latter was not compatible with 
my iMac 27” desktop computer; the client’s IT person tried 
three times to enable me to log on to MS Teams, over the 
phone and within my computer—this person was not suc-
cessful. The person said it is “supposed to be” compatible 
with Mac but obviously wasn’t able to make it so. Thus, I 
opted out of joining meetings via MS Teams (which, being 
a Microsoft product, is of course more compatible with 
MS Windows than with Mac). Zoom, on the other hand, is 
simple and works easily on the desktop, iPad, and iPhone. 
Since the pandemic shutdown, I have participated in some-
where between 5 and 8 Zoom meetings every week, except 
when out of town—with no complications.

—Cathryn D. Evans

* * *
Q3: What are the etiquette rules for web conferencing  
platforms that you follow? Camera on or off and when?

I’ll start by saying that I believe that nobody should ever 
feel like they have to be on camera. In addition to not being 
comfortable with being on screen, many valid reasons exist 
for not being on camera. Personally, mine have included 
very early meetings, feeling unwell due to illness, and being 
upset after receiving bad news. It’s OK for people to have 
offscreen days—after all, in each meeting, there always 
seems to be at least one other person who is offscreen 
because they are traveling, driving, or their webcam has 
stopped working. Furthermore, my projects went well for  
20 years before the pandemic just through teleconference 
calls, so video isn’t a must for project success. 

 However, there are also valid reasons for being on 
camera. I think it helps build a rapport with my clients,  
particularly during initial or project kickoff meetings. I also 
enjoy the social aspect; I often feel isolated working from 
home, and I enjoy interacting with others besides my family 
members, even if it’s just onscreen. 
 With respect to etiquette, I believe that cameras should be 
off when people are eating or are using exercise equipment, 
such as a treadmill or stationary bike. Wardrobe is up to each 
person. For me, I might wear something nicer for a new client 
and something more casual for someone I’ve known for a 
while or for an internal team meeting. Finally, if you need 
to respond to an email from a client or a text from a family 
member, I recommend turning the camera off, since it’s diffi-
cult to hide that you’re not paying attention to the speaker.

—Gail V. Flores

For the most part, on-camera participation is something I 
do for only the first meeting with a particular group so that 
we all get to know one another and have a visual impression 
of one another; after that, I use an icon/photo when attend-
ing a Zoom meeting. Exceptions occur, but my general rule 
is to be off camera. 
 Obviously, the most important “etiquette” rule is to 
listen to others and pay attention just as dutifully as when 
you meet in person. Second (especially when meeting on 
camera) it is simple courtesy and common sense not to 
eat, read other materials, leave the room unless absolutely 
essential, answer the phone and carry on a sideline con-
versation, or do anything that might be considered rude or 
untoward. Drinking water, coffee, or tea seems to be accept-
able. Third, “mute” yourself when you are not actually 
speaking. Finally, do not allow boisterous or barking dogs—
or other potentially distracting background activities—to 
take place.

—Cathryn D. Evans

Virtual meetings have become especially popular during the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Because web conferencing takes the 
place of in-person meetings, I dress and behave as if I’m in 
the room with my work colleagues. Here are my best prac-
tices for virtual meetings:

• Wear business-casual attire, including shoes, in case 

you stand up and your legs or feet become visible.

• Ensure you have drinking water nearby so you don’t 

have to leave the meeting to get it.

• Blur the background to draw attention to your face 

and away from your surroundings. 

• Absolutely no other people (eg, household members) 

should be visible in your background if they are not a 

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AMWAJournal.org     53Freelance Focus

conference participant. If you cannot conduct the web 

conference in a dedicated space to ensure privacy and 

confidentiality, blurring the background is especially 

important. 

• Keep the camera on and look at the speaker so it’s 

clear you’re paying attention. If it’s a small meeting 

and your clients have their camera off, you can turn 

your camera off to match them. I like to show my face 

at least initially so they know what I look like and that I 

am prepared to have our meeting.

• If you need to move away from the camera—either 

quickly to close a door or window shade or longer for 

a bathroom break—turn the camera off temporarily so 

that walking away and coming back doesn’t distract 

the other participants. 

• In Zoom (and perhaps other platforms), add a busi-

ness-casual photo of yourself to your profile so it 

appears when the camera is turned off. Using a photo 

is not essential, but this is a nice practice to keep some 

humanity in the virtual meeting.

• As a label for your face or photo, use your complete 

business name and perhaps add your pronouns in 

parentheses.

• Keep muted except to talk.
—Melissa L. Bogen

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