Do you think that an online portfolio is necessary for online freelancers?
I think it depends on the type of work that you do. For example, if you're a blogger, you can just type the urls of the sites that you've worked for in your resume to show samples of your work.
Yes, I think it's important to have an online portfolio for almost everytype of freelancing there where you product something. Even a blog/forum poster whoucl hacve somewhere with sample of their writing for people to see. Without a portfolio of some sort, then it's very hard to make an impression and stand out from the countless number of competitors.
Ok.
Does the person need his own .com domain or can he or she just use of those sites that provide portolio sites (although you have to be a member of those sites in order to create your own portfolio)?
Yes. A portfolio page is a must.
If you don't want to pay for a domain and hosting, you can always join a freelance website and create a profile there.
As an example, here is a nice portfolio that was created by a freelancer on project4hire.com:
http://www.project4hire.com/users/sunsoft.html
At the cost of basic hosting, it doesn't make sense to NOT have a personal website. How can you expect to gain clients' trust in your services if you don't have a site of your own?
If you are a graphic designer, web site designer or programmer, it eases your potential clients to show your work on your own site...with your own email address. Simply stated, I shy away from doing business with any professional services that use a FREE email account on business cards or anything else...
My two cents....
i think owing a web makes you more credible or just make few web pages in case of nothaving enough time to run a web!
The bottomline is to showcase your jewels, be it your website, writing skills and programming prowess. Of course showing something solid and real (such as websites and writing samples) and providing concrete examples of projects done before will greatly help in your quest for new freelancing business.
Okay. Thanks for all the replies. I wasn't aware how big of a deal of owning your own site portfolio is.
It is actually the same in the online and offline world. Photographers, journalists, models, architects etc etc - every Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane has a portfolio.
What kind of info should be on my portfolio besides websites that I made and sites that I've worked for?
For example, should I include my hobbies and maybe a formal resume?
Everything that is relevant to your clients. A formal resume wouldn't hurt - hobbies probably not as it is not of any concern to your prospective clients except perhaps in some very special assignments.