How does one get business as a freelance web site designer?

to put it bluntly: slowly. have an awesome portfolio site and refer everybody you meet to it. volunteer to do work for free, and then ask your satisfied pro-bono customers to refer you to their friends. don't be shy to ask for work... i end up landing a lot of gigs because i simply asked if my services were of use. keep up to date with the design world *and* the coding world. have a good resume and business card, and give them to everyone. always answer your cell phone during business hours, and try not to turn anyone down unless you're too busy. in which case, you no longer need any help getting work!

thanks sam - so far I am trying to follow that model - Lord willing it will all come together

Im freelance as well..Everyone needs a website, thats what I've learned..I offer my services almost once a day to just about anyone I either know or run into..walk into a small boutique jewelry store? Ask them about their website..Know any local Bands? (Bands are amazing for networking)

You have to not be afraid that you might end up taking on too much work or you'll just end up not taking on any...Everyone needs a website.

Blog. Seriously. Blogging has been by far my most useful business development tool. I'd say about 95% of my work comes unsolicited through my blog. The other 5% are projects I find listed on job boards like http://www.authenticjobs.com And those are just the projects that look like something I'd REALLY want to do. I'd advise against trying "not to turn anyone down unless you're too busy". I've learned saying "no" as much as you say "yes" works better. You gotta pay the rent, but bad clients who don't pay, or don't know what they want, aren't going to help make that happen. Here's a site with some GREAT examples of designers who blog - you'll never guess what it's called... http://www.designers-who-blog.com/

If you want to promote your work or find a job as a freelance designer, coder, whatever... Getacoder.com is a good place to go.

Word of mouth is all that I rely on. Get a small, but good customer base and take care of them and business will come your way. I don't advertise because I don't cater to low budget projects anymore. You won't get every job you bid, but if you bid too low, you will probably regret it. Stick to your guns! and good luck!