How do you get more clients as a freelancer?

Set up your portfolio site first, people want to see what you can do before they buy. Then take out a graphics thread here on WF.

Here's how--

1) Referrals: Be 100% committed to asking for them, at every opportunity (within the bounds of good taste) Best time to ask is right after you've delivered, when your client's telling you how happy they are with your work.

Have a referral program, that you mention in your signature at the bottom of every email, as well.

2) Local: Take it offline. The potential is huge, and local brick-and-mortar businesses haven't be spoiled by the low price services that IMers take for granted. I'd be willing to bet you could give yourself a 100% raise just by focusing offline.

Hope that helps,
Jeremy

And see what you can make that you can offer for free to attract traffic such as templates, graphics, etc. It is not uncommon I see a nice template and try to contact the designer to see if they can make something special for me.

If you're really serious about maxing out your earnings, then TrustedCopy has the right idea. I highly recommend you give his tips serious consideration.

I confess that I am probably not the best person to ask, as I'm kind of lazy when it comes to promoting my own writing service. The best thing I've done is make a Warrior for Hire thread - Works wonders for me and well worth the $20 fee. Every bump seems to net me at least one or two customers.

If the results you're getting from the W4H section just aren't enough for you, but you don't want to expand offline, then I recommend expanding to other forums or outsourcing specific websites, such as oDesk or Elance. I've actually had some reasonable success with oDesk, but I don't like working by the hour for some reason.

Maybe you could try cold-emailing websites with poor design? May not have the highest conversion rates though.

I feel that no matter which route you take, in the end you're going to need to develop a portfolio for your clients and a finely tuned pitch to reel them in. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with pricing… You need a lot less clients when you're making more money from each one.

Keep in mind, these tips are coming from a writer, not a designer. My advice is certainly not the end all solution to your problem. And again, post #3 is gold.

Repeat orders. The key is to knock the ball out of the park every opportunity you get. Many of your clients will keep coming back. It's all about under promising and over delivering.

It's good that you have your own site. Promote on Warriors for Hire, the freelance sites online, and market your website hard online. That way you dont have to get yourself into a price war with other web developers.

Add to everything else that has been suggested.... run classified ads in sites such as Gumtree and Craigslist. I get work from both sources.
Even promoting yourself to all your friends via Facebook can attract business.
There are tons of online sites you can use to find extra work. Some have mentioned elance and odesk. There are loads of similar sites if you just keep looking.

make a good portfolio , keep 2 to 3 website ready made by you to show people your work quality .

collect reviews from your clients and put it up on your portfolio .
you can drive traffic from warriors on hire , craigslist etc

As a web developer and graphic artist, you must have created some graphic creatures and some websites. You should add those in your freelancer portfolio. It is tough to get the first contract as a freelancer but once you get started, you will never stop unless you provide low quality service.

If your current clients satisfied with your work ask them to recommend you to other.

SEO
Sites like fiverr and clone
Paid ads
Forums
Email marketing
Social networks likes FB, Twitter & MySpace
E.t.c

I have done a lot of networking over the years online and off. The combination works wonders for my business. I am sure it could do the same for yours as well. Just be persistent.

There are a few websites that you can advertise your services, such as, Elance.com, Guru.com and Odesk.com. You can also advertise your services on Craigslist.com and Kijiji.com. A few other ideas for self promotion that I have had some success with that you may want to try include, getting car signage, getting t-shirts made with your URL, list yourself in business directories or the Yellow Pages as well as advertising in online directories and taking out an ad in a local newspaper. Another technique that I've used in the past that you may have some success with is during holidays, send a clever holiday greeting to clients showing your work.