The modern freelance writer has to be able to write Web content, and that means making sure that your writing for the Web skills are up to par. Luckily, there's an easy way to do this. As a bonus, you can get your name in print, get paid to write and build a following. All you have to do is write reviews.

Freelance writing for review sites
Consumer review sites are hungry for new reviews of all kinds of products, so freelance writers can write about almost anything they choose. You don't often get that chance when working for a client. I have found that writing reviews allows freelance writers a lot of creative freedom and the chance to develop their writing voice.

Getting started is as easy as signing up for one of the consumer review sites. These include Epinions, Dooyoo, Ciao and many others. There are also review blogs, where you can get paid to write by earning money from AdSense for the review posts that you write.

Once you have signed up, pick a product to review. The best option is to choose something you have already used, watched, listened to or experienced. We all have opinions on the products and services we use. Now it's time to get paid to write them down.

Writing for readers
As a freelance writer, put yourself in the reader's position for a moment. The reader wants to know how you used the product, what worked, what didn't work and how you felt about the product. Readers are interested in the details of the product, everything from special features on a DVD to bits of kit that are in a gadget box. Finally, they want to know whether the product or service is value for money.

The art for freelance writers comes in translating this information into a readable format. Here are four ways to do this:

1. Address your readers directly.
2. Tell them about the product and show them how it works. Use examples from your own experience to bring the review to life.
3. Keep sentences short and simple and use language that everyone can understand.
4. Let people see your personality through your writing voice

Web writing techniques
I found that I was able to use these same techniques for writing other content for the Web. Many Web site owners want articles or blog posts for their sites and this is the kind of style that appeals.

Freelance writers will find that they get feedback from the review sites, many of which have a community aspect. It's a good way to find out whether you are meeting your readers' needs, which is an important thing for many writers. Best of all, on some review sites, you can earn money when people read and comment on your reviews. So there's another incentive to get it right.