Is an Online Portfolio Of Business Writing Samples Necessary?

I still belong to a couple of freelance writer email groups. They continue to be a good source of information. Recently a writer posted a question asking whether or not business writing samples need to be posted on a website. This is an issue I wrestled around with a lot when I first started freelancing. I’ve done both: I’ve posted samples for public viewing, but currently do not have an online portfolio for public viewing.

I have plenty of samples available, and when a client requires one I choose one that seems most appropriate and send it. Now I’ll be completely honest – the reason I no longer have samples on my website is because when I made cosmetic changes to my site last year I just never bothered posting them.

The writer’s question caused me to really consider whether not having writing samples on my site has affected my business. Actually it really doesn’t seem to have made much difference. Several other writers in the group seemed to agree saying that they only provide samples of previous work upon client request.

In the end I suppose it’s a matter of opinion. Do you think posting an online portfolio is necessary?