I generally reply to less than 2% of CL ads - choosing the ones that I feel I have the best chance to win. I never send a resume, I only reply with links to other projects I have already completed that are pertinent to the job request. I also mention that references are redily available, which they are, although no one usually checks on them.
I find that answering the job ad specifically, explaining how I would work on the problem, and mentioning how I have done something similar in the past gets me the best success rate to speak with the client directly. Even if you don't have exactly the same project under your belt, you can reference other web work and explain how portions of the project are the same.
I find that answering the job ad specifically, explaining how I would work on the problem, and mentioning how I have done something similar in the past gets me the best success rate to speak with the client directly. Even if you don't have exactly the same project under your belt, you can reference other web work and explain how portions of the project are the same.