Freelance Writer Website: 5 Things To Include
Having a freelance writer website can be a great step towards standing out from the crowd and gaining clients. Nobody is saying that there are no other ways for you to get some clients and make money, though. There are at least a few great platforms out there that provide you with the opportunity of searching for these types of jobs.
You can build your profile on, say, UpWork and similar platforms and get recognized as a great talent by clients that you’ll find there. Most people start out that way. At some point, though, most of those people also begin thinking about creating their very own freelance writing website. And, you are obviously one of them.
Do You Need A Freelance Writer Website?
There is a good time and a bad time for you to set up your very own website as a freelance writer. As it is so perfectly explained by this useful source, you don’t really need to have your site if you want to be successful in this line of work. Does this sound a bit contradictory to everything you have heard by now? Have people been bombarding you with the same piece of advice – telling you to create a site?
If you’ve been hearing that piece of advice a lot, you may have become convinced that a website is an absolute necessity if you want to establish yourself as a writer. Now that I am saying that this is not the case, you must have gotten at least a little bit confused. So, let me give you a short explanation on why I think you don’t really need a website, especially when first starting out.
Why You Don’t Need It
For one thing, if you haven’t chosen a niche that you want to focus on just yet, creating a website can turn into a chaotic experience. You’ll end up not knowing what to write about and what to add to the site. Thus, it will all look unprofessional and won’t do you any good.
Additionally, it can also wind up being a great distraction. Instead of searching for jobs, you could focus too much on creating the perfect website. While there is nothing wrong in focusing on that, you need to remember that your main goal is to start pitching clients. If you forget to do that while working on your site, then it is a clear sign that it has become a distraction.
Finally, there is one more thing you need to know. Having a freelance writer website is not a necessity for getting gigs. In different words, you can still find clients and get to work even if you decide not to do this. As mentioned previously, there are platforms that can connect you to client, including UpWork, LinkedIn and similar ones.
Why You Still Might Want It
The above being said, we cannot completely dismiss the value of creating your own freelance writing website. To be more precise, even if you don’t need it, you might still benefit from it. There are some great reasons why building your online presence can be a great move for you.
Read about some of those reasons here: https://simplewriting.org/9-reasons-writers-need-websites/
Among other things, by having your own site, you can let clients come to you instead of constantly trying to hunt them down. You will, of course, have to put a lot of effort into all of it if you want to reach this stage, but it is a possibility. Clients can contact you after taking a look at your portfolio. On top of that, a website will help you practice your skill, build confidence and, of course, do some networking.
How To Create A Freelance Writer Website?
The above are only some of the reasons why you might want to think about creating a freelance writer website. The decision is, however, ultimately up to you. If you decide to do it, though, you’ll need to know how. I’ll give you some guiding points that will help you stop roaming in the dark and instead understand precisely which steps you’ll have to take.
1. Choose A Hosting Platform & Plan
Step number one will consist of you finding a good hosting platform and choosing a hosting plan. If this sounds completely unfamiliar to you, then you might need to do some learning on what hosting companies actually do. That way, you’ll have a better idea about how to choose your perfect company and your plan. Platforms such as Bluehost, GoDaddy and similar ones have created a good name for themselves, so do have a look at what those can offer.
2. Think Of A Great Domain Name
The next thing you will need to do is think about the right domain name for you. Following some writing blogs could help you get a few ideas. Remember to keep the name simple and on topic, because you want your potential clients to immediately recognize what it is that you can offer them. Authors often decide to just use their personal name, while freelance writers usually opt for a service related name.
3. Use A Good Theme
If you’re building your website with WordPress, you’ll have the opportunity to use a pre-made theme that will fit right in with your topic. This will make the creation process a lot easier, since you won’t have to make everything from scratch. Thanks to those amazing themes, you can have your site set up pretty quickly. That is a huge plus, especially for a writer that isn’t a tech savvy.
4. Create The Necessary Content
Once you’ve chosen the theme, the only thing left to do is create the necessary content. That brings us to the next important topic that we need to address right here. In short, you know that you need to add content to your site, but you don’t know what type of content we are referring to. So, we will address that below.
Which Elements To Include In Your Freelance Writer Website?
There are certain important elements that every freelance writer website needs to have when aiming at attracting clients. I am now going to list those for you below, with the aim of making the content creation process easier (this page could help as well). You’ll learn which pages you have to add to the site, and that is bound to help you create a great one.
1. About Page
The about page is an absolute necessity for all of those people who want to attract clients. If potential clients don’t really know who they are dealing with, they are highly unlikely to contact you. Thus, you need to introduce yourself on your about page, with perhaps a short biography and a nice photo.
2. Contact Details
Speaking of those clients contacting you, here is another thing you need to know. You should make that easy for them. In different words, you will need to add your contact details. And, it would also be a good idea for you to create a contact form that would make the process even simpler. Allow your clients to reach you with just a click or two, as that will increase your chances of getting contacted.
3. Description Of The Services You Offer
As a writer, you already have certain specific services that you want to offer in mind. Those can include ghostwriting, content writing, ads and numerous other things. Of course, you probably won’t offer all of those things, and you will specialize in one or two things instead. Well, your clients need to know that, so that they can be sure they are contacting you for the right reasons.
Now, you need to remember that all of these “rules” aren’t really set in stone. In different words, if you want to create a freelance writer website on your own terms and exclude some of the elements that I am listing here, nobody will stop you from doing that. The goal is to attract clients to use your services, and if you have a different idea about how to do that, feel free to try it out.
4. Your Portfolio
Even if you do change the elements that I’ve mentioned and start trying out new things, one thing is for sure. You’ll need to show your work. This just means that you should use your site as your portfolio. Choose the topics you want to write on and start doing just that. Show off your skills the best way you can, as that will certainly lead to attracting clients.
5. Testimonials If You Have Any
If you’ve been working as a freelance writer for a long time, then there is a chance that you have some testimonials. Your future clients will want to see those. It will help them make a decision on whether they want to hire you. So, show off those testimonials, as they will certainly increase your chances of getting contacted.