In the evolving landscape of modern business, the sharp boundaries between traditional permanent...
Have you wondered what the best freelancers do differently to create an impact?
It turns out, the differentiator often lies in how they present their personal brand online. Whether you are new to freelancing or have already managed to build a strong roster of clients, one key element to bringing in and retaining new business is a professional website.
Having a website that clearly conveys your expertise in your field is an important way to build trust with your potential clients, communicate important information about your services, and act as an “office” or “living room” for your freelancing business.
Your freelancing business website says a lot about you as a freelancer and professional, so make sure it’s conveying the right message by being sure to include these 10 most important elements:
Introduction: Your headshot, bio, and an (optional) tagline
Think of your business website as a way of introducing yourself directly to your clients. A professional headshot, (that reflects a bit of your personality), a brief description of who you are, where and how you got started, and what defines you as an expert in your field- perhaps along with a tagline will act as your, “Hi! I’m ______ nice to meet you!” Taglines are quick, catchy, and emphasize what your freelancing business can do for a potential client. Many businesses have some sort of tagline, and your freelancing business, or yourself as an independent, should consider if it could be a differentiator for you as well.
What you offer: Services, packages, professional skills
What are you selling? What skills do you offer? What are your areas of expertise?
When clients come to your business website, they should be able to clearly see what you can do for them. You need to clearly present your offering, and packages if you have them (see Productised offering), so that a prospective client understands in five seconds what it is you are actually offering. There’s no benefit of having a beautifully designed website if the content is unclear.
Examples of your work: A portfolio
If you’re a UI/UX designer, visuals of your successful designs will make you stand out. What if you are a business analyst? A case study section, ideally with headers such as Project background, What I did, and Project outcomes should do the trick – ideally in combination with real client names and quotes for credibility. See here for free case study templates for inspiration.
Your goal, after all, when potential clients view your site, is to showcase examples of your best and most successful work, establish your authority and credibility.
What does it cost? Pricing guides
Clear pricing directly on your website is useful for a variety of reasons. It will help potential clients to determine right away if you are within their budget, and in the event that they are looking for a project that is not specified exactly on your page or the scope of which may be larger or smaller than your typical packages, they will already have a general idea of what to expect when it comes to your price range- saving you from too much back and forth or excessive negotiations.
Frequently Asked Questions: Quick answers
FAQs are always a good idea to include on your freelance business site. No matter what area of freelance you’re in, chances are there are client (existing and potential) questions that always seem to need answering. Save time on communication by placing the answers to these clearly on your site.
Call to action: Compel the contact
Like any business, your freelance site should include compelling content that encourages users to engage in your services. This includes a classic “call to action,” which is a marketing component that asks a viewer directly to do something. “Call us now,” “click the link below!” “Sign up today, for a free first consultation,” are all examples of this.
Build your leads: Contact form
Including a contact form on your site is a key component to building a list of potential clients and leads. When someone visits your site, and they are interested in your services but may not want to speak directly to someone right away, filling out a contact form is a way to garner their information, what they are looking for, and how to reach out to them. It’s a freelancer’s business website essential.
Glowing reviews: How great are you to work with?
It’s always a good idea to reach out to previous clients that you have had a positive working relationship with and ask them for positive reviews. While many businesses include a direct link to Google Reviews, you have more control over and selection when you ask to publish quotes from prior clients directly on your page. This helps to both establish and build trust in your skills and professionalism.
Blog posts and insights: Show your industry expertise
Blog posts or insights pages on your website are great marketing for your business. They help to establish your expertise in your area of focus and provide many opportunities for you to build rapport and gain organically driven traffic to your website. Do think about which keywords potential clients are likely to search for when on the lookout for your type of skill. Search for SEO on Google, and it will keep you busy for a lifetime… But in summary, including the most important keywords throughout your headlines, blog content, sub headers, and page descriptions will help your site appear in more searches, getting you in front of more potential clients. Don’t overdo it though, that will have an opposite effect for your ranking as search algorithms improve all the time to deter spammy behaviour; the most important factor for ranking on Google is creating helpful, valuable content that your clients want to read.
One last point
Don’t be afraid to build a professional website on your own. Yes, you’ve read that right. Building a website no longer requires you to have a background as a developer. Check out a curated list of the best website builders and choose the one that fits your requirements.
