All freelance writers should have websites. Here’s why.
First, it’s your online home where you can do whatever you want. Use can include any information you want; design it the way you want; and add any element to make it look and function the way you want.
Second, people can find you online 24/7. They can’t do this on social networks. Third, you want all online traffic to lead back to your home. And finally, you want to convert visitors to paying customers.
As with any website, there are some pages and features your site should have while others are optional. Both are explained below.
Freelance Writer Website Checklist
Website Must-Haves
About Me
Studies show the About Me page is the most visited page on websites. Clients and prospects want to know about the person they are considering hiring for their projects. Let them know who you are, what you do and bit about your personal life. Share information about your hobbies, community work and family. These details may open the door to more and different assignments.
Portfolio
Put your best self forward by displaying your published successes on your portfolio page. Publishing your work online makes it is easy for people to see what you can do. Also, you can send links to the entire page or a particular project when people request them instead of uploading documents.
Hire Me
Your Hire Me page, sometimes labeled “Work With Me” or “Services”, gives details about the types of projects you write and clients you serve. In addition to featuring certain projects, add links to your portfolio and testimonials. Be sure to include your contact information to make it easy for people to reach you.
Contact
Your contact page should include your telephone number, email address, social network links and any other method of reaching you. You can have a fillable contact form or an email address. Even though your contact information is on this page, it should still be on every page of your site.
Sign-up Form
You want to capture the names of the people who visit your site, and a sign-up form is the easiest way to do this. Create a relevant piece of content they can download for free. After you get the names, sell your products and services through education via newsletters, quick tips and resources.
Testimonials
Have a page with formal and informal testimonials as proof of the value you offer to others. Formal testimonials are written by clients you’ve served. Complements received on social sites or email are informal. Just screenshot or copy them and post on your site.
Social Share Buttons
Add social share buttons to your site so people can easily share your published works, testimonials and other pages on their social networks. These icons should be visible on every page you want shared.
Call to Action (CTA)
What do you want people to do? You have to tell them. They may not always do it, but it’ll increase the likelihood of them taking action. “Contact”, “download” and “share” are common CTAs you find on websites.
Website Could-Haves
Blog
Blogs help establish your authority on your topic and build your credibility as a resource. Use them to educate your audience on your products and services. Let them know what’s happening in your industry. Consider creating informational products and programs from the information you’ve published.
Shopping Cart
Even if you sell products and services from sites like Ebay, Etsy, Fiverr and Upwork, you should still sell them from your website. Have seamless systems in place to accept orders, collect payments and respond to customer inquiries and complaints.
Rates
There is a debate on whether writers should post rates on their sites. This is strictly up to the writer.
What About You?
Do you have a website for your freelance writing business? Which pages and features do you use? Do you use any that are not listed above? Let us know in the comment box below.