Why do I need a website? I’m a freelance writer. There’s plenty of places on the web to post my portfolio of writing credits!
If you have ever said this before then you are probably also dealing with less business than a competitor freelancer with a website. It’s true that a website can make all the difference in finding and keeping happy clients when you freelance on the web. Professionals have websites. If you want to be taken seriously as a freelancer then you should have a website, too.
I mentioned in one of my last articles, the one on why freelancers are turning to Wordpress for their website needs, that I would soon be writing an article on this very topic. I’ve worked successfully (for years!) as a freelance writer, editor, and all around web guru, so I know what I’m talking about. Without my website, I wouldn’t have been given half the jobs I was given during my freelancing days. It’s as simple as that!
This is, hands down, one of the biggest mistakes I saw less successful freelancers make over and over during my tenure in the freelancing world. I never understood why freelancers never bothered to purchase their own website. I don’t get it now, especially with new web design options (such as Wordpress) being available for free with minimal effort on the part of the freelancer.
But Why do I Need a Website?
It’s simple marketing. If you have a website, you can get listed on search engines. This means that prospective clients can find you. My freelance website opened up a whole new list of clientele for my business. Instead of having to find all of my clients, some of them found me through my website. When clients use to recommend me to friends or business associates, they just passed on my website URL and it was easy for them to contact me.
Your website is a one-stop destination for clients to find your contact information, view samples of your work, and allow prospective clients to get to know more about you before hiring you. You might not always be able to list a who’s who on your skills and history as a freelancer if you’re bidding on jobs or using a job search site to find clients. Most places like this also don’t allow you to list personal information like your private email or phone number. They can lose business (money!) if you choose to work with a client off their site, so this is done in their best interest, not yours.
You can list accomplishments, any programs you use (i.e. a graphic designer who works with Adobe Illustrator), and a variety of other information you may not be able to list on job boards or freelance work sites. If someone looking for a graphic designer needs a designer who uses Adobe Illustrator, they already know you’re qualified. It says so on your page. By the same token, if they need someone who uses Microsoft Powerpoint and you list that you don’t use that program then they won’t have to waste their time or yours!
But I’m a Freelance Writer! Why do I need a Website?
Just because graphic and web site designers have visual representations of graphics, flyers, websites, magazine covers, 3-D animations or a variety of other visually pleasing samples of their work doesn’t mean they (as freelancers) are drastically different from you, as a writer. In fact, the only real difference between you and them is that you deal in words not pictures.
You can visually represent your writing as samples. Just post links to website articles you’ve written and PDF files of your work. No one is going to hire you without seeing samples. If you’re new in the game, make up your own samples. If you’re a seasoned pro, show off your best articles and try to show diversity in the topics you choose.
For example, when I put up one of the last sample pages I had on the old Dominash Studios website, I had links to real estate articles, dating articles, human rights and activism articles, an article I wrote on Cedar Point and one on my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, articles on buying furniture for children, movie reviews, technology articles, creative writing samples, and the list goes on!
I wanted to show that I could write on a wide variety of topics and do it well. My website allowed me to show a wide variety of clients I could and would work for them!
But Why Can’t I Just Use a Free Geocities Account?
Geocities, Tripod, Blogspot and other free website/blog services, while nice for the personal website, aren’t exactly professional. If you aren’t willing to invest the minimal amount of money in purchasing a domain and hosting (you can pay less than $10 a month if you find the right company), your client isn’t going to take you or your freelancing career seriously.
The worst part is when the freelancer uses the web wizard to destroy their web page by “prettying” it up! I always want to pat their hand and show them the err of their ways. Trust me, I don’t pay (unless I absolutely have to!), but having your own domain is an absolute must!
On an added side note, especially with Blogspot and Live Journal, two blogging sites I’ve seen used by freelancers as “business websites”, your content and website might not always be up. I’ve heard horror stories about blogs getting shut down without warning. Honestly, if you get shut down, you could potentially lose all your samples and a way for clients to find you!
A website provides an added safety net. If your website goes down for any reason, you can easily keep backups of your entire website, any databases you use and not lose a single bit of content! If you go the Wordpress route, you can easily install the Wordpress database plugin and it will do all the grunt work for you!
But What About those Free Portfolio Websites?
I’ve seen many freelancers use free portfolio websites as their means of showing off samples. Then they don’t have to create a website. Seriously, there are so many bonuses to having a website (contact methods and marketing opportunities are at the top of the list) I can’t see why freelancers scoff at the idea of having their own home on the web. I just don’t get it.
My question then becomes: If you’re not going to utilize the resources the web has provided you (as a freelancer) with, then why try to work online anyway?
This is a simple concept. You won’t pay much at all for your website. In fact, when I was working steadily as a freelancer, I was able to say, “I don’t pay for my website.”
With just one job, all my web hosting needs were paid for, so ultimately it’s an investment that will come back to you tenfold.
Technorati Tags: Wordpress, I don’t pay, website, freelance, hosting, business, professional, writer, graphic designer
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Don't hate me for wanting to be your own personal God!
I always like my own stuff. I don’t like to borrow anyone’s stuff or use it. Mine, mine, mine..
See, I totally agree with that. I’m selfish. I want people to see what I can do!