Deciding to become a freelancer is probably one of the best decisions you can make. Apart, from giving you control over your time freelancing can earn you good money. But to be extremely successful they are several things you have to do, one of them is getting your own website. Why is a website important you ask?
- It helps showcase your talents
One of the questions you will always get from potential clients is a request for your work samples. Whether you are new to freelancing or an old hand, clients will always ask to see your previous work before they hire you. A website makes it easier for them to do this once a request is made you send them a link to your site, simple! This is much easier than sending your work as an attachment which they have to download to go through.
- Makes you look more professional
A lot of freelancers don’t have their own sites. Having a well done freelance website with your samples, testimonials, job quotations will leave a good first impression on clients and could be the determining factor between you and another freelance. So, having all your previous jobs in one place shows how organized and serious your take your work. A good website also tells a potential client you know what you are doing and your capabilities.
- Makes you stand out of the crowd
Competition is tough in the freelance world and it’s only going to get tougher with more people choosing to work this way. With a website, you can differentiate yourself from the rest. Think of it this way if you are looking for a particular product the first thing you do is go online and look for it, check pricing etc. An individual looking to hire a freelancer does the same thing. Therefore, a website makes you visible and it is an easy choice for the individual to choose between you, someone who has a website with samples, testimonials and another freelancer with no website, testimonial or samples.
- Helps you generate more revenue
You can use the website to attract clients on freelancing platforms but why stop there? Use social media campaigns, email marketing, advertising to attract more clients. With all these avenues available more money in the bank is just a website away.
- Gets you direct clients
Many companies use popular freelance platforms when they are looking to hire. But they also browse online to find available freelancers. They scout several freelance websites to find the right person to give the job. So, if you have a good personal website it is likely clients will come to you. With time you may not have to compete for jobs on sites like UpWork and can ask for more than what you charge at freelance job sites.
As you can see having a website is definitely advantageous and it is something you should do. And, the good thing is it’s not hard to get one you can actually do it in 10 minutes. All you have to do is register your domain, choose a host for your website, install WordPress, learn SEO, and begin to create amazing content!
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by Radu Pulgaru