Why Freelancers and Contractors Need a Business Website
There are many aspects of business that freelancers and contractors are responsible for, one of which is setting up a business website. Having a website for your freelance or contractor business can be highly advantageous in acquiring new clients and building up your professional reputation.
In this article, we will take a look at why having a website for your freelance or contractor business is important, what the website should include, and some platforms on which you can build your website.
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The Importance of Having a Business Website
According to this report, there are about 1.13 billion websites on the internet in 2023, and a large percentage of those belong to businesses.
Like having a professional email address, having a website for your business is crucial for your professionalism, brand awareness, and reputation. Below are some reasons why you should create a website for your freelance or contracting business:
To Look More Professional
Having a website for your business can help you to look more professional. Some companies may have reservations about hiring freelancers or contractors, but having an online presence can assist you in looking more established and professional.
For Brand Awareness
If you practice good SEO on your website, it will help you to acquire new clients. If potential clients search for experts within your industry, you may show up on the search results, which provides you with even more brand awareness.
To Build an Email List
A website can help you acquire emails from visitors, which can be brilliant for lead generation through email marketing strategies. You can offer a lead magnet on your website in exchange for the contact information of visitors, which can be incredibly valuable for all aspects of your business.
For Onboarding New Clients
Having a website can help you to streamline the client onboarding process. You can embed a form or a questionnaire for potential clients to get in touch with you about working together, which can help you to retrieve any necessary information more efficiently.
To Showcase Your Skills and Experience
Similarly to a portfolio, a website can be a great way to showcase your skills and experience in one place. However, unlike a portfolio, you can add much more to your website. Having a website for your freelance or contracting business negates the need for a separate portfolio.
You Can Target Your Ideal Clients
You can invest in pay-per-click advertising in order to target your buyer personas. You can set up a landing page on your website to attract more leads. You can combine this with your lead magnet to attract more email subscribers.
What Should Your Business Website Include?
First and foremost, your business website should be well-designed and easy to navigate. According to this report, 57% of internet users will not recommend a business with a poorly-designed website. With there being such a large amount of websites on the internet, it is necessary that yours stands out from your competitors’.
Here are a few things that your business website should include:
- A Home Page: This page should be well-designed and have links to all important pages visible.
- A Services Page: The services page should outline your services and what you can offer in as much detail as possible.
- A Portfolio: Your portfolio page should showcase some of your past work for the perusal of your new or potential clients.
- Your Contact Details: Your name, phone number and email address should be included on this page, as well as any relevant social media handles.
- Reviews and Testimonials: It is crucial to include testimonials and reviews so that any potential clients can see proof of your good work.
- An ‘About Me’ Page: This can help your potential clients to learn a little more about who you are, your education, and what made you interested in your field.
- A Blog Page: This is not necessary, but can be highly advantageous for your website’s SEO and as a lead magnet.
How to Create a Business Website
Step One: Choose a Host
There are many platforms that allow you to build and host your own website for a relatively low (or free) cost. Examples include Wix, Squarespace, or any of those listed in our resource library.
Step Two: Choose a Domain
Decide on a domain name and create your own website address. For example, if your name is John Smith and you offer marketing services, you could use something like JohnSmithMarketing.com. If you have a business name, you can use that instead.
Step Three: Build Your Website
Most website hosts have built-in no-code website builders included or offered as a service. From there, you can customize a template to create your business website.
Step Four: Add Your Pages
Add all necessary pages to your business website, such as your homepage, contact details, and portfolio. Remember to keep your ‘click-depth’ (the number of clicks that it takes to get from the home page to any other page) at three clicks or below.
Step Five: Create a Blog Page
Create a page where you can upload your blogs. Once again, this is optional but recommended if you have the time and skillset. Your blogs should provide relevant industry information and contain truthful facts and statistics.
Step Six: Optimize for SEO
Finally, you should optimize your business website for search engines. This process is an ongoing task that requires you to regularly update your content. You will need to do some keyword research to determine which words and phrases to incorporate into your website, and you can use tools such as SEMRush to determine the keywords and their relevance.
Conclusion
In today’s digital age, having a website for your freelance or contractor business is essential. It makes you look more professional and helps build your brand awareness, showcase your skills and experience, acquire new clients, and streamline your client onboarding process.
It is important to ensure that your business website is well-designed, functional, and contains all necessary information. Optimizing your website for SEO can further increase your chances of being found by potential clients.
Investing in a website is an important step towards growing your freelance or contractor business and establishing your professional reputation.
