Must have Essentials for Your Freelance Website
As a freelancer, we are our own company, we have to wear multiple hats and do multiple things which we may or may not be experienced to do. But one thing which we absolutely must do is have a great looking website to attract new business.
Why we need to have a website as a freelancer and how can it impact our bottom line? A website is essentially your digital address. You can’t run a business without a physical office similarly you can’t run a freelance business without a digital address.
Here are a few reasons to have a website for your freelance career to thrive.
- It shows professionalism and establishes you as a legitimate option to consider.
- Helps establish trust and credibility.
- It helps you in showcasing your skills and your prospects collect more information about you.
- It helps your customers find you.
- Helps you in positioning yourself as an expert in the domain.
Most important must-have essentials for your freelance website
A Professional looking website
It’s natural that an article about websites has the first essential as a professional website. A website is your online address and you must ensure that it is built on a memorable, simple to remember and easy to pronounce domain name.
You can commission a digital artist to create a customized website specifically for you. You can also use one of the many template-based drag and drop website builders to create a stunning website for yourself.
A professional looking website typically has pages such as Home Page, About, Services, Portfolio, FAQs, Blog, Contact Us, Pricing and Packages and Client Testimonials.
A Pricing page with packages you offer
A pricing page is one of the most important pages you absolutely must have on your website. It lets your customers know what they should be expecting to pay and what would the deliverables be in return. This shows that you are serious about your freelance career and also keeps the clients with low budgets.
Your website should ideally have 3 packages with the 3 basic price points. A cheap beginner package which shall lure potential customers to try your service. Also, an intermediate package which ideally should be the most value for money. Finally, an advanced package which would carry the highest ticket price and also make you high margins.
Client Testimonials
Your website should always have a client testimonial page with real testimonies of your previous happy clients.
Testimonies from previous clients help persuade the minds of your potential clients and manipulate them using their emotions to go ahead and try out a new product or service. Studies have proven that in most cases humans rely not on logic but on emotions to make decisions and with the help of testimonies you can convince a new client to try out your service.
Testimonies also act as a good story since it has characters (the clients) with a problem they are looking to resolve (Conflict) and solutions which you provide (resolutions).
Some important points to consider while displaying testimonies.
- Have an image of your client (Human Connect)
- Understand the Buyer Persona
- Be selective
- Get a video
Visually Appealing Logo
A logo is a combination of text and visuals that serve two important functions. Firstly, tell your customers the name of your business. Secondly, create a visual representation of what your business is all about.
Logos help your customers make associations and associations are positive for any business.
You can have a graphic designer make one or if use a Logo Creator, which is probably the best option if funds are tight, you can also make a logo yourself but the end result might not be the best.
Whichever route you choose you the main thing is that you have a professional looking design in the end. A poorly designed logo can make potential clients think twice about your service, which obviously you don’t want.
Payment Gateway Integration
Having a payment gateway like PayPal integrated into your website helps you in decrease bounce rate. It also makes it a lot more convenient for your clients to pay you on time and immediately without having to jump through hoops.
There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing the payment gateway. It can be confusing to choose one but it is always easier to use either the payment gateway from a credit card vendor like Visa or simply use PayPal which also has an easy developer API which can be integrated to your website in no time.
Email Subscriptions
Studies have proven that 77% of consumers prefer email marketing over other types of marketing communications. You shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to reach your customers where they would most prefer.
Have an opt-in for your email newsletter. You can send out great content either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. It is an absolute must for any new freelancer and their website as it helps them get more business by sharing stories of their client’s success with other clients and potential clients.
There are lots of email providers but MailChimp email is a good option if you are on a budget their free plan is really good.
In the process of creating a website and an email newsletter don’t forget to create value for your customer via the newsletter. Only 33% of people actually read the whole email unless you can capture their attention via the headline or through the content in less than 30 seconds.
Some of the best content for your newsletter will come from your past clients and their stories so don’t forget to share their experiences with your email subscribers.
Conclusion
Building a freelancing empire starts with creating a killer website. Remember to get all the essentials in place and make sure that you present a professional, trustworthy storefront that potential clients won’t question.