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If you have a freelance writing business, you need a web presence. While some writers try to get away with netting all of their business from applying to job postings and cold pitching clients through email and job boards alone, you’ll have a much easier time if you have your own website where you can direct potential clients.
Creating your own website requires a little time up front, but it can pay off in dividends down the line. Here are 6 reasons why you need to have your own freelance writing website.
1. A freelance writing website is a one-stop shop.
Having your own freelance writing website fulfills multiple purposes. Not only will it show potential clients that you’re serious about building your business, but you can use it for networking, too.
Linking to your website in your social media profiles and email signature is a great way to encourage others to connect when you interact with them online.
While you’re at it, get some business cards printed! Moo is a great place for unique, quality business cards and they’re super affordable. Adding your website to your business cards allows you to direct all of your contacts to one convenient place.
Whether people are interested in your services or just want to get to know you better, once they’re on your site, your work will speak for itself.
2. A freelance writing website doubles as a portfolio.
Literally every writing job you apply for will want to see writing samples before hiring you for the gig. That’s just a fact.
Sending PDFs or Word documents as email attachments is clunky and looks unprofessional. It’s so much easier to send a potential client to a sleek, well-curated portfolio page on your very own website.
In addition to your portfolio, the content on your website and any blog posts you write function as a “live” demonstration of the work you can do: Your entire website is a stand-alone portfolio in itself. This is your chance to shine!
You have arguably unlimited online real estate with your own website, so use it wisely. Set up pages that are examples of the services you offer, like a mock landing page with sales copy, a case study, and multiple blog posts.
An impressive, well-rounded website shows potential clients you know your stuff.
3. A freelance writing website attracts clients when you’re off the clock.
For the most part, you’re not going to find a freelance writing job unless you’re out there looking for it. With a website, however, sometimes the jobs can find you.
If you link to your website in your social media profiles and engage in places where your potential clients are likely to be, such as Facebook groups or LinkedIn comments, your target audience might stumble across your website even when you’re not actively looking for them.
The more you get your name out there, the greater the chances you’ll attract attention.
4. Having a website helps you stand out.
Although websites are incredibly useful tools, many freelancers simply don’t have the time, energy, or know-how to create one. Or worse – they don’t care enough to bother.
However, setting up a website is much easier than you might think. Anyone can do it with a little perseverance.
Having a freelance writing website shows you take your business seriously. Plus, creating your own website will put you miles ahead of the competition that can’t be bothered to set one up. You can showcase your technical skills (if that’s something you’re interested in offering) while also showing your clients that you mean business.
You can also tailor your brand and voice to the niche you’re targeting, making it even easier to win over your dream clients.
Potential clients want to know that you understand their industry, so if you can show you’ve done your homework, it will be much easier for them to imagine working with you.
5. You’ll gain useful web experience.
Some clients will want you to have experience posting blogs or web content to a platform like WordPress before they hire you. In this case, having your own website will give you a leg up over the competition.
When you build your own freelance writing website, you learn so much about how the process works. Depending on how you set up your site, you might gain a deeper understanding of how to write copy for landing pages, website pop-ups, and more.
Your website should have what I call the “pillar pages” every respectable website has: A “home” page, a personalized “about” page, a “work with me”-type page outlining what you do, and a “contact” page.
Writing copy for these pages not only teaches you how to do it but it’s another way for you to showcase your abilities and your unique writing voice.
In my opinion, if you plan to offer website copy in your service lineup, having your own freelance writing website as an example of your work is a must.
While you don’t need to have any coding or web skills to make a website, you might pick up on the basics as you go through the process of writing and publishing your own content.
6. You can showcase your personality.
With so many freelancers on the market, a website allows you to establish yourself as an individual. The content on your site gives you the opportunity to inject some personality into your business offerings and let your clients get to know who they might be working with.
This is especially true if you’re working through a freelance writing agency or other gig platform like Fiverr (which, by the way, I don’t recommend for most new freelancers). While yes, you can create profiles for your businesses on these platforms, being able to link to your own website gives you a quick leg up over the writing competition on those sites, too.
Although it’s certainly possible to find freelance writing gigs without a website, there aren’t many cons to making one. At the end of the day, the pros might mean the difference between finding a client or having them pass you by.
A freelance writing website is necessary if you want to build your freelance writing business and stay on the cutting edge of your niche.
Not sure how to best to create your freelance writing website or don’t know where to start? I can help with that! My 6-week freelance writing course, The Write Hustle, will teach you everything you need to know about setting your freelancing rate, designing your site, building your portfolio, finding clients, staying organized, and running your business. Check it out now!
