Tips for designing and running your freelancer website

Setting up as a freelancer is a big decision, not least because it means that you’re responsible for drumming up your own business. In an increasingly digital age, it is important to have a website to ensure that you have the best possible online profile, since the chances are this is where you’ll find many of your clients. Social networks are always going to be important in making people aware of what you do, but having your own website looks great and not only can it really boost your chances of finding work, it can also help towards confirming your employment status (IR35). Here are some top tips to make sure your freelancer website really attracts clients.

First impressions

It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised by just how many freelancers have got carried away with putting as much information as possible wherever it can go and forgotten to make their site look good. A professional website speaks volumes for you and, by extension, the services you provide.

So first of all, avoid having huge blocks of text that take up half the screen – readers will get bored and give up before the end. Go for a colour scheme that is easy on the eye and a clear font that can be easily read, my recent blog on creating logo should help. Of course, show it to as many people as possible before it is launched to get a sense of its effect on visitors.

Signposts

Visitors need to be able to find information quickly and easily. To do that, you need to point them in the right direction with visible, clear navigation. Near the top of the page you should have obvious links to key pages such as the homepage, About page (see below) and details of the service you offer. Contact details are also worth including as a separate page, but you should keep these links to a minimum. Create submenus within these options if necessary, but you should have a small number of effective and logical options in an obvious place.

Remember to repeat these navigation links in the footer, too – you need to make using your site as simple as possible, which means minimal scrolling up and down.

Remember the About page

It’s easy to focus on selling your skills, but people do business with people. If you want visitors to your site converted into clients, you need a strong About page. It isn’t the top priority and so shouldn’t take up your homepage, but it does need to be accessible via a fairly prominent link.

Include a photo and write in an informal, conversational tone to add a human touch, and then explain who you are and what you do. Don’t be afraid to show off, either: make it clear how good you are, although obviously avoid sounding arrogant.

Finally, make sure there are plenty of links to further information such as your contact details and social media accounts. Give prospective clients plenty of ways to get to know you.

Social media

Websites and social media are not mutually exclusive. To do yourself justice and pull in the maximum number of clients, you need both – and crucially, they should be connected to each other. Link to your site from your Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ profiles and vice versa.

In addition, you might want to consider setting up your website so that it displays your recent tweets. As well as increasing the chances of visitors following connecting with you that way, it will also ensure that something on your site is being frequently updated.

Keep it updated

What if a client wants to offer you a lucrative contract, but you never find out about it because they contact you via an email account you no longer use? Make sure your details are correct and amend your site promptly if they change. Check your About page and update it whenever relevant details change – even the minor things, like “this year” becoming “last year”. Out of date information will make your site look neglected and reflect badly on you.

Google loves websites that are frequently updated, too. One of the best ways to improve your search ranking is to set up and maintain a blog. Relevant, interesting and high quality content will improve visitors’ perception of you as both a real person and an authority in your field, as well as increasing your site’s visibility.

How Brookson Can help

As part of Brookson’s ongoing support to self-employed professionals, we are continuously sourcing new opportunities to provide added value to our customers. As a Brookson customer, our dedicated business partner, CPC Marketing will provide an online marketing package tailored to suit your individual business requirements for only £29.99. Further details can be found here.