The following is a guest post from Katharine Paljug, a freelance writer and actor. You can follow her freelance adventure at Katharine Writes or visit her website (that used to stink), WeddingWriting.com.
When I first started working as a freelance writer, I bought a domain, put together a website and waited for the clients to roll in.
Of course, nothing happened.
So I got my act together and went to work. I networked on social media. I wrote blog posts and sent out queries. I was ready to start making the big bucks.
Do you know what happened next? If you guessed more nothing, you are spot on.
Eventually, I sat down to figure out what was going wrong. The answer, when I finally admitted it to myself, was painful: my website stunk.
If you’re a freelancer trying to get clients and turning up nothing, it’s time to face the truth: your website probably stinks too. You might have experience, skill and a killer pitch. But if prospective clients are turned off by your website, they’re not going to hire you.
With that in mind, in this post I have outlined a number of reasons as to why your freelance website might be failing (as mine was!) and explained what you can do to turn things around.
1. No Website at All
Okay, this is one mistake I’m relieved I didn’t make. But there are tons of freelancers out there who don’t have a website!
Put simply, if you are still website-less in 2014, you are doing freelancing wrong. Buy a domain, download a theme, hire a designer…whatever works for you, just put something together.
Make sure you skip the free Wix-style site builders — the ads are distracting and make you look less professional. Invest in a domain and hosting if you want to look like you mean business.
2. Visual Clutter
The first problem I noticed with my website was how difficult it was to read. There was too much text on each page. There were half a dozen unnecessary pages. My color choices were jarring and distracting.
Potential clients are in a hurry. They don’t want to have to struggle to read your website. So simple is always better when presenting information online. Stick with:
- A few key pages. Make sure they have clear titles and are easy to navigate.
- Single lines of text, bullet points or very short paragraphs. Most people skim when reading online, so make it easy for your clients to find information quickly.
- A white background with dark text. Save colors to use as accents. And remember, there should be much more white space than text.
- Strategic use of images and graphics. Use them when they’re important and relevant, not just to fill space.
3. No Call to Action
One of the biggest mistakes I made on my website was the constant use of the word “if.”
If you’d like to get in touch…
If you have a problem with…
If you think you need help…
I never told potential clients exactly what to do. I left them hunting for my contact information. I never had a call to action.
Instead of using “if” or simply expecting clients to figure out how to get in touch, tell them exactly what to do.
Call me today at xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Sign up for my mailing list and get your free report!
Put your contact information out there. Consider having your phone number in the header. Give potential clients your email address instead of hoping they will fill out a contact form.
Each page on your website should have a call to action — a guide that leads visitors towards contacting you in a way that requires minimal effort.
4. Too Much Information
When I started to suspect my website wasn’t working, I asked a professional copyeditor (who also happened to be my mother) to look it over.
“I think it’s great!” she said. “I especially liked in your bio when you talked about how you’ve been writing since you were little, it was so sweet.”
As soon as I heard that, I knew I had a problem.
Clients didn’t care how young I was the first time I picked up a pencil. Clients weren’t going to hire me because I had a “sweet” story.
They were going to hire me because I could solve a problem they had.
When putting together the content of your website, make sure you:
- Focus on your clients and what you can do for them.
- Don’t get into too much personal backstory. A little will humanize you, but too much will make you seem self-obsessed.
- Don’t include every piece of work you’ve ever done. Use your best samples and leave it at that.
- Keep the most important things “above the fold.” Key information should be visible without needing to scroll down.
5. Sounding Phony
When I started freelancing, I wanted my website to make me sound professional and impressive. So I wrote as if I were part of a corporate team.
I didn’t realize what a huge mistake this was until I was on the phone with a potential client and had to explain that I couldn’t do a rush job for her because the “we” on my website actually just meant “me.”
It’s one thing to use a formal voice to pitch yourself to a certain market. Some people may need to do that. But if you’re trying to make yourself sound like a bigger business than you are…well, you probably come across sounding like a pretentious idiot.
Are you:
- Referring to yourself in the third person — or worse, in the third person some places and the first person in others?
- Using the royal “we” and talking about your “team” when the only team you have is you and your cat?
- Using words like “cogitate” to sound smart instead of just saying “think”?
Skip the five dollar words and perspective switches. Write as if you’re having a genuine conversation with your potential clients. Tell them, simply, why they should hire you.
Not only will your website be more convincing, it will help clients get to know the person you are, which will make them more likely to hire you.
So What Now? It’s Time to Take Action!
The good news is that once you know your website stinks, you can get to work fixing it.
However, reworking an entire website can feel so overwhelming that it’s easy to put it off, even once you know it needs to be done. I’ve been there: I spent nearly a month staring at my own bad website, knowing I needed to do something about it, but not being sure where to start.
If that’s how you’re feeling right now, don’t try to do everything at once and don’t just ignore the problem. Instead, take one action a day to start making your website shine.
Need some ideas?
- Read your website text out loud to find the parts that don’t sound like you.
- Ask a colleague look at pages on your website to see whether they’re easy to read quickly.
- Pick a new theme that has more white space, or contact a web designer.
- Try to cut your bio down to only one or two paragraphs.
- Rewrite one page on your website a day until you’ve gone through them all.
- Add your email address to your contact page.
(Tom: One other idea — ask the guys on the Leaving Work Behind Freelancing forum to take a look!)
Finding clients as a freelancer is challenging enough. Don’t let a bad website make it even harder. Take the time to make sure your website is working with you, not against you, and it will soon be the best marketing tool you have.
Are you making any of these mistakes on your own website? Have you discovered any tips for making a freelance website shine? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Alicia Rades says
Incredible article! Not only were your tips excellent, Katharine, but you have a really compelling writing style.
One of the things I struggled with most on my writer website is finding the right theme. I’m a fan of whitespace, so most of my first theme choices were simple. But I felt the simplest themes left me looking like an ameteur. I certainly didn’t want clients to view me that way. I see a lot of other writer websites that just don’t look professional, so I suggest taking some time to find a theme that really resonates with you instead of settling. It took me hours upon hours to find a theme I really liked, but I think it’s worth it.
Katharine Paljug says
Alicia,
Thanks very much! I’m glad you found the tips helpful.
I agree 100% that having the right theme is both very important and very difficult! It really does impact how professional you look. I spent hours searching for the perfect one who I was redoing my website. I finally just decided to have a designer create one for me because I wasn’t making any forward progress!
Steve Roy says
Hi Katharine,
I like your insight here and I have a question. I’ve just started freelance writing and have an existing blog, but it’s in the personal growth space, not the writing space. My audience is not looking to hire me to write.
Would you recommend starting a second site for freelancing business? If not, what would you suggest?
Katharine Paljug says
Hi Steve,
If you’re planning to target clients who are looking for a personal growth writer/blogger, then you can absolutely use your blog! Just make sure it has some components of a business site, including a “Hire Me” page.
If you’re planning to target clients in a completely different niche, say writing for bank websites, I think it’s best to have a website directed at the people you want to hire you. That way, you can address them specifically with your content and show why you are the best person for the job.
Corey Pemberton says
Hey Katharine,
You pretty much nailed it. Like it or hate it, potential clients are constantly judging us on the way our websites look. And why wouldn’t they, when they have tons of other freelancers available? It actually makes a lot of sense; it’s an easy way to weed out people.
I’ve been through a lot of what you talked about with changing the look of my site. Now I’m planning to specialize my writing services, which is a whole different can of worms to figure out.
Nice article,
Corey
Katharine Paljug says
Corey,
I feel you there – I agonized over deciding to specialize with my writing services. I was so worried that I would limit myself too much and run out of work.
Finally deciding to take the plunge was part of what prompted me to look so critically at my website. I knew I needed to redo some of it to target my specific audience. I just didn’t expect to have to redo it all! But I’m so glad now that I did.
JoDavies says
Great article Katharine!! I like how “real” it was with your tips and especially the feedback from your mom. I think that people need to realize that loved ones who say “it looks great” or something similar may not fully know what they are talking to or should be looking at. You don’t want clients to say “looks nice” you want them to click the “hire me” or “contact me” tabs and buttons!
Katharine Paljug says
So true, Jo. Colleagues are willing to be much more critical (in a constructive way!) than friends and family, so their input is really valuable. I’ve even known freelancers who solicit feedback directly from clients, though I haven’t been that brave yet!
Phillip Tran says
Good article. Easy to read and consume. I sometimes have problems with the “we” also. Will definitely review what I have and implement what you’ve advised. Thanks. Even if your site wasn’t polished, was traffic also another reason for not having the results you wanted from your website?
Katharine Paljug says
It was more an issue of traffic not converting – potential clients would get to my site and leave, even after following a direct pitch to get there.
I’ve also found that since making my site look and sound more professional, I don’t have clients try to haggle me down when I quote them a price. That’s a definite plus is my book!
Jear Sederio says
Hi Katharine,
Great Article!! I admit to being a victim of #5–Sounding Phony. My theory is this: sure you want to use your blog to attract new clients, but really you want to have fun with it! Write in a personal tone, interact with your readers, and show the potential client you have what it takes to create an interactive blog site.
I had to end up building a new blog to follow these principles, but I am now excited to have a nicely customized theme, strong call-to-action on the header, as well as some new exciting blogs (I hope) on the way! And I do have you to thank Katharine!
Question: While I realize what is needed to develop a profitable blog for getting new clients. what is your suggestion for getting people to read and interact on a newly developed blog?
Katharine Paljug says
Hi Jear,
Getting people to interact on a new blog can take a long time – ask any blogger! I think there are a few things that help.
1. Having engaging content – pose questions for people to answer, make your audience think
2. Be easy to interact with – answer questions, respond to comments, engage on social media
3. Interact on other blogs – when you comment on other people’s work, they’re more likely to return the favor
In the end, a lot of it is figuring out what works for your audience, what they are interested in and will respond to. It’s a lot of trial and error – I still don’t have it all figured out myself! But I think the key is to be a “giver” rather than a “taker.” Be engaging yourself, and other people will engage in response.
C@rst says
Hi Katharine,
I love your article and also your site! We can fill our websites and blogs with a lot of crap, but in the end simplicity and being to the point is what is key.
Over the last couple of weeks i switched my WP theme like 5 times in order to find a correct and suitable one… yours has been a very good insporation.
(I also signed up right away offcourse 😉
All the best,
Carsten
Katharine Paljug says
Hi Carsten,
I saw – thank you! Building a list is definitely another point that could have gone in the article, but that’s sort of a “tier 2” task for setting up a functioning website, I think. =)
I know exactly what you mean when it comes to themes – I’ve spent so may hours browsing for the right one! In the end I hired a designer, because I figured I was losing money by spending so much time on it. But sometimes you just find the perfect one and it all comes together!
Elizabeth Grey says
No 3 is so important for sure, and yet I see so many websites which lack clear call to actions.
Also important is letting your potential customers or clients know the benefits of what you provide. I often see sites – and not just for freelancers but smes – which don’t tell the client what outcome they can typically expect or don’t include testimonials. Just doing this increase conversions – it gives busy people a strong reason to call you.
Colleen says
While my website isn’t perfect yet, it seems to hit the basics. I’m struggling with the Call to Action. You’re absolutely right; I need to lead my clients toward making that contact. I just cannot figure out how to pull it off without sounding like a smarmy car salesman.