These days, investing in a personal website can go a long way toward setting yourself apart from your competition. Whether you are a photographer or a freelance writer, a professional looking website is essential to drawing in potential clients and showing them that you are well established in your industry.
If you are looking to establish a personal website, it is important to know what you should include on the website (and what you should not include, for that matter). While a well made website will help you attract clients, a poorly designed and executed website will most likely turn people away from your services. Make sure you have everything that you need on the website will this list of five recommendations.
Include a Written Form of Your Elevator Pitch
If you are a freelancer, you already know what an elevator pitch is: a thirty-second description of who you are, what you do, and what your vision is. Think of your personal website as the first impression that potential clients will have. With this in mind, write up short bio that highlights who you are as a person and what you do professionally. Keep it short, to the point and engaging. While introducing yourself is probably the most important part of your personal website, it is not necessary (or recommended) to include your entire life story on the WordPress site. You can leave that for another time.
Include Samples of Your Work
An personal website can essentially act as an online portfolio. Rather than using third party freelancer sites, you can showcase your creative work on your own website. This will make you stand out from the crowd when clients come calling. While you should not include every single piece of work you have ever completed, you should curate a portfolio that highlights the very best of what you do. This is a crucial element of a personal website for everyone from photographers to copyeditors.
Include a Professional Blog Relevant to Your Industry
This aspect of a personal WordPress site will require a little more work, but it will absolutely be worth it. The idea is to regularly update your personal website with blog posts that are relevant to what you do within your industry. You should update this blog at least once a month, though once or twice a week is better. Keeping a professional blog will show clients that you are engaged and up-to-date with your industry.
Include Testimonials From People You Have Worked With
This element of a personal website may seem like a no brainer, but it is important to mention nonetheless. Besides your portfolio, including testimonials from past clients is one of the only ways that future clients will know the quality of your work, your communication and your commitment. If you don’t have any written reviews, send out a few emails to clients asking for testimonials that you can put up on your website. A handful of positive testimonials will go a long way toward rounding out your personal website and setting you up for success.