No matter where you go on the Internet or locally, to find clients your website is your living business card. An online business must have a stellar web presence and that starts with the website. It can often seem super challenging to the online business owner whose expertise is not in web design to find the time or the way to create a professional website but fortunately it’s not that difficult if you use self-hosted WordPress.
Aside from the site looking fabulous, you’ll need to fill the site with relevant content. Depending upon what your business niche is, you should focus the website’s content to showcase your business in its’ best light. If you’re a graphic designer, then your website needs to show what a great graphic designer you are. If you’re a coach, then your website needs to show what a great coach you are. The way in which you do this is that you focus on the benefits of your solutions to your ideal client within all the content.
On your website, include links to all the social media profiles you have, as well as a way to sign up for more information via an email newsletter or email list. You can do this with a program like Mailchimp very easily. It’s just a matter of cutting and pasting some code the email marketing company provides you into your website. This will enable those who have not yet decided to hire you to learn more about you and remember you.
You should also include samples of your work. If it’s hard to include samples, ask clients to give you written or video testimonials that you can include on your website. Nothing speaks louder than a happy client, and the more you can convince to do this for you, the better for future business. You can incentivize them to do this by having a contest for the best video or giving discounts for future work.
Your website should be unmistakably yours. Remember that most people spend less than a few seconds looking at a website so it has to be compelling, and speak to your brand in a creative way. It should match your social media profiles in terms of colors, logos, even fonts, something should match so people know that it’s you. By having a cohesive and fully developed brand your future clients and customers will view you as very professional and as an expert.
Don’t forget to include away for your future clients to hire you via your website. Some people swear by putting prices on the website, others prefer to wait to talk to future clients on Skype or the phone. It’s up to you how you do this, and what your comfort level is. You can always test out both ways. The important thing is that you have a professional website that includes all the components necessary for someone to read and decide if they can work with you, and contact you for that work.
OK, so maybe you aren’t a web designer and you have tried to do this on your own but need some help. Perhaps it’s time to hire a pro. Hey- that’s me.. You can get in touch here.
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