Must-have sections of your freelance copywriting website (plus a cheap alternative🤫)

Is the idea of building a writer’s website a bit overwhelming? It was for me. I didn't even know what a domain was when I got into freelancing. 

But it’s 100% necessary to these have 3 things when starting out as a freelancer:

• Your own website with a portfolio page

• Your own website domain (meaning: yourwebsitename.com)

• Your own email domain (having @gmail.com is a no-no)

Why your writer's website is critical

• You're not just a freelancer, you're a business. Businesses have websites.
• To present yourself professionally.
• Clients use the information on your website to determine if you're the right fit.

It took about a week for me to build my site. Luckily I went with cheap web hosting through Bluehost and an easy drag and drop site builder, Weebly.

If you take anything away from this article, let it be this: your writer's website doesn't have to be perfect. 

As a matter of fact, mine isn’t that attractive. But it gets the job done. Plus, LinkedIn does most of the heavy lifting. 

My website is the perfect example of the cobbler's kids having no shoes. While my job is to help my clients increase their web traffic with SEO, I don’t do a great job of it on my website.

And I’m okay with that. I’ll save that time and energy for my clients.

An alternative to creating your own website.

My next recommendation goes against everything I've said so far, but I also understand some people need an alternative to buying their own domain.

I hope this option will be temporary while you work on creating your own site.

Check out Copyfolio. They have a free option.

I discovered Copyfolio this week when looking through a fellow copywriter's nicely-done website. Although she didn't have her own domain, her site was effective and compelling.

If I were looking for a copywriter in her niche, I'd hire her. If you want to take a look at her site for inspiration, here it is.

Takeaways:

• The main point of your website is to give potential clients an easy way to learn more about you. It’s a place where they can easily see who you am, what you do, and of course, the work you've done. 

• To effectively market yourself to your ideal clients, you need a professional website. Treat your website like a landing page and don't count on it to come up in organic search results. 

• Don’t freak out—your website doesn’t have to be amazing or even that impressive. Your client is hiring a writer, not a graphic designer. 

Have you created your copywriting website yet? 

You're more than capable. You got this.