You need a website.
Real talk – having a professional-looking freelancer website is one of the most important things you can have to help you cut through the noise and grow your business as well as your profits.
I didn’t have a website when I first started freelancing. I had no idea how to make one and assumed it would be costly and time-consuming to make. So, I got clients from freelancing websites and told myself I’d deal with it later.
Eventually, I realized that I wanted to start attracting clients to work with me rather than bidding on low-paying jobs on freelancer sites. It was until I saw so many beautiful websites from people offering similar freelance services that I knew it was time to step up my game.
And I’m glad I did!
Not only was it not expensive – I’m talking less than $4 a month – but it didn’t take me that long to put something simple together.
And most importantly, once I had my own website, I began attracting and landing WAY higher quality clients.
People were regularly filling out my ‘Work With Me’ form. I quoted twice what I was charging on Fiverr. And they were all saying, “Yes!”
You can see that when you have your own website, you project a professional outlook. People are willing to pay you more if you appear to be a legitimate business.
That’s why I believe one of the most important things you can do to begin attracting higher-paying, higher-quality clients is to create a freelancer website.
I understand that creating your own website may seem a daunting task, but I’ll walk you through the process. I’ll share my favorite tools and a simple process that will allow you to start today and have a website ready to share with the world in just a few hours.
Here’s what we’ll go over today to get your freelancer website up and running:
- Get website hosting and buy a domain name
- Install WordPress (which takes less than a minute)
- Choose a theme and a design
- Make your content
(Please keep in mind that this blog post contains affiliate links, but I only recommend products I have personally used and enjoyed.) Clicking on my link will not cost you anything extra, but I may receive a commission from the creator. This allows me to continue producing free content for this website. I sincerely appreciate your help!)
Step #1: Get website hosting and buy a domain
The first thing you’ll need to start a website is hosting. To get you started, we recommend BlueHost, but there are many other options available (more on that below).
There are also free hosting options available, such as putting your website on blogger.com, but this is not ideal for several reasons. If you don’t use professional hosting, you don’t have complete control over your content. There are numerous horror stories online about people who cut corners and had their websites shut down for no reason. This is why it’s preferable to find a good hosting service at a reasonable price to start.
BlueHost is a highly regarded website hosting service for freelancers and bloggers who know nothing about coding.
Plus – if you use my link below to set up your hosting, for only $3.45/month
- You get a free domain name of your choice for the first year
- Free SSL certificate
- 1-click WordPress install
- Expert 24/7 support
Register a domain name
The name of your website’s domain is its name. For example, this website’s domain name is guemmah.com.
You can save money on your domain by clicking on this link. Most domains cost around $15 per year, but you can get yours for free for the first year.
How do you choose a domain name?
Use your company’s name if you have one. Otherwise, simply use your own name! Whether you operate under your own name or a business name, keep it specific, memorable, and simple to type.
Type in your domain of choice to check availability.
As you can see, I’ve entered an example, and it displays all of the available options. If you have the option, go with “.com” as it’s the most common. However, there are many other options available these days, so look around to see what grabs your attention.
There will also be a checked box for privacy protection in the shopping cart. This means that if someone wants to know who owns a domain name, they won’t be able to see your information. This protection costs $12 per year, and whether or not you want it is entirely up to you.
Purchase hosting
Next up, it’s time to purchase your hosting package.
If you sign up for a 3-year hosting deal, you’ll get the most bang for your buck. It’ll cost less than $4 a month! However, if you only want to sign up for one or two years, you’re welcome to do so! It’s also a great price, and you’ll be paying less today to get started.
Make sure to select the BASIC package to begin. It’s all you’ll ever need.
Uncheck the Add-Ons box.
Hosting companies offer additional services such as SEO tools, security, and backups. You can uncheck these if you don’t need them to get started. Of course, if you want more security, you can get it!
Review order details
Give your order a quick review to ensure you’re only paying for what you need. (If there are any additional costs, scroll back up to see if anything was left checked or unchecked.)
Congrats! You now have hosting.
Step #2: Install WordPress
When you first log into your Bluehost customer panel (called the cPanel), it might look confusing or outright overwhelming! But don’t worry. You don’t need much of what’s in there.
Click on Build a New WordPress Site
To get your website up and running, click the WordPress icon button.
Your domain should appear in a drop-down menu. Choose it.
Fill in your information.
And click install!
It’s really that simple.
Step #3: Select a theme and design
Begin to design the look of your website.
Before you get too deep into tinkering with your site, I recommend spending some time developing a strategy.
If this is your first website, it’s easy to get lost. Starting with a plan will save you time and keep you from pulling your hair out in frustration.
Begin by gathering some ideas. Examine other websites to see what types of designs and layouts you prefer. When looking at other sites, try to find businesses in a similar niche or have similar goals. i.e., don’t try to imitate Facebook’s design because they aren’t selling a freelance service.
Where can you look for ideas?
- Dribbble
- Google/ Google Images
Look for terms like ‘website design *niche*’ or ‘freelance *niche* website.’
What to look for?
- Fonts
- Colors
- Image Styles
- Layout
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create a visually appealing website. Simply make a note of what you like and take screenshots, and you’ll be able to incorporate those common elements into your own site.
Now that you’ve decided on a design for your website, it’s time to get to work!
Choose a theme
The theme you choose will determine your website’s overall layout and appearance. Navigate to ‘appearance’ in the left menu to access your theme options and click ‘themes.’
There are several free theme options available. See if you can find anything that matches your vision for your own site.
A note about my theme: I started with a free theme but wasted a lot of time trying to get it to look the way I wanted. I couldn’t figure out how to make my blog pages look just right, I struggled to create opt-in boxes, and it was all just a hot mess.
Then one day, I discovered OceanWP, and it was as if the heavens had opened up.
OceanWP is fantastic because it’s highly customizable and adaptable. This theme uses a drag-and-drop builder, so no coding or prior website building experience is required!
I also like how it includes templates and layouts for various pages, such as your front page, blog page, contact page, and portfolio. The layouts look professional, and they’re incredibly simple to make by dragging in the elements you want to use.
Using OceanWP’s pre-made templates, you can quickly create a professional-looking website.
OceanWP is one of the two fastest themes out there that offers a free plan.
That said, if you decide to buy OceanWP, you gain access to their premium extensions. This includes but not limited to Popup Login, Cookie Notice, Instagram Feed, Side Panel, and Footer Callout.
That being said, there are thousands of themes available, and all you have to do is find one that works for you.
Step #4: Create your pages
A freelancer website doesn’t have to be complex. However, it must introduce you as a professional in your field. You don’t need to make a ton of pages to accomplish this!
You should have the following pages:
- Home – your website’s front page should clearly articulate what you do and who you help.
- About – your about page should tell your story. But, most importantly, it should inform a client of what’s in it for them.
- Services – let clients know what you can do for them and what your rates are.
- Portfolio – Showcase your best work as well as testimonials from previous clients.
- Contact – Make it as simple as possible for people to contact you by leaving your email address or using a contact form like Typeform.
Step #5 – Publish it
Once you’ve created your basic pages, it’s time to publish them and share them with your network!
I understand how easy it is to let perfectionism get in the way of hitting the publish button. However, keep in mind that your website will be an evolving thing that can be tweaked and changed at any time.
Take action, even if you’re nervous about it.
Questions about how to set up your freelancer website? Drop a comment below.
