Why You Need a Web Site
If you plan to work as a freelancer you need a good web site.
And you need one for the same reason people took out ads in the Yellow Pages a decade ago:
so others would view their businesses as "real".
But that was then and this is now and today few people turn to the Yellow Pages.
Think about your own habits.
When you need to find a company that offers some service, what do you do?
You search the Internet!
Shows your business is "for real"
In today's technologically-advanced society,
if you don't have a web site,
you're simply not a "real" business.
It doesn't matter what you think or say or do,
few people will consider you a professional without one.
Some might even question how serious you are about being a freelancer.
If you don't have a web site,
you'll lose money and you won't even know it.
Here's why.
If I searched the Internet for a CPA working in the city in which I live,
I'll get a number of listings that include addresses and phone numbers.
But I'm always on the Internet so the CPA that's going to catch my attention is the one that lists a web site
that I can check out before calling.
If the site's good, I'll find answers to all my questions and
if it's really good, I'll be able to set up an appointment to get my taxes done
without having to pick up a phone!
I won't bother calling the other CPAs that came up in my search,
and that's how they all lost money without even realizing it.
And I'll bet you'd do pretty much the same thing.
So it seems the ability to find your business and to find out more about the way you run your business
is the most important reason to develop a web site.
Need a few more reasons?
A web site works around the clock
How about the fact that a well-designed and content-rich web site
is a powerful marketing tool?
A web site is like having a dedicated salesperson working 24/7 putting forth her best effort to show off your business.
A good web site gives you a chance to show others what you do,
how you do it and what makes you better than the competition.
It's also a great place to highlight all those wonderful references you'll be getting from
satisfied clients.
And if you recall from a previous article,
great references help build your credibility as an expert!
You won't spend a lot
Another important reason for setting up a web site for your freelance business
is because doing so isn't that expensive.
It costs less than $10 to register a domain name for a full year and around $9.95 a month to host your site
- and that's with a reliable hosting company!
For around $20 you can find plug 'n play templates and scripts too.
If you don't yet have a web site or
if you have one but it's not the best that it can be,
now's the time to do something about it!
In next article, find out what not technical skills you need to have to be a successful freelancer |
