Website Delight
Website Delight (Published in InPrint magazine)
A couple of years ago, I decided to ditch the investment banking job (and am I glad not to be there now!) and dive into the murky world of ghostwriting. As a former marketer, I thought the best way to promote myself was via a website. However, when it came of thinking of a name, I was left a bit stumped. I had no experience as a ghostwriter and had no idea how to sell myself as one.
The first rule of thumb in the writing world is to specialise, but I hadn’t a clue what to specialise in. I loved reading and writing about anything: fiction, non fiction – all genres were welcome! This is, apparently, not a good marketing tool. People find comfort knowing you are an expert in a certain field, and tend to get put off if it looks like you have your fingers in too many pies.
A couple of months ago, I had a moment of inspiration. Finally, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! It was then and there I decided to specialise in non fiction. So, I turned to my website, excited about changing it to reflect my new vocation. It was then I was faced with a harsh reality: my website is called “Editing and Beyond” – it doesn’t exactly scream ‘writer of non fiction’, does it?
So, I decided to make a fresh start. I would hang to Editing and Beyond, as editing work comes in handy, especially in dry summer periods; but I would build a new site to advertise my services. It’s not finished yet, but here is what I’ve learned along the way:
Naming your site
Don’t make the same mistake I did. Think of a catchy name that really describes the services you offer. Once you have it, register the domain name with a domain name registrar. Even if you don’t plan on setting up your site straight away, securing the name means that nobody else will be able to use it.
Building your site
There are many ways to do this. Many websites offer DIY packages, with easy-to-follow instructions about how to get your site up and running. I like to make life difficult for myself, so I bought a suspiciously cheap version of Dreamweaver off eBay. It was actually really good fun once I got into it.
Researching your competition
Check out competitor websites: see how they do it and think about how you could do it better. Don’t be afraid of contacting your competitors to ask for advice. The freelance world is a generous one, and most people are happy to provide you with some information.
Choosing a web host
Once you have designed your website, you will need someone to run it for you. There are millions of web host providers out there, and most of them do a good job without charging the earth!
Getting your site listed on search engines
When I first published my site, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t getting any traffic through it. I found out much later that this was because I had failed to do two things:
Metanames/metatags: these are words that you incorporate into the web code that help your site to appear when others do a word search. For example, if you add in words such as, proofreader, editor, writer etc. into your code, then other browsers have a better chance of finding you.
Submitting the site: use the ‘submit your site’ tool which can be found on every home page of search engines like Google, Yahoo, Alta vista etc. in order to get your site listed and improve your site rankings. Resubmitting your site every couple of months will also give you a better chance of getting your site listed on that all-important first page.
Marketing your site
Once your site is up and running, don’t forget about it! Actively updating your site and continually marketing your services can help to secure a loyal client base.
Attract your audience by:
1. Adding testimonials to your home page: Once you do a job for a client, ask if you can publish a testimonial from them (saying how great you are!) on your website. Try and get as many of these as possible. Trust is a big thing in the freelance world, and it helps to prove to potential clients that others have been happy with your services.
2. Starting a blog: Blogging is a great way to secure your own audience. Once people see that you are regularly updating your website with an entertaining piece, then they are more likely to come back.
3. Linking to other websites: one of the best ways to get business and improve your rankings is to get other freelancers to add a link to their sites, directing potential clients to your site. You may wonder why on earth your competition would want to give you business. However, freelancers specialise in different areas. For example, I have an arrangement with another freelancer who directs all writing assignments to me, and I return the favour with editing work.
Building a website can be a difficult and time-consuming process. But if you get it right, it will really boost your business and surely that’s a worthwhile investment of your time. Now, excuse me while I head off to harass more clients for testimonials. . .
