Building a Simple Website as a Freelancer or Remote Worker

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A freelancer or remote worker needs a small website, not a big one: a clear home page, a few examples of your work, a short about page and an easy way to get in touch. You can build it in an afternoon with a site builder or WordPress, then improve it over time. This guide covers what to include, how to choose tools and how to keep the site useful.

Why does a remote worker need a website?

Clients, recruiters and collaborators will often search your name before they reply to you. A website gives them something you control: what you do, proof that you do it well and a way to reach you.

It also works around the clock. A potential client in another time zone can read your work and send an enquiry while you sleep. Social profiles can support it, but they limit how you present yourself and can change without notice.

What should you decide before you build?

Spend twenty minutes on three questions before you open any tool.

• What is the site for? Winning freelance clients, supporting a job search or sharing writing each call for a different focus.
• Who will read it? Think about the specific person you want to reach and the problem they bring to you.
• What action do you want? Usually it is one thing: send an email, book a call or view a portfolio.

If you cannot say what you do in one sentence, fix that first. It becomes the headline of your home page.

Which pages do you actually need?

Add testimonials only if clients have agreed to them and the words are theirs. Do not invent or polish quotes.

Should you use a website builder or WordPress?

Both are sensible. The difference is how much you want to manage.

Website builders

Services such as Wix, Squarespace and Weebly use templates and drag-and-drop editing, and hosting is normally included. They suit people who want to publish quickly and not think about servers. The trade-off is less flexibility and a monthly fee that continues as long as the site runs.

WordPress

WordPress gives you more control over design and features, and a large range of themes and plugins. You choose a hosting provider yourself and you are responsible for installing updates. It suits people who are comfortable with a little maintenance or who expect the site to grow.

Domain name

Use a short, easy-to-spell address based on your name or business name. Write it out loud to a friend: if they have to ask how to spell it, simplify it.

How do you write content that works?

Write the way you would explain your work to a client over coffee. Short sentences, specific details, no filler.

• Lead each page with what the reader gets, not with your biography.
• Use headings and short paragraphs so the page can be skimmed.
• For each portfolio item, say the client's problem, what you did and the result, but only state results you can stand behind.
• Use your own, clear photos. If you need a professional headshot or product shots, a shared studio can be cheaper than hiring one; see our look at a photography studio alternative in coworking spaces.

What are the SEO basics for a small site?

Search optimisation sounds technical, but the fundamentals are plain. Google's SEO starter guide recommends creating helpful content written for people, giving pages clear and unique titles, using descriptive link text and writing useful image descriptions.

For a freelancer, that comes down to a few habits:

• Give every page its own title that says what the page is, such as "Freelance UX Writer for SaaS Teams".
• Use real words in links, like "read the case study", not "click here".
• Add a short description to each image so it makes sense to people using screen readers and to search engines.
• Check the site on your phone. Most templates are responsive, but test yours.

No one can promise a ranking, so treat search as a slow benefit and not a launch-day result.

How do you get people to see your site?

Put the address in your email signature, your social profiles and your proposals. Mention it when you network and link to it from any guest articles or talks. If you share your work on LinkedIn, link back to the matching page on your site.

An email list is optional. Add one only if you will send something worth reading, and be clear what people are signing up for.

How do you keep the site up to date?

A site that looks abandoned does more harm than none at all. Put a reminder in your calendar once a quarter and go through this list:

• Add your newest project and remove outdated ones.
• Click through every link and the contact form to make sure they work.
• On WordPress, update the core software, theme and plugins.
• Check that your prices, services and availability are still correct.

If you work from different places, a stable setup helps too. See our guides to a portable home office kit and reliable internet for remote workers so a bad connection never delays an update or a client reply. For desk accessories, you can browse Mavigadget's office gadgets.

Where should you start today?

Write your one-sentence description, pick three of your best pieces of work and choose a builder. Publish a four-page site this week and improve it as you learn what clients ask about.