According to the Interaction Design Foundation, freelancing can be an excellent opportunity for you if you’re anticipating quitting your 9-5 job. Becoming a freelancer can be a rewarding encounter.
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Why should you join freelancing?
Freelancing has loads of advantages. For instance, you’ll be in control of your business. You’ll also avoid the usual office politics, and you’ll be free to work anywhere.
As a freelancer, a website portfolio is essential. A website portfolio is a convenient avenue showcasing your experience, skills, and the services you can offer potential clients.
Suppose you are planning on starting a website. It’s highly advisable to look for free or affordable web hosting services, visit Fortune Lords, and sample some options.
So, why is it so crucial for a freelancer to have a website portfolio?
Seven reasons for a freelancer to have a website portfolio
- Networking with clients and other freelancers
According to Lifehack.org, a website portfolio comes in handy for you in every development stage as a freelancer. It helps you in networking, which is crucial for every young freelancer who seeks to grow their business.
When dealing with physical businesses, entrepreneurs network using business cards. In the online world, your website portfolio acts as your virtual business card. It offers an avenue where potential clients and other freelancers can access your contact details and communicate with you. It also outlines the services that you offer.
- Imparting expertise
As a freelancer, you want to establish yourself as an expert in your field. You want to share the knowledge and skills that you have with the world.
How else would you impact your business if not with a website portfolio?
A website portfolio, therefore, allows you to showcase your expertise. When you start sharing your skills and experiences, you will begin connecting with like-minded people who may want your services.
- Sharing content
In the online business world, content is essential. As a freelancer, you are not exempted from the need to share content. Adding content to your portfolio works to put your business out there.
Furthermore, content attracts potential clients on social media. It is also vital in SEO. Content is what you share using blog posts, social media posts, eBooks, etc.
Having a website portfolio as a freelancer is, therefore, crucial in publishing your content.
- Dealing with trust issues
With so many job boards effective in letting you sell your services, do you still need a website portfolio? Well, you can sell your services on social media, or you can get to clients by word of mouth.
However, you need to keep in mind that clients want to feel safe about the person they are hiring.
Let’s look at it this way. You are having a chat with a potential client, and you are explaining to them all the skills and knowledge you possess. The client is interested and asks for your website to check your previous work, testimonials from clients, etc.
Once you reply that you don’t have a website.
The client will doubt your capabilities. He or she will be left wondering how someone with rich experience and a diverse set of skills lacks a portfolio to showcase their work?
The trust issue may cost you high-end clients, which beats the logic of your business. A website portfolio, therefore, helps to deal with trust issues.
- A website portfolio is limitless
Imagine this scenario, you don’t have a website, but you still need to market your services. You may attend various seminars and conferences to connect with potential clients.
By God’s grace or luck, you land a meeting with a client you’re hoping to work with. However, by bad luck, the client loses your business card or contact information.
Without a website portfolio, you are limited in terms of how far you can market your work. On the other hand, a website portfolio is limitless. Anybody can access your website anywhere in the world.
All you have to do is to optimize your content and make sure that you have your contact details available on your website. That way, a client can connect with you, and distance will cease to be a limitation.
- A website portfolio makes you feel at home
Let’s face it. Even if there are many job boards where you can sell your services, you have no control over them. You don’t have any control over the social media platforms where you market your services.
However, with your website portfolio, you have control over everything. It is a haven where you decide the type of content you want to publish; you’ll also determine the marketing strategy you wish to employ.
You can even include comprehensive FAQs that will explain what you offer to clients.
- Show off testimonials
Various strategies work for different freelancers, but having social proof is on another level. When you have a website portfolio, you can add testimonials from previous clients.
With social proof, you may not have to explain yourself to potential clients. They can read the testimonials, and get a clear idea of the type of freelancer you are.
You can ask previous clients for testimonials and get permission to include them in your portfolio. You can also include reviews from social media posts and emails from clients thanking you for the excellent work.
Final thoughts
With so many job boards available online, you may decipher whether you still need a website portfolio. However, having a website portfolio is one strategy that you can employ to stand out from the crowd. A website portfolio is your storefront in the freelancing world. Therefore, as a professional freelancer, you cannot afford to lack a website portfolio.
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