9 Big Benefits of a Business Web Site

Secrets of a Web site that SELLS! In the mid 1990s, I logged into my CompuServe account and created my very first Web site. It was a big deal, because the World Wide Web was fairly new to people at the time and I was probably one of just a handful of freelancers who had a site.

Of course, it was a complete waste of time too, since just a handful of potential clients were accessing the Web back then. It was cool to have a site, but not particularly useful. I don’t remember a single client who called me because of it.

Today, that’s all changed. Just about everyone has a Web site. Saying you don’t have a site is like saying you don’t have a phone or indoor plumbing.

But just because nearly every freelancer has a site doesn’t mean that every freelancer’s site is successful. Many have one for no other reason than everyone else has one. It’s often more a matter of not wanting to explain why they don’t have a site rather than finding ways to use the site to build their business.

This is the first of a series of articles on Web sites for freelancers. I want to discuss the benefits of having a site from a business perspective, what freelancers often do wrong when creating their site, and what elements you should include to make your site a business generator.

I’ll also show you the Web site for my own freelance business, Direct Creative, and give you an inside look at what I do that works, the different versions of the site over the years, and a peak at some important tweaking I’m doing to improve my site.

Part 1: The Benefits of a Freelance Web Site

You may think you already know all the reasons why you have or should have a Web site. But do you? After looking at a lot of freelancer sites, it’s obvious to me that many people don’t grasp the full potential of a well-written and well-designed site.

So let’s start with some of the benefits of having a good Web site. Your freelance site lets you:

Promote your services to the entire planet 24 hours a day. Like a billboard along the highway, it’s visible to anyone who comes by. But it can be far more than a billboard, it can be like having a full-time sales force, getting clients and generating work for your business day after day.

Eliminate the need for printed literature. There was a time when I spent hours printing and mailing information packets to prospects. Now I just send them to my Web site.

Reduce the need for letterhead and business cards. Your site becomes your calling card and your branding tool. Since I don’t do any business locally and I bill by e-mail, I haven’t used printed letterhead or business cards in years. But even if you do use these items, a Web site means they’re not as vital as they once were.

Provide samples of your work to anyone, anywhere, instantly. I used to spend a lot of time making copies of my work and mailing it to people. Now I never do. My site does the work and even reduces requests for samples because of the next benefit in this list.

Sell prospects on your expertise before they even call you. My site provides so much specific information, few people even ask me for samples. Why should they? After visiting my site, they’re already convinced I can do the job. This is one of the most powerful benefits of a good site.

Establish a virtual space for your business in the minds of clients. One of the downsides to freelancing is that people often think of you as someone working at home in your underwear. But with a good Web site, you can give people a different and more professional image for their mind’s eye.

Answer questions about your services. By telling potential clients how you work, you can reduce the amount of explaining when you talk to them on the phone or in person. It helps you get down to business faster so you can talk about the work rather than about yourself.

Offer documents and resources as an aid to clients. As a professional, there are many ways you should be assisting your clients to make working with you easier and more productive. On my site, for example, I provide a Q&A document that helps me gather the information I need for projects.

Create opportunities for additional revenue. This one is big now as people are beginning to realize how to “monetize” by selling ads and products in order to take advantage of the traffic to their sites. This is an area where I must admit that I’ve been slow on the uptake.

The bottom line is this: If you don’t have a Web site, you should. If you do have one, you should take a look at it to see if it’s doing all it can do to bring in business. Are you fully utilizing the benefits listed here?

Next in this series, a look at some of the common mistakes freelancers make with their business Web sites.