If you are looking to start any type of freelance business, a website is an invaluable tool. This is how you will establish an online presence and attract customers. However, if you’re not a developer, you may not be sure how to put together a standalone WordPress website.
Fortunately, building a website is now easier than ever. There are many tools that make the task simple and you can have a site up and running in hours. This means you can quickly get back to what’s most important: running your business.
Why You’ll Want to Use WordPress to Build Your Standalone Website
We’ve mentioned WordPress a few times already, and you may be wondering why. In fact, WordPress is by far the most popular choice for building websites in general and is also ideal for this specific application.
Here are just a few of the reasons why a standalone WordPress website can serve you well:
- WordPress is very beginner friendly. No matter what your particular skill set, it is possible to create an attractive and functional site.
- The platform has been designed to prioritize ease of use. Configuring your website or blog using WordPress is quick and easy. Plus, adding new content and maintaining it over time won’t require much effort.
- The community offers many tools to customize your site. Even if your website is simple, it doesn’t you want it to be generic. Using themes and plugins (more on that later), you can design your site to match your specific tastes and requirements.
Best of all, WordPress is completely free. This is essential for most freelancers just starting out as your budget is likely to be small (or non-existent). While WordPress is not the only platform you can use for your standalone website, it is highly recommended.
How to Create a WordPress Standalone Website (in 3 Steps)
In this Period, you are probably itching to start building your standalone WordPress website. Now we’ll walk you through the three most important steps, so you can get your site up and running quickly.
Step 1: Set Up a Basic WordPress Website
Let’s Go Get started by running a few tasks you will need to complete when creating any type of website. First, you will need to:
- Choose a domain name
- Choose a hosting provider
- Install WordPress
Your site’s domain name is the core of your URL, e.g. myfreelancewebsite.com.
Changing this in the future is a hassle, so you’ll want to spend some time finding the perfect domain. Many freelancers choose to use their own name or the name of their company, both of which are solid approaches. Regardless, be sure to keep your chosen domain simple and easy to remember. If you need help brainstorming, you can use a domain name generator.
You’ll also need to sign up for a hosting plan to get your site online. There are many types of hosting, but a low-cost shared plan should be more than enough for your standalone WordPress website. Choosing the hosting company carefully is also important; If possible, opt for a host that offers WordPress-specific packages.
Finally, you’ll need to install the WordPress software. If you choose a WordPress-centric host, they should give you the option to install WordPress automatically, which is the best approach. But there are many other ways to install WordPress as well.
Step 2: Customize the look and feel of your site with a theme
At this point, your new site will be very basic. To make it a standalone WordPress website, you’ll want to pay attention to how it looks.
You can do this by choosing the right WordPress theme, which changes the design and look of your site. While WordPress comes with some default themes, you may want to use a less generic option.
Fortunately, there are thousands of WordPress themes available. While you can use one that you like, we recommend that you choose one that matches your freelance website’s niche.
For example, if you’re a freelance photographer, you’ll want to search for photography-focused themes. This will give you a look and feel that is perfectly suited to your business. Also, these types of niche themes often come with additional features that will come in handy; for example, a photography theme might include advanced image gallery functionality.
As for where to find these themes, one option is the WordPress.org theme directory. Everything there is free and has been vetted for quality. If your budget allows, you can also branch out and check out some premium themes.Both free and premium themes are viable options, but there are some differences.
Finally, don’t forget that you can customize your chosen theme to best suit your unique needs. Every theme is different, so you’ll want to check its documentation to see what all the options are. However, your first stop should almost always be the WordPress Customizer, where you can make many simple changes that will personalize your website.
Step 3 – Add Content to Your Website
This final step is the most time consuming and possibly the most important. Once your website is set up and looking just right, you’re ready to start populating it with content.
Exactly how you proceed here will (and should) be based on your unique goals. niche and business However, there are some key elements that any standalone WordPress website should keep in mind.
As you build your site, be sure to consider the following:
- Include all the essential pages. It’s vital to start with the basics, and that means making sure your site has all the main pages a standalone website needs. Even if you keep things simple (which is recommended), you should at least include a home page, a page with information about your business, a contact page, and a page listing the services you offer.
- Create a portfolio of your work. The best way to convince potential clients to give you a try is by providing examples of your past work. Don’t try to include too much, though, or you risk overwhelming your visitors. Instead, choose a few of your best projects and showcase them on a dedicated page along with descriptions and images.
- Display testimonials, awards, certifications, etc. There are plenty of freelancers out there. , and convincing people to work with you is not always easy. As such, you’ll want to highlight any other motivating elements that are relevant. In particular, it is imperative to strategically place some testimonials from some previous (happy) customers.
- Incorporate a strong call-to-action (CTA). A CTA is an element that tells the visitors to your site exactly what you want them to do. Otherwise, you risk them leaving without doing anything. In most cases, the action you want them to take is contacting you, so you’ll want to make sure you direct them to your contact page via a prominent message.
- Add more features with plugins (if is necessary). We’ve already talked about themes and I’d be remiss if we didn’t mention plugins as well. Like themes, these too can be installed on your site, but instead of altering its appearance, they add new features. We highly recommend exploring the WordPress.org plugin directory for tools that can add niche-specific functionality to your site, and there are also some must-have plugins that every site should use.
You You don’t have to stop here, of course, you can add whatever you want to your WordPress standalone website. However, we suggest keeping it as simple as possible and not cluttering your site with information and features.
For each element you want to include, ask yourself this question first: Will this addition help convince people to hire me? or just distract them from my main message?
Conclusion
When it comes to building your freelance business, simple networking and email probably won’t cut it. You’ll also want to establish an online presence so potential customers can easily find you, learn about what you do, and get in touch.
Fortunately, building a standalone WordPress website that does all of those things is simple. . You will only need:
.