We’re going to be
shifting perspective a bit this month and looking at some common website problems from the outside in. So get ready to think like a prospective client and rethink the front door to your freelance business.
The Curse
of No Domain
I still see this and it honestly makes me sad, especially with Black businesses, where it seems to be more common.
This is not a small error.
It’s not something to work through “one day”.
It’s not anything clients will look past.
It is though, a great way to stay stuck with low-paying, frustrating clients. It’s also a great way to stunt your own growth as a
freelancer.
Remember…people don’t have to do business with you. It’s your job to establish trust and that little .com/net/biz/whatever (
which you shouldn’t overthink) is the bare minimum to let people know that you’re invested in your business, let alone theirs.
That’s one of the
hardest things to really internalize as a freelancer…your biggest competitor isn’t other freelancers, it’s client apathy and procrastination. Your marketing is a constant effort to break through that and give clients a reason to act.
What To Do
While a bidding site profile is a simple start, you should be aiming to get those training wheels off ASAP.
If you’re intimidated by handling all the domain setup yourself,
services like SquareSpace, Wix and
other similar services shave some of the fear factor off.
If you want to host your site yourself though, that’s great! The experience alone will likely be education that will help you in your client
work.
Now,
I’m going to ask you to do a favor for me.
If you don’t have a domain, or if you dragged your feet for months (or maybe even years) let me know why. I ask, because information like this is an enormous help in helping out other BlackFreelancers who might be stuck in a place you already know.
Thanks, and as always, if you’ve got ANY questions, just let me
know.
Megan
P.S. Here are the Academy resources that you’ll want to check out this month…