NEWSLETTER 3
When a potential client visits your freelance writer website, or reads a post on your professional blog, what do they do next?
Chances are good many of them leave.
But sometimes a single page isn’t enough to convince them to hire you. A Google search might have taken them to Page A where Page B might have convinced them to place an order. Or maybe they found your blog post on a social network, read it, and didn’t learn about your services at all.
The solution?
You Need a Sticky Website
“Sticky” websites aren’t a new concept. But given the sheer volume of content people are exposed to online these days, having a sticky website is more important than ever.
What is a sticky website?
When a website is “sticky,” it simply means visitors stay on the site longer. They don’t immediately bounce elsewhere. Instead of someone viewing one page and leaving, they’ll visit more. Sticky websites are also sites people keep coming back to.
Why are sticky websites important?
Sticky websites give you a chance to get more information in front of a potential buyer. They can turn a one-time search engine visitor into a regular reader, or ideally a new client.
Even if someone isn’t ready to hire you right now, you want them to stay on your site for a while. Even more important, you want them to come back.
Why?
It’s about building name recognition and trust. When they are ready to hire a freelancer, you want to be the one they think of first.
3 Ingredients to a Stickier Professional Website
If you’d like to make your professional website stickier, here are three simple ways to do that by building on what you already have:
1. Calls-to-Action
A call-to-action, or CTA, is simply you telling a visitor what you’d like them to do next.
Let’s say a visitor stumbles across your About page for instance. That page is about building credibility and trust in a prospect’s eyes. But even if it succeeds at that goal, the visitor doesn’t necessarily know where to go from there.
Tell them with a CTA.
This might be as simple as a link to your contact page. My preference is to use a combination of links in the copy and buttons to take them to a quote request form, as you can see on my About page. You could also put a contact form or email address directly on the page to get them to give you information to continue the conversation.
Make sure every page on your site offers your prospect a next step.
2. Interactive Elements
People love interactive websites. And there are ways you can make your own site more interactive to keep visitors around longer.
For example, I mentioned my quote request form rather than a generic contact form. That switch years ago not only increased the number of prospects who reached out to me, but it allowed me to get more meaningful information from them up front which saves everyone time.
You might set up an interactive availability calendar on your site so prospects can get a feel for how you might fit into their schedule. Bonus points because it shows them how in-demand you are.
You could add a live chat feature if that’s something that interests you.
Or here’s an idea one of my own clients is setting up for their internet marketing and SEO services:
They’re creating a survey-style form for visitors to fill out. They share information about their website, and my client will send back high-level feedback on how their SEO could be improved (of course, along with a pitch to carry out those services for them).
A freelance writer might do something similar by having prospects share background on their content strategy. You provide brief feedback, a few suggestions, and quote for your services. It’s very similar to releasing white papers and guides that teach people how to do what you do in order to convince them to hire you (more on that in a future post or newsletter). It’s just more personal, and gives you a jumping off point for initiating a conversation.
You could even offer more in-depth advice, charge for it as a separate entry-level service, and it could still lead to further gigs if you help them implement the plan.
Ultimately, the aim is to keep them on your website until they’re ready to give you their contact or project information. Or, at the very least, convince them to keep coming back until they are ready.
3. Valuable Resources
Here’s the thing. There are a lot of freelance writers out there. No matter how well-targeted your specialty is, there will always be someone else to hire.
That’s why brochure-style websites aren’t enough anymore (and they haven’t been for a long time).
If you want to make your website work hard for you, it needs to be a true resource in its own right. That’s what makes people want to spend time there. And it’s what makes them keep coming back..
Do a quick review of your own website and see if it meets that goal. What are you offering besides the same services many others are? What makes you different? Why should someone trust you, or choose you, over others?
A blog is a good place to start. A post or two a month is plenty for this kind of site. Just remember to write for prospects — not other writers.
E-books and guides work too. If they’re short, you can give them away (but include a pitch page at the end to convert readers into clients). If they’re longer, you might sell them, building trust in your market while making some extra income.
Or you might add an email newsletter — not necessary, but another resource that lets you repeatedly link subscribers back to your site. Or worksheets. Or checklists. Or a short course that teaches prospects the basics, but still leaves most wanting deeper help from a pro. Or white papers. Or case studies. Or shareable infographics. Or original research and reports to help your prospects make better business or editorial decisions.
There’s no end to the types of resources you can include. Only you know your target market and what would appeal to them most. When you build a resource library over time, those resources can be interlinked and all ultimately direct readers to contact you and hire you.
Those are three ways you can build a stickier website and stay top-of-mind with your prospects, build your reputation and trust, and sometimes even earn directly.
That said, these things won’t make up for basic mistakes. So keep your copy easy to scan with the eye. Keep your navigation clear and visible (no hiding it behind hamburger menus on desktops). And make sure your branding is consistent, on-target, and clear.
Jenn
