Set Up Your Website

You now know that in order to start getting clients to see what your writing potential is like, you must create a portfolio. Once you have enough samples of material under your belt, the next step is to set up your own website. This isn't as daunting as it sounds and there are lots of options open to you.

You can either pay someone to develop your site (which can be expensive), you can buy a package like Mr Site which allows you to buy a dot com name for yourself plus the tools needed to set yourself up, or you can choose one of the many free sites out there with free hosting.

Personally speaking, I would go for one of the free tools - clients are not going to give you work based on how cool your site looks - they want to see real live samples of writing and your CV/Resume. My choice would be to use the free website by Weebly - it's what I use and has served me well. I add to it whenever I like, updating information and adding new samples. You also have the option of placing a contact form in it so clients can contact you directly.


If you type 'free websites with hosting' into Google, it will throw up other results of sites that offer free services. You can monetise your site by adding adverts and affiliate links - anyone buying anything from the links on your page will earn you commission.

Once your site is set up, it should state the purpose of the site on the home page. Have a look at my site to see how this is done. Keep your site functional at all times - nothing puts clients off more than dithering about this and that and having an 'all fluff, no meat' approach. Ensure that your CV is also readily available.

You want your site to explain what your services are about. Think about all the things you could write - articles, adverts, press releases, ebooks, copy, ghost writing, creative writing, report writing, CV/Resume service. The possibilities are huge, and you are encouraged to explore these. 

Finally, play around with the layout - you want to set up your site in such a way that clients find it easy to find what they want. If they can't, they will simply click away and go elsewhere. Make sure your navigation is clear and to the point with defined headings. Always have a contact form and have a section in there called 'Samples of Work' and a 'Publishing History' if you have had work published in print.