Your guide to a freelance website that hooks new customers.
There's no need to spend too much column space talking about why a good freelancer website is the key to getting clients to queue up.
Your website is often the last stop between a curious future client and your first pitch. And it's unfortunately a common freelancing mistake to underestimate the importance of a website that shows who you are.
But what is a good website anyway?
A good website is one that clearly communicates what you do and who you help. Plain and simple.
You can't, and shouldn't, help everyone. (We've written a bit about limiting yourself and finding your niche here, in case you need to start the level earlier).
Your website is therefore also your chance to cut to the chase and speak directly to your ICP - ideal customer profile.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
The promised land
When a potential customer lands on your site, you have one overarching goal: to help your future customer dream and show them the promised land.
The promised land is the world with your solution in hand.
Maybe it's a crackling crisp webshop, texts softer than butter or a big data solution that ties up all the loose ends. Whatever you're selling, it's about getting very specific and showing what magical solutions you deliver.
New customers are rarely ever faced with a general problem. They are therefore looking for very specific solutions to very specific problems.
Structure of your page
Your page is generally divided into two sections: above and below the fold. Also called above the fold (ATF) and below the fold (BTF).
The fold is what is visible before the visitor has to find the scroll wheel on the mouse.
The most important element on your site is therefore your ATF section.
It determines whether potential customers are piqued enough to investigate your service further, or whether they continue their search for a supplier that can solve their problem elsewhere.
In this article, we break down your ATF section and look at which elements you should focus on.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Above the fold
The good ATF section on your freelance website contains some standard elements:
- Headline: the value you deliver
- Under Heading: how you deliver it
- Social proof: who else you've helped
- Call to action: how to help a new customer move forward
- Objection handling: how to handle doubts about whether you should be elected
- Image: how to visualize your service
1. Your headline
There are countless guides on how to write the perfect headline. We take a look at perhaps the three most important ones.
Speak directly to your target audience.
You don't have to win everyone over, and you can often fall into the trap of making your headline too generic. If your headline is too broad, you will experience a bounce rate that is headed for the moon. (Hint: we don't want that!)
Therefore, be aware of who you want to reach and speak directly to that core audience.
Be specific and focus on what value you deliver
Your headline should be easy to decode, free of fluff and give a clear understanding of how the recipient will get value. This is already where you open the door ajar to the promised land.
Dominate your niche
Use your headline to support your position asthe solution your potential (and hopefully ideal) customer is looking for.
2. Your sub-heading
Your subtitle is basically the supporting supporting cast to your headline. It should therefore do two things: describe what you deliver + how you deliver the value you just described in the headline.
Bonus: customers love numbers! If you can include results from other customers here, you've come a long way.
3. Social proof
When you sell services or products directly to the end consumer, they often get a kick out of being first. But when you sell to businesses, it's a slightly different story.
Business customers don't want to be first, they want to be safe. In the executive corridors, there is a slightly frayed motto: "You never get fired for hiring IBM".
The safe choice won't get you into trouble.
Project managers are chasing results and the easiest way to navigate potential providers is to see who else has been satisfied.
Testimonials, ratings and results are all part of why people should choose you. Find our guide to getting testimonials and then play them right up front where you can't miss them.
4. call to action
Your CTA should make it as easy as possible for potential customers to get help.
The best CTA texts move beyond "buy now!" or "contact" and support the rest of your messaging.
One exercise we do again and again is to ask "why". And you keep doing it until you can formulate a CTA text that is precise and benefit-oriented.
Let's say you sell social media management packages for webshops in the design industry.
A CTA exercise can therefore look like this:
- "Buy now"
- Why is that?
- "So I can save you time managing social media"
- Why is that?
- "So you can have an insta that kicks ass"
- Why is that?
- "So you can sell more lamps"
- Why...
Once you've gotten to the core of the benefit you're delivering, you can formulate a CTA text that goes from a generic "Buy" to something like "Get the IG profile your brand deserves".
5. Objection handling
Potential customers have a number of reservations. Get under the skin of potential customers and get to the core elements of what's holding them back from choosing you. (Pro tip: give The MOM test a quick spin if you want to get ready to ask better questions).
Objection handling is all about dispelling any doubts, so you can sprinkle it across both your ATF section and the rest of your site.
In the example above, Overflow uses objection handling by responding to a potential user's caveat "it probably won't work with the tools I'm using today!". Overflow has (most likely) identified that particular objection as the biggest barrier and addresses it directly above the fold.
6. image
The crown of your ATF section is a visual element that ties it all together.
Many freelancers choose to show themselves above the fold, but if you can show your service, or better yet your service in action, you're miles ahead of your competitors.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Above The Fold summarized
You have fifteen seconds to hook your visitors - or they will bounce.
The ATF section of your freelance website should create enough curiosity to make people want to work with you.
The first step is therefore to guide a potential customer further into your site.
The good ATF section contains:
- A value-oriented headline.
- A sub-heading that supports the headline and explains how.
- Social proof that helps you see how you've helped others.
- A clear path for how to move forward (CTA)
- Dealing with arguments why not to choose you
- Visual elements that show you or your service in use
Your guide to a freelance website that hooks new customers.
There's no need to spend too much column space talking about why a good freelancer website is the key to getting clients to queue up.
Your website is often the last stop between a curious future client and your first pitch. And it's unfortunately a common freelancing mistake to underestimate the importance of a website that shows who you are.
But what is a good website anyway?
A good website is one that clearly communicates what you do and who you help. Plain and simple.
You can't, and shouldn't, help everyone. (We've written a bit about limiting yourself and finding your niche here, in case you need to start the level earlier).
Your website is therefore also your chance to cut to the chase and speak directly to your ICP - ideal customer profile.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
The promised land
When a potential customer lands on your site, you have one overarching goal: to help your future customer dream and show them the promised land.
The promised land is the world with your solution in hand.
Maybe it's a crackling crisp webshop, texts softer than butter or a big data solution that ties up all the loose ends. Whatever you're selling, it's about getting very specific and showing what magical solutions you deliver.
New customers are rarely ever faced with a general problem. They are therefore looking for very specific solutions to very specific problems.
Structure of your page
Your page is generally divided into two sections: above and below the fold. Also called above the fold (ATF) and below the fold (BTF).
The fold is what is visible before the visitor has to find the scroll wheel on the mouse.
The most important element on your site is therefore your ATF section.
It determines whether potential customers are piqued enough to investigate your service further, or whether they continue their search for a supplier that can solve their problem elsewhere.
In this article, we break down your ATF section and look at which elements you should focus on.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Above the fold
The good ATF section on your freelance website contains some standard elements:
- Headline: the value you deliver
- Under Heading: how you deliver it
- Social proof: who else you've helped
- Call to action: how to help a new customer move forward
- Objection handling: how to handle doubts about whether you should be elected
- Image: how to visualize your service
1. Your headline
There are countless guides on how to write the perfect headline. We take a look at perhaps the three most important ones.
Speak directly to your target audience.
You don't have to win everyone over, and you can often fall into the trap of making your headline too generic. If your headline is too broad, you will experience a bounce rate that is headed for the moon. (Hint: we don't want that!)
Therefore, be aware of who you want to reach and speak directly to that core audience.
Be specific and focus on what value you deliver
Your headline should be easy to decode, free of fluff and give a clear understanding of how the recipient will get value. This is already where you open the door ajar to the promised land.
Dominate your niche
Use your headline to support your position asthe solution your potential (and hopefully ideal) customer is looking for.
2. Your sub-heading
Your subtitle is basically the supporting supporting cast to your headline. It should therefore do two things: describe what you deliver + how you deliver the value you just described in the headline.
Bonus: customers love numbers! If you can include results from other customers here, you've come a long way.
3. Social proof
When you sell services or products directly to the end consumer, they often get a kick out of being first. But when you sell to businesses, it's a slightly different story.
Business customers don't want to be first, they want to be safe. In the executive corridors, there is a slightly frayed motto: "You never get fired for hiring IBM".
The safe choice won't get you into trouble.
Project managers are chasing results and the easiest way to navigate potential providers is to see who else has been satisfied.
Testimonials, ratings and results are all part of why people should choose you. Find our guide to getting testimonials and then play them right up front where you can't miss them.
4. call to action
Your CTA should make it as easy as possible for potential customers to get help.
The best CTA texts move beyond "buy now!" or "contact" and support the rest of your messaging.
One exercise we do again and again is to ask "why". And you keep doing it until you can formulate a CTA text that is precise and benefit-oriented.
Let's say you sell social media management packages for webshops in the design industry.
A CTA exercise can therefore look like this:
- "Buy now"
- Why is that?
- "So I can save you time managing social media"
- Why is that?
- "So you can have an insta that kicks ass"
- Why is that?
- "So you can sell more lamps"
- Why...
Once you've gotten to the core of the benefit you're delivering, you can formulate a CTA text that goes from a generic "Buy" to something like "Get the IG profile your brand deserves".
5. Objection handling
Potential customers have a number of reservations. Get under the skin of potential customers and get to the core elements of what's holding them back from choosing you. (Pro tip: give The MOM test a quick spin if you want to get ready to ask better questions).
Objection handling is all about dispelling any doubts, so you can sprinkle it across both your ATF section and the rest of your site.
In the example above, Overflow uses objection handling by responding to a potential user's caveat "it probably won't work with the tools I'm using today!". Overflow has (most likely) identified that particular objection as the biggest barrier and addresses it directly above the fold.
6. image
The crown of your ATF section is a visual element that ties it all together.
Many freelancers choose to show themselves above the fold, but if you can show your service, or better yet your service in action, you're miles ahead of your competitors.
Freelance with Factofly
Use Factofly to invoice and get paid without having your own VAT number or registered company. We take care of all the boring stuff so you can spend your time where it's most fun.
Above The Fold summarized
You have fifteen seconds to hook your visitors - or they will bounce.
The ATF section of your freelance website should create enough curiosity to make people want to work with you.
The first step is therefore to guide a potential customer further into your site.
The good ATF section contains:
- A value-oriented headline.
- A sub-heading that supports the headline and explains how.
- Social proof that helps you see how you've helped others.
- A clear path for how to move forward (CTA)
- Dealing with arguments why not to choose you
- Visual elements that show you or your service in use
