The Essentials You Need For Your Creative Website as an Entrepreneur
In the digital age there are so many online businesses that have no brick & mortar store (including me), so basically their website is their “storefront.” So if your goal is to have a successful business then creating a fun and unique website for your brand is pretty much a no brainer. It doesn’t have to be perfect from the start or be developed from scratch by a developer. But I believe there are a few things it needs to have to make you legit and gain trust + traction in your line of work. These essentials relate specifically to the creative entrepreneur world that I’m in, but can definitely help anyone with building their creative website.
I’ll be talking mostly content in this post but if you need more information on the actual tools to create your website I talk about using WordPress in my Top Small Business Tools You Can’t Live Without Part 1 post and I talk about SiteGround (referral link) for hosting in my Top Small Business Tools You Can’t Live Without Part 2 post so check them out!
TOP 3 MUST HAVES:
The Main Focus
B.L.U.F bottom line up front
First off you need people to know what your creative website and business is all about the moment they get on your page. With the way attention spans are these days if you don’t have a clear message then people won’t stick around. At the same time you need to make sure you show a little personality of your brand and yourself so you are memorable.
Here’s a few things to think about to help you figure out what to have on the homepage of your creative website:
- What does your business do?
- Do you sell merchandise or services?
- Do you help out other creatives with marketing & social media?
- Are you a virtual assistant or a web designer?
There are so many things to think about but just remember you want people to know instantly what you and your business is about when they come to your homepage!
All About You
So now on to you, in the small business creative entrepreneur world the brand is as much about who you are as it is about what you do. People usually want to feel good about who they are working with, whether it’s buying a product or signing up for a workshop. If they can relate to you on a personal level it is more likely they will remember your creative website & brand + come back if they need your services! You can even use this section to tell a story that relates back to your business, but make sure it’s relevant and memorable!
Your Services
So now on to what you actually offer! Once you have the main focus and more about yourself on your website hopefully people get the gist of what you are offering to the world. But it’s always important to get into the details and really sell yourself in an authentic way. You want to make it easy for people to take action and be able to reach out to you through your creative website. If they love what you’ve told them so far but aren’t sure how to work with you and need more details they might search out someone else. You definitely want to make this section as informative and user friendly as possible. And like the other parts of your creative website, you want to keep it infused with your personality since that is what will keep people on your site and interested in your services.
NICE TO HAVES:
Portfolio
Depending on the type of business you are running a portfolio on your creative website could be essential. However it’s ok to be a work in progress and something you add to over time. As long as you have the other sections up and running you can add this on as you have pieces to add. One of the important things with this section is to make sure you show your best work!
Also you should show examples of the work you want to continue doing in your business. Even if you have an amazing completed project but you don’t want to continue that type of work then there is no point in keeping it in your portfolio since it will draw in similar clients. Your portfolio should reflect the great work you are doing and the path you want to take your business.
Testimonials
This is another section that depends on your business, but people love to hear from real users or buyers before they sign themselves up. There are many ways you can add this in, an easy way if you sell physical products on your creative website is to include reviews from buyers. Or if you do workshops or webinars, make sure to get feedback from past participants and then you can share them on your site to build credibility.
Blog
The last “nice to have” for a website is a blog (I obviously have one). I know, I know, there are so many blogs already out there, but I believe it still is a good way to be authentic and speak to your customers and peers on the internet. It’s also a way to interject more personality into your website and business while also sharing your unique expertise.
Side note: If you are going to start blogging on your creative website you do need to be consistent as it can take time to build momentum.
WRAP UP:
It’s pretty easy these days to set up a new website and get your business or creative side hustle out there to the masses. But make sure you include these essentials: the main focus, all about you, and your services in order to make a great first impression. And if you want to take your creative website a step farther then add on fun sections like a portfolio, testimonials, and a blog and you’ll be steps closer to a successful website for your business!
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