When you're a freelance UX writer, you're a freelance UX writing business.
And just like Lululemon and Lemonade, you need a website.
Not just any website — you need a sales machine.
Your LinkedIn profile is just the starting point, like matching with that cute person on Tinder (or is Hinge the “cool” app now?)
Just like you’re gonna wanna see if they have more to say than “hey,” a client's gonna want to see what you’re all about. You're gonna have to tell 'em on your website if ya wanna get to the sales call.
If you've never made a website before, it can be pretty intimidating. Where do you start? Maybe you feel like there’s too much to say. Or maybe you have no idea what to say.
Needless to say, it can be more confusing than Dorothy traveling through Oz.
Dorothy just wanted to go home. And you're going to want to start with your home page.
Starting your freelance UX writing website with your home page is the easiest first step because everything is going to branch off from there.
Your homepage should give a taste of each supplemental page, so clients can choose their own adventure.
The goal of your website home page is to:
- Put the problem you solve front and center
- Explain why you're the best solution
- Back up your credibility
- Offer branches to explore more
Your home page needs to be an experience
A home page isn't a blog post.
You're a UX writer, and that's about designing an experience. Your website home page is an experience, and how you design it will preface what you're like as a UX writer.
With that, your website sections need to be:
- Contained (like literally in boxes)
- Parsable
- Action-oriented
Here's what I mean by each of these:
1. Contained
Instead of a wall of text, you're going to want to format your home page.
Think of each block of content as a box. How might you arrange the boxes to organize what you want to say.
It's a shift from thinking in paragraphs to thinking in blocks of content that fit together.
Take this example from my freelance UX writing site, madebyslater.com:
Each value prop of working with a freelance UX writer is nicely packaged in a neat box, as opposed to a paragraph with 3 headings.
Compare that to what some freelancers do:
What this person did is “fine,” but it makes someone have to stop and read, and a client’s time is something you don’t want to waste.
2. Parsable
Not every part of your website is going to be relevant to your client. You need to break out chunks of information based on the “journey” they could go on.
For example, I list 3 ways you can work with me on my website: In-app copy, website content, and email content.
With a clear header and minimal supporting body copy, a client can parse through just enough to 1. Convince them I can provide what they're looking for and 2. Encourage them to learn more based on the relevancy.
3. Action-oriented
I've mentioned a few times that your home page is meant to be a jumping off point for a client to go on a journey on your website.
It's highly likely a client isn't going to convert just from your home page. They need to learn more about what you've done and can offer, and your homepage is an excellent traffic director for that.
Take these sections from madebyslater.com:
Each section directs to another page. This keeps the party going based on what's relevant to the client.
The high-performing website content formula
That's all great, but how you arrange these building blocks matters.
Here's a formula you can easily follow:
- H – Hero value prop
- C – Credibility
- P – Pain point
- S – Solution
- P – Proof
- O – Offerings
- E – Examples
- A – About
- E – Expertise
- C – Call-to-action
Let me explain…
1. H – Hero value prop
This is your overarching unique value proposition. You figure this out by getting a deep understanding of your target customer, defining your personal brand, and picking a niche you’re passionate about.
2. C – Credibility
If you have previous clients, this is where you put their logos to show you’re the real deal. If you don’t have previous clients, this is an optional section (and something you can work toward!)
3. P – Pain point
Now, you’re going to say your target customer’s pain point to them (another plug to go pinpoint your target customer.) This shows them you’re familiar with the world they live in and understand the struggles they're up against.
4. S – Solution
Now that you’ve repeated their pain point back to them, it’s time to present yourself and your offering as the ideal solution. It’s important to show, not tell, here.
5. P – Proof
A client might be wondering, but does their solution work? That’s why next you swoop in with previous client testimonials to back up your claims.
Don’t have client testimonials? If you have a good relationship with a previous client, there’s still time to ask. If you don’t have previous clients, this is something you can build toward and isn’t required starting out.
6. O – Offerings
Now that you’ve shown a proof-backed solution to their problem, it’s time to get more tangible with how they can work with you. This doesn’t have to be exact offerings, but general, overarching mediums you work with.
7. E – Examples
We’re going to build on what we’re saying again, now with examples of how we’ve successfully executed these offerings for previous clients (aka your work samples or portfolio pieces.) If you don’t have any work to show, take a look at my previous post on how to find clients with no experience. There are some tips on how to build a portfolio without a client.
8. A – About
But who is this magical being who can solve all my problems? It’s time to introduce yourself and link to your about page.
9. E – Expertise
Show off your knowledge with a blog. Blogging isn’t just great for SEO, it positions you as a thought leader to clients. Also, I used blogging as my main client acquisition tactic and blogged my way to sending $100k proposals, so there’s that to try, too.
10. C – Call-to-action
If a client made it to the end of your home page, don’t leave them at a dead end. Add a call-to-action to book a consultation.
Ok, but does this work?
YES. Ima leave my site states right here…
A home page that's concise, compelling, and actionable is crucial to revving the engine on your sales machine.
It takes time, but hopefully this has shed some guidance on how to get started.
Happy UX writing 🖖
