If you’re a writer (or want to become a freelancer), you’ve probably heard the same thing over and over: “make a website!” And the truth is, whether you write fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or do freelancing, you do need a website.
A writer’s website is perhaps the second most important thing in their repertoire— right before, of course, their actual writing. If you want to grow yourself as a writer, reach more people, and gain more credibility, having a website is crucial.
Here are a few reasons why writers need a website so much.
1. It’s your home base
Your writer’s website will act as your home base of sorts. It will be the center of your marketing, your social media, and your interactions. Having a website gives you a place to gather all of your important information and display it in one central location.
The website can also be the center of all of your marketing— no matter how much you hate marketing. All of your advertisements, announcements, and social media can link back to this, giving people one central place to go to see information about you and what you do.
2. It makes you look more professional
With a well-designed website, even an amateur writer can look like a pro. This is especially important if you are a freelancer trying to gain clients, or a writer trying to pitch your work. Having a website will give you an edge over others who don’t have one.
Giving yourself this air of professionality can also help you advance as a writer. As you make yourself look more professional, you will learn how to actually be it. And before you know it, you’ll be a true pro!
3. You can showcase your best work
No matter what type of writing you do, people are always going to want samples. They want to know that they like your writing style and that you can really do what you say you can. With a website, you can have a place to showcase your best samples, the ones that are more likely to draw people in.
Having a portfolio is an essential piece of being a writer. With a website, you can create a professional-looking portfolio in minutes, and it will be easy for others to access it.
4. It’s a way for new people to find you
Are you a fiction writer looking for new readers? A freelancer looking for new clients? Your website is the way that you can get those.
Someone might hear your name from a friend or see it on a poster somewhere, or you give them a business card. Then, when they search the web to find more about you, they find your website, and all the information they want is right in front of them!
If your website has a blog, it’s an even greater way of reaching more people. Using proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, you can grow your audience beyond what you thought possible. So if you want more people to discover you and your work (and really, what writer doesn’t?), then you need a website.
5. It gives you the motivation to write
If you have a blog or other non-static updated writing on your site, that provides you with a source of motivation. Many writers struggle with finding the motivation to complete or even start their work, and that can be hard to deal with.
But with a website with a blog, you have an external source of motivation pushing you forward. You have readers waiting for a new post and a site that needs updating. This external source of motivation might make it easier for you to write more, without having to push yourself too much to do it.
6. You have the option of an email list
This is one of the reasons why writers need a website that is often associated with blogging, but it can be true for any type of website. Having a website gives you the option of creating an email list, which can help you grow your reach even more.
Sending out emails will help keep your audience more engaged with what you do, whether that’s a blog, other writing, or freelance services. It also gives you another source of motivation to keep you writing. Adding an email list to your website is just another way of expanding your circle and widening your home base.
7. It lets you put yourself, and your personality, out there
Creating a website can simply be downright fun, and it lets you put your personality out into your own corner of the internet. Sharing yourself like this not only helps you find other people but helps you feel more confident in yourself.
Putting your personality out there, and having other people respond to it positively, can boost your self-confidence. You can share your personality through the colors you choose, what you write, the pictures you use, even what font you choose.
All of these are ways of expressing your personality, and when other people start seeing them and sticking around your site, it will make you feel better about yourself. It can also give you a confidence boost, which may help you be more successful as a writer.
8. It has the potential to bring in money
If you have a blog or other writing that you share through your website, this has the opportunity to become another source of income for you. Once you grow a good reader base, there are plenty of ways to monetize your site and blog.
Making money as a writer is hard, so any additional source of income should be welcome. And if you can make money doing something that you love— and are probably already doing— then why not?
Monetizing a blog or writer’s website doesn’t have to be hard, and if you have a good reader base, you can make a substantial bit of money. It’s yet another reason why writers need a website: they need money, just like everyone else.
9. You can use it to make announcements
As a writer, you might need to make announcements often. This could be the start of a new project, the release date of a book, an appearance on a show or podcast, a change in your services, etc. Without a website, it would be hard for you to let all of your readers and followers know.
But with a website, you have an easy central location where you can make these kinds of announcements. This makes it easier to reach the people who are important and make sure everyone stays informed as to what you have going on.
10. Can help your Google search rankings
SEO and search rankings may seem like a bunch of jargon you don’t understand— and that’s ok. Just know that simply having a website that talks about you will improve your Google search rankings.
This means it is easier for people to find you. The higher your ranking, the higher up on Google you appear, and the more likely it is someone will find you when they’re looking for you, or even just for a writer.
Talking about yourself, what you do, what services you provide, and linking your social media can all be good ways to improve your ranking. And if you’re really serious about it, do some research about how to apply SEO to your website.
11. It provides an archive you can look back on
If you run a blog or share your writing through your website, this will create an archive of your past work. You can then look back on this to see how far you’ve come, and what progress you’ve made in your journey as a writer.
Looking back at your old work might make you embarrassed, but it doesn’t have to. Instead, you can focus on how much your writing has changed, and how you have improved. It lets you see all the ways you’ve become better as a writer.
An archive also acts the same way for your readers: they can look back at your old work and compare it to what you do now, seeing how much progress you’ve made.
Lastly, having an archive can give you a source of motivation when you can’t find any. Don’t know what to write? Look at your old work and see if any of it inspires you— you can write something new, expand on an old piece, or even rewrite an old piece.
Now that you understand that, let’s look at some of the reasons why you need to create a website as a writer.
Wrapping it up
Clearly, there are a lot of reasons why writers need a website, and you are no exception. Having a website can have a lot of benefits for you, and help you progress in your career as a writer.
Plus, websites are usually really easy to set up. And if you can’t figure it out or want something more complex, you can always hire a professional to help you. So go out there and create your writer’s website today!
