Is it possible to open a consultancy with appropriate knowledge about the field but very few contacts?
Yes.
With knowledge, create content.
Leverage that content to create contacts.
When I wanted to specialize in websites for consultants, I didn’t know many consultants.
Instead of going to networking events to meet them, I wrote content about websites for consultants based on my experience building websites for them.
I didn’t have to go out and create these contacts. My content did it for me.
In 2020, sharing your knowledge is how you network and create contacts.
Turn your knowledge into helpful content.
Share that helpful content.
Watch your network grow.
Why should you focus on CRO (conversion Rate optimization)?
Let’s say your website generates 500 visitors per month.
Most of those visitors browse your site and do nothing.
But 5 of them book a free consultation with you.
That’s 1% of your website visitors.
Now, why should you focus on Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?
Let’s say you want to double your revenue.
You’d have to double the number of leads you get through your website.
If you could convert 2% of your website visitors into free consultations…
…that would give you 10 leads per month instead of 5 — 2x the amount.
By raising your conversion rate by 1%, you can double your revenue.
CRO gets you more clients. For free.
If you want to improve the effectiveness of your website — and increase your revenue— then focus more on CRO.
CRO enables you to profitably advertise in different media, your business will become much more stable. You’ll no longer be hooked on free traffic and no longer at the whim of a search engine algorithm change. CRO will make your website customer-centric, so your customers will like you more and stay with you for longer. It also means other websites are more likely to link to yours.
–Making Website Win, Karl Blanks & Ben Jesson
What are the advantages and disadvantages of link building?
Linkbuilding is the process of getting other websites to link to your website.
The more high-quality and relevant links you have, the higher your website will rank.
Advantages of link building
- Effective. It’s one of the most important SEO factors — and it might be the most important.
- Generates traffic. Outside of the direct SEO benefit, it also generates traffic to your website (which is the goal of SEO in the first place).
- Builds relationships. As a result of your outreach to build links, you’ll naturally build relationships with other websites in your industry.
Disadvantages of link building
- Time-consuming. Link building takes a lot of time and you can’t expect instant or fast results.
- Challenging. A notoriously low percentage of requests for links are actually accepted.
- Penalization. If you resort to shady link building tactics (like buying them), you could face harsh penalties.
The best kind of link building is when your content is so good that other websites link to it without you asking.
However, this isn’t usually the case. In most cases, you’ll have to go out there and build links yourself.
Ultimately, link building is relationship-building. Think of it as a PR exercise.
You’re going out to other websites, building relationships with their owners — and then, when the time is right, you’re asking for a link.
Which freelancing sites have the most unnecessary fees?
All of them.
Why would you pay these sites a fee to compete with others on projects?
Just by being on freelancing sites, you’re paying a fee:
- You’re competing on price
- You’re commoditizing yourself
- You’re trolling job boards instead of marketing
And then freelancing sites make you pay more fees:
- Fees to bid on projects
- Fees on your project’s price
- Fees to have a premium account
However, you can’t blame these sites.
They raise their fees all the time — and freelancers still use them.
I’m guilty of this myself.
I spent 2 years freelancing on Upwork.
I was tired of spending all of this time and energy bidding on projects…
…only to have the freelance site take 10–20%.
So I decided to learn how to market myself and my services properly.
Here’s my advice:
Turn your website into your “freelance” website.
You won’t have to pay any fees.
Instead, clients will pay your fees.
Once you create your own site to generate leads, you’ll never look back at freelancing websites.
It’s harder in the short run, but much easier in the long run.