creating and optimizing a website for your freelance translation business handout
DESCRIPTION
Deciding to create a website for your professional freelance translation business is one of the best ways to maximize your business success. This session will show you how you how to create your own website at no or low cost, without having to know html or hire a web designer. The session presents what content you should include and how to make it more visible online. Specific examples of website content for linguists will be discussed, plus some dos and don’ts in website creation and maintenance.TRANSCRIPT
Creating and optimizing a website for your freelance translation business
1
Tess Whitty http://www.swedishtranslationservices.com Pictures from freedigitalphotos.net
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
2
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Why have a website?
3
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Benefits of having a website
1. Online presence 2. Cost advantage 3. Found through search engines 4. Always available 5. World markets 6. Great complement to other online presence
4
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Indirect benefits of having website 1. You can update anytime, anywhere 2. Use for market research 3. Improved credibility 4. Added value for customers
5
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
6
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Free or low cost website hosting and templates
1. Webs.Com http://www.webs.com
2. WordPress http://www.wordpress.com
3. Blogger.Com http://www.blogger.com
4. Google Sites http://sites.google.com 7
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
8
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Steps to create your own website 1. Plan your website 2. Register a domain name 3. Choose a web host 4. Choose a website template 5. Customize your template 6. Proofread and test 7. Publish your website 8. Search Engine Optimization 9. Market your website
9
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
10
Suggestions for content • Home • About page • Services • Contact information • Samples and/or references • Links • Page with certifications, published articles,
events/training you have attended • Multilingual
11
Noteworthy about the text • Page headers • Text links • Picture descriptions • Write for people, not search engines • Write for your target group
12
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
13
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Website do’s • Short and concise text • Place the most important pages into the root (main)
folder • Make your site useful and professional • Place a search-bar on each page • If you wish to make the site even more “sticky” – add a
forum and/or a blog • Make it easy for people to contact you
14
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Website don’ts – design • Crazy formats and colors • Writing predictable or boring content • Beware of copied content • Never updating your website • Only about you, not how you can help • Grammar mistakes • Hard to read
15
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Website don’ts – technical
• Long time to load • Confusing functionality • Broken links and missing images • Requiring visitors to download and install plug-ins to
view your site • Telling people that they need a specific browser to view
your site • Lots of pop-ups, animations and flash
16
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
17
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Marketing your website – online • Email signature • In signature for all news group, discussion group or
forum postings • Online profiles and directories • Search Engine Optimization
18
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Marketing your website – offline
• Include URL in all marketing communication: • Business cards • Resumes • Brochures • Christmas cards
19
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Search Engine Optimization – SEO • Custom domain name • Keywords (www.adwords.google.com) • Descriptions • Submit your site to Google, Bing and Yahoo • Link exchange • Professional SEO services (optional)
20
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Outline 1. Why do we need a website for our freelance
translation/interpretation business? 2. Free or low cost website hosting and templates 3. Steps to create your own business website 4. Website content 5. Do’s and don’ts for a translation service website 6. Marketing your website 7. Integrating your website into the rest of your online
presence and marketing 8. Conclusions
21
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Integrating your website – social media • Applications for linking to your social media from your
website • Third party services to link content - publish once on all
social media (e.g. HootSuite, TweetDeck or SocialOomph )
22
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Conclusions • Having your own webpage is an important marketing tool
for your freelance translation/interpretation business • Does not have to be difficult or expensive • Market your website • Start small, then add on tools and features
23
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
References and further reading • How to create a
website for free – wordpress
• Creating a website – Fast and easy
• ProZ webinar: Social SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics for translators by Anne Diamantidis
• Entrepreneur.com – Make your Website Famous, by Al Lautenslager
• ProZ webinar: Creating a Marketing Plan for Freelance Translators, by Tess Whitty
24
© Te
ss W
hitt
y
ww
w.s
wed
ishtr
ansla
tions
ervi
ces.
com
Pictures from freedigitanlpictures.net