My personal website is my greatest asset:
- £100,000s of revenue
- 100s of opportunities
- 4x income streams
Here's how I built it.
A thread.
- £100,000s of revenue
- 100s of opportunities
- 4x income streams
Here's how I built it.
A thread.
How:
I started right away.
Why it's important:
If you want to generate leads, revenue and opportunity online, you should have a personal website.
The best time to start was yesterday, the second-best time is today.
I started right away.
Why it's important:
If you want to generate leads, revenue and opportunity online, you should have a personal website.
The best time to start was yesterday, the second-best time is today.
How to get started today:
- Use a DIY tool like @wordpressdotcom, @carrd or @super_
- Create a home page with your headshot and a sentence describing what you do
- Add a clear way to contact you easily
- Publish a blog post about how you put together your new personal website
- Use a DIY tool like @wordpressdotcom, @carrd or @super_
- Create a home page with your headshot and a sentence describing what you do
- Add a clear way to contact you easily
- Publish a blog post about how you put together your new personal website
How:
I kept it simple.
Why it's important:
A minimum viable personal website gets you from 0 to 1.
Don't worry about fancy features and coding everything from scratch in the beginning.
Get something up and improve it.
Momentum is everything.
I kept it simple.
Why it's important:
A minimum viable personal website gets you from 0 to 1.
Don't worry about fancy features and coding everything from scratch in the beginning.
Get something up and improve it.
Momentum is everything.
How to keep it simple:
- Use 1 accent colour
- Pick no more than 2 fonts
- Use your name as your domain (get .com if available)
- Stop worrying about needing lots of content upfront
- Use 1 accent colour
- Pick no more than 2 fonts
- Use your name as your domain (get .com if available)
- Stop worrying about needing lots of content upfront
How:
I chose a narrow focus.
Why it's important:
Niching down will give you traction and build your brand.
Being the go-to person for a specific audience helps you stand out.
You can't become known for everything.
So don't try to offer it to everyone.
I chose a narrow focus.
Why it's important:
Niching down will give you traction and build your brand.
Being the go-to person for a specific audience helps you stand out.
You can't become known for everything.
So don't try to offer it to everyone.
How to narrow your focus:
- Think about what you enjoy most
- Think about what you do better than most
- Think about what you can do for a long time
- Center the content of your personal website around these findings
- Think about what you enjoy most
- Think about what you do better than most
- Think about what you can do for a long time
- Center the content of your personal website around these findings
How:
I made it a priority.
Why it's important:
Your personal website is your CV.
The passport to the lifestyle you want to lead.
The asset that works for you while you do something else.
When you have consistent opportunities, everything else becomes easier.
I made it a priority.
Why it's important:
Your personal website is your CV.
The passport to the lifestyle you want to lead.
The asset that works for you while you do something else.
When you have consistent opportunities, everything else becomes easier.
How to make your personal website a priority:
- Hire someone to build one for you if you're too busy
- Block time to create new content on a regular basis
- Monitor your results (traffic, search rankings, leads in, revenue generated)
- Hold quarterly reviews & make improvements
- Hire someone to build one for you if you're too busy
- Block time to create new content on a regular basis
- Monitor your results (traffic, search rankings, leads in, revenue generated)
- Hold quarterly reviews & make improvements
How:
I built single service landing pages.
Why it's important:
If you want to sell something you need to make a clear offer.
Having a well-optimised page on your website that's exactly what your customers are searching for can generate years worth of leads on autopilot.
I built single service landing pages.
Why it's important:
If you want to sell something you need to make a clear offer.
Having a well-optimised page on your website that's exactly what your customers are searching for can generate years worth of leads on autopilot.
How to build a single service landing page:
- Pick your best skill (see: narrow focus)
- Use @ahrefs to find what people are searching for relating to your skill (IE: freelance WordPress developer)
- Create a page with lots of copy around this keyword communicating your ability
- Pick your best skill (see: narrow focus)
- Use @ahrefs to find what people are searching for relating to your skill (IE: freelance WordPress developer)
- Create a page with lots of copy around this keyword communicating your ability
- Show what you've done before that's relevant (side projects, portfolio, articles)
- Prove you can deliver with trust signals (client list, testimonials)
- Storytell towards an enquiry form at the bottom of the page
- Get links to your website (blog content, podcast appearances)
- Prove you can deliver with trust signals (client list, testimonials)
- Storytell towards an enquiry form at the bottom of the page
- Get links to your website (blog content, podcast appearances)
How:
I studied copywriting.
Why it's important:
Copywriting is essential in a world where many deals are negotiated remotely.
No matter what you do, you'll benefit from being able to communicate your ideas clearly.
Writing convincingly on your website increases conversions.
I studied copywriting.
Why it's important:
Copywriting is essential in a world where many deals are negotiated remotely.
No matter what you do, you'll benefit from being able to communicate your ideas clearly.
Writing convincingly on your website increases conversions.
How to study copywriting:
- Every time you buy, sign up or subscribe to something online - save the landing page and make notes - what convinced you?
- Have an idea for a product or service? Create a landing page for it - would you buy? Edit and refine
- Every time you buy, sign up or subscribe to something online - save the landing page and make notes - what convinced you?
- Have an idea for a product or service? Create a landing page for it - would you buy? Edit and refine
- Become a regular writer. Write tweets, write emails, write articles
- Join a cohort like @dickiebush + @nicolascole77's Ship 30 For 30 or @david_perell's Write Of Passage if you need a push
- Join a cohort like @dickiebush + @nicolascole77's Ship 30 For 30 or @david_perell's Write Of Passage if you need a push
How:
I studied SEO.
Why it's important:
A personal website that doesn't bring in opportunities isn't working.
You need to get eyes on your content with traffic.
General knowledge of SEO will get you ahead.
I studied SEO.
Why it's important:
A personal website that doesn't bring in opportunities isn't working.
You need to get eyes on your content with traffic.
General knowledge of SEO will get you ahead.
How to get started with SEO:
- Set up analytics + search console on your personal website and monitor performance
- Work your way through learningseo.io by the amazing @aleyda
- Set up analytics + search console on your personal website and monitor performance
- Work your way through learningseo.io by the amazing @aleyda
How:
I thought outside the box.
Why it's important:
Your personal website doesn't just have to advertise your freelance services.
It's about building your brand as a whole & getting people to buy into you as a person.
With this approach, you can provide value on all sides.
I thought outside the box.
Why it's important:
Your personal website doesn't just have to advertise your freelance services.
It's about building your brand as a whole & getting people to buy into you as a person.
With this approach, you can provide value on all sides.
How to think outside the box:
- Share your story as well as your expertise
- Tell people who want to be like you how you do things
- Think about how you can productise your skills (eBook, course, community)
- Think about how you can monetise your opinion (affiliate, coaching)
- Share your story as well as your expertise
- Tell people who want to be like you how you do things
- Think about how you can productise your skills (eBook, course, community)
- Think about how you can monetise your opinion (affiliate, coaching)
How:
I got over the fear of putting myself out there.
Why it's important:
You can only go so far when you're scared to share.
It's great to be good at what you do, but people need to know that you're good.
You can only do so much for others by being scared to share too.
I got over the fear of putting myself out there.
Why it's important:
You can only go so far when you're scared to share.
It's great to be good at what you do, but people need to know that you're good.
You can only do so much for others by being scared to share too.
How to get over the fear:
- Think about the impact you could make
- Start with small contributions to build confidence
- If you struggle with accountability, commit to something publically
- Understand that all points have a counterpoint
- Know that everyone is winging it
- Think about the impact you could make
- Start with small contributions to build confidence
- If you struggle with accountability, commit to something publically
- Understand that all points have a counterpoint
- Know that everyone is winging it
How:
I stuck at it.
Why it's important:
Your personal website is never finished.
There's always something to improve on and your brand may evolve over time.
The first step is get live, the second is to iterate.
I stuck at it.
Why it's important:
Your personal website is never finished.
There's always something to improve on and your brand may evolve over time.
The first step is get live, the second is to iterate.
How to keep improving your personal website:
- Add new work when you do it
- Update your story as it unfolds
- A/B test copy, colours and form fields
- Improve its technology as your skills develop
- Track your returns and implement data driven changes
- Add new work when you do it
- Update your story as it unfolds
- A/B test copy, colours and form fields
- Improve its technology as your skills develop
- Track your returns and implement data driven changes
Thanks for reading!
If you liked this thread:
1. Follow me @tom_hirst
(I post them all the time)
2. Retweet the first tweet linked below
(It really helps me out)
If you liked this thread:
1. Follow me @tom_hirst
(I post them all the time)
2. Retweet the first tweet linked below
(It really helps me out)
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