According to a recent survey from Career Builder, 53% of employers agree that a CV alone does not provide enough information to determine whether a consultant is the right for a business. Therefore, the storytelling element you can present through a personal website can really help to improve your odds of securing a new role or client.
As an independent consultant, you should think of your website as your shop window. It is prime real estate for promoting the expertise, experience and perspective that you can offer to businesses and an excellent way to showcase your brand. Regardless of the sector that you specialise in, it will give you added credibility and is something you can include on your CV to entice the reader to learn more.
Many consultants view a website as an expensive tool for their business when in fact, a quality website could be one of the best investments you ever make. A well-executed website will add reams of value to both your personal and business brands in many ways.
Make sure your website is fresh, engaging and easy to navigate; simple menus, clear content and a bold call-to-action will ensure people quickly understand who you are, what you do and how to get in touch with you. Similarly, consider your colour palette both in terms of aesthetic and emotional impact. For example, the colour blue evokes feelings of trustworthiness and is a common background colour for websites, whilst a bright orange conjures excitement and confidence and can often be used for click-through buttons or to drive sales.
A website can also be a great showcase for positive reviews and testimonials. Potential clients will no longer have to scour review sites to find reviews and you can also have a dedicated area on your site for bespoke testimonials in the form of video, audio or written case studies which will enhance your reputation way beyond the capacity of generic reviews on Google or Trustpilot.
Your website is your chance to make sure your personal brand reaches the maximum audience. It will ensure your skills, suitability and values are portrayed in a totally undiluted and uniquely curated way.
As a consultant, you are a needle in a haystack so you need to stand out from others by making sure your content is original, thought leading and customer focused. You can use your content to offer added value and build relationships with your audience. For example, by joining your content mailing list interested parties can gain access to free downloads of audio, blogs or articles and you can open a dialogue with them via follow up emails.
As for actually building your website you can either engage the services of a professional who will help you with technical aspects such as SEO and mobile optimization, or if you want to save money, you can create your own website using website builder software.
Website builders allow business professionals to build anything from a simple single-page website to a highly-professional web store, regardless of whether they have technical experience or not.
Affordable options such as Wix, Squarespace and WordPress are perfect for a consultant wanting to create their own site from preset templates and themes to avoid the cost of engaging a professional. Many web builders are relatively simple, intuitive and easy to use. However, it might be worth considering that building your own website might be difficult for those who are time poor or want something a little more sophisticated than basic packages can offer. You must remeber that a small investment in your site may lead to a large return if it helps to drive awareness and entice more clients to work with you.
