Every Independent and Creative Consultant Needs a Professionally Designed Website
I mean, if you're serious about your work, that is.
When I first started freelancing as a photographer (back in the day), I made the cliché mistake: I assumed that my work would speak for itself. I thought that if I just kept refining my craft, people would find me. Maybe through word of mouth, maybe through social media. Maybe through some magical force of the universe that connects talented people with paying clients. Spoiler alert: that’s not how it works. It didn’t work then and it definitely doesn’t work now. You need to give your work a platform.
A professionally designed website isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of a serious business. And if you’re a solopreneur trying to carve out your place in your industry, it’s the one investment that will work for you long after you’ve logged off for the day.
Credibility You Can’t Fake
There’s a reason that when someone is about to hire you, collaborate with you, or take you seriously in any professional capacity, they Google you. And when they do, what they find (or don’t find) says more than you ever could in an email pitch.
A well-designed website isn’t just an online brochure. It’s proof that you take yourself seriously, that you’ve put thought into your business, that you’re in control, and that you’re not disappearing overnight. It tells potential clients or partners that you’re professional, reliable, and established enough to have a digital home base.
Control Over Your Own Narrative
If your entire online presence exists on borrowed space (Instagram, LinkedIn, whatever platform is trending this year) you’re handing over control of your business identity to someone else whose interests are not the same as yours. Social media algorithms decide who sees your work. Platforms can (and do) change overnight, leaving you scrambling to adjust. A website is yours. It’s the one place where you dictate how your brand is presented, how people navigate your offerings, and what story they encounter when they land there.
And yes, your website should tell a story. Not in an overwrought, novel sort of way, but in the sense that it should guide visitors through exactly who you are, what you offer, and why they should care.
Functionality That Works for You
Your time is your most precious resource. A well-structured website isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about function. It can answer FAQs so you don’t have to repeat yourself. It can showcase your portfolio or services in a way that makes sense. It can integrate scheduling, payment processing, lead capture and whatever makes your workflow smooth as silk.
Think of your website as an employee that works 24/7, without complaints, whose primary responsibility is making it easier for the right people to find and work with you.
Visibility Is a Long Game
Social media posts vanish into the void within days (if not hours or minutes). A website, optimized correctly, can continue bringing in potential clients through search engines for years. Google still reigns supreme in how people search for services, and if you don’t have a professional website, you’re essentially invisible outside of the people who already follow you.
It’s easy to get caught up in the instant gratification of social media engagement. But sustainable business growth comes from long-term discoverability, and that starts with a website that’s built to be found.
Investing in Your Future
If you’re serious about your writing, research, art, photography, whatever is effectively considered your business, you need a website that reflects your commitment. Not a DIY patchwork of good intentions. Not a single-page placeholder that hasn’t been updated in five years. A real, comprehensive, strategically designed, professional website and identity that works for you.
I’ve been there. And I’ve seen firsthand how everything shifts once you have a professional digital space that truly represents your business.
So if you’re waiting for a sign that it’s time to invest in a real website, consider this it.
🖤 Megan