{"id":17178,"date":"2019-12-10T10:38:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=17178"},"modified":"2019-12-30T15:48:39","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T21:48:39","slug":"side-hustle-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/side-hustle-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Every Side Hustle Needs a Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picking up extra work on the side is the American way these days.<\/p>\n

A new Bankrate survey found that 44 million of us have a side hustle<\/a>, whether it’s selling things online, dog walking or something else. A quarter of Millennials with side jobs<\/a> bring in more than $500 each month just by moonlighting, while young Baby Boomers are in the best position to rake in an extra $1,000 or more each month on the side.<\/p>\n

\"Millennial<\/p>\n

If you haven’t started your side hustle yet or if you have one but don’t earn as much as you’d like here’s the why and how of building a professional website<\/a> to win customers and make your side-hustle pay off.<\/p>\n

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Why have a side hustle?<\/h2>\n

Paying the bills is a big reason people pick up extra work in their downtime, but it’s not the only one. Here are a few more reasons to start your own side business.<\/p>\n

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1. Do what you love<\/h3>\n

Not everyone is lucky enough to love their day job, and a side gig can help balance out the daily grind with work that’s fun. Maybe after a day at the bank, you’re ready to unwind with a couple of hours of writing short stories. If you’ve got readers who subscribe each month through a service like Patreon, your hobby can pay off. Or maybe a Sunday afternoon that you spend baking and decorating a cake for a local client’s party is the perfect way to refresh yourself for the 9-5 workweek ahead.<\/p>\n

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2. Transition to self-employment<\/h3>\n

If you’ve ever seriously thought about becoming your own boss<\/a>, you know it can be a tough leap to make financially and emotionally. By testing out your business idea on the side, you can see if it’s workable without losing your regular income. And if you’re one of those exuberant folks who has a new business idea every other week, testing them out as side gigs can help you decide which are keepers before you go all in.<\/p>\n

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3. Counteract 'economic uncertainty'\u009d<\/h3>\n

Even if your finances are good now, extra income can help you prepare for whatever life throws at you later on. Having a few months’ worth of living expenses saved up is always a wise move, and having extra money to invest when you’re young can help you out when you’re ready to retire someday.<\/p>\n

\"HostGator<\/a><\/p>\n

Does your side hustle really need a website?<\/h2>\n

Yes<\/a>. We’re admittedly pro-website here at HostGator, but these days a business without a website is a business many customers will never even know about. There are also marketing and sales advantages to doing at least some of your business online. With a website, your side hustle can:<\/p>\n

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1. Get found<\/h3>\n

Most shoppers start the purchase process by searching online, and this step in their purchase process is where small businesses like a side hustle can stand out.<\/p>\n

According to new research by Microsoft, some 70% of shopping searches<\/a> happen on Google, Bing, and other search engines, rather than within marketplaces like Amazon. That’s good news for independent sellers, as long as you know how to get your side hustle’s site to rank well in search results<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you provide local services or goods, a website is a must and the site must be optimized for fast and easy-to-navigate mobile use. That’s because a whopping 88% of 'near me'\u009d searches<\/a> happen on mobile devices while consumers are out and about. If they’re going to find you when they’re ready to do business, it will almost certainly be because of your site and SEO.<\/p>\n

\"Mobile<\/p>\n

2. Establish credibility<\/h3>\n

To buy from you, customers need to trust you, and a website is an important tool for building trust. A good site gives visitors the information they need to make a decision, including product or service details, testimonials and awards, purchase and refund policies, contact information, and more.<\/p>\n

In contrast, businesses without websites<\/a> can seem shady or amateur. As Craig Reardon writes at Smart Company’s Australian site, 'The lack of a website will make customers question your fundamental business savvy<\/em>. You just can\u2019t be serious if you don\u2019t have a website because it is the most basic of customer service tools.'\u009d<\/p>\n

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3. Build your list<\/h3>\n

When business owners talk about their list, they’re almost always referring to their email list.<\/p>\n

This is the group of customers and potential customers who’ve opted in to getting newsletters, promotions, and offers from you via email, which means there’s real value in building your side hustle’s list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Put a sign-up form on your site and create a welcome-to-the-list autoresponder email using an email marketing tool like Constant Contact. Then when you’re ready to let your list know about sales and new products, all you have to do is write them up and hit send.<\/p>\n

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4. Sell direct<\/h3>\n

Does your side hustle sell products you can delivery digitally or ship easily? Do you sell services that people outside your immediate area can use?<\/p>\n

If so, a website can expand your side hustle’s potential customer pool far beyond your hometown. We’ve got the lowdown on setting up an ecommerce website<\/a> and creating a portfolio site<\/a> for professional services.<\/p>\n\n\n


Setting Up Your Side Hustle Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even if you\u2019ve never set up a website before, you\u2019ll be pleased to learn it\u2019s easy to do. Are you skeptical? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s time to cast that skepticism aside and get ready to do something you may have never thought you could do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This section will walk you through the steps of setting up your website fully in a matter of days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visualize the structure of your website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true. There is an art and a science to the structure of websites. If you stop and think about your favorite sites, you\u2019ll realize they are logical, have a basic navigational structure, and include main categories and subcategories. Think about the navigation menu<\/a> with its main categories (home, about, services, contact) and all its potential subcategories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you click out of this article, thinking you\u2019re going to have to do a bunch of wireframing, coding, and designing, read on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll be happy to know that HostGator has already done the hard work for you. HostGator\u2019s Website Builder<\/a> is tailored to beginners that have zero experience with building a website. As soon as you sign up, you have instant access to over 200 customizable website templates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When building a website with HostGator<\/a>, you don\u2019t have to start from scratch, but you also have some flexibility to be creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All you have to do is select a template you like best, decide how you want to organize the pages, add elements and features you like and delete what you don\u2019t like. Thankfully, you can do this all with the built-in drag and drop tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"add<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brainstorm the pages you want to include<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The next step in building the perfect website is to brainstorm exactly which main pages you want to include on your website. Typical pages<\/a> to choose from include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n