{"id":19161,"date":"2018-11-06T08:23:42","date_gmt":"2018-11-06T13:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=19161"},"modified":"2018-11-06T11:52:26","modified_gmt":"2018-11-06T16:52:26","slug":"sell-services-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/sell-services-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell Your Services Online: 5 Steps to Getting Started"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Sell Your Services Online<\/h2>\n

So you\u2019ve taken some time to learn a marketable skill and now you want to start selling your services online.<\/p>\n

Whether you want to go the freelance route or start building an agency, the foundation of your work online starts with a website. Your website will be the cornerstone of any kind of business.<\/p>\n

Luckily, building a website doesn\u2019t have to be difficult by using the hidden power of a website builder<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Below you\u2019ll learn the steps you need to take to start selling your services online, including building out a website and the site elements you\u2019ll need to start selling.<\/p>\n

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

1. Consider Your Service and Market<\/h2>\n

Before you even build out your website and start marketing your services you\u2019ll need to think about how you\u2019re going to position yourself.<\/p>\n

For example, if you\u2019re going to be a freelance writer it can be helpful to focus on a specific niche. It can be much easier to find work as a freelance writer for the real estate market than as a general freelance writer.<\/p>\n

Think about who you want to serve and how your unique experience and expertise make you well positioned to serve this market.<\/p>\n

You need to be able to answer two questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What specific service am I offering?<\/li>\n
  2. Who am I offering that service to?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Being able to confidently answer these two questions will help make the design and messaging of your website much more intentional and effective.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    2. Build Out Your Website<\/h2>\n

    Equipped with the above information, it\u2019s time to start building your site.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019ve never built a website before, then this process can seem a little intimidating. Will you use a CMS? Will you learn to build a site from scratch? Will you hire someone to do it? Will you use a website builder?<\/p>\n

    If the technical steps of building out a website intimidate you, then the easiest approach to take will be using a website builder. With a website builder<\/a> your hosting, domain name, and site building tools will be all under one roof.<\/p>\n

    The process of building a site with a website builder is incredibly simple as well:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Choose a website builder, like the GATOR builder<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n
    2. Setup your account and choose a domain name.<\/li>\n
    3. Pick and customize your theme with the drag and drop tool.<\/li>\n
    4. Publish your site.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      3. Create the Necessary Pages<\/h2>\n

      When you\u2019re selling your services online there are certain pages that are must-haves. We cover what these are below, so you can build your website the right way.<\/p>\n

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      1. A home page that immediately tells your visitors what you offer and how you can help them.<\/li>\n
      2. A portfolio page that gives potential customers an idea of the quality of your work.<\/li>\n
      3. A testimonial pages that highlights stellar reviews from past clients (you might not have these right away).<\/li>\n
      4. A services pages that gives a breakdown of the services you offer.<\/li>\n
      5. A contact page that lets visitors reach out about a potential project.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Building out the above pages will give your site a rock solid foundation. You’ll have everything you need to start selling your services online.<\/p>\n

        Finally, you\u2019ll need a way to take payments. You can either send invoices via PayPal, or choose a website builder that offers eCommerce templates and payment processor integration and sell your services that way. By the way, either is possible with the GATOR builder.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        4. Generate Traffic and Clients<\/h2>\n

        To start selling your services you\u2019re going to need traffic and clients. There are numerous approaches to building out your service-based business.<\/p>\n

        Here are a few common methods for generating new clients:<\/p>\n