This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure page here.
Wondering what your freelance website should look like? Here are 15 freelance writing website examples for you to study. The post also shares some essential tips for creating your own site.
Have you made the life changing decision to start a freelance writing business? Congratulations! It’s an exciting adventure. But right now you’re probably full of questions and wondering about your freelance writing website.
If that’s you, this post is for you. In it, you can learn:
- If you need a freelance writing website to get started
- How much a freelance writing website will cost
- How to pick a domain name
- What you need to include on your freelance writing website
You will also discover 15 awesome freelance writing website examples to help provide inspiration for your own site.
Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Do You Need a Freelance Writing Website to Get Started?
No.
You do not need a freelance writing website to land your first freelance writing clients.
For instance, I decided to start my business back in July of 2015. But, I didn’t have any money to scrape together for hosting and a domain. We were broke!
But, I decided not to let that stop me. Instead, I read all the free material I could find on starting a writing business. And, I took action.
I pitched for gigs daily, and didn’t let rejection stop me.
I landed my first freelance writing gig. And then another. Pretty soon, I had some income coming in.
With that money, I first purchased an amazing freelance writing course.
Then I dove into the class and started applying what I’d learned. I pitched for even more clients, and raised my rates so I wasn’t writing for pennies a word.
It didn’t take long, and I had enough money saved to pay for my site without touching the household budget. In reality, it was only a couple of months, but at the time it felt like forever. I didn’t think I’d ever have the money I needed.
But, in September of 2015, I bough a domain and launched this site.
All that to say – you do not need a freelance writing website to get started. You can make money without one.
But, it is a nice thing to have once you have the money. On your own website, you are not beholden to algorithm changes or companies shutting down. You have control over what it looks like and you get to decide on any changes.
And best of all, it gives a professional place for potential clients to contact you. I love when prospects find me through my website, as it’s less time I have to pour into finding work.
How Much Does a Freelance Writing Website Cost?
When I first launched my site, I opted to go with BlueHost. It was advertised at $2.95/month, but that was only with a 3 year commitment. I didn’t have that much money saved, so though it was more per month, I opted for the one-year price of $4.95/month.
That was just under $60. Then I also had to purchase my domain. I snagged it for a couple of bucks for the first year from GoDaddy.
My total investment in my domain and hosting for that first year was $65 and some change.
But, I also paid for a PO Box from my local post office. That way I could use that for my site registration and my home address wouldn’t show up. I scouted out PO box prices and learned that my little tiny town had the best price around, so I paid $46 for a year.
That means I spent $111 on everything.
It was a huge chunk of change at the time. But, I am so thankful I did it!
Note: Since then, as I started focusing on growing my blog and not just my freelance writing portion of my business, my site started experiencing technical difficulties. I made the switch to FastComet for hosting, and have been thrilled with the results! But, this option does cost a little more. You will have to decide what route to take – remember, you can always switch later!
How to Pick a Domain Name for Your Freelance Writing Website
Once you have the money saved for your website, what should your domain name be?
Well, that depends. Do you already have a name for your business? If yes, see if that one is available.
If not, do some brainstorming. Try your name. If that’s not available (mine wasn’t …) experiment with some descriptors. Writing might work. Or services.
Could you add your middle name or middle initial? Or just use your first name and add writes or freelancer?
You can also come up with a unique business name that doesn’t utilize your name. You can generate loads of ideas with words like freelancing, ink, blogger, or writer.
Start combining words and see what you come up with. Feel free to experiment and just do a brain dump. A brilliant idea might pop into your head once you write down a few ideas.
And remember, you can always change it later if you decide you hate it. So don’t get hung up on this part.
Spend some time brainstorming. Say it aloud. Then check the availability.
What Do You Need on Your Freelance Writing Website?
Your freelance writing website doesn’t need to be super fancy. But, it does need to be effective.
You should include these five things:
- A portfolio page to showcase the best of your previously published work
- A contact page so potential clients can reach you
- Your services what exactly is it that you write? Do you specialize in a niche or two, or are you more of a generalist? Do you write blog posts or white papers? Have a space where you explain what you do.
- Testimonials or social proof to show that you have worked with real clients and done a good job
- Your rates Okay – this one isn’t mandatory. Many writers opt not to publish their rates. I list mine to discourage low-paying clients from contacting me. If they want someone to write for $0.03/word, they’re going to need to find another writer…
- Your name and photo People connect with people. Let them see that there’s a real person behind your site. Include an About page, and share a bit about your writing history and why you launched.
As you add content, remember to always focus on your client. How does that sentence you just wrote benefit them? Write with your ideal clients in mind, so they feel like you are speaking directly to them when they read.
And of course, proofread your content. You want to appear professional and like someone who can deliver well written material.
Want to see a few sites in action?
15 Awesome Freelance Writing Website Examples
Here are fifteen amazing freelance writing website examples you can learn from.
But…though you can get inspiration from other freelancers, make sure you never copy what they have going on. Let your personality and style flavor your website instead of trying to pass someone elses’ creation off as your own.
Plagiarizing web copy and web design isn’t a good way to make a great first impression…
1. Leah Roberts
With a great hero image welcoming people, the freelance writing website of Leah Roberts has a professional, yet approachable vibe. She throws some fun facts on there, and her voice is found throughout her copy.
As you scroll through, notice:
- Links to her personal blog – your blog can totally give you extra clips to share with clients
- She lists multiple ways to connect, including via email and on social media
- The icons aren’t distracting, and match the overall tone of the site to keep things looking clean
2. Haley Shapley
A Seattle based freelance writer, Haley Shapley’s website is very user friendly. Everything is arranged nicely, and it’s easy for prospective clients to find what they’re looking for.
As you check it out, notice:
- Her well organized portfolio, broken down by niche in an attractive format
- How her “about” information really paints a picture of her as a writer, and reads with personality
- Her glowing testimonials on the home page.
3. Jacqueline Bodnar
A freelance writer specializing in copywriting, Jacqueline Bodnar’s website has a lot of great things going on. It’s simple, and uses bullet points to help break up the text.
As you check out her site, notice:
- She shares some of her major accomplishments right off the bat – this can be impressive for potential clients
- Her home page closes with a clickable CTA
- She’s got a separate portfolio page, with clips organized by type
4. Elna Cain
I’m a huge fan of Elna Cain’s Twins Mommy site, and her fun personality and expertise carry over into her freelance writing website as well. She’s got bright colors, easy to read copy, and plenty of social proof.
As you check out Elna’s site, notice:
- The great testimonials with images
- Multiple CTAs to help keep potential clients from having to scroll too far
- Logos of sites she’s written for – the visual elements present the information and catch your eye
5. Lindsay Pevny
Lindsay Pevny uses a free consultation to help business owners in the pet niche learn more about pet industry content marketing. I love how she speaks directly to her primary audience on her site. And she even has a freebie guide written with them in mind!
As you check out Lindsay’s site, notice:
- The niche related logo and icons
- Her services page is simple, but provides the key information needed
- The detailed explanation of what it’s like to work with her – this section has some great processes described for clients and answers a lot of common questions
6. Kristi Hines
When you navigate to Kristi Hine’s site, you can tell right away what she specializes in. And she displays some of the places she’s been featured on prominently.
As you check out Kristi’s site, take note of:
- How she successfully integrated two different services into one site
- The way she educates potential clients on the benefits of hiring a freelance writer
- The simple yet eye-catching way she shares some stats about herself
7. Danielle Braff
Danielle Braff’s freelance writing website isn’t cluttered with tons of extra pages for potential clients to wade through. Instead, everything is neatly arranged on four pages (Home, Work, Resume, Contact). It has everything she needs to successfully land clients, in a streamlined, easy-to-use format.
When you check it out, notice:
- Her strong bio underneath her picture, helping to explain who she is and what she does
- On her Work page, her clips are neatly organized by topic
- She opted to include her resume, something many clients still want to see, but wisely took off any personal information like contact numbers or addresses
8. Adria Greenhauf
When you head over to Adria Greehauf’s writing website, you can tell right away what kind of writing she does. This lets potential clients know right off the bat what kind of work she may be interested in. The more your website can weed out clients who aren’t a good fit, the easier your job will be.
As you check out Adria’s beautiful website, be sure to note:
- How she integrated a podcast into her website, sharing stories
- The way she integrated some awesome clips into her About page
- The number of places on her site where clients can get in touch – she doesn’t make them scroll forever
9. Mandy Ellis
Fun colors greet visitors to Mandy Ellis’ freelance writing website. There’s also a customized header, sharing her niches in a unique format. By including her city, she can help drive local traffic – people in Austin who are searching for freelance writers. If you live near a major city, this can be a solid strategy.
As you look around, also notice:
- Her great use of branding throughout the site – no crazy fonts or colors to distract potential clients
- How clearly her services and niches are displayed
- The interactive portfolio where you can sort by topic or content type
10. Muriel Vega
Not all freelance writing websites have to feature a large picture of you right off the bat. How fun are these illustrations on Muriel Vega’s website? Don’t be afraid to be different and choose a layout that brings your personality and flair into your freelance writing website. Examples can be fun to look at, but you have to do you!
As you check out the rest of Muriel’s fabulous site, be sure to look at:
- The way the picture on her About page aligns with one of her niches (food)
- How you can browse her clips by niche and she showcases them in an eye-catching way
- Her social media links in her footer – this can give potential clients another way to follow you and see more of your work
11. Zina Kumok
Zina Kumok specializes in creating content in the personal finance niche. And she’s designed her site to reflect that. It’s listed in her heading, the logos in her featured clips section are finance related, and she has a whole section explaining why she writes about personal finance.
When you check out Zina’s site, make sure to notice:
- The way her hero image changes on each page of her website
- How she condensed her portfolio to feature her best work, but also includes a link to an off-site full portfolio
- The video clip on her speaking page – including a video on your site can be a great way to engage potential clients with a different medium
12. Morgan Tilton
Even the logo on Morgan Tilton’s freelance writing website provides a clue about what type of writing she specializes in. Her tagline, Adventure Journalist, also fits in well. As you design your site, think about your branding – how can you tie the little things together so they mesh nicely?
When you navigate to Morgan’s site, be sure to check out:
- How she showcases non-digital work samples through images and video
- Her great photography highlighting her outdoorsy niche
- How she lists her awards and incredible feats in a non-braggy way that really adds to her expertise
13. Dawn Papandrea
Dawn Papandrea’s colorful site has a great portfolio layout. The gallery showcases them in a simple three column format, and having the client name on an overlay helps that information stand out. Don’t be afraid to create your own images to help give cohesion to your clips.
As you click through the rest of her site, be sure to check out:
- How she integrates story telling into her About page
- How she handles clips for guides and white papers
- The fun icons used to display her writing specialties
14. Steph Osmanski
A freelance writer who has integrated an awesome blog into her site, Steph Osmanski shows that you can successfully monetize a freelance writing website with more than just your services. An active blog can also give you more clips, which is great when you’re starting out!
As you check out Steph’s website, take note of:
- The way she integrated a link to her resume into her header
- How fun the logos look of the companies she’s written for – so colorful!
- The neat graphic you get when you’re waiting for a page to load (okay – if you live somewhere with decent internet I’m sure you didn’t have to look at it nearly as long as I did, but it was something different that caught my eye!)
15. Ashley Gainer
A freelancing friend, Ashley Gainer is an incredible writer! And her site showcases her expertise and experience. This freelance writing website example doesn’t just focus on writing. Ashley has also created some amazing courses for beginning freelancers, and she integrates all of this into the single site. I love how she makes it all work together so nicely!
As you check her site out, notice:
- The details she puts into her services page – with the application and different levels of service
- How she uses a wait list to her advantage to help showcase the high demand for her services
- The free five-day challenge she has to help people become freelance writers – if you’re interested, I highly recommend Ashley’s stuff – so sign up while you’re over there!
15 Awesome Freelance Writing Website Examples
There you have it – fifteen unique, effective freelance writing website examples for you to learn from and be inspired from.
These women are all rocking it as freelance writers, and you can definitely learn great things from their examples.
But remember…
The only way your freelance writing website will work for you is if it speaks your voice to clients. You want them to hire you – not one of these other writers. But if you’re trying to showcase someone else’s talents, you aren’t showing your clients what you can do for them.
Key Takeaways About Freelance Writing Websites
To wrap this up, here are a few key takeaways about what your freelance writing site needs to have:
- Your personality
- A picture of you (or more than one!)
- A portfolio or different way for clients to check out your clips
- Some way for clients to get in touch (preferably more than one way)
- Your services – what do you do? What do you write about?
Now get out there and launch a freelance writing site of your own. You’ll be good to go with either Bluehost or FastComet – so get started as soon as you’ve saved the money!
And if the time isn’t right yet, please pin this for later!
Lisa Tanner is a former teacher turned homeschooling mom with 11 kids. She's also a successful freelance writer. Lisa enjoys helping other busy moms find time to start and grow a side hustle of their own.
Kelly Bolen says
This post has great suggestions on getting started as a freelance writer! Thanks!!!!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Kelly! Sometimes seeing how others did it helps so much.
Karen says
It’s great to have these samples and examples to be able to look at. It makes it so much easier to look at different varieties!