Ways to Get Freelance Clients to Come to You

freelancer

Life as a freelancer has its perks. You can work behind your computer on the beach of Hawaii or sitting at a coffee shop in Amsterdam. You can work at 1 am after a full day of adventure or wake up at 5am for a fresh start on the day. Your career opens doors to unlimited possibilities for exploration.

However, getting new clients can be daunting and frustrating. Sometimes you may even feel like throwing in the towel. It is a learning curve that comes with a great deal of frustration. After five years of developing my business, I now have clients coming to me. Achieving this required strategy. The following are techniques that worked best for me:

How do I earn work as a freelancer?

Word-Of-Mouth

A positive referral is a powerful resource to earn new business. Clients want to work with companies that a trustworthy resource had a positive experience with. As word-of-mouth is the most valuable resource, it is also timely to achieve. I receive most of my word-of-mouth traffic from previous clients or referral partners. A trustworthy referral is more valuable than a polished resume.

Current Portfolio

As a website designer, it is essential that I update my portfolio with current projects. As new technology arises, your portfolio should showcase that you maintain website trend standards. For example, clean websites with white space are currently a top website design trend. People are ditching flashy for a polished professional design. Update your portfolio with the latest trends and designs to keep new clients coming to you.

Blog

Potential clients want to know that they are working with an expert in the industry. One of the best techniques to depict your knowledge is through a blog. Your article can be “how-to’s”, tutorials, or videos. As a digital marketer, I often write SEO related blog articles. For example, “SEO Trends of 2021”.

Industry Relevant Social Media Accounts

Not every business needs a Facebook! You heard me right. Not every business needs a Facebook.

If you are an attorney, it is unlikely a new client will find you through Facebook or Instagram. Focus on the social media accounts that will grow your business. For example, professional services may find more success on LinkedIn. Unless you are going to hire a social media manager, optimize one or two social media platforms. Most freelancers should focus on their LinkedIn profiles. There are numerous techniques to include such as;

  • Summary that addresses your skills and experience
  • Relevant posts with blog articles and examples of your work
  • Crisp profile photo
  • Recommendations from previous clients

Testimonials

Testimonials are a powerful marketing technique to earn new customers. 92% of consumers read online reviews before buying. As a freelancer, potential clients want to work with a service provider that other people have had a successful experience with. My favorite method to collect testimonials is through Google My Business (GMB). Google is the most used search engine. If you are searching for a service than the GMB pages are the first results that show. To increase your Google My Business rankings, you need to have testimonials. Part of my SEO packages include a review strategy for Google My Business.

If you have reviews on your GMB page, you can embed the testimonials directly into your website. As a website designer, I incorporate reviews into all of my sites. My preferred software to embed GMB reviews is Elf Sight. They use premium widgets to improve website design experience.

Directory Links

Directory links can help potential clients discover your services. One of my favorite is UpCity, a premium B2B directory for marketers. Unlike other directories, UpCity reviews businesses to ensure they are credible. You can then apply to be a partner where you can showcase reviews, service information, social accounts, project examples, about information, location, website links, and more. UpCity’s premium service does come with a price tag. A Certified Partner membership costs $120 per month with a 12-month contract. If you are a marketing freelancer, I suggest including UpCity into your monthly budget.

There are free directory services but you have to pay advertising fees to stand out, such as;

As a freelancer, you will find different marketing avenues that work best to grow your business. From my experience, building a good reputation in the community, depicting my expertise and earning external links has worked best to get clients to come to me. If you are new to freelancing, the grind of earning clients can be frustrating. Stick with it and you will develop a rewarding career and lifestyle.

Marketing During COVID-19

marketing during covid-19

COVID-19 has been life changing for everyone. Business owners have especially suffered from the shut-down. It is essential that we change our marketing during COVID-19 to continue growing our businesses.

There are a variety of tools to succeed with your digital marketing during COVID-19. In this video, I reflect on the top three that you can pursue immediately.

Digital Marketing Strategies During COVID-19

  • Ecommerce Website design
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization

Each of these tools can help sell your product and depict your message. During COVID-19, the most innovative businesses will get ahead.  Contact the pro’s at Get Global Marketing to reinvent your marketing. We offer website design, SEO, and Google Ads.

Renovate Your Marketing Strategy

Unless you own Amazon, Netflix, or a grocery store, your business has probably been impacted by the coronavirus. You may have even lost all your business. However, a pair of fresh eyes and innovation can help create a new marketing and business strategy to profit from your business or service.

To help support the Bend and Portland, Oregon local economy, I am offering a FREE consultation and FREE two hours of website design or digital marketing services. I hope to help business thrive and even develop a long-lasting digital marketing strategy when life returns back to normal.

Don’t give up. Get innovative.

Contact Get Global Marketing at (541) 706-9442 or gillian@getglobalmarketing.com.

How to Network When You are Quarantined

quarantine

The coronavirus pandemic has not only struck widespread fear about people’s health, but also the future of the economy. Unfortunately, small business owners will bear the brunt of the economic disease. If you own a restaurant, bar, or fitness center, you’re probably feeling the sting. Many business owners are turning to Zoom and take-out services to supplement their income until storefronts open again. It could be a while…

For service-oriented business owners, like myself, networking events have been cancelled. These meaningful gatherings are essential to gain connections and get clients. But don’t fear! There are outside-of-the box methods to network.

Thinking of everyone like me, I’ve done some research. Below, I’ve outlined virtual networking tools that can help you maintain momentum with your business when meeting in person is difficult, if not impossible.

LinkedIn

Update your LinkedIn page. I admit… I am lazy with LinkedIn. I have a personal profile and a business profile. However, I don’t post on either as much as I should. That’s about to change for me. I highly recommend you try it too. It’s time to make this a priority.

Through LinkedIn, you can have a business and personal page. On your business page, you’re able to post content, add a business description, contact information, link to your website, and a logo and banner.

Stumped on content to add to your business page? Start with blog posts on your website. You can also add videos, photos, or other informational articles. Share your post business to your personal page to increase exposure. Sharing also makes the content you post more visible on your connections’ news feeds. Talk about free marketing! To build reputability, ask LinkedIn connections that you’ve worked with for reviews, endorsements, and testimonials.

LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool because it allows you to share updated business information, your resume, and professional summary, with business leaders around the world. Even though we can’t attend networking events currently, you can use LinkedIn to contact your target market. Don’t hesitate to message users directly to offer your help and services.

Alignable

Alignable is an online network where small business owners can drive leads and connect with existing clients. Alignable is similar to LinkedIn, but focused on building connections locally. The goal of Alignable is to “generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share great advice.” The networking platform was launched in 2014. The aesthetics, usability, and forums can be hugely beneficial when connecting in person is difficult.

On the Alignable page, you’re able to share your business description, contact information, logo, collect recommendations, and list your services. During this time when we’ve been asked to stay home and limit contact with others, I highly recommend reaching out to clients with ways you can help and, for their recommendation. After you receive five recommendations, you receive the Alignable badge of Highly Recommended.

I prefer Alignable over LinkedIn because most of my clients are local. The user-friendly design, and forum are easy to use and navigate. Answering forum questions with detailed answers allows you to promote your services while providing insight to the community. Digital marketing questions are some of the most common of Alignable’s forums.

Meet-Up’s

You’re probably confused right now. You’re not alone.

We’re supposed to stay at home! How can we go to Meet-Ups?

You can’t physically attend a Meet-Up but, you can virtually! Many Meet-Up organizers are offering Zoom sessions where we’re still able to connect with members of the community. The sessions are entirely on video and we’re still able to listen and present ideas. As a digital marketer, I’ve seen countless meet-ups related to website design and SEO transition to Zoom. No germs included.

This is a stressful time across the world. You are not alone. In many countries, restaurants, bars, gyms, events, and even schools have been shut down. Like everything, this will pass. We have to make the best of it. Technology has enabled us to connect with our friends and families virtually. Let’s take advantage of this time of isolation to stay connected and treat it as a learning experience to grow our businesses in a digital world.

5 Tips to Optimizing Your SEO When Changing Business Locations

business location

Whether you need a change of scenery or your industry is oversaturated, thousands of businesses face the struggle of adjusting their online presence for a new location.

When you move locations, it’s essential that you don’t lose website rankings. Keep in mind, you probably won’t be on page one immediately. However, there are adjustments to your website that, if done correctly, can help smooth the transition to optimizing your online presence in a new location.

I recommend hiring a search engine optimization professional to help with the process. However, if it’s not in your budget, the following are basic methods to transition to your new area.

How do I optimize my SEO when I change business locations?

1. Change Location Information on Your Website

Changing your location information should be done differently depending on your type of business. For brick and mortar or service-oriented businesses, create a new contact page before you leave your current location. Include a “Coming Soon” message on the contact page so customers know they can’t visit your location yet.

For remote businesses, create a separate contact page as well. However, you do not need a “Coming Soon” message. Instead, alert customers that you are only available via phone and email until your moving date.

In every type of business, you should have a separate contact page with your new location to improve SEO. Doing so ensures that you won’t lose rankings for your current town. You’ll also be marketing for your new location.

2. Change Contact Information on Your Google Business Page

Every company needs a Google Business page. Not only can a Google Business page increase your rankings, it also provides the opportunity to display important information like business hours, services, products, about us, reviews, and posts.

If your business is service oriented, you can set your location as “Service Areas”, rather than an address. Just like the additional contact page, add the service area location before you move.

For brick and mortar businesses, you’ll have to wait to change your Google Business page until you move.

3. Change Your Directory Listings

Changing your directory listings can be tedious. Directory listings include Angie’s List, Yelp, Yellow Pages, White Pages, and many others. What makes the process tedious? You need a sentence or two about this is a pain in the butt.

Instead of reviewing every location individually, I recommend paying for Moz Local Business services. They will audit and adjust your directory information according to your Google Business or Facebook page.

4. Change Your Website’s Meta Titles

As a business owner, you probably had an SEO professional customize meta titles to fit your location. Don’t forget to adjust your meta titles when you move!

For example, I recently made the decision to serve Portland. My homepage meta title was previously “Bend, Oregon SEO and Website Design | Get Global Marketing”. Now, my meta title is “Portland and Bend SEO and Website Design | Get Global Marketing”. Make this change before your move. It will take time for Google to index your site for the new title.

5. Change Your Website’s Structured Data

Structured data “is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content,” Google Developers. The tool helps Google understand what the content on your page means. When you change locations, you need to change your structured data.

WP SEO Structured Data Schema plugin for WordPress, allows digital marketers to easily insert structured data into the site. I purchased the Pro version to help clients with multiple locations and services. The tool has proven beneficial for me to help improve client’s rankings.

Moving business locations can be exciting! Marketing the change can seem daunting. To make sure the job is done correctly, it’s best to hire a SEO professional. If you need help with SEO in Portland or Central Oregon, contact the team at Get Global Marketing at (541) 706-9442.

Get Global Marketing. Get Page One.

New Business Website Design

New Business Website Design

I have a soft spot for new businesses. Whether you have been a business owner for twenty years, five years, or six months, we have all been the newbie business owner.

We all experience the struggle.

It is the worry, doubt, regret, however underlying passion where we know that we cannot do anything else except be our own boss doing exactly what we love.

As a digital marketer, I know that building an online presence is essential for any type of business – realtors, tourist companies, and CPAs alike. The difference between having a stellar digital marketing platform can easily double your revenue.

Needless to say, new businesses are cash poor. I have seen numerous attempt DIY Wix or Squarespace websites which end up as disasters. You need a professional WordPress website design at stage one of your business.

To give the newbie business owners a chance to get ahead, I have developed a plan exclusively for new businesses without websites.

My goal is to build an affordable search engine optimized website with the essential information that you need to introduce your business to the public.

See our new business website design package options below:

Standard

For the new business owner who needs to display basic services.

$2,000/one time
5 Pages
WordPress Platform
Custom Colors
Custom Fonts
Buttons
Photo Gallery Option
Social Media Links
Video Integration
Search Engine Optimization - ALT tags, Meta Data, H1 and H2 tags
Google Map
Responsive Design
Optimized Google Business Page
Optimized Facebook Page
Optimized Instagram Page
20 Online Directory Listings
Email Template for Google Reviews
Chatbox
Newsletter Subscription
Learn More

Performance

Featured Package! For the new business owner who has multiple services.

$3,000/one time
6-8 Pages
WordPress Platform
Custom Colors
Custom Fonts
Buttons
Photo Gallery
Social Media Links
Video Integration
Search Engine Optimization - ALT tags, Meta Data, H1 and H2 tags
Google Map
Responsive Design
Optimized Google Business Page
Email Template for Google Reviews
Optimized Facebook Page
Optimized Instagram Page
20 Online Directory Listings
Chatbox
Newsletter Subscription
Learn More

Premier

For the new business owner who wants to take an aggressive approach to marketing.

$5,000/one time
9-12 Pages
WordPress Platform
Custom Colors
Custom Fonts
Buttons
Photo Gallery
Social Media Links
Video Integration
Search Engine Optimization - ALT tags, Meta Data, H1 and H2 tags
Google Map
Responsive Design
Optimized Google Business Page
Optimized Facebook Page
Optimized Instagram Page
20 Online Directory Listings
Email Template for Google Reviews
Chatbox
Newsletter Subscription
Learn More

4 Basics to DIY Search Engine Optimization

DIY search engine optimization

If you own a business you have a website- you have to in this day and age. Your website probably has a homepage with a toolbar at the top that has buttons for About Me, Get a Quote and Services. You even have some professional photos of you and your employees looking your best. Your website wasn’t something you took lightly.

Now that your website is launched, you are good to go, right? Anytime someone does a Google search for your service+ city you should come up first, correct?

Wrong.

There are a number of things you need to optimize on a consistent basis to make sure your website is truly an asset that brings you business and increases your bottom line. Below I have included some ways that will help you rank higher and increase traffic to your website.

If you are on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to optimize your website to its fullest potential. Until you can, use these four basic DIY SEO methods to start gaining traction on Google.

What You Should Focus on for DIY SEO

 

Meta Titles

Meta Titles are one of the most powerful tools to increase your website’s rankings. In layman’s terms a meta title gives searchers and most importantly, search engines (like Google) a short title of the content on a particular page. For this reason alone, choosing the right meta titles is paramount for attracting traffic to your site.

So, what goes into crafting a good meta title? Something called keywords. Keywords are words or phrases that appear frequently on the page and are relevant to the subject.

As an example, if you’re webpage has an article about losing weight, keywords you might consider for your meta title would include fitness, diet, healthy, exercise and cardio. These words are all associated with weight loss and let both the reader and search engine know what the page is about. An SEO expert can use keyword research tools to discover traffic and difficulty so your website reaches the right customers for your business.

If you are a local business, add your city and state. For example, Nutritionists Bend, Oregon.

Your meta title should also not be more than 70 characters. Stick to the keywords that mean the most without the tagline or phone number.

Meta Descriptions

Much like meta titles, meta descriptions are used to help someone doing an internet search click on your link. Found under the title on a search page, meta descriptions look like code and provide a description of a sentence or two about what the website is about.

Even though Google doesn’t use a ranking algorithm for meta descriptions, they do help increase your click through rate which helps the search engine determine if your site is a quality result.

So, what makes a good meta description?

The first characteristic is length. You want your meta description to contain enough information so that the web searcher knows what your website is about, but you don’t want to make it so long that it takes forever to read. While there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to length, most meta descriptions are between 90 and 150 characters.

Because your meta description is an invitation to visit your page, it should be clear and actionable. The use of simple words that get to the core of what your website is about is key.

Lastly, all effective meta descriptions have a call-to-action. If you’re selling a product, tell the reader a little about it and to find out more. Consumers want information quickly so they’ll be much more enticed if you encourage them to take advantage of a free sample, 30-day trial, free shipping, etc.

If you have trouble coming up with good meta titles or meta descriptions, hiring a qualified copy writer can do wonders for increasing your traffic and therefore your bottom line.

Contact Page

Another critical component of high-ranking SEO sites has to do with your contact page. Something that often gets overlooked is the correct spelling of your business name, address and phone number. It’s also a good idea to include a Google map of where your business is located as well as a Google street view.

The contact pages for the majority of websites are little more than an afterthought. They usually only contain some basic text like the business name, phone number and address. There might be a few fields you can fill out with your information if you wish to inquire more but not much else.

In order to make your contact page more appealing, consider adding some graphics that complement your business whether they are of the office or the products the you offer. Your contact page is also a great spot for testimonials. After all, if someone has clicked all the way through to this page, they are considering getting in touch. Why wouldn’t you want to have some positive reviews posted to push them over the edge?

Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on the search engine. This is especially beneficial if you’re a local business. When people google things local plumbing companies for example, chances are good they need a product or service and are likely going to make a purchase. Why shouldn’t they use you?

Setting up Google Business Page is free, only involves a few steps and can do wonders for your business. First, create an account, claim and verify your business. Next, optimize your listing to your liking with appropriate information and images. Lastly, download the Google My Business app and you’re all set!

After you launch your Google Business Page, ask clients to leave you a review. I do this by emailing a link to the Review form. Businesses that have more reviews will rank higher on the Google Business listings.

Even if you have a business that offers the best products, services and prices around, you’re going to struggle unless your website is SEO optimized. The number of consumers that shop at brick and mortar establishments is becoming less and less. Instead, they are turning to the Internet for virtually all their consuming needs. For this reason alone, having the know-how to optimize your website is critical if you want to be successful. If you take the time to monitor and improve the items above, you’ll quickly find that your ranking will increase and your bottom line will grow as a result.

If you decide to work with an SEO expert, contact me, Gillian Rowley, at Get Global Marketing. I will take you beyond DIY methods to increase your rankings on Google with clients that will build your business. Contact us in Bend, Oregon today!

How-To Find a Qualified SEO Specialist

Interview

A strong online presence can be extremely beneficial for your business. As we transition into 2019, most business owners have caught onto the trend. However, many are behind with their SEO. This is not because they have not given SEO a chance. They hired an SEO person, paid them $1,500 per month, and their ranking did not peak past page three. This left a bad taste in their mouth for any future SEO expert.

I completely get it. SEO is a new profession and unregulated. There is no license. The only method of proving your skills is through results. I have heard of SEO “specialists” that use black hat link building and actually decrease their client’s domain authority!

If you are considering investing in SEO, I am not trying to scare you away. The right SEO person can provide you with the increase in rankings that you need to build your business. The trick is finding the right SEO person. This will take research, conversation, reports, and action items. It is possible to learn if your SEO person knows their sh*t. Don’t just work with your best friend’s uncle because you feel guilty.

Use these tips to ensure that your SEO Specialist is actually an expert in their field. Great online presence can help you reach your business goals.

Ask for their Portfolio

 

If your SEO person does not have a portfolio, don’t hire them! I get it. We all need a chance. When I started my business, I performed free work for friends to build my portfolio.

You can also research their rankings on Google. If they are not listed on page one or two, why should you expect to?

Ask for their Action Items

 

Your SEO Specialist should be able to provide detailed action items. What are they doing every month and why are they doing them. This is not too much to ask. You do not want your SEO Specialist to collect a check and then go sit on a beach in Cabo without working a day.

Ask for a Monthly Report

 

Your SEO Specialist should provide you with a monthly report of your top performing keywords and adjustments in rankings. They can also use Google Analytics for a report of your website traffic.

These three actions help ensure that you do not waste time with a clueless SEO Specialist. If you are looking for a knowledgeable SEO expert that can increase your rankings, contact me, Gillian Rowley, at gillian@getglobalmarketing.com or (541) 550-2713.

How-To Add Value To Your Business

adding value to business

Adding value to your business is essential. I am sure that you have heard it before.
When I started my business, adding value seemed like a mystery.

What is that? Where do I start?

After trial and error, I found what successfully adds value to my business. This article explains a few tricks that worked for me. If you are searching for ways to add value, I suggest trying these techniques.

Respond to Calls, Texts, and Emails ASAP

Strong communication skills are necessary in every relationship. If you aren’t responding within 24 hours you could be severely hurting your business. Your clients should be a priority. Prompt communication is one of the best ways to ensure clients that they are important.

Increase Speed of Production

One of the reasons that I left my previous company was that everything took FOREVER to get done! It was extremely frustrating. After experiencing slow performance, I made it a priority to produce websites within one to two months.

If you are increasing your production speed, you can also get more work done which leads to increased revenue.

Offer Discounts and Rewards

Discounts can come in many forms. If you are an ecommerce company, you might choose to send seasonal coupons through email. Coffee shops often use punch cards.

I provide a $100 reward for current clients who provide a referral that totals over $1,500 in revenue, and a $50 reward for over $1,000. I also provide free SEO audits to potential clients.

Improve the Quality of Your Product

If you want to be a high-quality business, provide a high-quality product. Don’t skip corners.

As a website developer, I try to build the highest quality websites as possible. I also make sure that my clients are 100% satisfied before I complete the job.

Make sure that your clients are happy. Pay attention to your reviews on social media and Google, and provide feedback. Customers occasionally improve reviews if you put in an effort to solve the problem.

Keep Your Technical Skills Up-To-Date

Technology is always advancing. Don’t let yourself get out-of-date.

One of the best examples for every business is responsive design websites. Responsive design websites fit to your mobile device. If you have not yet built a website that is compatible with phones and tablets, you could be missing out on business.

As a website developer, I require the knowledge to convert websites to be compatible with mobile devices.

Adding value is essential when you map your way to business success. Determine your business goals to get started. Contact Get Global Marketing for help with your online marketing.