Constant Content

Okay, so everyone knows this month I made my personal website a priority (Hence nary a submit from me Ed). My question is how many of you have your own freelancing website? Mine is pretty simple, I will have the basic components (About Me, Prices, Work Examples, Business Practices) and thanks to my husband I have a cool little script that allows customers to fill in a basic form for a free quote from me.

The aggravating aspect has been I was too proud at the beginning and decided to program it all by hand (blame my husband's programmer snobbery for that one). Good news, I now know more than the basic ins and outs of HTML, and CSS. Bad news, is I finally owned up that my stuff was good, but not professional looking, so I am now tweaking a premade CSS template.

Just wanted to hear what others have done for their websites? Did you hire someone to do it for you? Did you use a template? Do you also maintain a blog to spur traffic? Do you use advertising on your site?

I'm curious too. I was inspired by your post and finally registered CelesteStewart.com and put up a basic website using a template until I can figure out what I want to accomplish with the site.

One of my customers has offered to put me in touch with his web designer when I'm ready. I used MS Office Small Business Live which was easy and inexpensive with lots of neat features. Plus, I wrote an article about it which sold instantly after posting so that was kind of cool.

I registered eawestwriting.com Right now what is up is um version 3.0, but 4.0 is rapidly on it's way!!! UNfortunately, that page is only half done (the links to woman behind the words and examples of work don't operate). But, I hope to have version 4.0, the final version up by the end of the weekend. The home page is already finished.

I am using a free template. I cleaned out my local library's stock of HTML related books since the end of February, and have been pouring over it non stop.

I think the main hitch for me is I just don't **think** in programming terms. To put it is writer's terms, it like thinking adjective before you even have a noun (other than maybe poetry, this simply doesn't work). For example, at the beginning you design font size, color, specify classes, divisions etc. Believe me, I drew maps of my websites, with bells and whistles, and then literally almost lost a laptop to a throwing tantrum fit of rage when it wouldn't work.

Now, using the template, things are MUCH better. I just tweak it. So here is to being a tweaker!

OH, like you Celeste, one of my clients also offered to put me in touch with his developers. I was loathe to pay for what I KNOW my husband can do. I just have to be sneaky at getting his reluctant help... damsel in distress has worked really well so far!

Always Smiling,
Elizabeth

Celeste, I was on your site for some time. Wanted to let you know something of importance. On some of the links, (CC's link on the home page and recent projects link), you have double http://. So, that will not directly open the intended page. So, make sure you change that. Please reply back to let me know if you changed it. If you haven't seen this post, I may not know if you changed it or not. So, please see and reply back. Thanks.

good sites, Ann, Celeste.

Thanks - I'll fix those links!

I would suggest that anyone wanting to start a writer's website use Wordpress. Here are a few reasons why.
1. Easy set up.
2. Tons of free templates.
3. Tons of free widgets.
4. Google loves to index blogs.
5. Easy to create posts and promote yourself.

If anyone needs any help just ask. I would recommend you buy your own domain name and I have had great success with Godaddy hosting. They also have a one click wordpress setup.

I can also help with some graphics or a nice header if needed. I have Photoshop and can fake my way through. As long as I'm not inundated with too many requests I'll be glad to help.

I don't have a writer's website because this isn't a full time deal for me. If however you want to make a career in freelancing you will need a professional website.

Oh and if anyone sets up a blog, I have a blog that get indexed by Google every time I post and I'll be glad to write up a little introduction with a link to your site. This will get the ball rolling fairly quickly for you.

Oh and this isn't a sales pitch, I'll do this for free for CC writers just to help out.

Hi JW

Thanks for that kind offer. I'll PM my blog url to you.

Well I would have but I find I can't.

My goal is to have a website built around a wordpress blog, but I'm just starting out. I decided to get a free blog on the wordpress.com site (as opposed to downloading wordpress from the wordpress.ORG site and paying a host.

There aren't as many templates and free thingys for a free blog on the WP.com site, and you can't promote anything for sale (including your own writing), but they do let you put links in your bio. The up side is that it's free, and will be VERY easy transfer everything to my website later with a downloaded version of wordpress. This free version is allowing me to get used to how wordpress works etc without paying until a really decide I like it.

So far the only annoying thing is the "Subject Cloud" - but they're all over the web now and I'm apparently the only one who hates them.


AThompson

Really inspiring... So much so that I bought a domain name at the weekend and am in the process of putting together at site using MS Office Live. My original intention was to build a site in FrontPage but I could get no further than the first page MS Office Live's website builder is very easy to use.

Now I just need some more hours in the day...

Jane

I registered my blog with entrecard yesterday and got loads of hits from there.

A few tips if you are new to web design.

Stick with Wordpress. If you don't you'll spend a lot of hours designing a site that will probably be ugly and not get a lot of attention.
Buy your domain name for at least two years (don't want to get sandboxed by Google)
Hosting at Godaddy is only 6.95 per month.
Use pre-made templates. There are thousands out there.
Design or have someone design a nice custom header.

Just trying to be helpful and keep you from wasting your precious writing time.

I was lucky.... my husband set up our own server here at home. We have computers out to wazooo, and 5 GB bandwidth with out internet provider (yes, we are huge geeks). So my domain was only $9.99 a year with Godaddy.com

I haven't used wordpress yet for my blog, but I am using a free CSS template. One of the reasons I recommend learning at least some basic of HTML so you can change things yourself if you need to. I use NVu as well, an open source WYSIWYG HTML editor. I mainly code it by hand, but if I get stuck, it's nice that I can use the what you see is what you get part and then see the code I should have put in.

Then again, I may just be more obsessive-compulsive/control freak than most. I also hate not knowing something....

Jwatkins,

I just signed up with wordpess.com, since I also did not need the hosting services. I am planning on just linking to my wordpress blog from my website.

Little tip guys, make your user name the same as your website. For example, my user name there is eawestwriting. That way my blog is www.eawestwriting.wordpress.com. It will make it easier for clients and customers to remember my website!

Okay, REALLY time to finish the last 3 pages of my site!!!! Sigh. I wanted to start blogging, but I scolded myself no, no blogging until the website is done.