And AskChela is gifting a Wordpress website to one reader this month!
Let me start by saying that these are my own thoughts, because the truth is that there are varying opinions from one expert to the next about whether or not having a website for your VA business is absolutely necessary. I personally feel that if you want to make strategic moves that help you build and stay in business, your virtual assistance practice needs an online home that aligns with your brand, is easily discoverable, and quickly lets people know what you do and why they should hire you to do it for them.
Having said that, don’t hold back from starting your business if you are unable to get a website up and running for a while. There are certainly creative ways around that – but that's another post for another time. The purpose of this particular post is to encourage you to continue working towards getting your own website up and running as soon as possible.
Here are a few key reasons:
People who want to do business with you expect it
Don’t you, in fact, expect a business to have a website? Think about it. When you are on the verge of spending your hard-earned dollars on a product or service, doesn’t your research on the seller or vendor typically include a quick online search and a visit to their website to ensure that this person or organization is credible, well-reviewed, reachable (for customer support as needed)? If you’re not able to locate them online, or if the information you do find is scanty, aren’t you likely to search for another seller who has provided enough information to empower you to make an informed decision about investing your money in their product or service?
Having a well-designed traditional website, even a basic one, can give your VA business instant credibility. It adds value, and it gives you a competitive edge that levels the playing field in a marketplace that may include bigger, more well-known brands-slash-service providers.
Enhances your marketing efforts
A quick online search into what it takes to become a VA can make it seem as if all you need is a computer, a reliable internet connection, a few basic administrative skills…and success is yours! The reality of it is that building a VA business is hard work (check out this post), and if you truly want to reach your goals, you’ll more than likely need to do some consistent marketing in order to line up clients for your practice.
A website is a key piece of what is for most people a confusing marketing puzzle.
What is marketing anyway? Simply put (according to a ChatGPT query), it’s “the process of identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customer needs and wants through the creation, promotion, and distribution of goods and services.” If you’ve scribbled out even a basic business plan for yourself, then you know who your ideal client is, you’ve anticipated their needs, and you’ve determined the solutions to meet those needs – all of which you can promote from the website you set up to inform prospective clients of what you do. It is, after all, your four-color 24-hour online brochure. And beyond that, it gives you a voice and a place to put your client-attracting personality on display, which leads to more income for you.
And speaking of giving you a place to express yourself, here is a third key reason you should have a website of your own…
Allows for better communication
Communication is key to attracting and landing new clients, and your well thought out website helps with this, as we’ve already established. From your online home, you’re able to share your VA journey, your unique brand story, your carefully curated skill set, your featured services – all the things a potential client would want to know in order to make an informed decision as to whether hiring you would truly free them up to focus on building their business.
But it gives you a place to communicate even more than that! I’m making reference to blogging here, which, I have to tell you, I am absolutely loving now that I have finally committed to it. Blogging at your website is a great marketing tool because it brings repeat visitors who may eventually turn into paying clients based on the connection you’ve made with them by simply writing about topics that affect them in their own small businesses. In your blog, you can communicate, without hard-selling, how your VA business can provide the solution to certain issues they are facing. Being generous with your knowledge in this way can establish you as an expert in your niche. And people are willing to invest in an expert if doing so will help them grow their business.
There are, of course, so many more reasons to have a website for your VA business, and so many more discussions that can be had around this topic. But as I said at the outset, the purpose of this particular post is to encourage you to get yours up and running as soon as you can. It’s probably not as expensive as you think it is! And in some cases, it might even be FREE. It might be as simple as filling out a short form to enter your name into a giveaway for which the prize is a beautiful, fully-designed Wordpress template website with hosting paid for an entire year. Not happy with the site you currently have? You’re invited to submit an entry as well.
That’s the offer on the table right now. Use this form to tell me a little about yourself, your business, why you need help getting your website up and running, what you think it’ll do for your practice, et cetera. I’ll be choosing and announcing one winner before the end of the month, at which point we’ll jump right into working with the developer to get your basic site ready for launch within just a few weeks. I’ll help you with the content and coach you on how to effectively use your site to market your VA business. We’ll make it fun!
Sound good? Let me know your thoughts…
