Importance of a website to freelance translators? Thread poster: ArabInk
|
|---|
ArabInk
Local time: 16:06
English to Arabic
+ ...
How important is a website to getting established as a freelance translator? Having an email address is obviously a requirement, but I'm trying to decide how much effort/money to invest in a website. Will a slick website actually produce engagements? Or is a simple brochure-type site - the equivalent of a business card or resume - sufficient? How important is it to have sample translations? Also I see some freelancer sights have a bunch of text about methods, workflow design, etc. Is that ... See more How important is a website to getting established as a freelance translator? Having an email address is obviously a requirement, but I'm trying to decide how much effort/money to invest in a website. Will a slick website actually produce engagements? Or is a simple brochure-type site - the equivalent of a business card or resume - sufficient? How important is it to have sample translations? Also I see some freelancer sights have a bunch of text about methods, workflow design, etc. Is that really a plus? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Gerard de Noord 
France
Local time: 23:06
Member (2003)
English to Dutch
+ ...
arabink wrote:
How important is a website to getting established as a freelance translator? Having an email address is obviously a requirement, but I'm trying to decide how much effort/money to invest in a website. Will a slick website actually produce engagements? Or is a simple brochure-type site - the equivalent of a business card or resume - sufficient? How important is it to have sample translations? Also I see some freelancer sights have a bunch of text about methods, workflow design, etc. Is that really a plus?
Customers are just like people, they don't like slick sites if they have to buy something. State your tariffs on the first or second page they visit. A brochure site will do fine. Remember to optimise your site for your intended audience. Are your customers Americans or are they Arabs? Ensure you get listed in the top 10 Google results for all combinations of words your customers might use to find you.
Regards,
Gerard
[Edited at 2003-09-08 17:32]
| | | | sandhya
Local time: 02:36
German to English
+ ...
| One of the best marketing tool | Sep 9, 2003 |
Hi,
A website is one of the best marketing tools! Although a neat site with a pleasant design is normally enough to get you established, it is more important to register your site on various search engines! So when somebody is searching for Arab translators, your site should show up first!
I get most of my direct clients through my website!! So go for it, it is not too expensive.
all the best
sandhya
arabink wrote:
How important is a website to getting established as a freelance translator? Having an email address is obviously a requirement, but I'm trying to decide how much effort/money to invest in a website. Will a slick website actually produce engagements? Or is a simple brochure-type site - the equivalent of a business card or resume - sufficient? How important is it to have sample translations? Also I see some freelancer sights have a bunch of text about methods, workflow design, etc. Is that really a plus?
| | | |
Sandhya Murthy wrote:
I get most of my direct clients through my website!! So go for it, it is not too expensive.
I have heard that from a handful of people. Can't hurt to have one!
| | |
|
|
|
HRiley
Local time: 23:06
Spanish to English
+ ...
I agree that the most important thing is having your Web site appear in the top 10 results on Google or other search engines.
Registering directly with search engines can be expensive for small business customers - but if you know where to go it doesn't have to be!
First of all, make sure that you fill in the meta-tags when building your site with the main keywords that describe your activity. Also, make sure that you give your pages a relevant title (I mean in the "title" tag... See more I agree that the most important thing is having your Web site appear in the top 10 results on Google or other search engines.
Registering directly with search engines can be expensive for small business customers - but if you know where to go it doesn't have to be!
First of all, make sure that you fill in the meta-tags when building your site with the main keywords that describe your activity. Also, make sure that you give your pages a relevant title (I mean in the "title" tags).
Next stop - Google: http://www.google.com/webmasters/ - and register your URL. This won't guarantee that your site gets a good ranking, but at least it'll be included in the listings somewhere.
Directories like Yahoo, Excite, Lycos won't list your site for free if you are a business customer. So head to www.dmoz.org - the best free directory around. Enter your URL in the relevant category, and be prepared to wait a couple of months before it is actually listed.
Once it is listed, it'll make a huge difference to your Google ranking. My site jumped from page 5 to number 1 in the ranking for a particular keyword combination after my site got listed on Dmoz.
Google rankings are essentially determined by the number of sites that link to yours. So pester friends, colleagues, etc. to include a link to your site on theirs, and sign up to as many online translator directories as you can. All these factors will help your site to be more visible on the Web.
HTH!!
www.riley-translations.com
[Edited at 2003-09-09 06:32] ▲ Collapse
| | | | sylvie malich (X)
Germany
Local time: 23:06
German to English
| Direct clients and agencies too | Sep 9, 2003 |
Sandhya Murthy wrote:
I get most of my direct clients through my website!! So go for it, it is not too expensive.
Ditto!
It will give you that edge against the other thousands of translators who do not have a website when people/agencies are checking your legitimacy.
There are plenty of web designers looking for work who are going to give you a more attractive website than you can build yourself. That counts...
sylvie
[Edited at 2003-09-09 08:33]
| | | | ArabInk
Local time: 16:06
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I'm convinced | Sep 9, 2003 |
Thanks much for all the feedback; sounds like it is definitely worth the trouble.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Importance of a website to freelance translators? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
