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Poll: In order to attract new clients, a translator's / interpreter's personal website needs to:
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Nov 7, 2023

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In order to attract new clients, a translator's / interpreter's personal website needs to:".

This poll was originally submitted by Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.. View the poll results »
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 20:29
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
. Nov 7, 2023

I don't have a website (yet) and I'm far from an expert in SEO, but isn't the most important thing that a website is shown high up in the search results ?

Of course it has to look decent and orderly, but that's like stating the obvious.

As a freelancer I think the benefits of a website are rather limited, unless you would try to give the impression that you are more than a single freelancer (but I doubt that's a future-proof good idea).

Iulia Parvu
Nelson Cassoma
Philip Lees
Jorge Payan
Eleanor Odhiambo
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Other Nov 7, 2023

The website must create a reasonably good impression (even if it is clear that the website was self-designed or is 25 years old) and must provide the necessary information in obvious easy-to-find locations. An own domain name is a must; an email address at that same domain is also worthwhile.

Basic SEO should be applied, of course, but one's position in a search engine search isn't really something that one has any control over. It's more important that people who already have t... See more
The website must create a reasonably good impression (even if it is clear that the website was self-designed or is 25 years old) and must provide the necessary information in obvious easy-to-find locations. An own domain name is a must; an email address at that same domain is also worthwhile.

Basic SEO should be applied, of course, but one's position in a search engine search isn't really something that one has any control over. It's more important that people who already have the URL should be able to find the information they're looking for, than it is for people who don't know the URL to be able to find the website in a search engine.

[Edited at 2023-11-07 09:51 GMT] ▲ Collapse


Iulia Parvu
Sebastian Witte
Nelson Cassoma
Philip Lees
 
Lieven Malaise
Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 20:29
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
. Nov 7, 2023

Samuel Murray wrote:
It's more important that people who already have the URL should be able to find the information they're looking for, than it is for people who don't know the URL to be able to find the website in a search engine.


Million dollar question: do you really need a website for that ?

Nelson Cassoma
Jorge Payan
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:29
Member (2008)
Italian to English
All the time Nov 7, 2023

In order to attract new clients, a translator's / interpreter's personal website needs to......


....be constantly updated with new subject matter every day.

Research has shown that if you visit a website twice and it's still the same as it was yesterday, you'll never come back.

I mean, why do you keep checking back to these forums? Because there's something new every day.

[Edited at 2023-11-07 10:31 GMT]

Iulia Parvu
Francesca Grandinetti
svetlana cosquéric
Nelson Cassoma
Michael Harris
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:29
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Nov 7, 2023

No idea! Clients are as different as everyone else...

Nelson Cassoma
Michael Harris
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 20:29
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Sure Nov 7, 2023

Lieven Malaise wrote:
Samuel Murray wrote:
It's more important that people who already have the URL should be able to find the information they're looking for...

Do you really need a website for that?

Sure. You can put a URL in a signature, but you can't put your entire website's content in a signature. Ditto on a business card. Ditto in a directory.

Nelson Cassoma
 
Hasrina Munajat
Hasrina Munajat  Identity Verified
Malaysia
Local time: 02:29
Member (2023)
English to Malay
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
What makes your personal website attractive Nov 7, 2023

The website must create a very good first impression to hook potential clients by highlighting education/credentials, areas of expertise, years of experience and most importantly significant work achievements. It is also recommended to include some of the good feedback that you received from the clients that you worked with (with permission of course).
Attractive visual is a bonus.
 


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Poll: In order to attract new clients, a translator's / interpreter's personal website needs to:






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