One of our mantras at Lyrical Host is “back yourself.” And a side aspect of this is being prepared for any eventuality. Now more than ever it’s important to have a backup plan that relies on you and no one else.
This could look like a kickass online resume or portfolio so you’re ready to land a new opportunity if needed, a website that showcases your services (e.g. in photography, web design, SEO, or general virtual assistant skills) or real life startup (e.g. monetizing your cake making or home decor skills), or a long-game passive income project.
Creating A Standby Website To Boost Your Income Share on XIt’s up to you how much time you want to put into it and how far you want to take it. It could be as simple as creating a quick “set and forget” website that’s ready just in case you need to start job hunting quickly, or as long-term as growing a full-time income. Or maybe you’re looking to boost your household income a bit to meet increased living costs.
Whatever you’re looking for, this post takes you through how to accomplish it quickly and cheaply. It does assume you’ve created a WordPress website before (if you haven’t, check out our WordPress Video Tutorials to get started).
But what if I don’t have time to create and manage an extra website?!
Don’t worry, it’s not as much work as you think, as it’s just a secondary website you have ready to go rather than your primary site. Below we’ve included a mini guide on how you can speed run all of it and be done within a few hours.
Plus, the advantage of keeping it separate from your main website means that if the audience is completely different, you can target the right people without confusing or hurting your existing audience and rankings. And behind the scenes it’s naturally more organized because it has its own posts, pages and media library.
What are the advantages of starting another website in an economic downturn?
If you’re employed (or want to be!):
A highly competitive job market means standing out from the crowd. An online resume – branded with your own domain name – looks professional and immediately showcases several of your skills. It proves you can walk the walk, and even if the roles you’re applying for are unrelated, it sets you apart from the other candidates.
You always own it, it’s easy for you to update, and if you stick to something simple like your name, you can always use it for something else in future.
Additionally, it gives you more control over what comes up when people search for your name in Google or other search engines. (Even if you have a common name, recruiters may search for your name + location, or name + job title).
While your LinkedIn profile is also likely to show up, you want to have control over as many of the first page positions as possible (after all, it’s your name and your voice!). It’s also something you can link to from your LinkedIn in case people look for you there or so they can cross-reference the information to check they have the right person. Don’t forget to include your URL in the contact details section of your resume as well.
A website looks more impressive than you may think – many bloggers and website owners take their skills for granted or think that everyone can do what they do. But that’s only because you’re so familiar with it it’s second nature to you. Websites are very much admired by recruiters and employers as they showcase your skills, highlight how self-motivated you are, is a good talking point for interviews, and shows how you can pick up and learn new things independently.
Skip to the speed run section below to get your services website up and running fast!
If you’re looking to offer your digital skills as a service:
The next section of this post also gives you some ideas of what you could offer and how to create a website around that quickly and easily. Remember, it’s not about doing something that no one else can do, or being the world’s best at what you’re doing. Some people look to hire simply because they don’t have the time themselves, and already have templates and processes in place for you to create their images, send their email newsletters, etc.
(Not sure where to start? If you’re a Lyrical Host customer, there’s a handy PDF in the Resource Library called “How To Use Your Blogging Skills To Make Money”)
You can always put maintenance mode on for your website if you want to keep it private for now or only offer services in select periods. Having it in the works or ready to go just in case means you’re ready to hit the ground running on finding clients and promoting yourself rather than being distracted or consumed by creating the website at the same time.
Contacting people, posting on social media, organizing collaborations, attending events, getting your name out there, and other networking, can be pretty time-consuming, so it means all your energy and focus can be on getting your first client instead of creating copy or images.
A website is a strong trustmark, and sets you apart from people simply using social media profiles (that often disappear overnight). As well as immediately showcasing your skills and looking more professional than social profiles alone, it also means you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket and can use whatever social media network or search engine comes along next to drive traffic.
Having your website ready and waiting in the background means if you meet someone at an event you feel prepared rather than wanting to apologize for not having a business card, an “old” or irrelevant website. It instantly gives a professional first impression and helps you concentrate on your elevator pitch.
Skip to the speed run section below to get your services website up and running fast!
If you’re looking to turn your passion into a side hustle or business:
Maybe you love doing your own photography and want to try doing product photos or brand shoots locally. Or perhaps your favorite thing to do is design Pinterest pins while watching TV on your sofa.
There are unlimited opportunities out there, and it doesn’t have to be anything super formal or permanent. Just figuring out a way to make money doing what you love.
Having a services or online shop website gives you an instantly professional presence that shows people you’re serious about what you do. It also means you can set up more formal payment methods so people can self-serve and purchase directly when the mood takes them instead of you having to manually create invoices and payment links. (If you’re a Lyrical Host customer and need help with the technical parts, just raise a ticket!)
A website also means you can start gathering reviews right away, and have them publicly viewable or easily linked to from one place. Social proof is one of the most important things when you’re just starting out – you can always start with character references until you have something more concrete.
Head into your side hustle with clarity on how much time you have to dedicate to it. Don’t put pressure on yourself to meet specific income goals, or compare yourself to what other people are doing – just see how it goes to start with.
If you’re looking to create an online income as a long-term project:
Looking to play the long game and/or create a passive side hustle? There are a bunch of different routes you could go down for this, from working with brands to creating a mini niche site with hands-off ad income. Search Facebook or Skool for groups based on what you’re interested in (if you can’t find anything try asking for suggestions or advice in our Facebook group) or check out the niche site guide in our Resource Library.
How to speed run a new skills-based website
Thinking you don’t have the time? Here’s how to do it in just a few hours.
01. Buying a domain name and a hosting plan in the same order from us means WordPress is set up automatically so you can get going right away. Or if you already have a hosting plan with us, raise a support ticket and our team will connect a domain name of your choice and install WordPress for you (you can upgrade any time and just pay the difference if you don’t have a free site slot on your plan).
02. If you have a theme in mind already, great! If not, we’ve put together a list of free suggestions for you. Check them out further down this blog post.
03. Install essential plugins. What you need will vary depending on what you’re planning to do, but this list is a good starting point: 7 Free WordPress Plugins You Need (& Some You Don’t!).
04. Keep it simple to start. Have a Services, Experience, or Work With Me page, an About page, and a Contact page. Include multiple ways to contact you, not just a web form (which can be flaky!). You may want to avoid including your personal number as you’re likely to attract a lot of spam calls.
05. Add social proof if you can, such as a couple of lines of testimonials, or images of/links to your work. (If you don’t have testimonials yet, maybe you’ve done some kind of collaboration in the past and can reach out to grab a short recommendation?)
06. Other than updating your core info as needed every now and again, there’s very little maintenance needed for the website. Just have WordPress updates and plugin updates set to automatic, and you’re pretty much handsfree! There’s also a guide in the Resource Library on how to manage multiple WordPress websites so you can do everything quickly and easily in one place.
Free WordPress themes
Check out the lists of free themes below; we’ve categorized them for you so you can scroll to the section that’s relevant to you.
Portfolios and Resumes / CVs
Coaching (could also be used for Virtual Assistants)
Digital Services & Agencies (Design, PR, SEO, Marketing, Branding, Social Media etc.)
Classes, Courses & Tutoring
Thinking of starting a shop or reducing your Etsy costs? Take a look at these posts: How To Transition From Etsy To Your Own Website and 50+ Of The Best Woocommerce Themes.
Next steps
Once you’re set up, it’s time to consider your next steps. Maybe your plan is to do nothing right now and wait until you need your website more actively. Maybe all you needed was some positivity and action to know that you’re prepared and that other options are available to you beyond your current situation.
But if you’re not sure what your next move should be, maybe one of these ideas will give you inspiration:
Review or create professional-themed social media channels (or refresh your existing ones for a consistent branded look with your services website)
Even just reserving the name, filling out the bio, or pinning a post to direct them to your website is a good start. It also directs people to where you want them to look for you, instead of them hunting down your personal Instagram or Facebook and having a nosy.
For existing channels, if it’s appropriate/relevant to your audiences there, add your website to your bio/profile/links page and consider a post to point people to it.
Create a media kit
This is easy to do in Canva, and even if you’re not planning to work with brands, acts as a “catalog” or list of your work, accomplishments and projects so you have it easily to hand.
Scout networking opportunities
Have a look online to see what networking events are happening in your area. Meetup and Eventbrite are great for this. Consider doing a talk even if you’re not self-employed or looking for freelance work as you just never know – I once got headhunted for a job from a talk I did at a local grassroots event.
If in-person events aren’t an option for you, ask around social media communities to find out what online events are happening that may be useful for you. Ideally you’re looking for ones that consist of discussions within the group rather than a central speaker.
Consider designing a flyer or business card…
…even if you don’t get them printed yet. It may sound old school, but doing something different to everyone else can make you stand out. It gives you something to talk about on social media and helps you broaden your channels.
Ask us for a shoutout
We’re always happy to share your new projects, relaunches, offers, and client attraction posts. Just tag us in them and drop us a message.
If you have any questions about this topic or want to run ideas past a group of people who understand, come hang out in our customer Facebook group and start a discussion. We look forward to seeing you there!
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