And now we have one last bonus reason why you need a website – and it’s a big one.

It can help you to improve your search rankings – and that is a very important factor. Let’s say that you are just getting started in writing, for example, about travel. A keyword search on travel writers might just bring up your website if you are incredibly lucky.

If that website includes a blog and you update it on a regular basis, you have a much higher chance of appearing in the search rankings. There are lots of other factors involved but search engines like content that is up to date, correct, and updated regularly and they reward websites with that content with a higher search ranking.

Creating a Website

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. One of the best ways to get started is to use WordPress and set up a self-hosted website. It is the most popular method and it is by far the cheapest and easiest to set up.

First, go to Wordpress.org and get to know the site – don’t sign up for anything at this stage.

Next, find a good web host and sign up for an account – this is where your website will be hosted so take your time over this step. It needs to be a good web hosting company that meets all your needs and doesn’t cost the earth to set up. And you also need one that offers One-Click WordPress Installation and is a recommended WordPress host – they will know exactly what they are doing and are best placed to help you get set up.

The next step is to register your domain name if you haven’t already done so. This will be the URL or address that people will visit to go to your website. Most web hosts offer a domain registration service or you can find an independent company. Most domain names cost around $10 to $15 to purchase although you should be prepared to play around with the name a bit – obvious ones may already be taken.

Go back to your web host dashboard and click the One-Click Installation button. WordPress will be installed and you are good to go.

Now you will need to set your website up. WordPress offers some great free themes and plugins and there are plenty of tutorials on the internet to help you out. You also need to have some content ready to go so, when your website goes live, everyone can see who you are and what you are all about.

You can change things later, make things a bit more upmarket if you want, but a simple website is a good place to start. If nothing else, it gets your name out there and your online presence established – the most important things at this stage. And, don’t forget, you need to make time every week to add new content or update what is on there.