How to Go From Upwork to My Own Website?

[TheGrind]

I've been writing copy on Upwork pretty successfully for a while, but I know if I want to make big money I need to move from Upwork to my own website.

I'm curious, has anyone done this? How would I go about finding clients? I'm assuming it's a whole different ballgame with a lot more money involved.

Also, does anyone know of any Wordpress themes that would fit a website for my copywriting services well? Don't mind paying.

I was looking at this theme: http://smarald.icypixels.com/

I'd love to hear your feedback on that theme and I'm definitely open to other recommendations.

 

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[Mario C]

I've been writing copy on Upwork pretty successfully for a while, but I know if I want to make big money I need to move from Upwork to my own website.

I'm curious, has anyone done this? How would I go about finding clients? I'm assuming it's a whole different ballgame with a lot more money involved.

Also, does anyone know of any Wordpress themes that would fit a website for my copywriting services well? Don't mind paying.

I was looking at this theme: http://smarald.icypixels.com/

I'd love to hear your feedback on that theme and I'm definitely open to other recommendations.

Hi @TheGrind ,

Stumbled across this post and wondered if you wouldn't mind sharing your progress?

I'm new to the fast lane but would be interest to here your experience so far.

Thanks
Mario

 

[Nicoknowsbest]

Hi @TheGrind!

Some ideas:

• take existing clients off UW
• ask them for referrals (out off UW)
• spend your money on "diesel and coffee"
• cold-email local businesses
• hustle hard, go to events, fairs and meet-ups, introduce yourself
• build a landing page, drive traffic
• etc.

I am in a very similar position and might have something to report here soon.

@Fathazard is writing about his progress doing the same here.

Stumbled across this post and wondered if you wouldn't mind sharing your progress?

I'd also love to hear about how you found success on UW, your lessons learned and your milestones - of course only if you don't mind sharing

 

[TomW]

I've been writing copy on Upwork pretty successfully for a while, but I know if I want to make big money I need to move from Upwork to my own website.

I'm curious, has anyone done this? How would I go about finding clients? I'm assuming it's a whole different ballgame with a lot more money involved.

Also, does anyone know of any Wordpress themes that would fit a website for my copywriting services well? Don't mind paying.

I was looking at this theme: http://smarald.icypixels.com/

I'd love to hear your feedback on that theme and I'm definitely open to other recommendations.

Hi @TheGrind

I've been on Upwork for a while now too and also been thinking about how to get clients outside Upwork.

Here's what I've been thinking:

When I first created my company the name of my company appeared on several websites that list fresh startups (they were Finnish websites but I'm sure you have similar in your country as well). As a result I started getting emails from different firms offering their products and services for a freshly started firm, but I didn't get too many of them surprisingly.

One email was from a web designer that had also just started his own business and was asking me if I needed my own website. I didn't need his services but I asked him how he got his clients and he told me that he used these websites that list fresh startups. I visited his website few days ago and noticed that he had many portfolio pieces and some of them were from pretty big companies and he had been in the business for only 9 months.

Maybe you could use these websites in your advantage as well?

Try googling your name or the name of your company and see what websites list your company and look if they have listed other companies as well. If you believe that there's potential clients there you could create an email list that automatically sends an introduction about you and your services to every company on the list and whenever a fresh startup is listed on that same list. The best way to do it is of course to write a tailored email for every potential client.

This is something I'm going to try, and I hope you can leverage this as well!

Like others I'm also interested in learning how you built your success on Upwork, have you taken any courses such as Kopywriting Kourse or Danny Margulies' course on how to be successful on Upwork? Anyways, it would be great to hear about your journey!

Tuomas

 

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[TomW]

@TheGrind also the good ol' direct mail marketing could also work. Here's a great article written by Neville Medhora about it http://kopywritingkourse.com/direct-mail-marketing/

 

[DoubleDareYou]

Hi @TheGrind

I've been on Upwork for a while now too and also been thinking about how to get clients outside Upwork.

Here's what I've been thinking:

When I first created my company the name of my company appeared on several websites that list fresh startups (they were Finnish websites but I'm sure you have similar in your country as well). As a result I started getting emails from different firms offering their products and services for a freshly started firm, but I didn't get too many of them surprisingly.

One email was from a web designer that had also just started his own business and was asking me if I needed my own website. I didn't need his services but I asked him how he got his clients and he told me that he used these websites that list fresh startups. I visited his website few days ago and noticed that he had many portfolio pieces and some of them were from pretty big companies and he had been in the business for only 9 months.

Maybe you could use these websites in your advantage as well?

Try googling your name or the name of your company and see what websites list your company and look if they have listed other companies as well. If you believe that there's potential clients there you could create an email list that automatically sends an introduction about you and your services to every company on the list and whenever a fresh startup is listed on that same list. The best way to do it is of course to write a tailored email for every potential client.

This is something I'm going to try, and I hope you can leverage this as well!

Like others I'm also interested in learning how you built your success on Upwork, have you taken any courses such as Kopywriting Kourse or Danny Margulies' course on how to be successful on Upwork? Anyways, it would be great to hear about your journey!

Tuomas

Wonderful advice @TomW, thanks for sharing! I'll definitely use this and report any results.

@TheGrind read this article from SinisterLex on how he almost got banned from Upwork when a client asked him to work from outside. There's also a link to an article from Upwork's blog with more ways to be banned at the bottom. Upwork won't allow you to share contact details with potential customers, but it does allow you to do it once you are hired.

I often communicate with clients through email or Skype because Upwork's chat service is unrealiable anyways. Take advantage of these direct contact means to offer your clients value-added services that you don't make available through Upwork; you can also use it to send thank notes and greetings on special days. Remember to add your own branding, that way they'll start looking at you as a separate entity and will be more approachable outside of Upwork.

I'm currently in the same situation as you, looking to get better direct clients. I have a couple of them and are indeed much better than what you can find on Upwork, but it could also be worse! So do your due diligence with every new prospect.

-DDY