When it comes to trying to survive in the cutthroat world of freelancing, it pays to be able to reach as many people as possible. Because of this, the internet could not be more important to your overall success.

Sadly, far too often promising freelancers end up failing simply because they didn't fully understand how to use the internet to their advantage properly. However, just because something can be a challenge doesn't make it impossible. If you really want your career as a freelancer to be successful, then you've got to be able to create the best possible online presence. Here are a few simple and easy ways that you can do just that.

Fix your terrible web design

The biggest issue that many small or independent businesses have when it comes to their online presence is that their websites are often just terrible. There are plenty of things that can ruin a customer's experience of your website.

It could be that it's impossible or confusing to navigate, or that the functionality of the site is pretty broken, or it could simply be that it's incredibly ugly. The fact is that you need to think carefully about exactly what about your website needs improvement. One of the best ways to be sure that your website is always up to scratch is to use one of the many website builders available online.

Sites like https://WebsiteBuilders.com can help you compare different services to figure out which is right for you. Creating a website that people actually want to visit is the first step in building an online brand that people care about.   

Start using social media properly

It's become pretty clear over the last few years that not only is social media not going away, it's also an incredibly useful method of engaging with customers. However, far too many freelancers and businesses end up using it totally wrong.

You can't just fill your social media pages with ads and promotions and expect results. You need to create an identity online that people will actually want to follow and share. Otherwise, you're just going to be wasting your time with stuff that your customers simply don't care about.

Give your customers something to engage with

Customers don't want to be showered with advertising and promotions anymore. What they really want is content that they can actively engage in. This means that you have to produce things that will connect with customers on an intellectual or emotional level.

Blog posts are one of the very best ways to do just that since you're going to be able to give customers a peek into the human side of your business that they might not be aware of. That kind of thing can create a remarkable emotional connection that otherwise wouldn't be possible.

Of course, don't assume that your business can survive based purely on your online presence alone. You still need to think about things like connecting with customers in person, attending business and trade events, and focusing on high calibre customer service. Running any kind of successful business is a matter of being able to keep things as balanced as possible as much as you can.