Single-page WordPress portfolios are the perfect option for freelance writers looking to advertise their services and showcase their expertise. Both visually impressive and user-friendly, these simple one-page websites can feature interactive portfolios, galleries, and testimonials on a single scrolling page.

In this article, we will focus on how to design highly visual and easy-to-use single-page WordPress portfolios for freelance writers, from choosing the right theme to key page elements to include, as well as the best marketing plugins to stand out from the competition. 

What Makes WordPress The Best Choice For Single-Page Portfolios? 

If you plan to create a single-page portfolio website for your freelance writing business but are still undecided on what website builder to use, then you may find it useful to know the key benefits of WordPress and what gives it an edge. 

Here are five reasons why WordPress is the ideal choice for a single-page portfolio:

• Simplicity – A single-page portfolio helps designers simplify things so that only important content is included and information is communicated more effectively. This provides an improved user experience as the website will not contain any ‘filler’ or feature a messy layout or navigation.
  
• Intuitive design – Like popular social media platforms, a single-page portfolio is based on infinite scrolling which research shows to be the preferred way to view content online.
  
• Tell a story – With WordPress, a single-page design can effectively tell a story using interactive elements in a grid-based layout, similar to that of a comic book. This can keep the audience engaged while sending them on a user journey to learn more about you, as a writer.
  
• More conversions – Single-page websites have a simple user journey, allowing page elements to be sequenced to generate more conversions without requiring numerous actions and clicking various links to reach the intended goal. This linear design is proven to result in more conversions, on average, than multi-page websites.
  
• Easy to manage – A busy freelance writer is likely to have very little time to manage and maintain a complex website, equally, they may also not have the budget to hire an administrator to manage it for them. This is why a clean, simple, and low-maintenance single-page website is preferable for so many freelancers.
  
  Furthermore, thanks to WordPress, the majority of updates can be installed automatically, further reducing maintenance requirements. 

Designing A Single-Page WordPress Portfolio For A Freelance Writer

Once you have purchased a domain and hosting package for your website. You must install WordPress, and then you can begin to think about the design of your new single-page portfolio. New to the WordPress world? You may want to consider a managed WordPress hosting solution to simplify the process.

With this setup, let’s consider the key elements your website will need to have. 

The Key Elements of a Single-Page Portfolio

A lot of thought needs to be put into what your single page needs to include. You will not have the luxury of including vast amounts of text, images, and videos to cover all bases. Focus on the information you feel the audience needs to know and how this can be succinctly delivered. Each piece of content and page element should have a clear purpose if it is to be included.

Below is a list of elements that all single-page portfolios should have. 

• A clear call-to-action (CTA), such as a button to enquire about your services or request a quote.
  
• Branding, such as a logo, unique color scheme, and tagline.
  
• An about section describing who you are and what you can offer your unique selling point.
  
• Details about your services and what you can offer.
  
• Testimonials and links to external content to showcase your capabilities.
  
• Contact information or a contact form to allow users to get in touch.
  
• Links to your social media pages or external websites relating to your business. 

The order of these elements is also a key consideration, with the most important information and CTA shown as early as possible and with contact information and links to social media pages located towards the end of the page. 

NB – Although your portfolio will be kept to a single page, it doesn’t mean your website cannot feature a blog, which can be an excellent tool for search engine optimization purposes. WordPress allows you to easily add a blog page to your portfolio, which users can reach with a simple link click. 

Choosing The Perfect WordPress Theme

There are a number of free and premium WordPress themes that were specially developed for single-page websites and freelancer portfolios. This makes designing and building your portfolio much easier as opposed to adapting a theme designed for standard websites to suit your needs. By using a purpose-built theme, you can fit all the content and elements you need on a single page while maintaining a sleek design. 

When choosing your theme, important things to consider are whether it has a design that breaks up the page so each section is distinguishable from another and if it includes pre-built elements such as a contact section and an area to add testimonials. 

Important Design Tips

Once you have chosen your perfect theme and decided what needs to be included on your portfolio website, it is time to think about its overall design and how the end product will look. Think about who your audience is, how it will be branded, the page style, and how the website can be optimized to meet your conversion goals. 

For example, as a freelance writer, you may specialize in tech, meaning your website should probably adopt a modern look and style with concise content to convey your message as quickly as possible. However, no single winning formula can be applied; therefore, you need to consider your brand and what your customers want. 

Here are five quick tips to follow when designing your single-page portfolio:

• Keep it simple and avoid unnecessary elements and content.
  
• Include a navigation that allows users to jump from one section to the next.
  
• Make sure each section is distinguishable from another, using different headers, colors, and backgrounds.
  
• Include your primary CTA near the beginning of the page and make it stand out.
  
• Consider a grid-based layout and interactive content for your portfolio to tell a story and engage the user. 

When building your portfolio, you can use an intuitive page builder like Elementor, which allows even a person with no coding experience to create an eye-catching and fully functional website. Free and easy-to-use page builder tools are another reason why so many freelancers turn to WordPress to create their business websites and portfolios. 

Marketing Your Single-Page WordPress Portfolio

Once your portfolio has been created, and you are ready for launch, it is time to consider what plugins can boost your marketing efforts and increase search visibility. Competition in the writing industry is fierce, with experienced freelance writers often offering their services for very affordable prices at around $10 to $25 per hour on average, which is why your website needs to set you apart from your rivals. 

Below is a list of some of our favorite SEO and marketing plugins.

1. HubSpot provides valuable SEO insights that can be viewed directly on the WordPress dashboard, helping to monitor traffic and page performance.
   
2. Yoast SEO has a range of features to improve SEO, such as XML sitemap creation and assisting with writing page titles and meta descriptions.
   
3. SEMrush Writing Assistant analyzes your content and recommends improving readability and targeting relevant keywords.
   
4. SpotlightWP allows you to display content from your social media pages on your website, helping to increase followers, monetize your site, and show that you are an active business.
   
5. Groundhogg adds a signup form to your page so users can easily subscribe to mailing lists so they can receive newsletters or be informed of offers and discounts.

Conclusion

If you want a portfolio website that is user-friendly, low-maintenance, and proven to increase conversions, then a single-page WordPress website is the perfect choice. Thanks to the WordPress platform’s specially designed themes, straightforward page builders, and advanced marketing plugins, even a person with zero coding knowledge can build an impressive portfolio website that can take their business to the next level.