Do I need a website as a consultant, or is LinkedIn enough?

Whether you need a website or only LinkedIn came up in my masterclass. My answer: you need somewhere a stranger can check you, and somewhere you own the contact. LinkedIn does the first. It does not do the second.

What LinkedIn does well

It is where the people who already know your work spend time. Your profile answers "who is this?" the moment somebody reads a post of yours. In the first months, a clear profile and regular posts will start more conversations than a website will.

What LinkedIn cannot do

You do not own it. You do not own the connections. If the algorithm changes, or your account has a problem, your audience goes with it. With email, you own the list.

LinkedIn is where somebody finds me. Email is where we keep in touch.

What a website is for

A website is where somebody checks you before they pay: what you do, who it is for, what it costs and how to book. It is also the page that turns up when somebody searches your name.

I built mine upfront. You do not need much to start:

1. One page that says who you help and with what problem.
2. A way to sign up for your emails.
3. A way to book or contact you.

Everything else can wait until somebody has paid you.

For what to post once the page is there, read does posting on LinkedIn actually get you clients?

Your next step

Every Wednesday I send one practical step like this in my newsletter, Notes on building optionality: sign up here.

Questions people ask

Can I get consulting clients from LinkedIn without a website?

Yes, early on. But a website and an email list protect you from depending on one platform you do not control.

What should a first consultant website include?

Who you help and with what problem, a way to join your email list, and a way to book or contact you. Start there.