What a journalist website needs to do
Show your best clips, the beats you cover and how to reach you for story tips or freelance work. Keep the layout simple and easy to scan on a phone.
Link to published pieces rather than reposting them, and show only quotes and work you have permission to show. State clearly how you prefer to be contacted, including any secure options you use.
People searching for a journalist usually decide in seconds. Your site should answer the questions below before they have to ask.
Read clips
Your best published work
See beats
The topics you cover
Send a tip
A contact form
Request a freelance quote
Inquiry form for editors
Timing matters. Election cycles and major event seasons raise demand for freelancers.
The pages a journalist website needs
A journalist site does not need dozens of pages. It needs the right few, each doing one job:
- ✓Home with featured clips — your best work and beats
- ✓Clips — portfolio by topic
- ✓Beats — topics you cover
- ✓About
- ✓Contact — tips and pitches
Need a page for every service or town you cover? The larger packages give you room to grow.
Mistakes we see on journalist websites
- ✓Dead links
- ✓No beat stated
- ✓No contact path
Getting found: SEO basics for a journalist
- ✓Name and beat — "health reporter name"
- ✓Clip pages by topic — match topic searches
- ✓FAQ on pitching — answers editor questions
Cheap Cheap Websites sets up the essentials on every build, and Monthly SEO adds new pages every month when you are ready.
Sample sites that could be yours
These are real samples we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words.
What a journalist website costs
Most journalists fit Launch Website: $399 one-time for up to 5 pages, because they need a home page, a clips page, a beats page, an about page and a contact form. Websites are priced one-time, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds.
What we ask a journalist for
We will ask for your clips, beats, bio, contact preferences and affiliations.
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
