A website for freelancers: what do you really need?

In 2025 the Netherlands had 1.2 million self-employed people without staff (zzp’ers) for whom it was their main job1CBS, 2026Dossier ZZPOpen the source. The business register lists over 1.8 million, because the Chamber of Commerce counts every registration, including people for whom it isn’t their main job2KVK, 2026KVK Zzp-monitor: zo ontwikkelt het aantal zzp'ers in NederlandOpen the source. Plenty of competition, then.

Most work still comes through people you know. In a survey by TNO and Statistics Netherlands, 68% of freelancers found work through their own network and 64% through previous clients. 32% named their own website3TNO en CBS, 2025Zelfstandigen Enquête Arbeid 2025: Resultaten in vogelvluchtOpen the source. So a site doesn’t replace your network. But anyone who hears your name through a referral will look you up, and then you want something there that holds up.

That is also an opportunity. In many trades most people have no site, and a simple, fast site with real reviews already sets you apart. Besides, a website is yours. On LinkedIn, Werkspot or Instagram, someone else sets the rules and the reach.

You don’t need twenty pages. A visitor wants to know three things within seconds: what you do, whether you work in their area or field, and how to hire you. Five pages cover that, though what goes on them differs per profession.

What you can leave out: a blog you don’t keep up, a news page, a long company history and moving slideshows. A blog only makes sense if you really put time into it. Otherwise, a year later, your latest post is from long ago, and that’s not good advertising.

If you provide services or sell online, these details must be on your site5Ondernemersplein (Rijksoverheid, RVO), 2025Regels voor bedrijfscorrespondentieOpen the source:

Mind that last one. Your turnover tax number (omzetbelastingnummer) contains your citizen service number (BSN), and you only use it with the tax office. Your VAT ID doesn’t, and is meant for your website, letterhead and invoices7Belastingdienst, 2026Alles over uw btw-identificatienummer (btw-id) en omzetbelastingnummer (ob-nummer)Open the source.

If you ask for a name or email address through a form, the GDPR requires you to say what you do with it. A clear link to a privacy statement on your website is enough for that9Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, 2026Recht op informatieOpen the source.

For cookies: functional cookies and limited analytics cookies, with little or no impact on privacy, may be placed without consent. Tracking cookies, such as those from ad networks, do need consent, and refusing must be as easy as accepting10Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, 2026Cookies en uw organisatie: zorg voor een goed beleidOpen the source. So if you use no tracking cookies, you don’t need to ask visitors for consent. Do list the cookies you use in your privacy statement.

Since 28 June 2025, European accessibility rules apply to webshops and online services, among others. Micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and at most €2 million in turnover that provide services are exempt11ACM, 2026Accessibility of e-commerce services and electronic communications servicesOpen the source12Rijksoverheid, 2025Producten en diensten toegankelijker voor mensen met beperkingOpen the source. As a freelancer you don’t have to, then. It does pay off: good contrast, readable type and buttons you can reach with a keyboard make your site nicer for everyone.

Anyone searching for a service nearby usually sees a map with businesses first. Google decides that order on relevance, distance and prominence, and you can’t buy a better spot. For prominence, Google looks at things like how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have13Google Business Profile Help, 2026Tips to improve your local ranking on GoogleOpen the source.

More and more people also ask an AI assistant: 45% had already used ChatGPT or a similar tool for a local recommendation, up from 6% a year earlier14BrightLocal, 2026Local Consumer Review Survey 2026Open the source. How to show up there is in How to get found in ChatGPT.

In the Netherlands, 65% of web traffic comes from mobile phones15Statcounter Global Stats, 2026Desktop vs Mobile vs Tablet Market Share NetherlandsOpen the source. So your site has to work well on a phone first: a tappable phone number, your main button at the top and no pop-ups covering the screen.

Speed counts too. In a Deloitte study for Google, a mobile site that loaded 0.1 seconds faster brought 8.4% more conversions in retail16web.dev, 2020Milliseconds make millionsOpen the source. More recently, the shop platform Nuvemshop saw the share of stores passing Google’s Core Web Vitals rise from 48% to 72%, and conversion from mobile visitors coming from Google rise by 8.9%17web.dev, 2026How Nuvemshop's image prioritization strategy led to a 68% improvement in LCP and 8.9% more conversionsOpen the source. Check how fast your site is with our free Future-Proof Website Scan.

There are over 6.1 million .nl domain names registered, and new business owners claim their domain on average three to six months before registering with the Chamber of Commerce18SIDN, 2026.nl groeit in eerste helft van 2026 dankzij economische rugwindOpen the source. Do the same: a .nl name that fits what you do, and an email address on that domain. An address like jan@janspainting.nl looks more professional than a free one, and it stays yours if you ever switch provider.

There are roughly three routes: build it yourself with a website builder, hire a freelancer by the hour, or a fixed price from an agency.

With Foundations you get up to 8 pages in 2 languages, an admin area to change your texts and photos yourself, a business email address, and analytics and Search Console set up. All prices are on our pricing page. What a website costs in general is in What does a website cost?