Question / Discussion CV Writing

LiamKinny said:

Hi All,

I've been writing CV's for a while now as a little side line. Usually helping friends, and friends of friends, usually in return for a beer/meal out. I hadn't really formalised it into anything. However last year I decided to try and push this more, its something I enjoy and believe I can add value to, so I created ReadyCV.co.uk.

I've had a few sales but not what I was hoping for, and really unsure on the next steps of how to grow this. I'm not sure if this is even the right place, but always seen you guys being imaginative and I got some great support on my former blog, so thought it would be worth a try. As always there isn't much of a budget!

Thanks,

Liam

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Just had a quick look at your website

First thing I would run it all through Grammarly. With a service such as yours 'first impressions' are EVERYTHING





Also is this your IG handle? - if so why isn't it clickable? What about other social media networks


Why are your prices not on the front page?

A niche such as this could REALLY do with a blog alongside it off the main menu covering 'hot topics' around job hunting and most importantly going after keywords you want to target.

What keyword research have you done so far?

I would also look at taking work in from other avenues.

With Content Conga for example we take orders directly via our website, Upwork and PeoplePerHour as people like to get the same product from us but in lots of different ways and only giving them ONE way to accessing that is sort of shooting myself in the foot so to speak.

You also only have 3 pages listed in google. Why so few? Are you using Meta Descriptions at all as it seems like the google listings don't invite anyone to click on the links much

LiamKinny said:

Thanks Jon, That's really helpful. I've run it through Grammarly now and updated it, as well is link directly on Instagram and the other socials.

I will look into a blog as its something I have been considering, I will also look into how to list better in google as thats a new one to me.

I have registered with Fiver & PeoplePerHour when I first considered it, but it sort of fell by the wayside, so will look into that again. Thanks for the ideas and tips!

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Blogs are a great way to brining in customers who are searching for relevant keywords

Also have you thought about promoting on Google Ads / Facebook Ads etc. ?

There's a LOT of money in this market if you can tap into it, but also a lot of competition. I had a similar site several years ago which was ticking along but didn't really break out - still managed to sell the domain to a startup in Turkey for $14K (they've still not done anything with the domain, just sitting there!).

SEO's important, but given the competition (not just CV writers, but online CV creators, general job sites such as Reed which offer free templates and advice etc) I'd look for some more creative or niche promotional avenues. That could be niching down (e.g. to a particular sector in the job market, or for career switchers, or for 50+ year olds or whatever), or some really clever marketing ideas which get noticed.

Further to Jon's feedback: you have Trustpilot reviews, which is great, but no reviews on your site itself. That might help close the deal with some people, as would some examples of your work. There's no mention of keyword research - many recruiters now use computer algorithms to do an initial sift, so you need to get those keywords in there. Also no mention about tailoring CVs for different jobs; you could offer a package which involves writing a 'core' CV, and then tailoring the skills and personal statement sections to different job types.

I do think that your pricing is going to make it hard to break beyond a sideline. You'll need to sell (and deliver) a LOT of £39 packages to make a decent salary (after tax, advertising costs, insurance etc), and there just won't be enough hours in the day. You might get away with it if you can turn a CV around in 30 minutes, but I'm guessing it'll take longer than that. Likewise I don't think it's high enough to employ or outsource CV writers, either. Could be wrong, just make sure that you properly plan you pricing - it's easier to change it now than down the road.

Some great feedback above @LiamKinny !

Hi @LiamKinny

Don't know if you are still doing CV writing work but I saw this on Upwork which would be a good fit for you