Knowledge
A website as a freelancer (zzp).
The Netherlands runs on independent professionals — zzp’ers, in the local shorthand. For an international freelancer here, the website is the office, the CV and the sales team in one.
Updated 26 July 2026
The short answer
A zzp’er (the Dutch shorthand for a solo self-employed professional) typically registers an eenmanszaak at the KvK and competes on visible expertise. The website that wins clients has: one clear positioning (“the specialist for X”), proof — portfolio, results, reviews — the legally required KvK number and contact details, and findability for the searches Dutch clients actually type. One sharp page beats ten vague ones; for many freelancers a focused one-pager with a strong profile is the entire machine.
Position like a specialist, earn like one
The Dutch market for independents is deep, which makes sharpness the whole game: “UX designer for fintech scale-ups” gets found, remembered and paid better than “designer, open to anything”. Choose the niche where your international background is the advantage rather than the accent — cross-border experience, a second language, sector depth — and let the site say it in the first five seconds. Rate pressure is what happens to generalists.
The findability layer for freelancers
Clients search two ways: by need (“fotograaf zakelijk portret Utrecht”) and by name, after a referral. Cover both: a services page per core offer targeting real Dutch search phrases, a Google Business Profile if your work is local, an updated LinkedIn that links home, and reviews you actively collect after every delivered project. For English-speaking niches — tech, creative, consulting — English pages work; for the Dutch mainstream, Dutch pages earn the trust.
Frequently asked questions
Do I legally need a website as a zzp’er?
A website is a choice; the duties attach once you have one — KvK number, contact details, and a privacy statement as soon as a form or analytics runs. Commercially the question answers itself: clients check you online before they call.
One-pager or full website?
Start where your market looks: a strong one-pager — positioning, proof, contact — covers referral traffic completely. Add pages when you want search traffic per service, or when your portfolio deserves room. Growing a sharp one-pager beats launching a thin ten-pager.
Should my rates be on the website?
Dutch clients appreciate indication over mystery: a starting rate or project range filters mismatches before the call and signals confidence. Fully public rate cards suit productised services; bespoke work does fine with “projects from €X”.
Further reading
Free advice
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