First time ssf player. Ball lightning archmage

Hi, newish player plus first time ssf player. I decided to go with ball lightning hierophant.

Getting to yellow maps was a breeze but im hitting a wall at red maps. I feel very squishy and feel like the energy shield leech is not noticeable at all. I obviously dont have the best gear. I know I need to fix my chaos res and utility flasks. I was hoping someone could give me some ssf tips/build advice. Be gentle :)

https://poe.ninja/profile/Flobber-5313/character/MercHieroFlobber