We have entered the digital era, and the world runs more on the internet than outside of it. In this highly competitive online market, where do you stand? Gone are the days when only huge multinational companies and established brands owned a personal website.
Absolutely anyone can own a personal website, and it can be about anything you want. A blog site is the best example here. A personal blog site lets people talk about their story, interests, likes, ideology, etc. But instead of just writing it in a personal diary, they choose to do it on a website.
On the other hand, you have a set of skills or a product/service that you are actively selling. Don’t you think you could also use a personal website? Something that highlights the best attributes of your product or service? And if you think that your business is going fine and this is too much work, well, we have some amazing personal website examples to make you feel otherwise.
8 Reasons to Start Building a Personal Website
Knowing that anyone can build a personal website, we’ve created a list of 8 reasons that are bound to convince anyone to make one.
1. Open to All
There’s a common notion that only creative artists can have a personal website while businesses, products, and services have unified platforms to advertise themselves. Well, you couldn't be far from the truth. A personal website is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to use the internet to market themselves. You can use it to build a personal resume to boost your chances of landing that dream job, to develop a personal brand, or to increase your clientele. There are no rules as to who should and should not own a personal website. It only matters how you use it.
2. Personal Brand
If you are looking to build a career as a photographer or as a musician, you might have a portfolio showcasing your work. By building a personal website, you label your self-worth and your identity as a professional. In your personal website, you not only advertise your skills but build a brand around yourself. It opens up countless new doors of opportunities and elevates your professional status.
3. Build Your Network
Success cannot come to you on your own. You need to be in the presence of success people to build a successful empire. That is what your personal website can do for you. The target market and success you can achieve with a personal website when compared to social media is unparalleled. Unlike your social media handles, your personal website is your personal space. Depending on how you’ve built and maintained it, you can connect to people from across the world and land business opportunities you’ve never even dreamt of.
4. Stand Out From the Rest
Face it. You won't get the level of flexibility and control in any other digital space than what a personal website can offer. Everybody uses social media such as Facebook, Instagram or even Google to market their brand. But that’s just giving other websites the job of marketing your business when you can do it yourself. Building a personal website shows that you are innovative and forward thinking. You will impress your audience more in comparison to those who use the normal social media applications. It shows that you are hard working and dedicated to seeking opportunities.
5. Develop Your Career
Either if you’re starting out as a rookie stand up comedian or if you have been a sports coach for over a decade, a personal website can be equally important for both. Owning a personal website can open channels and present opportunities that you didn’t know exist. One great example is that using a personal website, you can tailor various courses and study material and earn by selling it on your website. You can display in flying colors about all of your ventures and experiences and develop a reputation depending on how you market yourself on your personal website.
6. Your Personal Office
Some of the best personal websites are not just a personal space for the owner to express themselves, it’s their portable office. You can find everything you need to know about their profession on their personal website. This means that in case they have a sudden business proposal and need to access some of their top credentials or a portfolio, it’s a click away. Having a personal website can help you in such situations and make a lasting impression on new clients.
7. Generate Alternative Income
Apart from the branding and generating work, like any website, your personal website can also become a source of secondary income. Based on your website traffic, you can host ads on your site which can make you some good money. Though you aren’t creating your personal website with this intent, it’d be a great add-on if your website designing skills and creative genius end up making a killer personal website. Just imagine, you’d be making money while simultaneously marketing yourself.
We could go on and on about why owning a personal website can be the best thing to happen to your business. That might give a clue as to what we are talking about. But to truly understand what a personal website can do to your business, you need to look at some of the best personal websites on the internet and the people behind these websites are capable of doing with their personal websites.
Top Personal Website Examples to Convince You to Build Yours
So here are some of the finest personal website examples that will get you hurrying to build your very own personal website right away!
• Sim Mau’s Illustrator Website
Image taken from Strikingly’s user website
Sim Mau is a creative artist who makes illustrations, comics, and sketches who explored his creative versatility on his personal website. The website hosted on Strikingly let him organize his life’s work in subcategories allowing him to expand his work profile and land new clients from diverse fields of work.
• Dan Makoski’s Strategic Design Website
Image taken from Strikingly’s user website
Dan uses Strikingly’s latest design features to imprint his image in the field of technology and brilliant design. The moment you land on his personal website, you know what Dan’s page is all about. The website design is focused around his ability to provide strategic design to various clients.
• Kurt Hewes’s Baseball Hitter Website
Image taken from Strikingly’s user website
Kurt’s personal website one of the best personal website examples out there of how you can convert any skill into a source of income with a personal website. Using videos and demos in his website, Kurt can enroll clients directly for private coaching sessions to improve an aspect of their hitting. Without the website, it would be quite a challenge to promote his videos or establish himself as a brand.
• Chloe Hwang’s Personal Website
Image taken from Strikingly’s user website
Some of the best personal websites can just be a space to showcase professional achievements and generate more work. Chloe Hwang uses her personal website, built on Strikingly’s interactive platform to demonstrate her competence to suitable clients. This is a much better option than just having a resume, considering how important it is to create an impression.
• Rachel Rose’s Storyteller Website
Image taken from Strikingly’s user website
Rachel uses her personal website to increase ticket sales while simultaneously building her professional profile as a storyteller. Her website is just as captivating as her stage performances.
How to Build a Cracking Personal Website
Building a personal website is pretty simple, that is, if you follow these Strikingly simple steps:
1. Pick a Website Builder
The first thing you need to start is choosing the right website builder. These are sites that help you build and host your website on the internet. The personal website examples that you just saw were built on Strikingly, a uniquely simple platform that lets you create your personal website. You can choose the platform that works for you. Just be sure that it’s simple to work with and not too messy to build your website. Every website has limited free features and extensive paid features that come with specific pricing and plans. Be sure to choose the right plan that suits your needs and budget.
2. Design Your Site
Your template design needs to reflect your personality. It also needs to look professional and unique to compete with some of the best personal websites out there. Be sure to experiment with color palettes, design layouts and all other features that you might require for your website like banners styles, buttons, pop ups, etc. You can personalize the space further by adding your pictures, videos, written content or other key items you want to add to your personal website designs.
3. It’s Time to Go Live
Once you're happy with how your website looks, you can publish it so that it can be visible on the internet. Don't forget to link your website to your social media handles and other external links, like your forms or your blogs. These will optimize the performance of your website and put a spotlight on your professional life.
These tips should help you get your way around building a groovy personal website that competes with some of the best personal websites out there. You can start right away by signing up with Strikingly. You could have a cool personal website like the ones you saw earlier. If you think you need more help on building your website or other tips to help your website stand out among the rest, you can visit Strikingly’s blog site and find resources that will guide you throughout the process.
