A personal website will prove to be a remarkably efficient tool in your career, whether you are currently looking for work or simply opening up interesting opportunities. You will be able to form your online profile in exactly the way you would like to be viewed by having a website dedicated solely to your profession. We will all benefit from taking control of the way we show ourselves to friends, clients, partners, or fans online, regardless of industry. Therefore, a professional website will play a key role in positioning you in your field as a certified expert, enhancing your personal brand, and expanding your scope.
You need to begin developing your personal brand on the web if you want to get ahead in the digital age. The internet could well become your most powerful networking tool, and creating your own personal website to serve as a central hub for professional information about you and your skills will be in your best interest. With that, we have prepared a beginner’s guide on how to build a personal website, including personal website design, personal website ideas, and personal website templates.
Why would I want a personal website?
To set people apart from the rest of their peers, the best personal websites are designed. The fact is that, no matter what industry you're in, there's going to be so much competition out there and you need to put yourself forward and highlight your strengths if you want to make it big. When done well, personal websites will catch the attention of prospective recruiters and buyers and help you jumpstart your career, including how you're using a personal website.
It is also the perfect hub to show off your skills and talents that you have been building and mastering. Though a personal website is different from a personal portfolio or professional portfolio, both share the same elements and one goal: to boast your success and achievements while telling people that you are ahead of the game. You can post your blogs, your portfolio, or anything else under the sun as long as it is about you.
To help you develop your brand and get on the road to a good career, here is a fast step-by-step guide to winning personal website design:
- Make your homepage inviting and welcoming
The optics count a lot when it comes to creating a personal brand. You need to focus on building an engaging online space that shows relevant information for your target audience. Basically, you start off with the correct template. As a leading internet business, through modern and creative personal website templates and a powerful website editor, Strikingly has enabled more than 3 million users from all over the world to share their ideas and talents. You can now get to work on a personal website design that effectively reflects your brand, armed with the right kind of software to build your website.
Strikingly also has the perfect tools for you to build a compelling homepage for your personal website that will keep viewers hooked. We make sure that you will get the best experience possible with our builder, so check us out here!
- Start off with powerful anecdotes
Although we don't recommend that you write an autobiography on your website, it's interesting to learn more about your personality and your interests through your website from potential employers and customers.
You want them to know who you are as soon as people land on your website and that you're the best person for the job they require. You can provide a list of your experiences, talents, and achievements. Consider making a compelling pitch for elevators that will make visitors want to continue reading. You may also insert interesting stories or anecdotes from personal experience that may be interesting enough for viewers to get invested in. Just make sure that your story isn’t going to be controversial, but rather something that your readers would love to know more about that they stick to browsing the website for longer.
- Don’t compromise on sharing your work
Like we have mentioned earlier, personal website ideas have similarities to online portfolios, which house a selection of your best work. This makes it easy for employers and recruiters to analyze your abilities and decide if you are the right fit for the job. You can also add a gallery section when you create a free personal website on Strikingly, where you can include a handful of projects that you are especially proud of. You may even also provide a list of businesses for which you have served in the past.
Don’t put too much background information! You should not include every piece of work or project you have completed. Think of your personal website pages as a curated gallery of your best work rather than a list of anything you've done in your career. It acts as more than a CV - a personal website like this is a snapshot of you and your ideals going forward. Don't add the projects that are in progress or every single detail of the jobs you have worked in the past. The idea is that if you are uncomfortable turning your personal website into this “fancy CV”, then don’t. Personal websites are still different from portfolios at the end of the day, and knowing that will not only benefit you while building but while sharing it with others too.
- Be proud of your online presence
Your personal website is probably not the only online property you're actually occupying. Be sure to add them to your website if you have profiles on social networks or if you have been published on other websites. Let customers know where else they can locate you online. Ensure that the pages on social media are clean and professional. You don't want prospective employers to find something that can get in the way of landing your most coveted job on the internet.
Be careful with this though! Once you link your social media to your personal websites, even strangers will be able to read your Tweets or Facebook posts. It’s a small trade for having your socials at the reach of your viewers, but might as well be wary of it.
Personal Website Templates Tips
Some of the layouts such as the classic layout or the minimal approach will suffice when building a personal website. At the end of the day, it still depends on your personality and what your taste is when it comes to creativity and design If you are a photographer, then you can apply photography elements such as a section of your page where everything is black and white. If you are an entrepreneur, then you can attach your products, businesses you own, and what you do on the side when you’re not busy making money!
It’s your website, after all, so don’t be shy about sharing what you love the most and what you think the readers will also like. There isn’t any “one size fits all” template. Again, it will heavily depend on your wants, needs, and taste. A good tip we would like to share is to experiment with Strikingly’s templates first. Mix and match elements and see if they make up good chemistry or if the colors look good. If the photos compliment your personal website template format and background, and go for it but make small adjustments to keep it clean.
Your personal website pages should serve as a more customized alternative for sharing information and showcasing your technical skills, whether you build a single-page site or a larger portfolio, and can be used by all types of job seekers. You can use a website to create a clearer image of your skills and yourself as a candidate, even if you have very little job experience while relying on your conventional resume to provide the basic background information. Check out our hundreds of themes and templates to help you get started.
Strikingly as Your Personal Website Builder
With Strikingly’s robust and advanced website builder, you can now achieve the personal website of your dreams in just minutes. Zero coding experience required! Even if you are not a geek or a techie, Strikingly is here to be your best pal in the website building experience. Whether it be personal websites or portfolios, we are your gateway to the best website building experience that you will have.
Our 24/7 Happiness Officers are ready to listen in to any of your problems while building, but no worries as our team strives to make sure that there will be none. Our services are completely free with optional premium methods to level up your website building game. Start building your personal website now with Strikingly, the advanced website builder for beginners.
