Today’s job market is as competitive as ever. With the influx of multi-talented individuals, creating a personal website is as ubiquitous as creating a resume. But how can you make sure that your site lands among the best personal websites out there today?
First, it’s essential to identify what a personal website is and how it can help you as an artist, professional, or budding entrepreneur. A personal website is more than a CV and a calling card. It can be an incredibly powerful tool to fully communicate what you can do as a creator.
When done right, it can become your primary space of engagement to find work rather you having to seek out clients in many job search platforms. The short of it includes your contact details and work history, maybe even an eye-catching portfolio. But there are many ways you can make your personal pages your own and make them stand out.
Fuel Your Inspiration: Personal Website Examples
Finding a personal website example is essential to have a paradigm that you can follow while creating your site. Looking at various examples can help you determine what sections you need and what type of style to aim for. During this process, you can also narrow down your search to websites that are similar to you. For example, if you’re a digital artist, try to look for personal website examples from other digital artists too.
Here’s a quick list of the best personal website examples out there today:
1. Gary Sheng
Image taken from Strikingly user website
One of many personal website examples of this is Gary Sheng’s - a developer and co-founder of a social enterprise of civic entrepreneurship called Civics Unplugged. His personal website is designed as a resume in reverse chronological order - starting with a photo of himself and then a long scroll down into his current work.
Gary then outlines the journey it took for him to find his calling. He has a cheeky invitation to “dive deeper into his brain” to get to know his work philosophies and links to his own think pieces before finally leaving you with the ways you can contact him.
2. Michael Seibel
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Another great example of a compelling personal website is this one from Michael Seibel. Michael is a co-founder and CEO of both Justin.tv (now Twitch) and Socialcam, before selling both entities to Autodesk Inc and Amazon respectively.
Michael is a recognized authority on advice on starting a startup and a personal investor and advisor on various companies and funds. Like the previous personal website example from Gary Sheng, his work isn’t necessarily visual in nature but he generates and receives value from outlining advice through essays and videos that you can find right on his personal page.
3. Emilio Rios Designs
Image taken from Strikingly user website
For digital artists, you can take inspiration from Emilio Rios, who does brand work through designing various assets and animating logos. His website greets you with an animation of his logo and then takes you down into a featured album of his client and personal work.
Emilio Rios Designs takes personal website design one step further by breaking away from current design conventions. While it all seems simple and straightforward, this website boasts many appealing designs from the artist, moving the focus from him to his pieces.
4. Cynthia Blair
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Cynthia Blair’s personal website is a great example for those who work as a professional artists in the traditional medium. Though she also works as a web designer, her space brings her paintings and traditional art to the forefront.
If you want a personal website that highlights your skills, try to follow in the footsteps of Cynthia Blair. Her website is simple, yet the gallery is coherent and easy to navigate. Each art piece is also well-arranged, making it seem as if her personal website is a collage of a lifetime’s worth of painting. The template is also clear white, bring attention to the art pieces on the site.
Elements of a Good Personal Website
Now that you’ve seen personal website examples, you may have learned a thing or two about making an attractive site. Making your own website from scratch is a tenuous process. And while it may all sound simple at first, the initial step may confuse most artists, especially those who have zero background in web design.
Fortunately, there’s a free website builder you can use to do the leg work for you. Forget about spending thousands of dollars on hiring professional web designers to create your site. With this website builder, all you need is a free account to get started.
Strikingly offers a slew of tools that will make web development feel like a walk in the park. If you’re looking to build a personal website in a short span of time, Strikingly can make this possible. Curious about what Strikingly has to offer as a website builder? Here are some Strikingly features that are also fantastic elements of a good personal website:
• An Impressive Introduction
Image taken from Strikingly user website
A personal website can simply be a place for you to house your work and education history while opening a channel for contact. This is a basic building block for those whose work and skill set does not necessarily translate visually in the same way photographers and artists do and still be able to give themselves an edge in both the traditional and gig economies.
Your introduction must go to your About Page. Describe yourself professionally in 1-2 paragraphs for a dedicated page about who you are as a career person, and create an elevator pitch (3-5 sentences) version for your homepage. You can look at other portfolio website tips to learn more on creating a great introductory section.
Your personal pages are a reflection of who you are professionally, and an about page works as you pre-answering basic interview questions. This gives way to more direct inquiries and discussions of your work since potential clients will have reviewed your personal website and make the first step into working with you when they know what to expect of you.
• A Vibrant Gallery
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Most personal website examples rely on heavy visuals. If your work is that of a visual medium, then a personal website is key to establishing yourself as an asset. A website can be a venture into a new canvas - to find a way to make your space your own through showcasing your personal, professional, and collaborative outputs.
Whatever medium you choose, you can create your own impressive online portfolio with the right tools and take inspiration from other templated personal website designs available anywhere. In Strikingly, you have the option to add a gallery to your personal website.
Having personal and professional outputs on display allows your clients to evaluate how you can provide the unique solution and decide to hire you based on what they want and what you’ve provided for others.
• An Up-To-Date Blog Section
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Going into blogging might be the best decision you can make for your website. If you look at any personal website example, you’ll see that there’s rarely a blog section. To ensure that you don’t miss out on the latest trends, adding a blog section is a bright move.
Blogs allow your page to become more optimized for search engines. These SEO practices can help drive the right people to your personal website and see more of what you offer.
To have a blog embedded in your website has both a personal and professional benefit to many personal website examples. Depending on your line of work, having a blog can boost your credibility in your field, or allow your audience to engage with you.
Today, blogs are a living and changing account of the milestones and lessons in your life that you want to share like a personal newsreel. These posts could include insights into your field of work, practical advice, and value-oriented content that make your personal website unique.
• A Clear Contact Form
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Adding a Contact Us Page to your personal website makes you more accessible to potential clients. You can create a dedicated page for contact and pepper in your contact channels on various pages on your website. The key ones include your email and phone numbers, but social channels are also important for client engagement.
Some website hosting platforms even offer a personalized professional email that comes with getting your own domain, immediately upgrading yourself from your-email@genericmail.com to a talktome@yourdomain.com at yourdomain.com. Learn more about owning your domain and other considerations you need to know before checking out your cart.
No matter what field or niche you fall into or how expansive your skill set is, anyone who wants to set themselves apart should have a personal website. As a new skill, building personal pages is a great jumping-off point and can domino into a knowledge of what good design looks like. Now that you’ve also seen the best personal websites you can follow, you can use Strikingly to add important features to make your website successful.
When you curate your own personal website, it’s a declaration of your commitment to your career and beliefs. It can make you more memorable in the eyes of recruiters and popular among your desired audience. On a personal website, you are the brand. Sign-up for a free account in Strikingly and create your first website today!
