According to research, there are more than 1.5 billion websites on the internet; however, only 200 million of them are actually active while the rest represent parked domains. Although social media provided each and every person in the world with a chance to become visible online, having a Facebook account is not the same as publishing your personal website. Social networks force users to obey strict terms and conditions of use; they manage the entire content and use personal data for marketing purposes. More than just showing you the basics of creating a personal website, we shall also go through some of the benefits of having your own piece on the internet. So, below you will find some of the nifty tips to create a personal website to display your portfolio, your personal work, shopping store etc.
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Top reasons why you need a personal website
Business entities use websites as a gateway that connects them to their clients and prospects; therefore, before we start with our guide and teach you what it takes to create your personal web page we are going to examine some of the key benefits.
Website makes you more findable for other people
There are a lot of people that carry the same name as you do, which often makes social profile searches complicated. If you were to search for a person on Facebook, LinkedIn or some other platform, you’d probably get all sorts of different results. With a personal website, people can find you more easily through Google search. With some clever SEO techniques, you can scale your online footprint even more, so people would have even less trouble finding you.
You gain new technical skills
Managing a web presentation takes some technical knowledge which you may or may not possess. As you learn the basics of managing content, adjusting design template, and adding different apps and widgets, you enhance your skill set. It’s always a good practice to have an extra value that you can offer to potential employers in case you are looking for a new job opportunity. Research indicates that hiring managers perform all sorts of background checks before making a decision and consider having a personal website as a big plus for a candidate.
You can place your portfolio/resume
As we already stated, personal website means you are the master of your content. Therefore, in case you want to attract potential employers or clients (in case you are a professional freelancer), your website is a great place to place your resume or portfolio that shows your professional background. The best thing is that you can choose the type of media you want to use. Instead of a simple textual resume, you can create a video that showcases your personal and professional features in an interesting way. Furthermore, the fact that you control all the content also allows you to edit your portfolio seamlessly.
Step-by-step guide on how to create a personal website
Now that you know why you should have a personal online presence, let’s take a look at how to create your website.
1. Choose and get a domain name
Choosing a domain name can be tricky sometimes, as we already know that more than 70 percent of all domain names are just parked, which means someone bought a domain and keeps it unavailable for others. Your domain should be short and easy to read, it should let the visitor know what to expect, and it also affects the search results. Since your website is all about you, placing your name as a domain is a logical idea, but that decision is entirely up to you. In case the domain name you choose is already taken, you can try to buy it – an option which most hosting agencies will offer in case the website is not active.
2. Install CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
Content Management System (CMS) is a piece of software that allows you to build your website and manage content such as adding pages, loading videos, images, apps, and plugins. Some of the most popular CMS solutions include WordPress, Joomla and other platforms, most of which will allow you to manage your website without any coding experience. As these CMSs are highly popular, the internet is full of all sorts of tutorial materials that you can use to further increase your technical capabilities. As for the installation process, virtually all hosting services provide a one-click installation feature for more popular CMS platforms. WordPress is the most popular CMS, and one of the best options for personal blog management.
3. Choose and install a theme
Your theme should represent your personality and what you stand for, however, there are a few important aspects to take into account before making your choice. It’s important to choose a responsive theme, meaning it’s designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices since mobile is taking over the global internet traffic. Make sure your theme is not bloated; you want it to be as light as possible so it can load faster, which is important for user experience and search engine optimization. It’s best to create a list of the most essential features for your theme and choose one accordingly. Of course keep in mind available color palettes and font, as the visual aspect also plays an important role in user experience.
4. SEO optimize your website
The purpose of SEO for your website is to make sure that only valuable search results appear on the first page of Google search. Therefore, let’s take a look at some simple SEO instructions:
# Make sure you fix your Google+ account so it displays a nice photo of you and personal information that you want to share.
# Create a page that’s entirely dedicated to your profile and make sure the page title starts with your name.
# Make your name an anchor phrase linked to your profile page, wherever it appears on your website.
# Make sure your website is light, loads fast, and create unique content that you can publish regularly.
Conclusion
Creating and managing a website these days is easier than ever, with so many automated site builders that allow you to create a personal website from scratch using nothing but drag and drop technique. The benefits of a personal website are versatile from personal promotion to job opportunity and skill improvement. However, the launch of your website is only the beginning of the journey, if you want people to visit it on a regular basis. It takes a lot of dedication to create authentic content, update your design features, and keep the audience entertained.
