For those of you who aren’t 100% sure what a personal website is or what people who have personal websites do, here’s a brief explanation: Personal websites are websites made by individuals about these individuals. People who are self-employed or freelancers usually have their own websites which talk about their personal nature and maybe their services. Pretty amazing actually! Most personal websites gain popularity from things like simplicity, friendly content/friendly owner, great work and wonderful services. But first things first, if you’re thinking about designing a personal website for yourself, you need to ask yourself: What should I look out for?
And that’s the question we’ll be answering for you today!
- Now for starters, your website should have the following:
• A clear and easy to spell domain name
• An about me page that really is all about you
• Easy to find contact information… why have a site for people to find you if they can’t contact you
Now without further ado, here are 6 things you will need to focus on when making your personal website!
If you’re a web designer, show people the wonderful websites you’ve done! If you are an artist, let your illustrations be known! Show people your potential, because that my friend, is the perfect start.
Ok so if you’re new and haven’t properly engaged yourself in the personal-website-business, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great testimonial page. The testimonial page is the key to trust. By having other people write well about you and your services, you’ll be a reliable vendor in the eyes of your audience. So for those of you who are new, have your friends or family members try out your services and write what they think!
Find a special and unique way to showcase your products, if you have a good one in mind already, give it a go! If you’re still not sure, an opening video would be a nice touch, the way you present your video is entirely up to you. Be creative! I want to say “the sky is the limit” but how can I “when there are footprints on the moon?!”
Some people decide to have their personal picture portrayed on the first page, which I think, is a fantastic idea! Why not? Showcasing your services AND showing yourself is a perfect combo, it makes your website visitors in some way feel “comfortable”. Having a nice, warm and welcoming goofy grin would do just the job. Be yourself, this is YOUR personal website!
Are you an artist? Great! let your art do all the work. A nice, clean and simple website with a crisp design that demos your beautiful art work would certainly leave an impression on visitors! Again this is entirely your work, do whatever you think will make your website stand out. And remember, simplicity is always best!
This brings us to…
A beautifully simple and easy to navigate personal website is just what the Internet needs. Remember, your website should show “you”, that doesn’t mean don’t go crazy with it! If you’re a crazy person, by all means make your website as crazy and as fun as you’d like. But always remember to make the main features such as your work and contact information as clean and as straight forward as possible, these things should be so easy to find. Let all your features be reachable and far from complexity, because that’s just what your visitors need!
