Websites aren’t just for businesses. They can also help you make yourself visible. A personal website can become a funnel through which you express yourself, showcase your portfolio, or highlight your areas of expertise.
People who are considering you for opportunities like speaking engagements, training, freelance gigs, consulting will expect you to have a personal website. They want quick proof that you’ve established yourself as a go-to person in your field. Your style, tone, and approach can signal to others whether you’d be a good fit for them.
A personal website can let you make your pitch in front of people you might never meet otherwise. These days, with a website builder tool, you can easily create a personal website. The advancement in technology in this area has made things simpler, even for those who don’t possess technical skills.
Why You Should Consider Building a Personal Website
Here are five specific reasons you should consider building a personal website:
1. It offers a better employment edge.
If you’re a prospective employee hunting for a job, a site that showcases who you are can give you an edge, especially in a saturated market. It immediately sets you apart from other candidates and can serve as an extension of your résumé. The moment an employer sees your website, the first thing that’ll come to their mind is ‘commitment.’ Of course, social media handles do a pretty good job in that regard. However, everyone these days has that part of their life set up and a website is one of the things that’ll bring your unique skills and values. For the best result, make sure your domain name bears your name alongside a .com extension. If there’s anything you want a prospective employer to see, don’t hesitate to feature it on your website. If you can connect it to a certain industry or need, all the better.
2. It showcases your talent.
If you have an incredible ability — graphic design, photography, cooking — you can showcase your expertise using a personal website. It automatically becomes a portfolio that serves as a location where people can meet you doing what you do best. In fact, most employers in the world of graphic and web design ask for your work or personal website so that they can rate your skills.
Done well, you might be able to get some mouth-watering gigs that would turn your financial situation around. New opportunities might even be developed that take multiple talents of yours into account — most employers and talent seekers love getting as much bang for their buck as they can without hiring multiple people.
3. It enables you to build valuable skills.
Some things are better experienced than just read, and that’s the case with websites. You can only know how to design and manage them by actually running it yourself. The moment you’ve stepped into the field, you’ll find yourself learning lots of different things every day. Technology is fast-advancing, and your site will keep you learning and in front of a computer. Once you start managing your website, you’ll be able to say you can create, manage, and create content for a site. In today’s world, that’s a big deal that can fetch a good amount of money.
To really stretch your creative and technical muscles, add new sections or features to your site. By adding videos, a chat tool, or a selection of products — whether it’s desktop wallpapers or screenprint T-shirts — you’ll push your skills further.
Wondering where you can learn these skills and polish what you already know? Well, tutorials on YouTube offer a great place to enhance your presence and the “skill” section of your résumé. If you have some extra cash, you can invest in your learning process by enrolling in an online course. Many colleges offer this option today at an affordable rate.
4. You’re able to build an online presence.
By maintaining a personal website, you control your overall image on the internet. You can determine what you share about yourself and even debunk some myths. An owned website is a powerful tool you can use to set yourself apart and build reach. You can use it to store some of the information that you might not be able to share on your social media handles.
Before people are interested in engaging with you, they often do some Googling. If you include relevant keywords, location information, and samples, your site will no doubt pop up as a result. In other words, you’ll have total control of your image.
5. It can become your Plan B.
As discussed, when you’re running a website, you’ll find yourself learning some incredible skills like web development. You might even become a recognized expert or coach by sharing your knowledge.
There are numerous people today who aren’t actively practicing in their field but are blogging or writing about it via their website. Through this medium, they can make money through Google AdSense, affiliate marketing, or even eBooks. A lot of individuals have been able to make a living through their website without currently having a direct role in an industry they’re well-versed in.
The advantages of having a personal website are enormous. The gains outweigh the costs, and it’s something you’ll never regret building. All you have to do is choose a reliable web host, register your domain, install WordPress, and share your expertise with the world.
Updated: April 21, 2021
