Why You Need A Personal Website
8/27/2022You might be thinking why would I need a personal website? You probably have a LinkedIn or Twitter account, you might be wondering if you still need to invest time in creating a personal website. Having a personal website and presence on the internet is a great way for you to stand out from the crowd. In this blog post, we’ll answer important questions like What is a personal website, anyway? Why do I need one? How do I create one? And what should my site include? Let’s get started
Mike's personal site created with Teeny
In this digital age, your personal brand is the gateway to your professional future.
An effective personal website is an essential tool for establishing and maintaining a positive online presence — and a useful resource for employers searching for skilled job candidates.
A personal website helps you stand out from a crowd of job seekers by demonstrating your ability to think creatively and strategically while also conveying who you are as an individual. With a personal website, you can showcase your skills, experiences, interests, and values in order to give hiring managers easy access to information about you that’s not directly linked to your resume or LinkedIn profile. Creating a personal website can seem like an overwhelming task — but it doesn’t have to be!!
What is a personal website?
A personal website is a website focused on your professional identity. It’s an online platform that allows you to present yourself — your skills, experience, interests, and values — to prospective employers, colleagues, and business partners.
A personal website is the best place to curate the content you want to be associated with your online presence and is an essential part of the job search process. They give hiring managers quick, convenient access to your skills, experience, and professional identity.
Your website is a single source of information that is not linked to any one job application — and the information found on your personal website is usually not found on other social media platforms or your resume.
Last but not least, your personal website is a space for you to express yourself, add your style, and share your voice. But remember, having a personal website should be fun and not just another thing on your to-do list.
Thalida's personal website.
Why you need a personal website
A personal website is a key part of any professional’s online presence. It’s the place where you can curate the information you want others to associate with your name, brand, and work. Your website is where you can link to your portfolio, your blog, and other important resources that demonstrate your strengths and professional values.
A personal website is an online destination where hiring managers can find everything they need to know about you — and it’s the only way for you to get the word out about the unique value you can bring to your future employer.
When you have a personal website, you have a tool that allows you to shape your professional identity. You can present yourself and your skills in the most effective way possible, and you can do it in a way that is not directly connected to a job application.
Nowadays, everybody uses social media like Linkedin, Medium and Twitter to market themselves. In this way, you are entrusting your most valuable asset, your online identity, to algorithms whose interests may differ from yours.
5 steps on how pure-AI content will be priorized in social media over human generated content:
1) The Pre-Internet ‘People Magazine’ Era
2) Content from ‘your friends’ kills People Magazine
3) Kardashians/Professional ‘friends’ kill real friends
4) Algorithmic everyone kills Kardashians
5) Next is pure-AI content which beats ‘algorithmic everyone’
You can get into the details in this Stratechery post.
Do you want to stand out from the rest? Build your personal website. Your digital space should reflect who you are, and not what social media algorithms decide about you.
Should I add a blog to my website?
It is important to understand that a personal website is not the same as a blog. A blog is a great addition to your first personal website and is quite straightforward to set up. It enables site visitors to clearly comprehend your distinct point of view, your skills, and, most importantly, to interact with you in a more personal way.
zhayitong personal website.
Today, the blogging market is crowded, but if you value sharing your thoughts, we encourage you to start one.
6 essential elements of every personal website
These are the essential elements of a fully functional personal website:
A name and a domain: The name of your website should be easy to remember, and it should also reflect your brand, your goals, and your professional identity. Your domain name should be something you can own, and it can be useful to purchase your domain name even if you don’t have a website yet — it gets you one step closer to having a professional online presence.
An About section: An about section is the place where you introduce yourself and your expertise to your visitors. It’s the best place to link to your resume and other important professional documents, and it’s also the best place to share your personality, interests, long-term goals, your short-term goals, and your overall vision.
A Portfolio: Your portfolio is the place where you can show off your skills and achievements. It’s a place where you can link to work samples, presentations, and other resources that show your proficiency in your industry.
A Contact Me section: Do you want people to reach out? Share your social media links and if you are up for the challenge, your personal email.
A Blog: Your blog is an excellent way to engage with your followers and potential employers. A blog is a great place to start a conversation and to share your knowledge and interests. You can also use your blog to link to your other personal and professional pages.
A newsletter sign-up form: If you have a blog, it may be a good idea to ask for emails and update your visitors every time you publish something new.
Your personal website doesn’t need to be complex. Single page websites generally consist of a homepage above the fold with additional sections like “about me” and contact information. These types of websites are mainly informational and don’t require complex functionality.
Emma Brown site created with Teeny
Are you ready to create your personal website? We prepared the definitive guide on how to create a simple personal website in a few minutes.
Final thoughts on a personal website
Finally, have some fun while building your website. Having a personal website is fantastic. It can be whatever you want it to be—whether that is an online digital playground for creative projects or a professional portfolio, or both! You are in total control of your website, so follow your instinct and create something that you enjoy. Your personality is what makes you unique, and the more that can be expressed, the better.
What are you waiting for? Create your personal website today for free with Teeny.