Setting up a website is considered necessary for a variety of reasons. Every day, more than 547,000 new websites are created. Most of these are business and service-related, whether for rolling out a new startup, publishing a professional blog, setting up an online store, or even to introduce a non-profit organization. But what about creating a personal website?
There are numerous benefits to setting up a personal website. In fact, creating one is considered a necessity for many
categories of people, including entrepreneurs, professionals in digital, media, entertainment, and creative fields, and
even hobbyists. Yet, many decline to claim their personal space on the web. Often, it is not as a result of lacking the
expertise. After all, these days, there are many ways to create a website without having to know a single thing about
website development.
The issue is more about seeing the value in setting up a personal website. For example, many people think being on
social media is sufficient. Having accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. does connect you with the
rest of the world. But the truth is, most people still search for stuff on Google, which is where having your own
website truly becomes important. Not convinced? Here are five reasons why it is still absolutely necessary.
There is huge competition to be found in whatever field you are in. Success in your line of work will ultimately depend
on your ability to stand out from your peers. This is where having a strong brand identity comes in. Your personal
website can allow you to establish the exact details that define what you are about, starting with your bio and profile
picture.
You can, for example, customize the text, colors, imagery, and layout of your website to suit your personality and
skills. This makes it possible for you to create a more accurate visual representation of your brand than what you are
able to do with a uniform, non-customizable social media profile.
Finding work is still a major concern for millions of professionals. While LinkedIn and other recruitment platforms can
help with that, there are tons of reasons why you may slip through the cracks. For one, many employers are still not on
social media. Research shows only about 40% of companies actually go on social media to get information on possible
recruits.
In addition, unless you have a pretty unique name, there are tons of other people who will have the same or a similar
name on social media. A potential employer will find it difficult to pick you out from the hundreds of “John Smiths”
that exist on Facebook, for example, if they do decide to look for you online. Having your own website removes all the
doubts about who you are, if you add your personal website link on your resume.
Moreover, your personal website can make it easier for people to hire you, even if you never applied for a job, because
it allows your info to show up in Google search. This is especially helpful if you have a portfolio online, which brings
us to the next point.
Setting up your own website allows you to showcase your work and provide proof about your abilities. This is a must if
you are in one of the creative fields such as writing, designing, art, music, etc. While you can list out your skills on
your resume, having a portfolio lets people see exactly what you did.
For example, if you are a graphic designer applying for a job, you may indicate on your application that you edited
images for a top magazine. It is possible that other applicants said the same thing, so what will make the recruiter
choose you over the others? If they are able to find your website and look at the images you edited, they now have a
better idea about your skills and can make a definite decision as to whether they should hire you or not.
In addition, if someone is looking for a graphic designer using Google, it is possible your website may show up in
Google, depending on your SEO. Once there, they can view your work samples and get more information to see if you are a
right fit for their project.
A personal website is also useful for people who want to promote their businesses or share knowledge. If you are a
motivational speaker or life coach, for instance, your personal website is a great place to let the world know what you
do and how to get in touch with you. In a similar manner to having a portfolio, you can post videos of your past work,
as well as a list of your clients, and even positive reviews you have received.
You can publish informational pieces, whether on your personal blog, or guides or tutorials, which helps to build your
profile as an expert in your subject area. Even if you have a separate business platform that sells your services, a
personal website makes it possible to show off your diversity. For example, in addition to running a digital marketing
company, you may also be involved in charitable works, public speaking, traveling, etc. You would be able to share (and
link to) these different areas of your life on your personal corner of the web.
The content you produce around your personal brand can work towards your overall SEO presence. Think about it — the
articles, videos, images, etc. that you create will contain keywords relating to what you might do elsewhere online,
including other business websites and social profiles you might have.
In addition, your website allows you to share
links to other places on the internet where information about you and your work can be found. That is what you call back
linking, which is important to SEO. The longer you have your personal website up and the more active you are online, the
better your SEO. As a result, people will find you easier, whether they are looking for someone to hire, collaborate
with, or make a purchase from.
As you can see, setting up a personal website is beneficial in advancing your professional life. The only question you are probably left with is how to start one. Send us a message below to get started.
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