5 Reasons Why You Need a Personal Website
Have you ever tried googling your own name? What results to you get? Most people, be it aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals in their field, or freelancers in need of work fail to manage their online presence completely. Sure, you probably have a solid LinkedIn profile with all of your work experience neatly listed and outlined, while your recommendations are waiting to get sent out to prospective employers or business partners.
However, when you create your own personal website, you enhance your professional presence online. It’s fairly simple to create a website nowadays, with ample available platforms that are low-maintenance and require little to no technical knowledge, and you can adapt the look and feel to reflect your industry and preferences. To recognize the value of your personal website, we’ve compiled a few reasons to inspire you, and by the end of this article, let’s hope you’ll have all the information you need to start refining your own digital presence as soon as possible!
Creating a strong portfolio
Your work experience might be enough to dazzle any business partner or employer, but the way you present that experience matters a great deal. A website that presents your projects, past experience, and current engagements can be perceived as a modern version of a standard CV. It’s far more interactive and engaging, and it gives you the more creative freedom to present your achievements.
With the help of images, animated content, and even numbers and data to make your case, you can convert a traditional case study into a truly stunning presentation of your skills. Not to mention that if you manage to do that all on your own, you’ll portray your technical prowess as well and show just how capable you are with managing a variety of digital tools.
A chance to build a personal brand
A personal website is so much more than a headshot combined with your work experience. It’s an opportunity to build your personal brand in a professional setting and to let your expertise emerge as your most valuable asset. Whether you’re a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or someone looking for work in a particular industry, you can start by selecting a personal domain that will help your site’s visitors instantly connect with your personal image.
Your name will become synonymous with the values you present on your website. Plus, when someone searches your name and profession online, they’ll reach your website and quickly recognize your work and your brand. A website, in a sense, helps you establish your professional brand as an authority in your field, from your domain name, all the way to the tone of voice and imagery you use on your site.
A website helps enhance your credibility
The beauty of creating a website to represent yourself online is that you have an abundance of features at your disposal. The content you post and the pages you build can be customized and allow you to personalize your website further as much as you need.
Consider adding reviews and recommendations from your previous partners or employers to exemplify what you bring to the table. Also, video reviews and interviews will help you stand out with your personal voice and allow you to put a greater emphasis on your values as an expert and a human being. The more people come to your site to publish and to confirm your expertise, the greater your chance to strengthen your reputation with a personal website over time.
It boosts your online visibility
The simplest possible benefit that so many entrepreneurs and freelancers fail to recognize is visibility in the eyes of search engines. We’ll go back to that concept of searching yourself and the results you get – the same can be said for a range of keywords that are vital in your field of work. The content you post and the personalized take on your brand will grant you the advantage to optimize your website for search engines. In time, as you add more content and optimize your website in accordance with the latest engine algorithm changes, you’ll be able to boost your ranking in the SERPs.
Greater control of your reputation
Of course, people can always post comments, their own views and opinions, and reviews on other platforms. But your website is a perfect setting to manage your reputation, by choosing what you publish, by inspiring others to engage through comments and shares, and by publishing content of other experts that you’ve worked with or that you simply respect.
While you might not have the same level of control on other review platforms and independent websites for professionals, where anyone can post almost anything without your permission – your website can be a perfect platform for building up your professional image.
With a website as well as a few carefully-created social media profiles connected to your website, you can become a much greater authority in your field and slowly establish your image as a professional. The control you gain cannot be compensated with other solutions, as a website is a central platform for managing your professional presence online, and it helps you network and connect with relevant people in your industry. In time, your website will help you land more jobs, grow your brand, and become synonymous with excellence in your field.
