Regardless of the industry or your work position, needless to say, an online platform not only helps but also makes you stand out within the pool of competitors. Even if your job is out of a creative field, it is worth putting thought into building a website with your brand, portfolio or recent projects. Read on to find out The Basic Needs for Your Personal Website.
The Basic Needs for Your Personal Website
Choose a Platform
Despite your computing skills, there is no need to spend a substantial amount of money neither on an agency nor on a freelance professional. Choose a platform depending on your needs, do a couple of trials, and experiment with templates. Blogspot can be something to start from; keep in mind that it is very popular among bloggers, writers and photographers. WordPress is known for being user-friendly and for having the option of a professional outlook. Squarespace is another great platform to take a look at, positive aspects include uncomplicated settings, an award-winning support team (ask questions easily via online chat), e-commerce options and quick video tutorials (on the topics of SEO, design etc.) just to mention a few. If you are trying to get your products out there, Shopify, as well as Squarespace, can be as of one of your go-to options. Reassess your budget and your needs, research; and a couple of evenings in, you will have your personal web corner.
Visuals
It is easier to adapt the website templates to your requirements if you prepare the desirable visuals in advance. You do not have to think big and schedule a photo shoot, but even the simplest things take time. Your headshot, your product (whether a portfolio or actual objects), and other descriptive images that will help the viewer to understand what you do and that you do it well. Do not be scared to ask for help, get a girlfriend or two on it, make a mood board of the photos you would like to achieve and listen to others. Often the greatest ideas come out of collaborative team work. If a photography session is nowhere near your schedule, or the pictures require a bigger production, look for the websites that sell professional images (Shutterstock, iStock, Fotolia etc.).
Details
Once you have all the content on ready and spent time on your preferred platform of choice, it is time to look through your well-job-done with a censorious eye. Do you have a biography/about page that is short and straight to the point? Is it easy to reach you? Contact form and links to your professional social media profiles should be visible. Personalization is crucial, whether it is your domain, professional e-mail (info@domainname.com is simply recognizable, many platforms provide personalized e-mails with the purchase of a domain), or a logo. Get creative but not messy. Imagine going on your website as a complete stranger and asking yourself critical questions. Again, ask for help, and show it to your trusted group of girls from different fields – that way you may get feedback and ideas that did not even cross your mind in the first place.
Be Curious
Draw a list of your favorite professionals and their websites. Acknowledge what you really like about them, and what can be done better. Make a note to yourself. Many have ‘powered by’ links at the bottom, see which platforms your preferred experts use. Research platforms, portfolios and other start-up e-commerce websites. Do not fall into the trap of looking and not making, give it a go and perfect it on the way. Good luck!
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