A personal website is always a good choice, regardless of the industry you are working in. It is a template for your own personal brand where you can show who you are, your working experience, and your skills but at the same time, expand your knowledge through research and reading, two of the key elements if you want to publish articles and studies as well.
There is a lot to discuss about the importance of having a personal website or blog. However, this is not why we’re here, today.
Now, I just want to talk a little bit about the latest trends in personal websites and what a personal online presence should consist of.
Let’s dig in:
10 great examples of personal websites
What makes a great personal website? What are the key elements we can choose from? Well, let’s take a look at some of the best personal websites I know and analyze them quickly in order to assess their worth:
1. Everything you need to know about me in one page
This is how we can summarize Darrell Vesterfeld’s personal website. There’s not a lot of text, but in just a couple of phrases, he manages to describe everything you need to know about him, about who he is and what he does.
And yes, there’s also a call to action, just in case you are interested in what he has to offer. Also, when you first enter the website, there’s a little animation coded for the title which is also his name. It’s a simple trick that allows him to attract the attention of the user exactly where he wants it.
His name becomes more noticeable this way and maybe, this is what he wanted in the first place.
- Website: https://darrellvesterfelt.com/
2. I’m not my business but I build my business
Pat Flynn’s main page shows us a little bit more than who the owner is from a professional perspective. In fact, we learn a lot about him as a human being, we learn that he is more than what he does as a professional. We learn about his human side, which is also a great approach, especially today, when less and less people seem to be focusing on that.
- Website: https://patflynn.com/
3. That’s my true story
Another great example comes from Nathan Barry, whose personal website tells a story. Of course, it’s his story, the story of his professional life, who he is, and what his achievements are. The website includes a blog section as well, where the story narrates itself into a series of great articles, all related to Nathan’s professional life.
- Website: https://nathanbarry.com/
4. Simple and efficient
Lately, simplicity and minimalism have become the trends in every industry, regardless of the target audience. Consequently, we can say that simplicity is one of the key elements of today’s online environment. And we can observe this trend at its best when we land on Rumen Manev’s personal space. You can take a screenshot of his main page and share it as a meme on your social media account. And, this is what caught my attention. This is a great idea since we already live in a world ruled by social media. However, this is not all. Apart from this interesting welcome, the website includes a lot of information about the author, who he is and what he does, and a blog section as well, where we can find even more about him.
If you need another great example, you can take a look at Paul Jarvis’ website. The same principles apply with a slight difference: His page is based almost solely on text and white spaces. And yes, with a good development strategy, you can achieve great things by simply removing everything else beside the content.
- Website: https://www.rmanev.com/
5. I’m bold and courageous
Anthony Wiktor’s website is somehow similar to the above, with just a slight difference. He focuses more on his professional skills and achievements and welcomes us with a straightforward, bold and courageous statement that gives away a lot of confidence: “Shifting brands from giving up to moving forward”. This kind of confidence can be contagious.
Also, take another look to this website and discover its UX (User Experience). You will notice that each one of his portfolio pages has a different style and color that change every time you access these pages. This leads the user to fully immerse in everything UX means and want to work with the owner who demonstrates that he is 100% committed to his clients and knows what he’s doing. Moreover, the animations are also very convincing and if you want to achieve the same effect, I recommend working with a professional design agency. The images you create and share have everything to do with your personal brand which is important for selling your services and attracting more customers.
- Website: https://www.anthonydesigner.com/
6. This is my true passion
We’ve seen a lot of great examples but this one takes the cake. Devon Stank’s personal space shares the story of a passionate professional, a guy that loves what he does and does what he loves at the same time. Everything on his website is about how passionate he is about certain things and how this passion combines different aspects of his life, from both professional and personal points of view.
You can learn a lot from this example, especially if you are a WordPress, Squarespace, Figma or Webflow designer (and the list could be endless). Show what you are capable of on your own website but at the same time, since you are a designer, make sure people who land on your page see it as being amazing from the second one. This is what Devon did. His website is his portfolio, it shows the work he trusts will bring in more customers.
- Website: https://www.devonstank.com/
7. You know me well, but with some different color drops
Melyssa Griffin is yet another great example of how passion can get along with the profession. Her main page is full of life, as she is, showing to everybody how beautiful life can be when you do what you love. She welcomes us with a smile on her face and a great call to action that can inspire us to contact her right away. On the other hand, the website is rich in content, from a blogging section, a success stories section, and up to a podcasting section that can entertain the audience for months.
Let’s not forget however, that interaction is one of the most important things in today’s online environment. It was facilitated by Social Media and now, it is taken from granted. People expect from you to interact with them in some way or another.
Melyssa does it through a Quizz she posted on her website which she uses in order to interact directly with her readers and at the same time, to find out who they are and how interested they are in the subject matter. You can do the same and maybe, talk about the services you are offering, get connected with people and win more leads.
- Website: https://www.melyssagriffin.com/
8. I can be the next speaker at your event
Jay Baer’s personal website greets us with a call to action but at the same time, tells us his real story. Above everything else, he is a keynote speaker, a trusted advisor, and a best-selling author. These are the key elements that are present on his main page and they combine together wonderfully, giving us the confidence that whatever event we have, he is the “guy” we should invite first. And, above all, he has a blog and a podcast, which could help the audience get to know him better and gain a lot of more confidence in his abilities.
For all those who are interested in what he does and what he can offer, for event planners in particular, he has created a dedicated page where he uploaded PDFs with everything that is to know, full informational packages. You can do the same, if you are working in a similar field. Create those specific files for anybody who is interested and make sure they can access that information offline (free download). However, make sure the .pdfs are optimized and they are not very big so they can be easily sent via email. And yes, you can use Bannersnack to create these .pdf visuals and upload them on your server, if you want to make it easier for you.
- Website: https://www.jaybaer.com/
9. I’m the leader you want to follow
Thomas Griffin’s website is all about simplicity. The design is not groundbreaking but at the same time, it shows consistency and delivers a clear and direct message to the audience, due to a well-structured main page which is divided into two sections. At first, we have an inspiring welcome quote from the author paired with a picture depicting him smiling. While we scroll, we learn more about him, about who he is, and why we should follow his work and advice. He is a true leader and everything on his page speaks of that, directly or indirectly.
And yes, there’s another thing I noticed about this site. It loads very fast. This is yet another mentionable thing about it as speed is now essential. I cannot say that everyone has an attention deficit but let’s face it, as we are constantly bombarded with information from all around the web, we tend to pay less and less attention to things. High loading times for a web-page can therefore translate into a loss of interest from the reader. You can test your speed for free, here.
- Website: https://thomasgriffin.com/
10. You need help? I’m here for you!
Are you in a need of help? Do you want to get advice on the matter that bothers you? Well, let’s go to Jason Resnick’s website and ask.
That’s the message his page sends the minute you cross by it. It’s simple, effective, and straightforward. Furthermore, there’s instant access to free lessons and some really helpful sections such as the blog but most of all, the questions and answers section and the blog.
Before concluding, there is yet another thing we can learn from Resnick. The membership account. Each one of your readers can subscribe and create a personal account on your website, a personal space where they can access different materials, courses, books or guides. A lot of business owners managed to increase and monetize their traffic this way by giving access to exclusive content to paying members. And, it’s not even hard to set up a feature like this one. You can do it with just a code snippet from Memberstack. The results may impress you.
- Website: https://rezzz.com/
The key sections of a personal website
A personal website is more than a bunch of data just thrown there, randomly, on a web server and a domain. Apart from the design of the website, which should really represent you and your personality, you should think about a few key elements or sections that will deliver the information the right way.
Now that we’ve settled the accessibility matter, let’s dig in and talk about the most important sections of a personal website. Here they are:
1. Who are you?
Who are you? What do you want to achieve? Why are you here and what your website is all about?
The descriptive or “About Me” section is probably the most important of all. Here, people can get to know a little about you, about who you are, what you do, what you like, etc. Don’t hesitate to write a lot in this section even if they are briefly statements that talk about different areas of your life. Be proud of who you are and what you do and, if you feel safe, let the audience know your e-mail address or even your phone number or social media accounts in order to contact you for future collaboration or for further information.
2. What can you do?
A personal website may be extremely useful as a template for a resume, a genuine place where people can meet the professional you and learn a few things about your professional background. You don’t need to be working in IT or marketing in order to benefit from a website. Anyone can and should, as long as they are honest about everything.
Write a separate page about what you know and what you are good at, just like you would write a resume for a job application. Talk about your skills, your professional background, your successes, and failures, as if you would like to impress someone. And impress you want, since this page will be your gateway to the professional world.
3. What’s your story?
Good storytelling techniques represent a huge step forward when it comes to promotion and marketing these days. And, since this is your website, why not tell your own story? Why not tell everybody not only about who you are but also, how you came to be here, how you evolved through the years, and what experiences led you to what you are in the present. Don’t be shy about words. Don’t be shy about ideas. Let it all out and be proud of who you are.
4. News and articles
If you really want to go further with your personal website and build a personal, a strong personal brand around it, you’ll need more than a resume and some descriptive pages. You will need a lot more content to satisfy your readers’ curiosity and their appetite for information. To this end, you should create a blogging section (if it is not already there) and start writing about the things you like, personally or professionally related to you. If both options are applicable, it would be better.
Share news about your industry or your hobbies, write about the things you do every day, share personal opinions, and collect facts that your readers may share your interest in. Do what you like while at the same time thinking about the audience as well.
5. Portfolio
Regardless of your business, skills, or industry of your work, there’s always something you did that you can show to the audience. It’s called a portfolio and is a good deal to share such info online. All your successes, all the projects you did before, everything that is related to your professional work is a good indicator of who you really are, professionally speaking. And, such info can land you new deals, contracts, etc.
6. Contact page
Well, this one is kind of obvious. In order for the website to be effective, people should have the means to contact you. You should at least leave an e-mail address on the contact page and, if you feel confident enough, even a phone number or some social media IDs.
Nevertheless, you need to let other people get in touch with you. Ultimately, this should be the main purpose of your personal website, isn’t it?
Conclusion
A personal website doesn’t need to take a lot of work if you know what you want, who you are, and what your goals are on the long run. You should focus on you, your skills, achievements but at the same time, as we’ve seen from the above examples, you need to focus on a personal touch as well. Each professional we’ve seen on this list knew that and tried to come up with the best solution to fit both, the individual and the professional.
What about you? Do you have a personal website or thinking about creating one? What’s your approach on this matter?
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