How To Make a Personal Website In 10 Steps

A complete guide to setting up a personal website from scratch.

A personal website is essential for helping freelancers reach potential employers and showcasing their creative and professional abilities to the right audience.

A website can significantly impact your public exposure and subsequent success, blending informative text complemented by eye-catching images and videos.

Continue reading for everything you need to know to make a personal website with professionally designed assets that will attract the attention you need.

How To Make a Personal Website In 10 Steps

Presenting yourself online is a vital part of modern life, whether you're an aspiring artist hoping to sell paintings or an engineer sharing your industry expertise.

We've created this guide to cover all types of personal websites to help you create an online presence for your personal branding and professional development.

So, let's get to it and break down everything you need to know to make a personal website in 10 steps:

The Importance Of Having A Personal Site

Personal websites come in all shapes and sizes, with no one-size-fits-all solution when choosing your approach to layout and design.

A personal website is essential whether you're hoping to monetize your photography side hustle or present your business and managerial expertise.

Personal websites also serve various functions, first and foremost as a platform to showcase your work and the skills you can offer potential employers or customers.

It's also a vehicle for enhancing your social proof through testimonials and previous happy clients, establishing your track record of success.

By establishing credibility, a personal website can be used to rank higher in search engine results and have a huge impact on your prospects.

Personal Websites & Competitor Research

There are many more great reasons why you should consider creating a personal website, and you don't need any web development experience to get started.

A personal website can be used to network with like-minded creatives and professionals, opening up new opportunities and experiences.

It can help you launch a successful solopreneur business, connecting you with potential clients and demonstrating your skills and expertise in a given domain.

They're also dynamic entities with plenty of scope to expand your content to showcase the results of your hard work and share it on social media.

Before you embark on creating your website, you should spend some time checking out the competition to see which approaches work the best.

Learn how to find out who designed a website, and use this information when deciding on your website's core architecture, navigation, and assets.

Once you've made plenty of notes and clearly understand what to do, it's time to begin creating a personal website from scratch.

How to Make A Personal Website: Step-By-Step

As with any large project, having a plan of action is crucial for focusing your time and effort where it's most needed to create a smooth workflow.

To help you achieve your goals efficiently, we've broken down the website creation process into a step-by-step guide covering ten key aspects to be addressed.

Step 1. Define Your Website's Purpose And Target Audience

Before you begin to work on your website, choose a template, and compile your assets, you need to understand its purpose clearly.

Additionally, you should be clear on your target audience and the keywords and phrases they're most likely to use when searching online.

This means spending time conducting competitor research to determine what works best and what to avoid when creating your personal website.

For example, if you're hoping to sell paintings or prints, check out some of the best artist websites to see how they present their work.

If you're selling your professional services, see how others in your industry use a personal website to showcase their skills and experience.

Throughout this process, take screenshots as points of reference and take notes on the pages and elements the best competitor sites use.

Step 2. Choose A Website Builder

Once you've determined your website's purpose and target audience, it's time to choose a website builder to bring everything together.

Different website builders include various features that optimize them for certain types of websites, so you should research the market before deciding.

If you don't have any coding knowledge, you might want to avoid those that require a grasp of programming to get the most out of it.

Likewise, if your website is loaded with visual elements and animations, you'll want a website builder that caters to this style.

Spend time researching the tools and features of each website builder, as well as the core techniques you anticipate requiring to create your online presence.

You should also factor in the cost and whether you can get everything in a single subscription or require additional expenses for add-ons.

Step 3. Secure A Domain Name

Choosing a domain name is another vital aspect of the web development process and will inform your branding and other marketing approaches.

A domain name requires registration and is often included in the package for website builder platforms along with web hosting services.

It's important to choose a catchy and memorable name, so spend time researching the best YouTube names and other names in your field of interest.

You can check to see whether or not it is available on platforms such as GoDaddy, which will also fill you in on details around pricing.

Once you've shortlisted a selection of names you like, share them with friends and family to help narrow your options down to the best choice.

You should also experiment with the name in branding elements such as banners and logos, choosing one that has a suitable companion design.

Step 4. Select A Template Or Design Theme

With your domain name chosen and your website builder ready to go, it's time to start putting together your personal website from scratch.

Fortunately, most website builder platforms come with a broad selection of templates you can use to get started, often listed in handy categories.

These cover everything from setting up a small online business selling products or services to templates oriented toward creative pastimes.

Some of the best freelancer website templates are set up to help with contact pages, portfolio work, and client testimonials, giving you greater online reach.

Templates eliminate the need to create columns and other fields for your assets, allowing you to drag and drop your videos and images directly into place.

This makes finding a template that best matches your purpose quick and easy, from single-page sites to multi-page websites with full e-commerce features.

Step 5. Customize The Template

With your website template selected, it's time to begin the customization process and introduce your text, visuals, and other website elements.

Building a website from scratch through templates is simple, with many intuitive options to customize the layout until it fits your vision.

Your previous research will prove to be invaluable throughout this process, whether you're referencing the best fitness mom blogs or local bands.

Take the time to review your images and other visual assets to see what resolution they're commonly using, then tweak your template accordingly.

Templates are exceptionally versatile, so there are many options when matching the layout to your preferences and purpose.

Many builders also allow you to switch between templates, so don't be afraid to try out different layouts within a particular niche or theme.

Step 6. Add Engaging And Relevant Content

The expression "content is king" is commonly used for all types of online marketing, and it's equally true for a personal website as it is a corporate one.

High-quality content is vital for gaining the attention of visitors and retaining them on your site to maximize the reward from their interaction.

The type of content you'll include will depend on your site's purpose, but some general rules apply to all website types.

Sharing written content, for example, using a blog website builder is a reliable method for enhancing your visibility in search engines through keywords.

On the other hand, powerful and professional visuals are a great way to capture the audience's attention when they first land on the homepage.

If you don't have the skills to create a compelling branding style, you can reach out to friends with the necessary experience and ask for their help.

Understanding the pros and cons of blogging is also important if you plan on using text-heavy content to improve your SEO rankings.

Most importantly, you should always listen to feedback from your audience to improve and deliver content that receives the most positive feedback.

The more high-quality blog posts and other content you create, the easier it is to optimize your content creation process as your website expands.

Step 7. Improve Website Visibility With SEO

We've briefly touched on the significance of optimizing your website and content for search engines, but it warrants further elaboration and details.

Put simply, search engine optimization is the process through which your website is modified to increase its ranking on Google and other search engines.

The method for achieving this is multi-faceting, with researching and using keywords among the most common optimization methods.

Sharing content on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can also increase your website's visibility and tanking.

Sharing your content and creating backlinks to your blog content and articles will significantly raise your site's strength and credibility.

A personal website made using an e-commerce website builder can also benefit from comprehensive SEO optimization.

This will help you to drive traffic to your online store that reflects the products you're selling, reaching a loyal and consistent customer base eager to buy more.

While SEO maintenance and research can be time-consuming and expensive, there are online tools you can use for free to help with the process.

As you perform keyword research and other SEO optimization processes, it will become less time-consuming while also delivering better results.

Step 8. Ensure Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly

With the share of website traffic from mobile devices continuing to reach new highs, a personal website must be optimized for smartphones and tablets.

This means ensuring that everything looks pixel-perfect across all devices and that the site is appropriately reformatted depending on the display.

Failure to optimize your website can result in a poor user experience, leading visitors to quickly navigate away from your content and missing the good stuff.

The text might be displayed incorrectly, and the images you've spent so much time preparing end up cropped off the screen or poorly framed.

Fortunately, most website-building platforms come with a mode that instantly lets you switch between desktop and mobile views.

This mode makes the creation process much easier, as you can instantly verify all of your content on mobile devices.

These platforms perform all the necessary optimization processes for you, so you don't need to learn any programming to make everything mobile-friendly.

Additionally, you can use the builder's mobile app to refine further and add new content on the move, checking updates in real time.

Step 9. Test Your Website Thoroughly

In addition to ensuring your website works on mobile devices, you'll need to perform more comprehensive tests to ensure everything works.

Before you begin, it's worth setting up a complete checklist of testing tasks to ensure every aspect of your site's functionality is covered.

This includes everything from checking links to ensure none are broken to testing online forms, contact pages, and other communication methods.

If you have a budget, you can also consider hiring professional website testers to run through your content and flag any issues they find.

A more affordable alternative is to share your beta version of a website with friends and family and ask them to inform you of any issues.

If your content is appropriate for online communities, such as mom groups on Facebook, consider reaching out to these communities for feedback.

This will help you conduct more thorough testing of your content and the overall user experience without needing a large budget.

Step 10. Launch Your Website And Promote It

The last stage to consider when you create a personal website from scratch is launching it to the public and engaging in promotional methods.

You can use many channels to promote a website, and the best ones for your needs will vary depending on your chosen target audience.

If you have a strong social media presence, you can share it with your followers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other social media pages.

Encourage your followers to share the website to increase your reach, and consider using a promotional offer to help drive traffic in a timely manner.

Social media platforms also offer affordable paid advertising options you can take advantage of, setting an affordable budget for your ad campaigns.

Working with affiliate programs is another great way to get value for money when paying for advertising and directly reaching your intended audience.

For more traditional approaches, email marketing and newsletters are other promotional methods you can use to build an online presence and reader base.

Website promotion isn't a "one and done" deal, and you should consider ongoing campaigns to keep your traffic in a pattern of consistent growth.

The Cost Of Making Personal Websites From Scratch

Some people also have major concerns about budgeting for their online presence, and the cost of building a website from scratch can vary widely.

Setting up a small blog to share your cookery insights can start at around $300, while a full-blown site with all the bells and whistles could exceed $5,000.

Let's break down a few of the key expenses you need to consider when assessing the pricing for your personal website:

• Domain name and hosting. The cost of acquiring and securing a domain name can vary depending on its value, with averages ranging between $10 and $20 per year. The best website builder will include hosting costs and domain name registration in the same package, covering all the necessary server space.
• Web design. One of the biggest costs for website development can be its overall design, including the core code that instructs navigation and the visual assets that serve as branding elements. While a professionally designed website can cost thousands, you can take many DIY approaches using a website builder.
• Content creation. The content for a personal website will vary depending on its purpose, with the cost measured in time rather than money. If you're uploading a blog or video daily, the investment is ongoing, but sites promoting professional services can be updated less frequently.
• Marketing and promotion. Depending on your website's function, you may want to set a budget for marketing and promotion to help your content reach the desired audience. This can range from low-budget promotional campaigns on social media pages to ongoing investment in Google Ads campaigns to achieve steady growth.
• Maintenance and optimization. Ensuring your website works as intended while optimizing it for search engine results is another factor impacting your overall budget. Fortunately, many great tools for freelancers can be used to perform these tasks automatically, with minimal expenses required to access them.

When assessing your budget for a personal website, research these and other variables fully, placing them within the context of your expectations.

Building Personal Websites Without Coding Knowledge

One of the most common deterrents to creating a personal website is the perception that an in-depth knowledge of coding and programming is essential.

While a background in coding languages such as HTML and CSS can give you an advantage, there are plenty of no-code website builder options.

Such website builders are designed to handle all the technical aspects, from running scripts for emailing lists to ensuring your assets are correctly aligned.

Whereas website development required coding knowledge to adjust layout and other visual elements in the past, today's tools use intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.

Additionally, the leading website builders now fully cover the previous complexity of plug-ins and other add-ons to expand a site's functionality.

If you need to draw on technical expertise to solve a problem, coding is among the best Fiverr gigs, with many programmers offering their services.

Hiring such services can be affordable for fixing simple issues, ensuring your alt text works correctly, and doing other ad hoc coding tasks.

Best Website Builders To Make A Personal Website

The exponential growth of websites in recent years has paved the way for an increasingly long list of website builders for all situations.

Here's our pick for the five best personal website builders, exploring the advantages and user needs each platform covers.

1. Friday

Bringing a comprehensive suite of tools and features under one roof and with a single subscription model, Friday's website builder delivers a fuss-free and intuitive user experience.

Its impressive selection of templates covers a long list of categories for all user scenarios, with a drag-and-drop interface making content creation a dream.

2. Squarespace

Best known as the go-to platform for creatives, Squarespace's design and process are optimal for personal blogs and portfolio websites.

Its emphasis on creating aesthetically pleasing websites might be more limiting for professionals looking for more in-depth elements and online stores.

3. Wix

Like Squarespace, Wix has become one of the more popular website builders for creatives, agencies, and enterprises creating professional websites.

It falls short in terms of search engine optimization features and interchangeable templates compared to some alternatives, and Wix branding is present on their free plans.

4. WordPress

One of the most established website builder platforms, WordPress is widely used by many businesses and comes with plenty of flexible plug-ins.

With that said, managing add-ons can become overwhelming, but it offers plenty of customization for those with the time and patience to learn the ropes.

5. Shopify

Content creators who want to emphasize the online shopping experience frequently turn to Shopify for their e-commerce requirements.

It delivers plenty of inventory management and tracking tools, marketing tools, and payment processing for your online sales.

Summary

With so many advantages to creating a personal website and developing an online presence, it's become a ubiquitous aspect of many people's lives.

By following the step-by-step guide above, you can create a personal website that encapsulates your talents in their best light for your desired target audience.

The more written and visual content you add, the better your visibility in search engines will become to take your career or hobby to the next level.