Updates (2018):
New sites added to the collections, old images replaced with the better .gif images to showcase site designs, site descriptions removed (I’ll let the image do the talking), and new tutorial added to help users who want a personal website fro themselves.
Quick navi: See examples of personal websites / Learn how to create yours
They say that stranger’s soul is incomprehensible, but we can’t entirely agree with the statement.
Most often we just don’t want to notice the obvious, pretending that it’s too personal matter or something of the kind.
In fact, a human soul is not as dark as it seems. It is always ready and even willing to reveal its secrets to the confidant. As a rule, web community members having their own websites are open for communication, socialization and other things like that. Besides, personal websites serve as a kind of virtual CVs for their owners. Most often, if you are as sharp as a needle, seeing a person’s website, you’ll easily tell even more about site owner than he/she wanted to say.
Awesome Personal Websites I Like
Hand-picked and main design elements recorded for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy.
1- Nick Jones
Website: narrowdesign.com
2- Jim Ramsden
Website: jimramsden.com
3- Vladimir Strajnic
Website: strajnic.net
4- Gary Le Masson
Website: garylemasson.com
5- Juliana Rotich
Website: julia.na
6- Pascal van Gemert
Website: pascalvangemert.nl
7- Daryl Thornhill
Website: madebydaryl.co.uk
8- Anthony Wiktor
Website: anthonydesigner.com
9- Adam Hartwig
Website: adamhartwig.co.uk
10- The Beast Is Back
Website: thebeastisback.com
11- Tony D’Orio
Website: tonydorio.com
12- Sean Halpin
Website: seanhalpin.io
So how do you create your personal website?
Moving on, we will look at the essential steps of creating your very own personal websites.
There are basically 3 major steps to start any kind of websites –
- Get a domain name and web host.
- Build from scratch or using a site builder.
- Add in content.
1. Get a domain name and web host
On Internet, your domain is your identity. It’s how people find you and the name others pass along. So apparently, you need a good domain name – something unique, catchy, and meaningful.
Next, pick a good web hosting provider.
When we talk about web host, we basically refer it to the company that lease out computer servers and networks to host your website. There are four types of web hosting services – shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting. While all these hosting will act as the storage center for your website; they differ in amount of storage capacity, control, speed, reliability, functions and features, as well as technical knowledge requirement.
If you are new, shared hosting should be the best type of web host to start with.
Tip: I use Name Cheap and GoDaddy for domain registration; InMotion Hosting, SiteGround, and Interserver for hosting primary projects.
2. Build from scratch or using a site builder
Once you have the website domain and hosting ready, the next step is to make the website itself.
There are many considerations in web designs but as a beginner my advice is to take baby step.
WYSIWYG Editor
Try output something and get it onto the web. The fine-tuning and modification can come later after you have learned your skills. One easy way to design a website is to use a WYSIWYG web editor like Adobe Dreamweaver CC. Such editors work just like a normal word processor and allow you to design your site visually without handling too much technical details.
Website Builders
If HTML and CSS are not your thing, or you simply want a simple personal website for your interview, then perhaps a drag-and-drop website builder is the better choice.
Most web hosting companies provide a drag-and-drop site builder for free. If you don’t care much about the outlook or UX of the site, you can create a functioning personal website in half and hour using those free tools.
Alternatively, you can skip the web design process by using a paid all-in-one website builder like Wix and Weebly.
The best thing about these paid tools are made for non-techies. They are usually easy to use and come with hundreds of pre-designed templates. You can simply pick a pre-design theme and apply to your website in just a few clicks.
Dig in: Find website builder right for you.
These are some pre-designed personal websites templates available at Wix.com. You can apply any one of these designs to your website if you are building using Wix. See all Wix templates here.
Example: Personal website built using Squarespace
This personal site is made with Squarespace. See it live here: Pinky Chan.
Examples: Personal websites built using Wix
I recommend Wix for its user-friendly dashboard and flexibility. The tool is suitable for both newbies and experienced webmasters who wish to further tweak their site designs. Here are some personal websites built and hosted at Wix.
Personal site made with Wix: Natalie Latinsky.
Personal site made with Wix: Lera Mishurov (see it live here).
Personal site made with Wix: Rachel Fraser.
Dig deeper: Wix features and templates demo.
3. Add in content
I can’t really teach you what kind of content to be added to your personal website but to help you on brainstorming – ask these questions to yourself –
- What is the purpose of your personal website? Define and build your personal brand.
- Who are your target audience? Students, potential clients, shoppers, etc. Get to know them.
- What are the must-have info on the site? Job samples, contact details, product specifications, etc.
- How do you present those info? Gallery styles, point forms, animations, etc. Or even better, tell a story.
Now Your Turn: Which Is Your Favorite?
Did you like my collection of personal websites? Which one seemed the most creative to you? What do you think is the most important in personal sites?
Please share this post and your opinion on Twitter (tag me at @WebHostingJerry). I hope this compilation will help you to create your own personal website according to all modern tendencies.