Getting ready to create your own personal website? Looking for ways to improve your existing site and get more views?
These days, it seems like everyone has their own website. In fact, as of December 2019, there were over 1.2 billion websites in existence. With that kind of competition, it can seem impossible to get your website noticed.
But it’s not impossible. There are several things you can do right now to improve your site and attract more viewers. Ready to learn how?
Here’s how to make your personal website stand out:
Show the Real You
Every web page has an “About Me” or “About Us” page. And most of them are dreadfully boring.
To make your About Me page interesting, explain who you really are. Give some insight into your personality. Talk about what makes you different and unique.
Here’s how to do it:
Make It Personal
Don’t just talk about your mission or work history. Honestly, those things are kind of dull.
Make mention of your favorite band, your favorite movie, or your favorite book. Mention some of your hobbies or talk about the things you like to do in your downtime.
These types of things will make you more relatable to your readers, which will encourage them to keep browsing.
Include a Picture of Yourself
It’s also essential to include the best photo you have of yourself. Just make sure it fits with the theme and purpose of your site.
For example:
If your site is a fashion blog, use a photo of yourself wearing an amazing outfit. If you use your personal website as a professional tool or an online resume, include a professional photo.
(And by professional photo, we mean one where you’re dressed appropriately, smiling, and looking as competent as possible.)
Add Fresh Content
Have you ever clicked on a web page only to see that there hasn’t been any new content posted in months?
If you want to keep readers and viewers engaged, you’ll want to update existing content and add new stuff as often as possible.
You can’t expect your visitors to keep returning to your site if there’s nothing new to look at or read.
Whether you focus on visual, video, or written content, you must remain consistent in your messaging.
The whole point of having a website is to develop an audience of loyal followers who return to your site time and time again. And once you start developing that audience, you’ll want to keep them.
Content is the most critical part of any site. You want people to enjoy what you have to say and come back for more. The more consistent you are in your messaging, the easier it will be to retain your current audience.
Add Unique Photos
Photos are an incredibly important part of any website. Even if your site is full of well-written content, it’s crucial that you have some photos sprinkled throughout. Not only will your website look richer and fuller, but it will probably keep your viewer’s attention a bit longer.
When you select photos for your website, try to use as many of your own images as possible. That doesn’t mean that they all need to be photos of you — but they should be photos you’ve taken or had someone take specifically for you.
Why is it important to showcase your own images? Because the more stock photography you use, the greater the risk of your site looking like other sites.
No matter what, make sure that you use high-quality images. Blurry shots and poorly edited photos will only turn people away.
Add Video
There’s a reason why almost 5 billion videos are watched every day on YouTube. People love watching videos!
If you want viewers to spend more time on your site, adding video content is a great way to keep them interested and entertained.
Depending on the type of site you have, videos may or may not seem relevant to you. But if you know the right type of videos to share, they can be.
A behind-the-scenes video is a great way to showcase your business, yourself, or whatever it is you like to do.
If you write about fashion or travel, your video might include a tour of your closet or a time-lapse of you packing for a vacation.
Are you passionate about cooking, yoga, or DIY projects? A short how-to video is a great way to showcase your personality and provide useful information to your viewers.
As with all content, make sure your videos are consistent with your brand message and capture you in the way you want the world to see you.
Learn the Basics of SEO
Unless you know a thing or two about SEO, your website might not get any views at all.
Here’s why:
Search engine optimization is how you get your site to rank high in search results. With good optimization, your site can appear on page one or two of Google search results. Without optimization, it could get buried on page five, ten, or even further down.
And when was the last time you clicked through 20 pages of Google results to find what you were looking for? Probably never.
If you’re new to SEO, you can start optimizing your site by using the right keywords. Keywords are the terms that people type into their Google search bar. By identifying the terms that your audience searches for, you’ll be able to incorporate those keywords into your site.
Another way to improve SEO is to practice guest posting. Look for sites that accept guest blogs and reach out to ask if you can write for them. Once you start doing that, you can link back to your own site and drive more traffic to your personal page.
SEO is complicated, but the more you know about it, the easier it will be to build an audience.
Just beware of black hat SEO techniques. If you don’t, you could actually be penalized by Google and other search engines (and have your page buried even further down in their results).
In Summary
Ready to make your personal web page stand out amongst the hundreds of millions of websites out there? Here’s what to do:
- Show the real you and let people know who you are
- Add unique photos as often as possible
- Add fresh content and be consistent with your message
- Include videos to get people to spend more time on your page
- Learn the basics of SEO to improve your status in search engine results
With these tips and tricks in mind, you can create a personal website that gets noticed and keeps people coming back for more!
About the author
Julie Contos is the Director of Marketing for J Malden Center, a luxury apartment community in Malden, MA.
