DISCLOSURE:
All links below are referral links for platforms I have personally used for over 3 years. I may receive small monetary compensation for if you purchase from any the links below, at no cost to you.
What Does a Personal Website Consist Of?
While you might be working and visiting websites daily at your job, a personal website has a significantly different goal than a business website. You aren’t necessarily trying to sell anything, but simply help to build a brand and write your own content. You don’t expect millions of users a month, but you might be able to reach triple digits in a good month. In order to accomplish this, you are going to need a few things:
- Domain Purchasing Platform
- Hosting
- Content Management System
Domain Purchasing Platform
In order to have a website, you need to purchase a domain. There are a few options between .com, .net, and even a few crazy ones like .xyz or .top are all options. Think long and hard about what you want to name this, as you don’t want to go switching domains every year (or just use your first and last name like I do!).
When purchasing a domain, there are a few things you want to consider. How much are you paying, and how much is WHOIS privacy. What is WHOIS privacy? When a domain is purchased, the listing goes onto the WHOIS list, along with the purchasers name and contact info. While this had great intentions, in reality, it has turned into a list where you will be spam called every day. WHOIS privacy is a must-have when purchasing a domain.
I recommend NameSilo as your purchasing platform. I found them a few years ago when I was tired of paying extra for the privacy, and actually found them cheaper overall than the previous provider. Feel free to use my referral link if you are interested.
Hosting
Your hosting provider is the actual platform that connects your site to the internet. They also play a significant role in your site speed and any downtime on their end results in downtime on your website. What you are looking for in a hosting provider is a consistent, reputable brand.
I have personally used HostGator for over 4 years without any issue. For a small scale site, I’ve had no issues (although I actually host 5 websites through them, all without any issues over 4 years). HostGator also has the cheapest unlimited-domain package that I’ve found, which is why I’ve chosen to stay with them. It costs me no extra money per month to add my friend’s websites to my package, and they pass me a fraction of the money they were paying before.
The one caveat to these shared plans is that they are designed for low-traffic websites like personal brands and if you get too much traffic, you will be asked to upgrade to a more expensive plan. That being said, its a great option when starting out various websites and they have incredibly cheap starter packages.
Content Management System
You no longer have to rely on HTML & CSS to build a website. By utilizing a content management system, you can easily edit your site and build something that is visually appealing. You can even speed up your site creation by customizing pre-built themes. I personally use WordPress, as well as premium themes from GeneratePress that allows me to build high-speed websites very quickly.
Summary
If you haven’t built a website for yourself yet, now is the time to do it. For just a handful of dollars per month, you can begin investing in yourself and letting the world know your worth.