Before I begin, I would like to clarify that I am not an expert at building a website. I taught myself and did what I can.
So I am just going to put down here the process of building this website. I hope it helps.
Buying a domain
Because my website is a personal website, my domain would be my name. Previously before I created this website, I used Wordpress for this domain. And because Bluehost has a 1-click Wordpress installation, I registered my domain there. You can use other websites to buy your domain too. Registering my domain with a security plan on Bluehost costs me around US$35/year. But this is where I made a mistake. I will tell more about this below.
Choosing a website builder
I was only familiar with Wordpress but I wanted to try other website builder so I read up comparisons and ratings of website builders on webstitetooltester and sitebuilderreport. I contemplated between Wix and Squarespace. Squarespace seemed appealing but I ended up with Wix as it gives me the freedom to design the website according to my liking. My mistake was that I quickly renewed my domain on Bluehost without checking the options on Wix. In the Wix plan that I chose, it offers 1 year free domain. It's a shame, I know. I could have saved money. Right now I could connect the domain on Bluehost to Wix and after a few months I would be able to completely transfer the domain here. Sounds complicated but it doesn't have to be. If you decided to build your website on Wix, just create your domain through Wix.
Purpose of website
As mentioned on my previous blog, the reason I created this website is to better showcase my work. It is like an online portfolio or resume, so people can get a better understanding on who I am and what I do. It is easier to design your website if you know the purpose of it.
Website's look and feel
I knew I wanted my website to have a bright and clean look. I just want to keep it simple but functional and friendly enough. I don't like clutter. So think about the colours you want for your website. Choose the look that represents yourself.
Building a website on Wix
Wix has an option that will do most of the work for you. Basically you just answer a few questions and it will automatically design the website for you or you can edit the website from scratch yourself - that's what I did.
Information on website
Decide what you want to display on your website. My main page is a brief description about me. I created pages for my resume, past works, photos, blog and also contact. It is up to you what you want to show but I think it's important to keep it short. Because people's attention span is a lot shorter now.
Social media links
Make sure you add your social media links. I added mine at the footer of the website. I excluded Facebook as I'm not always on there and it's only for close friends and family so it's not relevant to put it on here.
Mobile
80% views of my website when it first launched were via mobile. On Wix you can edit the desktop design as well as the mobile design. It is a bit tricky as the website you designed for desktop will be optimised for mobile and it won't look exactly as it does on desktop. So when I was editing the mobile design, I had to edit, save, publish and view the design on my phone to see if it looks good and if everything works. I actually spent a lot of time to get the mobile version right. After designing the mobile site on desktop, there's a preview option but for some reasons it does not look the same when you view it on your phone. That's why I had to edit on desktop and then view from my phone. The preview on desktop is just unreliable.
Building a website yourself is something you have to explore yourself and once you get the hang of it, it will be easier. It can take time especially when you don't really have experience. But I think if I can do it, there's no reason you can't. There are plenty of website builders that make your job easier now.
Anyway, if you have any questions or need help building your personal website, just drop me a message :)
Comentarios