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First article written back in 2021 through my personal website.
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Have you ever browsed through the websites of famous personalities and wondered if you could create one? Then, left the thought because it would take too much time and effort. This dilemma arises because when people think about a website, the first thought that comes to their mind is programming. People think that they would have to code the whole website using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. But people fail to recognise that it has become so easy to create a website in today's world. You could create a website in under an hour if you were just editing off a template on Squarespace! In this article, we are going to understand why and how everyone should create their website.
Firstly, a website helps establish a digital identity that puts your best foot forward. This primarily helps you in your professional life. Your potential employer would likely have looked you up already. If your potential employer finds your website, he is likely to look at your past projects and interests. This would help create a personal connection with him/her and it would also help him to understand your expertise in a better manner. Your website might feature some of your projects that intrigue him/her, thereby increasing your chances of being employed.
Your website is not just a page, your website is an army. An army that helps grow your connections. If you have a website, it would help expand and grow your connections even when you are asleep. People with different time zones who you could never reach out to or even communicate with will now be able to access your interests and connect with you. For example, my cousin has an interest in sustainability. He can publish his blog and website which other people can read. Interested people might reach out to him, this would help him grow personally. There may also be a time where your website is featured in publications due to your ideas. You may be invited to give a talk to a bunch of people about your expertise and what not. This would help you open a wide array of opportunities. Your website is not just a domain, your website is a way to influence people. Every time, you publish a blog post or put your views forward you a creating an impact, you are enlarging your circle of influence. More people are likely to believe and trust your views. You can influence the thought process of others. You are now increasing the number of followers you have, people would now start believing in your ideology.
Your website is not a liability, it is an asset. You may have to pay a couple of dollars annually to keep your website up and running but you are helping yourself by doing so. If you have a blog on your website, you are likely to publish an article every fortnight. Even if only your close friends and family are reading it, you are becoming a better communicator. You are developing your ideas and enhancing one of the most powerful skill, writing. Becoming a better communicator would always help you, it improves the level of confidence and it also helps you in building an emotional connection with people.
Additionally, your website can be a passive source of income. You may not be paid thousands of dollars but your website can be monetised. The monetisation of your web page can help you receive a few extra bucks here and there which may cover your coffee expenses. But, this should not be a reason why you develop a website, this is just an added advantage.
Here comes the part which people think is most challenging! Building a website in today's world is easier than ever. You can use hosting clients such as wix.com, squarespace.com and ghost.io. People, who want the highest level of customisability would have to code their websites but I would recommend using wix.com.
To start, you will need to buy a domain. A domain is a digital address within the internet. So in layman's terms, it is tejastagra.com or google.com. You can buy a domain at domains.google.com or godaddy.com or even bigrock.com. These are the cheapest services out there. You could buy a domain from wix.com and squarespace.com but they tend to be double the price. I would recommend using Google Domains due to its sheer simplicity. Just head over there, type in your desired name and pay. BOOM! And you are ready to go.
Now, you will need to link this domain to your hosting service which may be a challenge for some but it is worth the trouble. If you buy a domain from the hosting service you don't need to do all of this. You can find an easy tutorial on the help page for this so let's skip this part.
Now, once your website is linked you can start designing your website using a template! Just enter all your content and customise it to your needs using the drag and drop feature. Now for this, I would recommend using Wix because it is cheap and simple with a lot of customisability. I have created my website using Wix and you can generally find good deals on their plans. For people, who have no idea or whatsoever, I would recommend using Squarespace. The best part about Squarespace is that it is very simple, even a 90-year-old can design a website using Squarespace. It has some really good templates but it tends to be a tad overpriced but if you want simplicity and easiness in your life head to Squarespace and enter your content and publish. It was as simple as that!