There are plenty of reasons why it makes sense to have a personal website. If you’re a designer, photographer, or freelancer of any kind, you need a place to show off your work and allow people to contact you. If you’re on the job market, you want a place to publicize your resume and portfolio. Even if you don’t fall into those fields, a personal website is the perfect way to help take control of what people find when they search for your name online (instead of those photos from Spring Break ‘08). Nowadays, there are so many affordable services available to create a beautiful personal website, there’s no need to have extensive web design skills to get your site online.
Making a website that’s all about you may sound simple because, well, who knows you better than yourself? But in reality, writing about yourself can be no easy task, and if you’re a designer by trade, you may find that being your own client isn’t as painless as it sounds. Like any website, it all starts with asking yourself a few simple questions: What is the purpose of your website? Who is your audience? Do you want to focus on your personal brand, showcase your work, or sell products?
To get you started, we’ve gathered up ten personal websites that hit all the right notes for style and effectiveness. They have clean designs, serve clear purposes and all take advantage of the new .XYZ domain extension. .XYZ makes a great choice because it’s short and generic, so it can work for just about any personal website, whether you’re a photographer, designer, model, or just creating a hub for your personal links. Plus, your name is more likely to be available with .XYZ than in more crowded namespaces, like .COM.
Here are 10 .XYZ personal websites to help inspire your own:
nimio.xyz
If you’re looking to showcase photography or video, Squarespace makes a great choice, which is what Javi used to create his portfolio. Squarespace offers a wide variety of modern templates that are easily customizable with drag-and-drop tools.
withers.xyz
Flat design and full screen images help make Joshua’s website really stand out. Adding a “testimonials” section to your personal site is always a great way to add an extra level of professionalism and credibility for any freelancer.
mollymclaren.xyz
Creating a visual portfolio of your work can communicate your experience to prospective clients and employers in ways that a traditional print resume simply cannot. Molly’s website features an impressive collection of her design work for film, digital and print.
blunck.xyz
Simple and minimalist – like all great web developers! The simplicity of this design shines the spotlight on Alex’s app development and design projects.
holtti.xyz
When you have millions of followers on Vine, you’re going to need a great personal website for your fans to check out.
darlinemorales.xyz
If you’re a Jack (Jane?) of all trades, it’s important that all of your skills and projects are clearly laid out. Darline uses separate tabs for her photography, poetry, radio, research and of course a contact section to get in touch.
theimageproject.xyz
Beautiful photography deserves a website template that makes your photos look great on any device. Past the homepage, Nathan’s website features organized galleries of his work that are fully mobile responsive.
amysmith.xyz
A personal website should be concise and simple to navigate. Amy’s website tells you everything you need to know about what projects she’s working on right now and how you can get in touch.
joannarose.xyz
When you’re a writer, a content-driven website is just what you need. Joanna’s personal site includes just a few images, but dozens of poems, stories, essays, short stories, and even excerpts from a novel.
mattcook.xyz
Developing a personal brand is important for any creative person looking to make a name for themselves. As a multi-talented musician/designer, Matt uses his full name as the home page navigation button to reinforce his personal brand, much like a logo.
Search for yourname.xyz to create your own personal website today.
