A student website is a definite ‘Do’. While it’s not mandatory, having your own student website offers some powerful benefits. Check them out below.
5 Reasons Why You Should Set Up Your Own Student Website
1. You Control the Narrative
In today’s digital age, almost all employers will check out your online presence. That means going through your various social media accounts. Unfortunately, you can’t control everything that’s posted on these platforms. A friend may tag you on a fun group photograph that shows you in a way you may not want. It may be just a one-off incident but that’s what your prospective employers will see.
Setting up your own student website allows you to take control of the narrative. Unlike social media, you have full control over what to highlight and showcase on your website. You can choose what content and photographs you post on your website to present yourself in a more professional light.
2. It’s A Great Place to Build a Permanent Portfolio
Today, a LinkedIn portfolio is a must-have for anyone looking for a job now or in the near future. But it’s still just another social media platform and just like any other social media platform, you only have partial control over your portfolio. LinkedIn can change the terms and conditions any time or they can flag your portfolio for flouting some rule that you hadn’t even known about. If that happens, your online portfolio could potentially disappear overnight.
The biggest advantage of having your own website is that nobody can shut it down and you have only your own rules to abide by. Once you set it up, you can build a permanent digital portfolio by adding photographs, testimonials, and certificates that give prospective employers insight into your achievements.
3. Adds Another Skill to Your Resume
Knowing how to build and run your own website is a valuable skill to have in today’s digital-first marketing environment. Business of all sizes need their own website to showcase their products and services to beat the competition and many favor applicants to have experience with creating and maintaining a website.
Besides the technical skills involved, operating your own website shows initiative and professionalism. These are two qualities that all employers appreciate in their employees.
4. Share Your Knowledge
Sharing your knowledge through your website content is a great way to slowly build a community of individuals with the same interests as you. What’s truly incredible about sharing your knowledge online is that it can be accessed by people in the remotest corners of the world.
As you continue showcasing your specialized knowledge, your community will keep growing. This can open up so many unexpected opportunities as a reader may invite you to speak at a seminar on the subject or reach out to you with a top position at their company.
5. Earn Passive Income
A website is a fantastic way to earn passive income, where you do the work once and the money keeps coming in steadily for several years afterwards. Two of the easiest ways to earn passive income with your website is through affiliate marketing and running ads on your site. Both of these avenues bring in passive income differently but, in both cases, you do the work once and the money will keep coming in.
How To Create Your Own Website
Setting up a student website is easier than you may think even if this is your very first attempt. With all the tools available today, it shouldn’t take you more than one hour to get your website up and running.
These are the three main steps to building your own website:
Step 1. Buy A Domain Name
The domain name is the name of your website. Don’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right domain name. The name you choose should give readers an immediate clue about what to expect when they go to your site.
Some things to keep in mind when choosing a domain name:
- Keep it short and easy to spell.
- Avoid ‘cute’ phrases and choose a term or keyword that reflects your area of interest.
- Avoid numbers in the domain name.
- If a .com for your preferred name is not available, it’s better to look for an alternative name rather than settle for another less-popular domain.
Step 2. Choose A Web Hosting Provider
A web hosting provider ‘hosts’ your website. They are responsible for storing and serving your website’s files. You cannot set up a website without web hosting.
A quick search will turn up several providers. Each will offer similar services, but the difference lies in their hosting prices, storage capacity, technical support, and reliability. Each of these factors is equally important. Make sure to read reviews to make an informed decision.
Step 3. Install And Setup Your Website
It’s easy to install and set up your website after you’ve bought your domain and paid for hosting. You’ll find plenty of videos on YouTube and also on your hosting company’s website with step-by-step instructions on how to install your website.
Once you’ve set up your website, it’s time to start creating and posting engaging, optimized content. Engaging content ensures that it is interesting for readers while optimized content makes it easier for search engines such as Google to find and rank your content.
Setting up and running a successful student website may take a little time and effort but it is an excellent opportunity to showcase your unique knowledge, skills, and achievements and carve your own little space on the web.
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