Does a brand exist if it’s not online? It seems like the way of the world is increasingly digital, and that goes for your personal brand too. Personal branding is great, but if it hasn’t debuted on the web yet, you’re missing out on immense opportunities to expand your network, reach new audiences, and build credibility, which is what your brand is all about in the first place. Here, discover new ways to rejuvenate your personal website, expand your brand, and get the most out of your time online.

Laying the groundwork

First things first – the site itself. We like Squarespace for its clean look and ease of navigation. Anyone can create a site that looks good, and when you want this to give a first impression for your brand, this is no place to cut corners. Check out their templates and set your name as your URL to get started. Whether it’s a sleek professional look you want or a nontraditional, stand-out site, Squarespace has tons of looks you can easily pull together for your perfect site.

Next, sign up for Google Analytics to track your website’s traffic if you haven’t already. This way, you can cater your content to exactly what people are looking for. By meeting your audience halfway, you’ll boost your visibility and expand your audience, according to Social Media Today. Sprinkle the site with keywords and phases to utilize search engine optimization and create a web of links to similar and complimentary content in your field to get your website showing up in Google searches.

Website must-haves

Once you get people to your website, you’ll want to provide a few features for them to check out. Make sure you create an About Me page. This is the place to show what you’ve got, but unfortunately it is oftentimes left off the table. Add your personal branding statement or go all out on your personal narrative. No matter how in-depth you’re willing to go, always link your strengths, experience, and qualities back to your brand’s ethics and values. Don’t hesitate to share the good and the bad – people appreciate the honesty and expect transparency.

Invite visitors to your site to engage. Prompt them to leave comments to your posts and invite them to join your email newsletter, which is another great way to keep them coming back to your site. You’ll also want to display your social media badges badges to allow visitors to experience your brand on all levels. Installing a small Twitter feed to run your latest updates along the side will further inspire your visitors to follow.

King content

When it comes to the content you create, make sure to focus on quality rather than quantity. As Social Media Today points out, nobody shares boring content. And with the potential for good content to go viral with a few clicks on so many social media platforms, you can’t afford to not make it top-notch, infectious, entertaining, interesting, relatable, or all of the above.

Personal Branding Blog recently posted about the importance of featuring guest bloggers. If you feel like your site could use a little shake up or your audience isn’t where you want it to be, consider reaching out to an influencer in your field. Don’t have the connections you’d like? Start networking and reaching out. Don’t be shy about it – these connections are mutually beneficial to both parties. The guest blogger will receive more publicity and have the opportunity to be featured on another site, and your personal branding website will generate traffic because of it.

A guest blogger can give a fresh, new voice to your site. They can also expand your audience, as the guest blogger will carry over their own followers. Because they’ll plug their blog postings on their own site, your website will see an increase in traffic and visibility from the added links. A guest blogger can also provide credibility to smaller and newer websites.

Don’t feel like your website has to feature blog posts only. There are many ways to create content that’s engaging, informative, and interesting to all kinds of audiences. Consider creating infographics to lay out hard facts in a visually interesting image. Or, take your traditional blogs and transform them into video format, which is becoming increasingly popular. Transform your videos into webinars by including presentations you’ve made to make them more informative. Check out Search Engine Land for some great ideas about adding variety to your content on your personal branding website.

How have you improved your personal website? Let us know! Leave a comment below.