Best Personal Website and Online Portfolio Examples in 2023

Nowadays people are gravitating towards working online. Last year shed light on all the opportunities that the internet offers to make money. One of these opportunities is to build a personal website. 

The purpose of your website may vary according to your work, interests, and hobbies. Making your dream website is easy.

There are various website builders with thousands of themes to choose from. The design and creation of your personal website are not challenging. The difficult part is to stand out.  

Here is a mind-blowing fact. There are more than 1.8 billion websites on the internet. How do we make a website that people will love and always come back to?

Fear not! We have searched for the best 37 personal websites on the internet to give you a summary of their best features that you can learn from. We will also discuss key lessons to make your personal website outstanding. 

Let’s start!

Best Personal Website Examples

1. Wendy Ju (made with Wix)

Great personal website of a UX Designer

What makes the website interesting?

Her home page interacts with you which showcases her talent as a UX designer. The visuals are exquisite. From the color blocking to the gallery layout of her projects, the website demonstrates Wendy’s creativity and professionalism. In a few sentences, she communicates her passion, goals, and works ethics.  

The website has amazing features that you can incorporate into yours:

• Great visuals
• Animations and effects do not overwhelm you
• Amazing structure and format
• Each project is highly detailed. She explains how she did the job instead of just stating it.
• Every page has different graphics that make the website interesting

Monetizing the website

From her portfolio, Wendy has described the process of each project from A to Z. She used different page formats to display each project in the best light possible. Tables, graphs, pictures, and prototypes are all included on the page. Brands are thus able to analyze her works in detail.

Due to the transparency of the projects, brands are more likely to trust the quality of her work. Wendy’s marketing strategy puts her ahead of her competitors. Of course, it means that she has a higher chance of landing a collaboration. This is a great asset for her personal website.

2. The mum and the mom (made with WordPress)

Mother’s guide to parenting and expatriate lifestyle

What makes her website interesting?

Hannah is a mother of 5 children who moved from England to Canada. On her blog, she discusses parenting tips and expatriate experiences. 

The website has a simple layout of articles in a thumbnail format. Notice how her profile picture is on the right of the screen for all pages. It provides a personal touch to the website as the users’ know who is the person behind those articles. 

The key features of the website:

• Simple layout
• Easy to navigate
• Thumbnails layout makes it easy to skim the articles
• Share button below each articles prompt users to share them on social media platforms
• Comment section where users can leave their feedbacks

Making money from the website

Hannah’s blog acts as a portfolio of her writing projects. She wrote some articles for big news blogs like Huff Post UK, US, and Canada. Her blog provides a sneak peek about her writing style and approach to keep readers interested.

The blog markets her brand and talents to prospective clients. They know what to expect from her articles. We would encourage you to add your portfolio to your website too.

3. Prince Gyasi (made with Wix)

Visual Artist who uses colors and photography to make a change in the world

What is interesting about this website?

Prince is a visual artist and photographer. He loves using colors in his pictures to accentuate their meaning. The home page layout is the perfect format for his website. 

The first thing that catches your eye is the vibrant picture in the middle of the page. You can already understand what message he wants to convey through his works. 

Key features of this website:

• Vibrant colors and good color blocking
• Black background brings out the colors from his pictures
• Menu format makes it easy to navigate
• A whole page is dedicated to all the press he has worked with

Making money from the website

You can feel Prince’s vibrant personality from the pictures. He showcases marginalized people from his country. You can tell that Prince is proud of his people and wants to help them through his works.

This brings a special touch to his pictures. Brands that share the same core values as Prince can harness his talent to make an impact. You can feel his enthusiasm to make a change in his country. The individuality of the website makes it one of a kind.

4. Temilola Ajibulu (made with Wix)

Fantastic photographer for luxury weddings and portraits

What is the website about?

Temilola, who goes by Temi, has had a passion for photography since the tender age of 11. She completed four degrees before coming back to her first love, photography. Her welcome page is a short video highlighting the different aspects of her job. The website has different animations and effects that keep you submerged in her work. 

Parallax scrolling is an interesting feature on the website. It fits amazingly well with her testimonials page and portraits page. 

Some of the best traits are:

• Colors and layout provide a romantic feel 
• Pink boxes emphasize the text 
• Included a page of testimonials
• Blog, shop, and consultation are on the same website
• Welcoming home page

Monetizing the website

Temi has various income streams from her website. 

• Collaboration for a photoshoot
  Temi has established a process to cater to the needs of her clients. The 3 simple steps are consultation, photoshoot, and delivery of pictures. For the whole process, Temi charges a fee depending on the event and location. 
• Personalized and custom album
  For the wedding photos, Temi offers to make a customized personal photo album for her clients with an additional charge of $2,675 and above
• Affiliated links in blog
  Temi has a blog where she advises couples on choosing their photoshoot location and preparing for the shoot. She also writes and displays the photos of her clients on her blog. Some of her posts contain affiliate links.

5. Aaron Zarabi (made with Wix)

Award-winning comedian in the US and Europe 

What is the website about?

Aaron is a famous stand-up comedian based in New York. He has toured the US and Europe for his shows. He has also won various awards for his shows. 

Aaron designed his website with a one-page scrolling feature. This allows his web visitors to view all of his content in one go. Also, notice his little icon at the top of his page and in his footer. 

His website is interesting because:

• One-page scrolling
• Funny videos from his Instagram are embedded in his gallery
• Online streaming of his podcast
• A funny little illustration of his face as his icon
• Good structure

How does he make money?

• Shows
  Through his website, people can book Aaron for a special occasion or event. His main source of income comes from his shows. His fees vary according to the demands of each event. 
• Podcasts
  The podcast ‘Your Boyz’ contains some sponsorship and affiliate products that add up to his source of income. You can even assist his different shows if you want. The details are all found on his website including ticket sales.

6. Laura Baross (made with Wix)

Interior Designer focusing on sustainable living

What makes her website interesting?

Laura is an interior designer who wants to decrease her carbon footprint on the environment. For all of you who are interested in the Zero Waste Journey, Laura is the perfect person for you. Apart from her portfolio, Laura also has a section of the website for her blog. Her minimalist and neutral tone website conveys the green living and minimalist designs that she is known for. 

The best characteristics of Laura’s website are:

• Easy to navigate
• The minimalist layout does not overwhelm the user
• Neutral tone with a white background makes it easy to read the content
• A mixture of portfolio and blog 

How does she make money?

• Portfolio
  From her portfolio, you will see that her designs are both minimalist and functional but also beautiful. It accentuates her mission: inspiring others to make conscious efforts to protect our planet. Brands and clients who share the same vision seek her professional guidance to decorate their homes. 
• Affiliate links 
  Laura not only promotes a different lifestyle but also encourages her followers to buy from eco-friendly shops. Her articles contain affiliate links to products from ethical brands.

7. Louise Whitehouse (made with Wix)

Beauty and Nature photographer aiming to protect the environment

What makes the website interesting?

Louise’s passion for photography can be felt when you scroll through her website. Through her photos, she passes heartfelt messages on saving our planet and its people. 

The minimalist and photo album feel from the website makes it one of a kind. You might think it appears too simple at first glance but the gallery layout makes it easy to skim over the page. The layout of her gallery is a mismatch of different photo sizes. It creates a visual appeal for her audience. 

The highlights are:

• Picture only 
• One page scrolling to view all important content
• Light grey background accentuates the vibrant pictures
• Listed a few pictures from her Instagram 
• Different picture size providing good structure
• No animations and effects to distract from the pictures

Monetizing her website

Louise’s website showcases all the different projects that she worked on. She provides the whole album she created for each project. Her pictures are all carefully laid out in different sizes to emphasize the most important ones. 

Because her website is transparent and genuine, it canalizes the trust of companies in her personal brand. This proves the success of having a website as a portfolio. People interested can contact her through her phone number, email address, or other social platforms.

8. Tristan Harris (made with Wix)

A Software Developer who wants to align humanity with technology

What is the website about?

Tristan is one of the leading software developers who are making a change in the world. He is rectifying technology to focus on more humane and ethical practices. His website is a portfolio of all of his accomplishments during his career.

The home page starts with Tristan’s picture and a challenging question. It makes us think about the impact of technology on our life. The question sucks the web visitor right into Tristan’s world. The website’s layout is very simple. It provides links to the podcast, his documentary, and his media. 

The best features are:

• Simple and easy navigation
• Minimalist structure and design
• Links to podcast, documentary, media, and community
• Black and white contrast highlights the content of the website

How does he make money through the website?

The website acts as an internal referral business model. All the links on his website redirect the web users to other websites to view his podcast, documentary, and community.

This is a great marketing strategy for his personal brand and his other projects. Users not only know about his company but can also visit his other projects. You should consider this option to market your own personal brand in the future.

9. Adam McCain (made with Wix)

A pastor equipping the youths in their faith

What is it about?

I would encourage you to visit Adam’s website. He is a pastor who established an organization called Global Youth Net with his wife. The goal is to equip the young generation in their faith. 

The website has a special feature called parallax scrolling. It makes the website more interesting and improves users’ experience. A mixture of black and white and color features upgrades the visual of Adam’s personal website.

The highlights are:

• Parallax scrolling
• Interesting visuals
• Gallery layout as sliders
• Booking features 

How does he make money?

Adam has established a section on his website for booking. People interested in his work can put down their contact details and the reason why they want to invite him over. 

If your personal brand has a similar booking aspect, I would highly suggest that you check out this section. It is very easy for people to fill out the form. You can know and better manage your schedule from there.

10. Jacob McMillen (made with WordPress)

Freelance copywriter helping others in their writing journey

What is it about?

Jacob is a freelance copywriter for more than 8 years now. He is helping other freelance writers in their journey to build their brand and land more jobs.

The website starts with a simple video of Jacob and a prompt to subscribe for his free crash course on copywriting. He included a section about the reviews on his courses to encourage people to take them.

The best features of the website:

• Welcoming page
• Catchy pitch to prompt users to subscribe for his crash course
• Blog and podcast sections
• A whole page is dedicated to reviews
• Easy to navigate

Monetizing his website

• Courses
  Jacob has created multiple courses to help his audience to improve their writing skills. While most come at a cost, he has designed a few free ones to help those in need. His review page contains a long list of high praises for all of his courses. This section encourages users to check out his courses.
• Affiliate links
  Jacob has a blog and podcast section on his website. Some of the articles and episodes contain affiliate links to various products and services. Jacob has also included an earning disclaimer to notify his audience about the small commissions he may receive.

11. Bright Eyed Baker (made with StudioPress)

Baking Blog to help home bakers discover new recipes

What makes her website interesting?

Alex is a baking blogger who aims to bake every recipe from scratch. Most of her recipes are also gluten-free. Her audience is encouraged to have fun in the kitchen whilst baking.

All of her recipes are structured using the thumbnail format. She has categorized her content into various groups to help people search faster. Her logo is very interesting. It forms a rolling pin that showcases her brand.

The highlights of the website are:

• Skimmable thumbnail layout 
• Categorized content 
• Great structure 
• The white backdrop accentuates her recipe pictures
• Search bar to find recipes faster

Making money from her website

• Google Adsense
  Alex has pop-up advertisements from Google on her website. She receives payments from Google for allowing ads on her website pages. These pop-up ads appear at the bottom of your screen during your time on her website.
• Affiliate links with Amazon
  Alex is an amazon associate. In her recipes, she has affiliate links with Amazon for the products and services that she used and recommended. There is a disclaimer section where she states that all opinions are her own despite receiving a small commission from Amazon.

12. Elizabeth Lundin (made with WordPress)

Professional writer available to share your story with the world

What makes the website interesting?

Elizabeth is a professional writer who specializes in website and brand development. She offers to write, edit and develop your brand. Her website is very catchy and welcoming to everyone.

The first thing that you see is a statement that encourages you and motivates you in your career. It makes you feel special. This is a great example of pulling people into your own personal brand. She designed her website using the ‘Sydney’ theme from WordPress.

The key features are:

• Full-width stripes 
• Simple colors with white background
• Welcoming 
• The writing style is informal and teasing in some cases

Monetizing her website

• Affiliate Marketing
  On her website, Elizabeth has a section for her blog. It provides an example of her writing style to people interested in her brand and work. From her blog, affiliated links are included in some of her articles. 
• Portfolio
  On the website, she has included some of the best articles from her blog in her portfolio. People can quickly skim over those articles to understand her writing style instead of going to her blog. This is a great strategy to improve your users’ experiences on your website.

13. Kristi Hines (made with StudioPress)

Writer and photographer freelancer aiming to lure your customers

What is the website about?

Kristi Hines is a writer and photographer who works with brands to promote their products and services. Her aim is to entice the customers into buying the products and services.

Her website is a great example due to simplicity and easy navigation whilst remaining interesting and engaging. Kristi structured her website by using pictures as her dividers between each content. She also included all important information on her home page which makes it easy for first-time visitors to navigate her website.

The best features of her website are:

• Simple and easy to use
• Great structure and layout
• Includes reviews from her previous projects
• Easy booking section
• Simple colors 

Ways she makes money from her website

• Writing and photography services
  Kristi designed a section to facilitate the booking of new projects from people interested in her work. Her reviews elevate her job quality and create trust from prospective brands. It acts as a great selling point for her personal brand.
• Affiliate links and Sponsors
  Kristi has a blog section on her website where she writes articles with affiliate links. The products recommended are usually targeted to freelancers interested to further their blog or personal brands. She also receives a small commission when people buy the recommended products.

14. Cooking with Mima (made with StudioPress)

Cooking Blogger creating simple and easy recipes for her readers

What is it about?

Mima is a blogger who is passionate about cooking. You will find everything on her website, from starters to desserts to snacks. Her goal is to provide easy recipes for people to follow. 

All of her recipes are classified into different categories to make searching easier. The layout of her recipes is in a thumbnail format. She has also designed a special accessibility feature that her users with disabilities can enable. 

The best features of her website are:

• Good layout and structure
• Thumbnail format for her recipes
• Accessibility feature for her readers with disabilities
• The white background highlights the recipes’ pictures
• Simple animations and effects that do not distract users

How is she making money?

• Google Adsense
  Her website is full of different adverts from Google. She receives a payment from Google for providing her website as a platform for their ads. On each page, there are 3-5 ads. This provides a good source of income for Mima. 
• Affiliate links and sponsors
  She has also worked with various brands for their products and services. They have either provided sponsored content or affiliate links in her articles. Mima has also organized a few giveaways for her readers from sponsored products.

15. Kunstrukt (made with Wix)

A Turkish duo of artists who developed workshops for creativity and innovation

What makes the website interesting?

Kunstrukt was designed by Lone Eriksen and Deniz Ozlu. Their aim is to help companies and organizations tap into their creativity and innovation.

You should definitely visit this website for inspiration. The home page is structured to feel like a picture gallery. The font and writing format also creates an edge to the website. The white background compliments the vibrant pictures perfectly.

The best features are:

• Amazing visuals
• Vibrant colors are accentuated from the white background
• Easy to navigate
• Good structure and layout of content
• No animations or effects that can overwhelm users
• Engaging for users 

How do they make money?

Lone and Deniz have created different workshops to develop and inspire creativity among companies and organizations. Their workshops help employers to think creatively in their work for better engagement. These workshops come at a price.

They have also included various projects that they have worked on. It helps companies understand what they have to offer and the benefits of their workshops. This is a key aspect in the marketing of their brand

16. See Kate Sew (made with StudioPress)

Sewing blogger sharing her sewing passion with others

What is it about?

Kate is a sewing blogger who loves sharing her knowledge and passions for making clothes and accessories from scratch. She designs patterns to guide her readers in their sewing projects.

The website is very aesthetically appealing. She has designed her menu with different sewing icons. There is also a hovering effect that changes the shade of the icon. The structure of the website is made up of full-width stripes that contain different sections of her website. 

The highlights of the website are:

• Good layout structure
• Great visual aesthetic
• Sewing icons is a touch of individuality
• Thumbnail format for her different designs 
• Blog, subscription, and shop are all found on the website

How is she making money?

• Her book
  On her website, Kate has a section for her book. Links are provided to encourage people to buy her book on sewing. In her blog posts, she gives some tips and tricks that were included in her book. This prompts her readers to check it out and maybe buy it. 
• Quilt Pattern Subscription
  It is a monthly subscription that Kate has designed for her readers planning to sew a quilt. Every month, digital patterns are sent to their mailbox for inspiration and motivation. 
• Pattern and fabric shop
  Kate also has a shop where she sells the sewing patterns that she designed herself. These include clothing and accessories sewing patterns for all ages. She has also designed various fabric patterns to provide unique designs for her readers. These mostly include quilt patterns and doll patterns. In her tutorials and blog posts, she uses patterns and fabrics to market her products to her readers.
• Google Adsense
  Kate also has included various ads from Google on her website. Google pays her for being able to use her platform for their ads.

17.  Michelle Leung (made with Wix)

Advertising designer for brands 

What makes this website interesting?

Michelle Leung is a designer who specializes in creating advertisements for brands. The website is a portfolio of all the different projects she has created.

You should check this website out. Her mind map design links different components together. It provides an engaging visual experience. The only downfall is the hashtag feature on the rotating display of her works. But, you can feel her creative energy when navigating through her website. 

The highlights of the website are:

• Beautiful mind map layout that links everything together
• The red font pops against the white background
• The website is available in 2 languages
• One-page scrolling 

How does she make money?

The website acts as a portfolio to showcase all of her projects. Brands interested in her work can easily examine its content and quality. Having a website as your portfolio exposes your brand to worldwide customers. 

The marketing value of the brand exponentially rises due to the international reach that it has. Michelle is not limited to work with only brands from her country. If you are interested in expanding your reach, I would highly recommend including your portfolio on your website.

18. Roee Ben Yehuda (made with Wix)

Designer experimenting with different disciplines and materials

What is it about?

Roee is a rising designer whose work spans the various design disciplines. He has worked on several projects from ceramics to coffee machines and 3D modeling.

His website is very organized and well structured. The layout is a full-width design with parallax scrolling. His neutral colors and pictures enhance the experience of scrolling through his website. It feels like a luxury catalog of different products. 

The key features of his website are:

• Easy to navigate
• Good structure and layout 
• Neutral tones 
• Pictures that showcase his projects
• Minimalist design 

Monetizing the website

• Shop
  Some of the projects that are featured in his portfolio can be bought in his shop. His products are minimalist and functional. His main income stream would be the sales of his products.
• Marketing his brand
  His website is an online portfolio of all of his projects. Brands interested in his work have access to all of the details. They can also judge the quality of his projects and if they would fit with theirs. 

Having a portfolio on the internet increases the reach of your target audience. The portfolio acts as an advertisement for your personal brand. It would be a great strategy for you to include in your business.

19. Kiko Rodriguez (made with Weebly)

Artist and graphic designer who experiments with illustrations 

What makes his website interesting?

Kiko is an artist and graphic designer who enjoys mixing both illustrations and graphic design in his work. 

From his website, you can see that all of his projects are arranged in a gallery layout. They are all very vibrant in color and have interesting features. When you hover your mouse on the pictures, a small description of the project appears. 

The highlights of his website are:

• Gallery layout 
• Vibrant colors and color blocking
• Hovering effect
• Easy to navigate 
• Showcases his projects in detail

How does he make money?

• Portfolio 
  Kiko displays all of his projects on his website. For each project, he included details about the creation and the process of his art. Prospective brands can easily examine his content and its quality. The transparency of his projects sparks trust in Kiko’s potential and talent. 
• Shop
  Kiko has a shop section on his website where he sells his designs on clothes, bags, and as art prints. Having a shop section on his website provides for international customers. This increases the sales of his products. If your personal brand has a shop, I would advise you to establish a shop on your website too.

20. Leo Edwards (made with Weebly)

Environmental portrait photographer interested in people and their stories

What is it about?

Leo is a photographer who is interested in people and their stories. His subjects are always people with compelling features and eye-catching emotions. 

The website has an interesting layout. The navigation menu is on the left-hand side of the screen instead of its usual position at the top. When moving from pages to pages, there is always a prompt that appears to download his ebook on photography for free. The layout is also well structured with a gallery feel.

The key features of this website are:

• Well structured
• The white background makes the colorful pictures pop
• Easy to navigate
• Blog and shop are included
• Embedded videos 
• No animations or effects to distract the user

Making money from the website

• Selling his prints
  Leo created a page where people interested in his pictures can buy the prints on the website itself. Various prints are available and in different sizes. This counts as his main source of income from the website.
• Marketing of his brand
  By establishing his portfolio on the website, Leo can market his works and talent to a wider audience. The website also provides details for his future exhibitions. Entrance tickets are sold on the same page. Prompts to download his ebook also encourages people to know more about his work.

21. Laura Berger (made with Squarespace)

Amazing Artist specialized in gouache technique 

What makes the website interesting?

Laura is an artist who specializes in gouache arts. Her art is very distinct and unique. From her website, you can see that Laura is an expert in her field. She has planned various exhibitions and has sold multiple copies.

Her website is minimalist and simple to use. The paintings are at the center of attention. The white background highlights her colorful paintings. She also included a special effect on her website. The cursor changes when you hover over her painting. 

Here are the best features:

• Minimalist
• Easy to navigate 
• The spotlight is on the paintings
• The navigation menu is on the left
• Timeline page to organize her paintings

Making money from her website

• Tickets to exhibitions
  Laura has planned multiple exhibitions to showcase her art. People interested in her brand can assist the exhibitions. Tickets can be obtained on her website. 
• Shop
  She also created a shop on her website where she sells the prints, copies, and originals of her paintings. The shop revenue makes up her main source of income from the website.

22. Oli Dillon (made with Wix)

Creative designer for advertisements and branding

What makes the website interesting?

Oli Dillon is a designer who works with companies to design their advertisements, campaigns, and so on. He has also won several awards for the quality of his work.

There are a few features that make Oli’s website one of a kind. He does not have any profile picture but represents himself through the thinking dog, as shown above. His personal website was even part of one of the finalists for the Stunning Award from Wix. 

The key features are:

• Full-width stripes 
• Color blocking 
• Smooth transition between content
• Subtle animations and effects that improve users’ experience
• Funny illustrations of the smart dog throughout the website
• Contains reviews from previous project associates
• Booking feature

Monetizing the website

It is no brainer that Oli uses his personal website as a portfolio. For each project, he designed their web pages differently. This highlights his attention to detail but also his professionalism. All the project details and process is provided on the website.

His transparency, along with the high praises from previous brands he worked for, spark trust in his quality of work. The portfolio is also accessible to a wider audience. Oli’s personal brand is then marketed to international corporations

23. Kevin Krautgartner (made with Squarespace)

A photographer who specializes in aerial perspectives

What is it about?

Kevin is a famous photographer who is an expert in aerial perspective photography. He has won several awards and his pictures are regularly featured in magazines and books.

When you first enter the website, a stunning colorful picture is there to greet you. His home page features his best pictures in a loop. The white backdrop places the spotlight on his gorgeous vibrant pictures. His portfolio is in a structured and uniform gallery layout where you can enjoy his projects. 

The highlights of his website are:

• Easy to navigate
• Well structured and organized
• Good color choice
• Minimalist feel 
• Engaging home page

How does he make money?

• Presets
  For the rest of us who have never heard about presets, they are already adjusted settings that are used on cameras. They provide different effects to the pictures. Kevin has various presets bundles that he sells on his website.
• Prints
  Kevin also offers the option of buying a print of his photograph on aluminum, acrylic glass, or paper. 
• Exhibitions
  Kevin has toured the world for his different projects but also for his exhibitions. He has followers from various countries who ask for exhibitions. Entrance tickets to his exhibitions can be found on his website.

24. Karlie Kloss (made with Wix)

Famous supermodel and entrepreneur aiming to change the world

What makes the website interesting?

We all know about the gorgeous supermodel Karlie Kloss. She has been influencing the fashion industry for several years. Now, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Karlie is ravaging everywhere.

Her website has a special feature called parallax scrolling. Adding this to the different animations and effects, Karlie’s website is a force to be reckoned with. The smooth transition of pictures and videos also greatly improves users’ experience.

The best features are:

• Great structure and layout 
• Subtle animations and effects
• Embedded videos 
• Parallax scrolling
• Beautiful visuals

Making money with her website 

Her website is mostly used as a means to keep in touch with her fans and followers. She updates them with the different projects and events she is involved in.

The website also links to one of her programs, Kode with Karlie. Her online portfolio includes all the different projects and campaigns she worked on.

25. Steve Benjamins (made with Squarespace)

Singer and songwriter who enjoys making emotional songs

What makes his website interesting?

Steve is a rising artist whose music talks about pain in calm and vulnerable songs. He aims to promote vulnerability and transparency with his audience.

His website is minimalist and simple. His home page features the most recent song, blog post, and subscription prompt. It is in a one-page scrolling design which, let’s be honest, makes it easy for us who like to skim over the content. 

The highlights are:

• Simple but functional design
• Minimalist aesthetic
• Easy to navigate 
• Gallery view for songs facilitate a search

How does he make money?

Steve has written details about all the background stories of every song and its lyrics. There is a link to apple music or Spotify to listen to his songs. Through these, he encourages people visiting his website to check out his songs. 

Having the songs featured on his website act as his portfolio. His brand exposure has increased by ten folds. This is due to the international accessibility that his personal website has. It’s one of the reasons why I would highly encourage you to include a portfolio section on your website.

26. Japhlet Bire Attias (made with Weebly)

Chapman stick artist who tours the world to promote his music

What is it about?

If you’ve never heard or seen a Chapman stick before like me, it is an instrument from the guitar family. Japhlet is an artist who promotes his music using the Chapman stick (seen in the picture above). 

The website builder Weebly was used to build Japhlet’s personal website. The website is designed using a different format called one-page scrolling. All the content of the website is found on one page only. Japhlet also makes good use of parallax effects on his website to make the users’ experience more interesting. 

The best features of the website:

• Easy navigation
• Simple one-page scrolling
• Parallax effect
• Embedded videos
• Great visuals
• Bilingual website

How is he making money?

• Shows
  Japhlet has toured the world to promote his music. He was also involved in different projects. Since the Chapman Stick is a rare instrument, audiences are curious about this guitar-like instrument. Entrance tickets are available on his website.
• Music
  The website contains links to Japhlet music albums. A short preview is available for people to understand his music. However, the whole album must be bought before streaming online.

27. Judy Quartel-Benjamins (made with Squarespace)

Psychotherapist providing support to people in need

What makes the website interesting?

Judy is a psychotherapist who offers sessions of 50 minutes to talk about the personal problems that people may face. Her services accommodate all issues that people might be facing.

You can see that her website is quite simple and minimalist. A short video on the home page provides a warm welcome to website visitors. Her white background and pictures at the top of each page give a peaceful feel. 

The highlights are:

• Simple and minimalist design
• Clean and well-structured design
• Neutral tones 
• No animations and effects to not overwhelm users
• Short and concise texts, very skimmable

How is she making money?

Judy provides different services to help everyone in their recovery. Her services are suitable for individuals, couples, and even families. She uses a virtual platform to meet her clients for therapy sessions.

28. Rachel Brenke (made with Weebly)

Businesswoman helping other female entrepreneurs in their journey

What makes her website interesting?

Rachel is a businesswoman whose aim is to help other female entrepreneurs in their brand. Having several successful businesses herself, Rachel provides step by step guidance and methods to improve and expand other women’s businesses. 

The simple and motivating quote provides a warm welcome to first-time website visitors. She also has a small simple quiz designed to identify your needs and aspects that she can help you with.

The highlights are:

• Welcoming home page
• Easy navigation
• Good structure and layout
• Animations and effects are subtle 
• Embedded videos and podcasts
• Neutral tones for a professional feel

How is she making money?

• Courses
  Rachel has designed several courses to help women in all aspects of their business. She created two categories, one for business procedures and the second for legal issues. All of her courses are available on her website. 
• Podcast
  Her podcast is very successful on Apple Podcast Business. There is a link provided on the website to access them. A short preview of the podcast is given on the website to give users an idea about the contents.

29. Lucia Balcazar (made with Squarespace)

Talented Illustrator and paper sculptor specializes in flower art

What is it about?

Lucia is a paper sculptor with thousands of different flower models and art. She is famously known for her exquisite paper flowers ranging from 17th-century models to modern art. 

Her home page is a gallery grid of stunning paper sculptures. The layout makes it easy to skim over her different projects. She designed the website with great visuals whilst remaining in the minimalist category. 

The best features are:

• Very easy navigation
• Great visuals
• Grid layout spotlights different projects
• Skimmable 
• Neutral tone background accentuate the projects

Monetizing the website

• Book
  On her website, Lucia promotes her book on making paper flower sculptures. She has written a guide for beginners interested in her craft. There is a special page dedicated to her book on the website. She has listed all vendors and a short synopsis to attract future buyers.
• Workshops
  Lucia has organized many workshops to showcase her craft and teach others about it. Upcoming and past workshop details can all be found on her website. She has created different workshops focusing on the different styles of paper flower sculptures.

30. Greg Christian (made with Webflow)

Graphic designer working on apps for different brands

What is the website about?

Greg Christian is an app designer who uses his website as a portfolio. He has worked on various projects ranging from investment apps to weather apps.

Even though the website might appear simple, you will notice that the attention to detail is admirable. Greg uses a one-page scrolling design where all of his content can be found on one page. 

The highlights of his website are:

• Good structure and layout
• Amazing typography
• The black backdrop makes the projects pop
• Mobile phone view of the projects makes it obvious that he designed apps
• Cursor changes upon hovering on the projects

How is he making money?

Greg’s website is a portfolio of all of his previous projects and designs. He has carefully arranged the layout of his projects. There is enough distance between each project that when you scroll down, one project takes all your screen.

This enables you to only see one project at a time. The marketing is then optimized by using this strategy.

People can choose to skim over the different projects or analyze each one with the one-page scrolling option.

31. Chris reads minds (made with 10Web)

A magician who is an expert in reading people’s minds

What makes the website interesting?

Chris is a mind reader magician who loves attending parties to entertain guests. No matter what kind of event you are organizing, Chris always has tricks up his sleeves.

The website layout is a one-page scrolling design. There are smooth transitions between each content which makes the website experience much better. Chris has embedded a video on his homepage which provides an amazing first impression of his brand. 

The best features of the website are:

• One page scrolling
• Skimmable
• Great layout
• Includes reviews of previous clients
• Booking section for various events
• Quote section to know his schedule and the fee

How does he make money from the website?

People can hire Chris for various types of events. He has developed multiple tricks to entertain his guests from mind-reading to sleight of hand tricks.

There is a booking and quote feature on his website where you can know his schedule and get an estimation for his services.

32. Kerem Suer

Designer mixing various disciplines to create innovative products

What is the website about?

Kerem is a designer who works by using different techniques and disciplines of designing. He has worked on multiple projects with world-renowned brands to create high-quality products.

The highlights of the website are:

• Neutral tone website
• Amazing layout and structure of the website
• Interesting and engaging animations and effects
• Uses screenshots design to showcase his projects. 
• Picture gallery horizontal sliders to skim over

How does he make money?

It shouldn’t surprise you that Kerem uses his personal website as his portfolio to highlight his previous projects. From the different projects, you can get a broad overview of Kerem and the quality of his work. 

With the option of having an online portfolio, Kerem has seized the opportunity to make his work known internationally. People from across the globe can view and understand his passion and drive. I would encourage you to seize this opportunity too.

33. Ali Abdaal (made with WordPress)

Youtuber, podcaster, and doctor expert on productivity, finances, and study techniques

What makes his website interesting?

Ali Abdaal is a rising Youtuber, Podcaster, and doctor who built his business on productivity, study techniques, personal finances, and much more. His entrepreneurship skills have helped him to build his massive audience on both Youtube and his website.

The website has notion-like features. The use of icons on his website next to the different categories improves the visual experience of users. The design of his website, though, quite simply, is very functional and easy to navigate. 

The best features on his website are:

• All content is accessible despite which page you are on
• Icons provide interesting visual
• List and bullet points format
• Skimmable 
• Search box for quicker search

Making money from the website

• Courses
  Ali has created various courses on productivity, Youtube videos, and study techniques to help his audience maximize their potential. He also used his medical knowledge to create courses for different medical exams. His courses also contain valuable information for successful application to medical schools.
• Affiliate links and sponsors
  There are also different articles on the website. They range from technology to apps and personal finance. Affiliate links and sponsored content can be found in different articles. These can include different notebooks, apps, and devices that help increase his productivity.

34. Andrew Huang

Music and video producer that creates all types of music styles

What makes his website interesting?

Andrew has a huge following of 1.9 million subscribers on Youtube due to his different creative approach towards music. He also reviews music equipment and educates people on music theories.

His website has a one-page scrolling feature where all of his content can be seen on one page. People can easily skim over his website to find the information they need. The visuals and typography of the website display Andrew’s creativity and youthful energy.

The best features of his website are:

• Great visuals
• Color blocking
• One page scrolling
• Engaging website
• Embedded videos

Monetizing his website

• Store
  Andrew included his store on the website. His products are used to create music. He sells percussion and bundles of different sounds. The store does not contain a lot of products but people buy them. 
• Patreon
  There is a link on the website that directs you to his Patreon. People who wish to support him and his work can pay a small fee per week. They can become members of his community who get access to his content earlier than the average public.

35. Joel Gascoigne (made with Wix)

Co-founder and CEO of Buffer

What makes his website interesting?

Joel has co-founded Buffer. The company helps freelancers to build their brand and social media businesses. He is currently the CEO of Buffer.

The website is simple yet very effective. It has a night-time mode which can be very useful for users who prefer a darker display. The home page includes links to various articles and interviews that feature Joel. Some pages contain several icons and emojis that provide a laid-back feel to the website. 

The highlights of the website:

• Night and day feature
• Simple layout
• Icons and emojis provide individuality
• Great structure

Marketing his brand

Most of his articles are about his company Buffer. Even though he is not making money from his website, he is marketing his own company to his audience.

36. Gary Sheng

Software engineering concerned about the ethics of technology

What is it about?

Gary is a software engineer who is concerned about the ethics of technology and empowering generation Z. Andrew is also passionate about improving the political stability of his country. 

He designed his website to be a one-page scrolling website. People can review everything on his homepage which is also the only page on his website. This makes his resume very skimmable and easy to find information. 

There is a section labeled ‘my system’ where he states clearly his values and beliefs. It brings out the individuality of the website to stand out from others. Gary’s website is not merely a resume but is also a call for action.

The best features on his website are:

• Simple layout 
• Good structure
• Skimmable
• One page scrolling
• The individuality of his website makes it stand out among its competitors
• The timeline feature makes it easy to find information

Monetizing his website

His website acts as his resume. All of his previous works and projects can be found with the one-page scrolling feature. You can also access his organization called Civics unplugged where you will understand his mission better.

His drive and passion can be felt through his website. His resume provides opportunities to promote his organization and his previous works. Brands interested in his work can easily skim over the website to understand his aims and objectives.

37. Brandon Johnson (made with Wix)

Planetary scientist ready to take on the universe

What makes his website interesting?

Brandon is a planetary scientist who has worked with renowned research centers like NASA. He and his team study the formation of craters and their impact. 

You should check his website out. He has successfully incorporated crater images with animations and effects to make the website engaging and fun. Graphs, designs, and pictures all add up to improve users’ experience.

The website stands out because of how engaging it is. Information on his website can be easily digested by the general public. There is no scientific jargon to confuse the average person who knows practically nothing about craters. 

The best features of the website are:

• Gorgeous layout 
• Interactive structure
• Subtle animations and effects that improve users’ experience
• One page scrolling
• Dark features emphasize his content 
• Simple English

How does he make money?

The purpose of Brandon’s website is to be his online portfolio. However, he achieved more than that. His website is not a mere piece of statements and previous jobs. The design, animations, and layout make it also a piece of art.

Brandon has made a smart move. He stands out because of his achievements but also because of his creativity and attention to detail. This is an amazing marketing strategy for his personal brand. It increases the influx of people visiting his website.

Key Lessons to Make Your Personal Website Outstanding

Stay Relevant

Always keep your website updated. You need to keep producing content that people are interested in. You must always spark their curiosity and they will come back looking for more. 

Provide content that is related to the current challenges that they are facing. Give them your knowledge on the subject, and tips and tricks to help them solve their problems. Of course, this will differ according to your target audience.

Find niche areas that do not have a lot of content available on the internet. By using keywords and SEO writing, your articles will appear first in the search results.

If you are using your website as a portfolio, keep updating it with the most recent projects that you have completed. Also, ask your clients if they can write a review for you to post on your website.

• Follow the trends
  To remain relevant online, your content must follow the trend. However, do not just write about the trend but think about what trends will emerge shortly. You should always think ahead.
• Plan your content
  It’s good practice to have a notebook where you write and plan your future content. You can brainstorm ideas and search the internet for new hashtags to inspire you. 
• Post regularly
  Whether it is a shop, portfolio, or blog, you should always post regularly on your personal website. For every milestone that you’ve overcome, write about it on your website. Depending on the purpose of the website, your time interval between posts can vary. But try to maintain this habit. The more your website is updated, the higher up it will appear in the search results.

Provide Value

Provide content for free. This may sound counterintuitive. We know your goal is to make money but hear us out.

This research has shown that 45% of your reputation depends on what content you provide. When giving valuable information to your readers for free, you are boosting your online presence.

• Increased loyalty
  With time, people will learn to trust your content and opinion. They are more likely to consider your recommendations because they trust you. Your audience would consider you as their source of factual and useful information. They might even share your content on their social media accounts. You could get a wider reach through this.
• Use your content to market your brand
  When you provide valuable content for free, it is indirectly marketing your brand in a positive light. People will already know and expect good quality projects from your personal brand. You will gain more exposure and more clients. Use it as a means to lure people into loving your brand.
• You become an expert in their eyes
  Since you provide factual and relevant information, you instantly become an expert in their eyes. You are the one people will turn to, to ask for advice and opinions about certain issues. 
• Provide a preview of your work
  If you are using your website as your portfolio, provide all details about your previous projects: the process, the prototypes, and how you achieved the final results. These give a preview to your prospective clients on how you work. The quality of your work and talent can be highlighted in this way.

Mobile Interface

What do you see when you travel on the bus or the train? Everyone is glued to their phone. Most of us use this time to surf the internet.

We would look at our social media account, read the news or do some online shopping. The point is, most people use their phones nowadays to go on the internet.

This means that your website layout must be phone friendly. We must be able to have the same viewing experience on our phone or our laptop.

This is a very important feature that you must adopt for more people to visit your blog. User experience and user interface are determining factors. Whether people read or leave your website depends on these.

Here are some tips to make your website mobile-friendly.

• Responsive website
  No matter what device is used to access your personal website, the website itself will adapt its display content. The appearance and content layout will change according to the size of the screen. Isn’t that the answer to your problems? Various website builders offer this option. You can build your dream website without the coding dilemma.
• Do not write long paragraphs
  Paragraphs that may not appear long on your desktop may take the whole screen on mobile. To remediate, keep in mind to write 7-8 sentences max per paragraph. It may seem too short but trust us, this tip will improve a mobile user’s experience greatly.

Buyer profiling

Before deciding on your niche, I would recommend you to do a buyer profiling. Have a look on the internet to find out the number of searches per day for your niche. 

If you are satisfied with the number, then go for it. If not, please reconsider your niche. There may be a few changes that you can do to reach a wider audience.

Here is how you can know your clients’ demographic.

• Who is your target audience?
  Before searching for your clients, you must know first who they are. Think about what your website is about. Who will benefit from your content? Who are my competitors? Start by answering these questions.
• Use data from your current social media accounts
  Gather all information on your existing followers on your media accounts. What are their age, location, interests, and language? From there, you will get a pattern that you can deduce from. With the majority group in mind, you can start thinking about the content of your website.
• Research on your competitors
  If you know your competitors, you can look at their audience demographic. This could include reviews, comments, and projects. Since your target audience is similar, you can have a broader idea of how big your audience is.

Answer questions

Depending on your niche, your website can have a FAQ page. In this section, people can easily and quickly find answers to their questions about your products or services.

• Addressing your users’ needs
  The answers that you provide should redirect them to relevant resources on your website. Your answers should be concise and relevant to the questions. Having this option will increase the trust of your clients and followers of your brand. 
• Increase your online presence and your sales
  Through the FAQ section, you can boost your brand’s expertise in the minds of your clients. There is a higher chance that they will consume your products and services because they trust your knowledge.
• Rank more keywords in google
  The FAQ is also an opportunity to boost your SEO. The content of the FAQ helps google understand what your brand is about. It should be the center of information about your products, services, and your brand.

Personal Website FAQ

How to start your personal website today?

1. Choose your website builder

You can access various website builders on the internet. The most commonly used are Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, and Joomla. We recommend that you use WordPress. It is free and contains thousands of different themes that you can use without any coding.

If you are planning to use WordPress as your website builder, we advice you to use Bluehost to host your website. It provides a free domain name for your first year, a free SSL certificate (protects your users’ privacy with end-to-end encryption), and 24/7 support.

2. Start creating your website

When you have chosen your website builder, you will be asked to name your domain. This is to publish your website on the internet.

It usually comes with your monthly subscription for your website builder. You can then start customizing your website.

You will start with the basic settings for your website. These include the language, date, time, and your website’s name.

Afterward, you start creating your homepage. You can choose if it will be static or show your most recent posts. Then start creating your permalinks.

These are your specific URLs that are associated with every page or blog post you create. You should also consider your privacy settings. WordPress has a feature that automatically creates your privacy policies for you.

3. Start adding your content

When you have a good idea of how your website is, start writing down your content. Depending on the purpose of your website, the writing style and features will defer. You can add pictures, videos, or blog posts to your content. 

There are a few things that all websites must-have. A homepage, an about me page, and contact/find my page. The homepage is important because it is the first impression of your website and your brand. People will decide if they want to navigate your website or leave.

The “About Me” page provides a personal touch to your website. People can know about you and the purpose of your website.