Why You Need Your Own Website

Websites - everyone's got one, but does everyone need one? If you are one of the last holdouts, wondering if you need a website, the answer is yes. And if you are wondering why you need a website, it's because you need to showcase your abilities and accomplishments. It's like a resume, but designed for today's online world. You still need to have a formal resume that can be printed and handed to someone, or emailed, faxed or mailed. But your website is a wonderful additional way to get your name out there and to really get noticed.

If you're a freelancer, you need one without a doubt. And if you're not a freelancer, but you're looking for different work, better work, or more work, a website can be a help. Your own site will introduce potential employers and those who may need your services to you. You have the advantage of creating a site that will allow you to show examples of your work, or link to sites that you are affiliated with. Say you're a virtual assistant who has earned special credentials through a training program specifically for Virtual Assistants. You could link to their site and a potential employer would be able to get a look at the educational institution you trained with. If you are a freelance writer, you can include links to magazines or sites that your work has been used in, and post samples of your work in a portfolio. Almost anyone in almost any profession can gain from having a personal website to outline skills, talents, education and accomplishments.

What types of information should you include in your site? Well, a great photo is always helpful. Gear it toward your profession. A freelance artist or writer can afford to look a bit avant-garde, but a virtual legal Assistant or Virtual Transcriptionist must look professional, even if you do your best work at 2 AM in your pajamas. A brief description of yourself and your professional endeavors should be included, plus a bit about what you are aspiring to. Information about education and training, and of course, samples of your work, or references to companies that you've worked with and that you've been successful with. You can also include a link to your resume in .pdf or a Word document. Something you should not include is the contact information for professional references. You can give those to people who ask for them, but most people don't appreciate having their contact information on the Internet for the world to see.

You own website creates another avenue from which to get your name out there. In today's business world it can be a very useful tool.