Reminder - You Still Need a Personal Website - Here's Why

Are you reliant on external platforms - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter that limit your reach at any time? Or do you have your own 'Home Base'?

  By  

Ken Morico

  updated  10/23/2023

Yes, it's 2023 and you still need a personal website. Your reach might be crashing without one. Recently, Twitter limited access to tweets for all accounts -- even paid ones (TechCrunch). There are huge financial costs associated with running social networks -- and your organic messages won't keep the lights on.

Are you reliant on external platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter that limit your reach at any time? Or do you have your own "Home Base"? I'll explore the benefits of having a personal site even today, in 2023 and beyond.

I've been creating personal homepages since 1998... they allowed me to stand out online since the online space was much, much smaller. Today, social media allows excellent reach -- at a cost. The cost is control. You don't have any. In every social media platform, if you direct users off platform with your own link, you'll see that post downplayed in the algorithm. Social media companies don't make money if you take THEIR USERS off platform.

In life, oftentimes the maximum benefits of assets flow to the owners - real estate, factories, services companies, etc. With a personal website, or "personal brand" site, you too can benefit from asset ownership.

Here are 5 reasons personal websites are a must have:

1. Showcase your skills - if you have a job your website can host content that demonstrates your expertise. What can this do for you? It can be leveraged for a new position with higher salary (I did). It can drive traffic from Google and provide an audience you can later monetize.
2. Provide a Platform to Sell Products & Services - it's hard to show all your products and services on social media. Fans can purchase right on your site... I have Apple Pay on my site - 1 click and 2 seconds later I have a sale.
3. You Can Display Ads or Sponsorships - yes, if you have content worth reading you can display ads on your site or sell sponsorships for your newsletter (audience signed up on your site -- YES!).
4. You Control the Messaging - no competitors can distract your audience once they are on your site. You control the flow, purchase funnels, and narrative. You are the best in your industry, right? Here's why...
5. Full Control Over Content - There are no limits to what you can place on a personal website. Video, audio, text, products, whatever. You can brand it any way you like - the colors, the copy, the resources - you get depth not possible anywhere else. It's literally your world, and YOUR platform.

Personal websites are great and not just for celebrities or Web developers. Every professional needs one in 2023 - now more than ever.

Get personal with your audience. That's my advice from me to you...

(P.S. I do offer coaching sessions for professionals that have or need a personal brand site - reach out if you're serious about being a player in your space.)