This guide has been designed for solopreneurs and those who are interested in developing a personal brand on the web that can help with attracting and gaining new clients.
The article will discuss the main personal brand strategies' components, focusing on creating a successful personal website. Specifically why a website is required for promoting your personal brand and how to build one. A step-by-step guide with screenshots is included at the end of the article that will help you to create a personal website quickly.
Personal Branding Strategy: Basics
To be fair, it's quite a complex topic to talk about, so in this article, we'll cover the basics and focus on one specific aspect: What role exactly a website plays in promoting your personal brand.
To start with, let’s figure out what are the benefits of having a personal brand in the first place and what one would need to jumpstart their personal brand online.
To start with, let’s figure out what are the benefits of having a personal brand in the first place and what one would need to jumpstart their personal brand online.
Here are some basic steps for effective personal online promotion:
Eve Katz
Managing Partner at the "5 o'click" digital sales agency
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Competitor Research
This is the first thing to start with. Competitors are needed to study their strengths and understand what people need. The most interesting things are hidden in the comments. Read the discussions, look at the frequent requests, experiences, and feedback. Pay attention to the pains of the marketplace and try to make this a strength in your strategy.
For example, developers and designers have a weakness - meeting deadlines and accountability. This is the pain of the market that customers suffer from. This pain is easily uncovered by reading the comments of those looking for developers and designers and examining the environment. Make meeting deadlines your strength and focus on it in your personal brand description and content.
For example, developers and designers have a weakness - meeting deadlines and accountability. This is the pain of the market that customers suffer from. This pain is easily uncovered by reading the comments of those looking for developers and designers and examining the environment. Make meeting deadlines your strength and focus on it in your personal brand description and content.
2
Effective Titles & Descriptions On Social Media
An obvious point that often gets neglected. When we launched the personal promotion course, 8 out of 10 participants didn't have a description on their page. Describe what you do and what you can be useful for, and be sure to include a link to your personal website.
The description is the first thing your potential customers see on social media. It should be brief and factual. Please forget about "I follow my dreams" kind of phrases and write something like "Head of online advertising agency/Psychologist/Work with obesity/ Web designer" etc., depending on what kind of work you do
The description is the first thing your potential customers see on social media. It should be brief and factual. Please forget about "I follow my dreams" kind of phrases and write something like "Head of online advertising agency/Psychologist/Work with obesity/ Web designer" etc., depending on what kind of work you do
3
Networking
Determine your target audience while designing the strategy. Who are your potential customers? What do they do, what communities do they belong to, and what do they read? If you have 30 000 subscribers of moms who are interested in your children, they are unlikely to buy your advertising services, for example.
Filter your friends, go through the communities of your potential customers, follow them add them to your friend list, target your ads at them, and reach out to the media outlets popular among your customers, not your colleagues or competitors.
Important: Follow as many potential customers as you can. On Facebook or LinkedIn, people don't remember where they know each other from. But they do read. I found a lot of clients for my agency that way: People read my content, and then they came and made an order.
Filter your friends, go through the communities of your potential customers, follow them add them to your friend list, target your ads at them, and reach out to the media outlets popular among your customers, not your colleagues or competitors.
Important: Follow as many potential customers as you can. On Facebook or LinkedIn, people don't remember where they know each other from. But they do read. I found a lot of clients for my agency that way: People read my content, and then they came and made an order.
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Effective Content
The most important part. Write exclusively about things you have expertise in. Make engaging content for your target audience. It's not enough to just tell people what you know. You have to show people how you feel about the business, give them examples and stories and share case studies.
With the content, you turn your social media account into an original series that people eventually watch. It should include your work, a little bit of your personality, and a benefit to the community and potential clients. Note that by content I mean blog, social media, media, and communities. Collect the most interesting content on your website.
With the content, you turn your social media account into an original series that people eventually watch. It should include your work, a little bit of your personality, and a benefit to the community and potential clients. Note that by content I mean blog, social media, media, and communities. Collect the most interesting content on your website.
5
Community Management
Community groups are the best area where you can show your expertise. Read questions people ask, give advice where you can help. Choose 2-3 key groups for yourself and devote at least a couple of hours a week to it. People will gradually get used to you, sign up and recommend you to others as they look for experts in your field. You can turn the most interesting questions and answers into stories on your blog or your website/channel/social media.
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Media Coverage
If you have case studies, reach out to the media relevant for your target audience. Editors thrive for unique and compelling content. High-level professionals always have their secrets and recipes and case studies to build a curious story around.
Media publications are also useful to prove your expertise. Place media logos with links to your articles on your personal website, that will increase visitors' confidence. In a market with insane competition, this will make a difference.
Media publications are also useful to prove your expertise. Place media logos with links to your articles on your personal website, that will increase visitors' confidence. In a market with insane competition, this will make a difference.
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Advertising
Media coverage, keynotes, and engaging posts can all be further promoted on social media for your target audience. This way you'll increase your audience's reach and personal brand awareness.
If you have made a quality industry case study (for example, aimed at restaurant owners) promote it to this audience. Social media advertising is a real game-changer in the promotion. Now you don't have to be a star to become a well-known person among your potential clients.
You can't run Facebook ads through personal profiles but you can create a business account for your personal brand and use it for advertising purposes.
If you have made a quality industry case study (for example, aimed at restaurant owners) promote it to this audience. Social media advertising is a real game-changer in the promotion. Now you don't have to be a star to become a well-known person among your potential clients.
You can't run Facebook ads through personal profiles but you can create a business account for your personal brand and use it for advertising purposes.
8
Website
People often ask me, why does one need a website? In personal brand promotion, a website is a must. You can collect all the main information about yourself there: a brief description, work examples, a blog, customer feedback, and of course, place order forms so that a website visitor can immediately make an order.
In addition, it makes sense to put a link to the personal website right in your Facebook and LinkedIn description. When people tag or recommend you and share your Facebook or LinkedIn account, a link to the website is a great way to get noticed.
In the end, your website is where partners, customers, and journalists should end up when looking for you online. So read this article and make your perfect website.
In addition, it makes sense to put a link to the personal website right in your Facebook and LinkedIn description. When people tag or recommend you and share your Facebook or LinkedIn account, a link to the website is a great way to get noticed.
In the end, your website is where partners, customers, and journalists should end up when looking for you online. So read this article and make your perfect website.
If the goal is to jumpstart your personal brand online, I recommend people start with the basics I call the P3:
You've got to get a basic orientation around the people that you want to serve in your personal brand, the problem you're going to solve for them, and at least some basics around the process that you're going to use to solve the problem.
For example, are you going to use courses, coaching groups, one-on-one consulting, deliver keynote speeches, or create a software product that solves that problem? How are you in particular going to solve their problem?
For personal brands, you then take the 3Ps—the people you serve, the problem you solve, and the process you use—and make it "RIPE":
Your personal brand is "RIPE" when you're effectively sharing your
That's what makes it a personal brand. You are the only one that can bring the combination of those things together around the people you serve, the problem you solve, and the process you use.
For example, are you going to use courses, coaching groups, one-on-one consulting, deliver keynote speeches, or create a software product that solves that problem? How are you in particular going to solve their problem?
For personal brands, you then take the 3Ps—the people you serve, the problem you solve, and the process you use—and make it "RIPE":
Your personal brand is "RIPE" when you're effectively sharing your
- R.eputation
- I.deas
- P.ersonality
- E.xpertise
That's what makes it a personal brand. You are the only one that can bring the combination of those things together around the people you serve, the problem you solve, and the process you use.
Who Needs a Personal Brand Website
Having a website is a must for those who sell their goods or services, e.g., a private tutor or a chain restaurant owner. A famous public figure can be interested in scaling their personal brand nationwide as fast as possible when a math tutor from a small town is fine with being known only where they live. The main thing is that both a public figure and a math tutor promote their personal brands and both of them equally need a website.
A recent US-based independent research study revealed older millennials between 35 and 45 years said they valued their service professionals having a strong personal brand. In general, anyone who's looking to monetize their reputation, ideas, personality, and expertise is a great fit to have a personal brand.
A personal brand is a must because nearly every potential buyer will include your website as part of their buying decision. I often tell people your website is going to do one of two things: It's either going to build a bridge, or it's going to burn a bridge. It's going to make someone lean in and be more likely to purchase from you, or it's going to repel them and cause them to go somewhere else and look somewhere else to get their problem solved.
A personal brand is a must because nearly every potential buyer will include your website as part of their buying decision. I often tell people your website is going to do one of two things: It's either going to build a bridge, or it's going to burn a bridge. It's going to make someone lean in and be more likely to purchase from you, or it's going to repel them and cause them to go somewhere else and look somewhere else to get their problem solved.
The simplest way to start building your personal brand online is through social media. Creating and maintaining a few personal accounts on the most popular platforms would be more than enough at the beginning, especially given the fact that it's easy to post and share content there:
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Write articles and publish them on Medium.
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Meet new people and make friends with them on Facebook.
After a while of consistent posting, you will start getting mundane questions about all sorts of things from your private life to search inquiries. In order for people to stop bothering you with trivial questions and prevent them from googling on their own, you'll need a place to store relevant well-arranged content.
It's also worth mentioning that keeping all the important stuff on your socials is unsafe. Even celebrities have their accounts hacked and in some cases, they don't get recovered. If this happens, the risk of losing all your content is high.
On social media, the platform owns your content. They control the algorithms and the rules. But if you make your website, the content is 100% under your control. Also, on Tilda, you can export your website and take it with you anytime you want.
How To Use a Personal Brand Website
Imagine that a website is a basecamp at the foot of the mountain and your socials are tracks that lead to the very top. At a basecamp people usually rest, it's also where fresh provisions get delivered, but the most exciting stuff usually happens outside of the basecamp, on social media.
A website is very much like a basecamp – it helps to minimize the routine and automate processes.
So how exactly can a website be beneficial for you?
Introduce yourself. A personal website can quickly tell the visitors all about the owner. It's basically an alternative form of digital CV that can be easily accessed by prospective clients. It's much better to hit them up with a link instead of telling the same things over and over again.
Store the content. If you have videos to share, use YouTube or Vimeo; if you are into writing, Medium is your channel. But if you create both, it will be handy to have one place to store all kinds of content: Text, images, and videos. Not to forget more specific content like event schedules, timetables, newsletters, etc. that can show potential clients how to work with you. Things that should always be on display, but are inconvenient to keep on social media.
Structure the content. When you have loads of different types of content, it begs for being organized properly. Otherwise, it's kind of hard to get through it and use it in general. Using a website is the easiest way to do it. If we think of socials or platforms like Medium, organizing content is nearly impossible; things like albums or highlights can't fully resolve the issue.
Analyze incoming traffic. Web analytics services can be connected to a website, which allows tracking of visitors' location, keywords they use, the content they spend the most time on, and where they drop off. Social media doesn't provide any of this important data that can be crucial, especially for those who sell online.
So how exactly can a website be beneficial for you?
Introduce yourself. A personal website can quickly tell the visitors all about the owner. It's basically an alternative form of digital CV that can be easily accessed by prospective clients. It's much better to hit them up with a link instead of telling the same things over and over again.
Store the content. If you have videos to share, use YouTube or Vimeo; if you are into writing, Medium is your channel. But if you create both, it will be handy to have one place to store all kinds of content: Text, images, and videos. Not to forget more specific content like event schedules, timetables, newsletters, etc. that can show potential clients how to work with you. Things that should always be on display, but are inconvenient to keep on social media.
Structure the content. When you have loads of different types of content, it begs for being organized properly. Otherwise, it's kind of hard to get through it and use it in general. Using a website is the easiest way to do it. If we think of socials or platforms like Medium, organizing content is nearly impossible; things like albums or highlights can't fully resolve the issue.
Analyze incoming traffic. Web analytics services can be connected to a website, which allows tracking of visitors' location, keywords they use, the content they spend the most time on, and where they drop off. Social media doesn't provide any of this important data that can be crucial, especially for those who sell online.
What to track in the personal brand website statistics
Google Analytics is not the easiest tool to get the hang of by yourself without any outside professional help. But there are some things that are easy to track and can be used to your advantage, start by setting goals, monitoring traffic sources, and seeing which sections of the website are the most popular:
Google Analytics is not the easiest tool to get the hang of by yourself without any outside professional help. But there are some things that are easy to track and can be used to your advantage, start by setting goals, monitoring traffic sources, and seeing which sections of the website are the most popular:
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Average time spent on a website and top-viewed pages. The time that visitors spend on your website not only can tell you what parts of the website they find the most interesting and helpful but also which ones actually need some attention or better be taken down at once as unnecessary. As for the most viewed pages, make sure to place a CTA button or two there.
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Traffic sources. It's important to understand the traffic that comes to your website, whether it's organic, paid, or direct. It allows you to distinguish more effective channels from less effective ones and try to optimize them accordingly.
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Demographics. Basic knowledge of your visitors' demographics is also very beneficial. It can be of help with better defining your target audiences and their specific characteristics like gender, age group, and location. For instance, you're a photographer based in Paris and for some reason, your website gets the most visits from Lisbon. What if it's time to start accepting jobs abroad?
When using Google Analytics to help determine if your website is effective, you track conversions. So if you have a lead generator, you would track how many people are seeing that lead generator, and how many of them are signing up. With Tilda, you can set up Google Analytics so that it tracks certain buttons.
You can use Google Analytics or Tilda's built-in statistics to see what pages or blog posts are popular. Discover what's getting the most traffic and where people spend the most amount of time and use that data to build out more content or products or services around those pages that are resonating with your audience.
Another thing worth tracking is the bounce rate. If someone's coming to your website, Google Analytics can help show you if they're visiting one page and then leaving your website, or "bouncing."
And many of those things, again, you can accomplish just with Tilda's built-in statistics.
You can use Google Analytics or Tilda's built-in statistics to see what pages or blog posts are popular. Discover what's getting the most traffic and where people spend the most amount of time and use that data to build out more content or products or services around those pages that are resonating with your audience.
Another thing worth tracking is the bounce rate. If someone's coming to your website, Google Analytics can help show you if they're visiting one page and then leaving your website, or "bouncing."
And many of those things, again, you can accomplish just with Tilda's built-in statistics.
Attract new audiences. If you update your website regularly, make sure to optimize the web pages for search engines so prospects can successfully find you through the search results.
Sell goods and services. Not only material goods can be sold, but also private consultations, e-books, newsletters, etc. Don't forget to add a payment system to your website so your visitors can pay online without your involvement.
Automate processes. Every business has routine processes that drain time and energy. There are usually a number of general things that people tend to ask the most like your pricing policy, available slots, payment options, etc.
If you're a freelance business consultant, you can put, for example, your online course outline, event calendar, and FAQ. By doing so, you make it possible for your visitors to schedule a consultation, learn more about you and your business, and pay for the appointment.
If you're a freelance business consultant, you can put, for example, your online course outline, event calendar, and FAQ. By doing so, you make it possible for your visitors to schedule a consultation, learn more about you and your business, and pay for the appointment.
A personal website helps your business because it becomes the place where you do the ABC's of business.
You Attract leads, Build trust with the audience and you Convert sales.
You Attract leads, Build trust with the audience and you Convert sales.
Don't forget to add a link to your website to your bio on Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media, as well as the Email Signature and your profiles on different messengers.
Also don't be shy to share the link with journalists and prospective clients. If you blog, it's important to add the link to new posts as well.
Also don't be shy to share the link with journalists and prospective clients. If you blog, it's important to add the link to new posts as well.
Things To Include On Your Personal Brand Website
Every brand is usually focused on one thing, the same applies to personal brands. It doesn't necessarily mean that you can only offer one type of product or service on your website. If you're, let's say, a photographer, you can sell photo shoots as well as an online photography course. What would seem out of place on such a website are driving lessons even if you're pretty good at it. If you want to also sell private driver lessons, better create a separate website for that particular service.
If you want to be noticed as a writer, share your texts. If you're a photographer, create virtual galleries. If you're a videographer, there must be a video portfolio. Each specialist can share different types of content but your website visitors should easily understand what exactly it is that you do.
Your main message needs to include your perspective shared through your personal story. What makes a personal website effective is when your story comes through in relation to the business that you're trying to build.
Let's have a closer look at what a website consists of from the header to the footer. Here are some things that need to be on a personal brand website in order to be helpful for prospective clients.
Professional Brand Photo
The Hero section can easily count as the most important part of the whole website. If a visitor is having a hard time grasping what it is that you offer and how they can benefit from your service, they will be scrolling further down the page without much interest or even leave right away.
Introduce yourself to the visitors and show them what you do. There is no one right way to do it: You can display yourself or your product. If you are a personal trainer, put a picture showing you in your best shape. If you are a photographer, showcase your best work.
A professional photo shoot is worth investing money in. Go for quality pictures that can be easily perceived by the audience: A businessman would wear a costume, and a doctor would wear a white coat. Try to use the same picture on different platforms so people easily recognize you.
If your website has a "Buy now" button or offers to subscribe to your newsletter, make sure the button or the email signup form are placed at the beginning of the page. If it's buried under tons of other information, only a few will get there and have a chance to interact with it.
Introduce yourself to the visitors and show them what you do. There is no one right way to do it: You can display yourself or your product. If you are a personal trainer, put a picture showing you in your best shape. If you are a photographer, showcase your best work.
A professional photo shoot is worth investing money in. Go for quality pictures that can be easily perceived by the audience: A businessman would wear a costume, and a doctor would wear a white coat. Try to use the same picture on different platforms so people easily recognize you.
If your website has a "Buy now" button or offers to subscribe to your newsletter, make sure the button or the email signup form are placed at the beginning of the page. If it's buried under tons of other information, only a few will get there and have a chance to interact with it.
paulfitzone.com A popular fitness instructor sends out good vibes. There is an option to set up your personal account right away by clicking the Signup button on the Hero screen.
Introductory Copy
Put a short introduction under your brand image, describing you and your specialization. Use plain words, it's your experience and capabilities that should make an impression, not the colorful language. In order to better understand what information is worth putting out there, imagine being at the first meeting with a new client. If you are a photographer, you probably wouldn't be sharing being a law graduate, would you?
You want to show the visitor how good you are, and what a nice thing it is for clients to choose you. So sell your skills. It sounds like showing off, and it is kind of. But if you choose your text carefully it is not cheeky.
For clients, it's important to know who they work with and to build trust. I think it's best to show your intro copy on the homepage or you can also add it to the "About" page.
For clients, it's important to know who they work with and to build trust. I think it's best to show your intro copy on the homepage or you can also add it to the "About" page.
Personal Achievements And Rewards
Usually, customers have a very basic knowledge of the things that they purchase. For example, very few buyers would be choosing a wedding photographer based on technical details like the model of the photo equipment that one uses. It means that every time we buy something, we practically take a leap of faith. To gain your potential clients' trust, prove yourself to them. Diplomas, awards, and industry ratings may sound "old-school" or even cheesy, but they do work and help make the right impression.
Not only diplomas and certificates can be considered valued accomplishments worth listing on your website. Think about things that you're most proud of and things that your clients better know about. Again, if you're a personal trainer, mentioning a magna cum laude law degree wouldn't necessarily be the first choice, but nailing 10 marathons or scaling Mount Everest definitely would.
Not only diplomas and certificates can be considered valued accomplishments worth listing on your website. Think about things that you're most proud of and things that your clients better know about. Again, if you're a personal trainer, mentioning a magna cum laude law degree wouldn't necessarily be the first choice, but nailing 10 marathons or scaling Mount Everest definitely would.
Portfolio
If you are a writer, share your latest articles; if you are a photographer, showcase your recent photo shoots. There is no need to publish every little thing that you ever wrote or created but keep in mind that variety is essential here. If you have too much to share, just go with your most outstanding work of yours.
The portfolio page is important, especially for a designer like myself. Show only your best work. Quality over quantity! If you're not proud of the work you've done, don't show it.
If you don't have enough projects to show, make up an imaginary project. It doesn't matter if the website is real or not. The client will look at the usability, design, layout, etc. This is also a perfect way to show your skills, now that you don't have limitations from clients, you can make the perfect example, but it's also a perfect practice for yourself. I think you need at least 4 big projects in your portfolio.
If you don't have enough projects to show, make up an imaginary project. It doesn't matter if the website is real or not. The client will look at the usability, design, layout, etc. This is also a perfect way to show your skills, now that you don't have limitations from clients, you can make the perfect example, but it's also a perfect practice for yourself. I think you need at least 4 big projects in your portfolio.
Useful Content
It can be anything that your audience will find useful and can interact with right away, e.g., a video tutorial, an insightful article, an instruction that helps to figure out how to build something, etc. If you are a master chief, share with your visitors some secret tricks to make the best lasagna.
Any valuable content on your website serves three kay purposes: prove your skills and abilities, hook your website visitors, and generate traffic.
Any valuable content on your website serves three kay purposes: prove your skills and abilities, hook your website visitors, and generate traffic.
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We trust those who share their knowledge and experience. Show your visitors how to take professional quality photos with an iPhone, and they'll believe that you are a talented photographer.
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The more value you offer on your website, the more reasons people will have to visit it time and again. It's much easier to sell something to regular visitors.
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If your website provides unique high-quality content, it will be indexed higher by search engines and it will be easier to find you on Google.
Content marketing through your website helps build trust, establish your expertise, and helps with search engine optimization (SEO).
Don't forget to add social media sharing buttons to any content that you post. It will allow your readers to share it with their followers, so more people can discover you. As an added bonus, it will also improve your organic search engine ranking, since search engines rank higher websites with good visitor activity such as sharing web pages.
Media Coverage
Getting any positive media coverage—whether it's a piece that's written by you or on you—counts as social proof. If the press talks about you, it means that you've earned it. So don't forget to add being featured or mentioned in any high-profile publications to your website.
Your personal brand can benefit from being featured in the media when you use that opportunity to add value and to demonstrate your expertise.
Media exposure gives you the opportunity to get in front of new people, where you're adding value to them and proving you're an expert in your field. You can also actively go seek out media coverage, there are lots of opportunities out there.
Or you can embed yourself in an existing community and serve people that are the kind of people your personal brand business serves. You can find communities online. And my recommendation is just to serve their socks off. Don't pitch or sell or try to drive a bunch of traffic to your own website. Just add value.
I've tried to do this with Tilda. It led me to this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on personal branding :)
Media exposure gives you the opportunity to get in front of new people, where you're adding value to them and proving you're an expert in your field. You can also actively go seek out media coverage, there are lots of opportunities out there.
Or you can embed yourself in an existing community and serve people that are the kind of people your personal brand business serves. You can find communities online. And my recommendation is just to serve their socks off. Don't pitch or sell or try to drive a bunch of traffic to your own website. Just add value.
I've tried to do this with Tilda. It led me to this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on personal branding :)
Remember to always add media outlets' logos as simply sharing a link won't be enough. Visitors will notice the logo and remember you even if they don't get to read the article.
Client Testimonials
Customer feedback also counts as social proof. It's easier for us to trust someone who's gained others' trust before. But it's not the only reason why reviews can be massively beneficial. A good review is basically a guide to working with you.
Why testimonials are so important for your brand?
Why testimonials are so important for your brand?
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Target audiences. Make sure to ask for testimonials from different clients. If you are a business consultant, add reviews from small and big companies as well as solopreneurs.
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Workflow scenarios. Show in which situations people can reach out to you, explain what kind of problems and at what stage you generally help them solve.
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Results. If you build websites, the main work sample that you can showcase is the website and that's what is typically included in the portfolio. But that's not all that can be included here. For example, you taught your client how to use their website's admin panel, explained what conversion rate is and how to calculate it, and provided a service recommendation. All of that counts as results too.
But there's one problem. The Web is flooded with fake reviews, so people get very suspicious about them. To make testimonials look more trustworthy and real, ask your clients for their photos and their permission to include a link to their active social media accounts.
Video testimonials work best. If you provide private Skype consultations, ask your clients to give their feedback in the end. Freshly under a good impression after talking business with you they'll most likely give glowing and detailed feedback.
Video testimonials work best. If you provide private Skype consultations, ask your clients to give their feedback in the end. Freshly under a good impression after talking business with you they'll most likely give glowing and detailed feedback.
I think it's a good idea to always be open for feedback, but then share what is pertinent with your website audience. So you're always asking for feedback. You don't necessarily need to share all of that feedback on your website.
My best tip for customer reviews is, as you're working with a client or a customer, listen for feedback. Then go back and compile what they've said and write the testimonial for your customer. Focus your testimonial on the benefit or the transformation they received from doing business with you.
Once you've written it, ask for their permission to use it. Most often, they'll not only approve it, they'll thank you! They don't have to take the time to write a testimonial (not to mention that most people aren't good at writing).
Share your top three testimonials on your Home Page. Then if you've got a number of other testimonials, create a testimonials page. You're not necessarily expecting a website visitor to read every one of those testimonials on a longer testimonial page. It's really the impact of seeing a list of testimonials. They say, "Wow. Look at all of these testimonials, this person must be amazing to work with."
My best tip for customer reviews is, as you're working with a client or a customer, listen for feedback. Then go back and compile what they've said and write the testimonial for your customer. Focus your testimonial on the benefit or the transformation they received from doing business with you.
Once you've written it, ask for their permission to use it. Most often, they'll not only approve it, they'll thank you! They don't have to take the time to write a testimonial (not to mention that most people aren't good at writing).
Share your top three testimonials on your Home Page. Then if you've got a number of other testimonials, create a testimonials page. You're not necessarily expecting a website visitor to read every one of those testimonials on a longer testimonial page. It's really the impact of seeing a list of testimonials. They say, "Wow. Look at all of these testimonials, this person must be amazing to work with."
Contact Information
Tell visitors how they can quickly reach out to you. Avoid giving incorrect or outdated information as well as contact options that you don't really use yourself. For example, if you don't use WhatsApp, there is no need to put it out there just because everybody seems to do that. Your contacts should let people get in touch with you and be comfortable for you to use.
Common Rookie Mistakes
It's actually easier to build a good personal website on the first try than one might think. You can make improvements anytime later on, and for the very first version, try to avoid these mistakes:
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Rewriting the content endlessly. Just go with the version that properly presents you and what you do.
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Copying somebody else's content. It can damage your website ranking as well as your reputation.
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Using old pictures. If you frequently change your hairstyle or get makeovers, adjust your website accordingly. It's important that your prospects can recognize you when meeting in person.
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Overlooking mistakes in texts. Typos and grammar mistakes indicate a lack of attention or the fact that you don't have money to afford a proofreader. Both of those potential assumptions are equally bad for your business.
5
Having outdated information and cases. If you haven't updated your website for 5 years, it begs the question, what have you been doing all those years?
Avoid sharing anything generic—anything that puts you in a position of being a commodity. YOU are what makes your personal brand and business unique.
Having a personal brand business gives you the opportunity to express your point of view on whatever the problem is or whatever the solution is you offer. YOUR approach.
So anything generic is a missed opportunity on a personal brand website and you become a commodity or a "provider."
The other type of content you want to avoid sharing is anything that makes YOU the HERO instead of those you serve. Instead, frame everything out of what I call a Radical Empathy for your Customer or your client that you serve, don't put yourself in the hero position. Focus on those you serve out of radical empathy for them.
Having a personal brand business gives you the opportunity to express your point of view on whatever the problem is or whatever the solution is you offer. YOUR approach.
So anything generic is a missed opportunity on a personal brand website and you become a commodity or a "provider."
The other type of content you want to avoid sharing is anything that makes YOU the HERO instead of those you serve. Instead, frame everything out of what I call a Radical Empathy for your Customer or your client that you serve, don't put yourself in the hero position. Focus on those you serve out of radical empathy for them.
How To Create a Personal Website on Tilda
1. Add a Cover And Come Up With a Unique Selling Proposition
Open the Block Library, find the "Cover" category, and then pick the right one for you. Align the copy to the left in the block settings if you want to go with more of a traditional layout—the image is on the right, and the text is on the left. If you want to have buttons on the cover—for example, to jump to the Portfolio page—use the blocks CR15, CR16, and CR17. If you want to add an online form, take a look at blocks CR26, CR32
2. Tell the Visitors About Yourself
After making an appealing cover, proceed to the "About" category. You can pick the simplest blocks that consist of only a description or a title with a description such as AB101 or AB102. Your message matters the most here, so try not to distract visitors from reading your intro copy.
3. Describe Services You Offer
The "Features" category is here for that. You can simply list your services but what works even better is using quality images to illustrate the text. One of the right blocks for that is FR301.
4. Add Photo Or Video Gallery
Those pictures can be featuring your product—if it can be well-photographed—or showing you in action like giving a master class or hosting a workshop. You can find the right block for that in the "Gallery" category.
If you want to share a video, use blocks from the "Video" category. Make sure to upload the video on YouTube or Vimeo first.
If you want to share a video, use blocks from the "Video" category. Make sure to upload the video on YouTube or Vimeo first.
5. Think Of Possible Doubts That Your Prospects May Have And Work On Objection Handling
Put together a list of possible customer objections and try providing coherent answers to them. Then go to the "Features" category, choose a block, and list your reasoning there. You can also use "Questions and Answers" blocks for that. You can find them the "Text Block" category, e.g., TX16, TX17, TX18.
6. Add Customer Reviews
Share your clients' testimonials on your website, using blocks from the "Reviews" category. Ask for permission to add their photos and links to their social media accounts. If you have a video testimonial, use the "Video" block → VD01 (a YouTube video) to put it out there. Add the link in the Content tab.
7. Share Contact Details And Don't Forget About CTA's
Share your contact information one more time at the end of the web page and add a call to action (CTA). You can find the right blocks in the "Form and Button" and "Contacts" categories.
All of the information provided is meant to help you launch your website. Once your personal website is up and running, watch closely how user-friendly it's turning out to be for you and the visitors.
You shouldn't be afraid to experiment: Edit texts, titles, and move the blocks around. Monitor which layout makes the visitor the most engaged and ultimately results in increased sales.
You shouldn't be afraid to experiment: Edit texts, titles, and move the blocks around. Monitor which layout makes the visitor the most engaged and ultimately results in increased sales.
When you offer a new product, new service, or when you have a new promotion—don't forget to update your website. And with a website builder, any update is a matter of seconds—you don't need to call a designer or a developer, it's easy and quick, and gives you autonomy and space for experiments.
Another thing that can be updated frequently is testimonials. If you're gathering new testimonials, you want to always be featuring your best testimonials on your website.
A final area to update can be your lead generator. If your lead generator is underperforming and only converting 3% of visitors, then you would want to change out lead generators. Try something different to see if you can get a higher conversion rate and attract more leads.
Another thing that can be updated frequently is testimonials. If you're gathering new testimonials, you want to always be featuring your best testimonials on your website.
A final area to update can be your lead generator. If your lead generator is underperforming and only converting 3% of visitors, then you would want to change out lead generators. Try something different to see if you can get a higher conversion rate and attract more leads.
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