A month ago, I wrote about why everybody needs a personal website. In short, it’s a serendipity vehicle, a credibility tool, a learning accelerator, and a piece of digital real estate you own yourself. This post is the natural follow-up. Because the next question is: what should it look like?
I like browsing other personal websites and blogs. It gives inspiration. And it often makes me want to overhaul my own. I’ve categorised the websites below into profession and niche. I hope these 6 (in no particular order) give you inspiration to start creating.
Academia
Academics have a lot to gain from a personal website, yet they’re often among the last to build one. University profile pages are typically dry, outdated, and buried somewhere on an institutional site you have no control over. A personal website lets you tell the story behind your research, not just list your publications, but explain why they matter.
It’s also a way to connect with collaborators, students, and the public beyond the walls of your department. While searching for good examples, I came across The Academic Designer, run by Jennifer van Alstyne. She advises academics on building their online presence and hosts an annual Best Personal Academic Websites Contest together with Brittany Trinh and Ian Li. Two websites from this year’s contest stood out to me.
1. www.madeline-eppley.com
The first one is Madeline Eppley’s website, a PhD student in Marine and Environmental Studies. I like that she combines personal, professional, and educational content. The website’s design is very clean and pleasing, with an authentic feel.
2. https://cecibaldoni.github.io/
The second website that stood out to me was Cecilia Baldoni’s a researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour. Cecilia has an interactive map on her website, which really makes you want to delve in and explore. It is almost gamification. It’s a very well-made illustration aswell. I’d like to make something like this myself, though, as of now, I don’t know what purpose it would serve or how to make it.
What I also find interesting is that it is hosted on GitHub. Not as beginner-friendly as WordPress (what I am using), but given GitHub’s good reputation, definitely a good option for a personal website if you are more comfortable with coding.
Developers
Developers and designers are the most natural fit for personal websites; they can build exactly what they want, and the site itself becomes a demonstration of their skills. The best developer websites don’t just list projects; they are the project. A well-crafted personal site says more about a developer’s abilities than any CV ever could.
3. https://bruno-simon.com
We cannot really call this ‘just’ a personal website anymore. It is nothing short of a well-made game. The ultimate CV; creating and providing the service that you would be hired to do. It runs very smooth and the sound and music are also great, really nothing I could point out that could have been done better.
4. https://neal.fun
Quite the opposite in a sense of design. These interactive artefacts are (compared to the previous game) simple in design, but very creative and clear.
Portfolio Websites
If your work involves analysis, data, or risk fields where the output is often graphs, dashboards, and reports, a personal website can be a great place to showcase your work.
5. visualcinnamon.com
Nadieh Bremer, freelance data visualisation designer. Her website builds trust with a clean layout, strong testimonials, a captivating about page and a large portfolio. Not something that can be built quickly, but definitely something to aspire to and to work towards for years.
6. https://naledi.co.uk/
A great example of what to do when you are just getting started. She kept it very straightforward: a home page that also serves as the about page, and the only other page is her blog. Both here contact and portfolio neatly integrate into the homepage. Everything you need in one spot.
What to Use
After looking at all those examples, you might be wondering where to start. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a single right answer. The best medium for your blog depends on your technical skill level, the industry you’re in, what your goals are, and, probably most importantly, what motivates you to create.
The best platform/medium/server provider will be the one where you publish consistent quality.
There is, however, general advice: more independence is better. Platforms can change their terms and conditions, you don’t own what you publish, and they might block you from their platform altogether.
If you’re willing to learn a little bit about hosting and have a small budget (a starter plan at Hostinger is around 3 dollars a month at the time of writing). I’d recommend getting your own domain and hosting it yourself.
Big brand hosting providers have made the process very easy over the years. If you combine that with something like Claude Cowork and its Chrome extension, you can have the AI execute steps directly in your browser to help you set things up.
There are also other good options if self-hosting feels like too much. My recommendation then would be WordPress.com because it is free and easy to set up, and if you decide to go self-hosted later, migrating is straightforward. This gives you the most flexibility for the lowest starting costs.
Conclusion
Looking at all these websites, one pattern keeps coming back: the best personal websites are the ones that feel alive. They don’t need to be flashy or technically impressive. They need to be maintained, honest, and reflective of the person behind them.
I hope this also shows you that there’s no single right way to do it. You don’t need to be a developer. You don’t need a portfolio of impressive projects. A simple site with a clear bio, a few pieces of writing, and a way to get in touch is already a big improvement over just having a LinkedIn profile.
And if you already have a personal website, I’d love to see it. Drop a link in the comments or send it my way. I’m always looking for new sites to browse and bookmark. The same goes for any personal websites you’ve come across that inspired you.
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